Part 1Choose an instrument
1Choose an instrument that interests you. If your goal is to become the unruly rock musician in a punk band on stage, learning the oboe will expose you to a lot of music, but it may not be very relevant to the road of rock and roll. If you want to play classical music and become a classical master, then there may not be much room for electronic instruments. All in all, choose the type of instrument you want to learn based on the type of musician you want to be.
• If you don't have any specific ideas, you can start with piano, violin, or guitar. Because these instruments are the easiest to find teachers for, they can allow you to quickly learn some basic playing skills of the instrument.
• If you ultimately want to develop on the path of classical music or jazz, it is best to choose an instrument from the classical string category, such as woodwind instruments, brass instruments, or percussion instruments, etc. Learning this type of instrument usually requires a lot of time and study.
• If you want to write your own songs and embark on the road of pop music, it is best to start with guitar, bass, piano, and drums. It's good to take lessons at a professional place, but many pop and folk musicians are self-taught. They read tutorials, search for videos online, and then hone their skills through repeated attempts and failures.
2 You can consider starting with the piano. Even if your dream is not to wear a dress and give a piano recital, it is still a great choice to lay a solid musical foundation through piano learning. Because when learning piano, all the notes will be placed right in front of you, which is very clear to young people and beginners. At the same time, the piano is also one of the most diverse musical instruments. Whether it is classical, pop or other music types, the piano is used in performance.
• Real luxury pianos and concert-grade pianos are expensive, but the same cannot be said for electronic keyboards, which range from "common" prices to sky-high prices. One of the benefits of learning piano is that you can learn the necessary fingering and basic knowledge no matter the quality of the instrument.
3. Learn classical instruments. Classical instruments mainly refer to those instruments used in concerts, jazz, live performance bands, swing bands, and other bands that rely on sheet music. They are different from pop music. If you are attracted to music that is complex, mature, and highly artistic, then classical instruments may be a good fit for you.
• Brass instruments are not actually made of copper tubes, they are made of bent metal tubes that you create sound by blowing air into.
• Woodwind instruments are made of mixed materials and produce sound by vibrating reeds held in the mouth. Woodwind instruments produce a very unique warm woody sound and are commonly used in classical music and jazz, while the saxophone is used more in pop music.
• Choose a classical stringed instrument. Classical string instruments are mainly used in symphonies, string quartets and other professional instrumental music performances. The basic instruments are violin, viola, double bass and cello. Guitars can also be classified as classical string instruments, depending on the specific musical style.
4. Consider pop or rock instruments. When we think of pop music or forming our own band, the first instruments we think of must be guitars, basses, drums, keyboards, and pianos. Although they can actually be used to play many different styles of music, we still habitually classify them as pop rock. If you are not interested in wearing a dress and playing in a splendid music hall, but are rather looking forward to the music mode of practicing the band in the basement and driving around in your car, then you can choose to learn one of the instruments listed above.
• Guitar
5 Consider percussion instruments. Percussion is not as simple as tapping as you imagine. Excellent percussionists can play many types of music, whether it is folk music, classical music, jazz or rock. For a musical group, there is nothing more valuable and diverse than an outstanding percussionist.
• The great thing about learning percussion is that you don't even need an instrument at first to build up the necessary skills. If you have a strong sense of rhythm and good hand stability, you may want to consider learning percussion.
6. Learn electronic instruments. From DJs to synthesizer masters, the current definition of "musician" has far exceeded the traditional understanding of this title. Carefully arranged, highly artistic music can be expressed through trumpets and reeds, as well as through complex buttons on a computer.
Part 2 goes towards the player
1. Practice frequently. Maybe you have an innate talent for a certain instrument, but you have to know that there is a huge gap between "playing an instrument well" and "becoming a musician", and this gap is diligent practice. Musicians spend their lives improving their musical skills, learning new techniques, and using their instruments to produce more complex music. To reach the top, regular and serious practice is indispensable.
• Make practice a part of your habit and daily routine. Practice correct playing knowledge, do warm-up exercises before starting, and practice for at least 20-40 minutes every day. Each practice should include techniques, techniques, relaxation exercises, etc. No matter which instrument you learn, you can relax by playing interesting tunes such as "Little Apple" and "The Most Dazzling National Style".
• Practicing an instrument is just like exercising your body. Persistence is a very important quality. Only by practicing every day can you establish and consolidate good habits.
2. Find a good teacher. It is very difficult to study by yourself. Although written tutoring can help, there is no substitute for face-to-face instruction from a good teacher. No matter what instrument you play, a good teacher can help correct errors in your technique and help you build a solid musical foundation.
• If you want to make a difference, you must have an open mind to ask for advice. People who are stubborn and unable to listen to advice will basically not become musicians. Only by humbly listening to the advice from excellent players and learning as much knowledge as possible with a curious heart can you truly gain something. Make continuous improvement your goal.
• If you don't have the time or money to hire a teacher, then find more players who are better than you. Having a meal with them in a small restaurant and asking a few questions on the guitar will be enough to benefit you a lot. Remember to pay more attention to observe and learn.
3. Learn to read music. When you can play some tunes by hearing, the next step is to learn to read music. Learning to read music is essential for some instruments and playing styles, and if you want to play classical music, it's nearly impossible to do it by ear and memory alone.
• Also, learn more about music history and music theory, especially if you want to compose your own music. Learn why certain notes sound good together, how to arrange chords, and how to maximize your music to improve your performance.
4Listen to all music. For musicians, it is crucial to develop their own unique musical taste. Just like a novelist needs to read extensively other novels and study literary history before he can write something worth reading, a musician also needs to listen to all kinds of music and learn all kinds of music styles in order to compose valuable music or perform soulful music.
• To listen to classical music, start with ancient palace soundtracks, and then gradually listen to the music of romantic composers such as Mozart and Beethoven. Try listening to the music of 20th century avant-garde composers such as Penderecki, Cage, etc. to challenge your previous understanding of music.
• Listen to all kinds of rock music, even if it's not your style. Research early punk, mountain rock, psychedelic rock, etc., both popular and unpopular, and find the ones worth listening to and ignore the rest.
• If you find music you like, go back to its roots. If you like Katy Perry, do some research and you'll find that Cher and Madonna are huge influences on her style and sound. When you listen to Cher's music, you go back to Etta James, and ultimately you go back to Bessie Smith, one of the greatest early blues singers of all time. All in all, find the "source" of your favorite artist.
5 Start composing your own music. If you want to develop in the direction of a musician and take your skills to the next level, starting to compose music is a good try. Whether you play classical or pop music, composing your own music is the quickest way to discover the difference between playing something else and writing your own music. So, feel free to write music for your own performance.
6. Find your own style of playing the instrument. When jazz musician Miles Davis was learning to play the trumpet, he couldn't learn the vibrato technique, so he continued a low and clean single-note style throughout his music career. When asked why his band always sounded like a chugging ship loaded with cargo, he responded "We could play fast music, but we don't want to." So, turn your original weaknesses into your outstanding personal style and strengths, and use them to become a unique player.
Part 3 takes it to the next level
1Consider joining a band. Playing with other players and musicians allows you to learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses, while also learning how to play music in a group as a whole.
• If you want to play classical or concert music, it may be best to join a local community orchestra, school band, or other music group.
• Playing with others also allows you to continuously improve your character. David Hood, a member of Muscle Shoals Recording Studio and one of the most famous double bass players in history, was once asked in an interview why he enjoyed such a high reputation and became a very trusted performer. He replied: "My gears are always turning, and I am always ready." It can be seen that the quality of humility is a valuable asset for musicians.
2When you're ready, play in front of a crowd. If you want to improve your skills with regular practice, it's time to show everyone what you've got. Start by playing on your best instrument in front of a small, kind and tolerant audience or parents, and then move on to playing for everyone else. If you want to be a performer, you have to have an audience.
• Café gigs usually have a tolerant audience. Many amateurs who are looking for opportunities go to Taiwan to perform, and the audiences there are mostly very friendly and easy-going, so it is a good entry point.
• Playing alone is also possible. It is not compulsory to perform in public, learn to enjoy the beautiful notes you play!
3 Try to form your own team. Do you find it difficult to join an existing band or group? It's better to form one yourself. Don’t wait for people to come to you, but take the initiative and find others. Post a job posting on an advertising site, specify the impact you can bring and the type of music you want to play, and look closely at the musical past of those interested. You can also visit local music stores, post your own advertisements, and get to know more local musicians at places where you perform in Taiwan. [2]
4Record your own music. For a budding musician, recording a tape of one's performance can be said to be a very meaningful and fun thing. Is there anything cooler than hearing the melody of one's own performance played from a CD? And with today's technology, everyone can quickly and easily record beautiful sounds at home.
• Invest in a few cheap microphones and record your performance directly into your computer using music creation software such as GarageBand or Audacity. Classify your music and burn it into CDs for friends to listen to. You can also import them to iPod.
• If you're ambitious, you can even share your music with the world. Record your special skills, then create an account and quick link on the music exchange platform Bandcamp or Soundcloud to share your music.
5. Treat it as a long-term undertaking. Even if you are talented and hard-working, even if you are the best player in your town, you still cannot ensure that others will hear your music. Becoming a musician is a long road for many, and you have to put in a lot of time honing your craft while trying to get anyone's attention and recognition before you get the rewards you deserve. But remember, the more you work, the greater your chances of success.
• If you want to connect with people and get personalized tutoring, consider attending a music school. [3] Even if you don't want to play classical music, studying music history and music production techniques will still give you some advantages in the music industry.
Tips
• Never give up on music just because some boring person says you're a "nerd" because you play a lot of instruments. Know that music is one of the best art forms and you should never give up on music.
• It's normal to feel frustrated, it's part of learning.
• Think musically. This is basically the hardest thing about being a musician. You must fully understand every note you play. Some people can memorize 10 pages of music scores and play them accurately, but when asked what they are playing, they have no idea. So practice diligently, and one day you will feel enlightened!
• Participate in more school music projects; form a band; join a music group. All in all, enjoy the music!
• Keep practicing, practicing, practicing!
• Always learn from someone who is proficient in the instrument. Not going to class may save you a lot of money, but in the long run, receiving professional guidance will pay off hugely for you.
• In addition to learning from a teacher, you can also buy some music score books and try to play by yourself.
• Don’t be intimidated by the high price of instruments. You can rent or buy a used instrument from a friend. And you don’t need to buy any well-known brand before officially learning piano. An electronic keyboard is enough.
• Find a local teacher to teach. This may not sound that simple. You might as well go to the local website to find out if there are any relevant music teachers near your home.
• Many musical instruments can be found in pawn shops. If you happen to have a friend who is very proficient in the instrument you play, ask him to go with you and you might be able to pick something good at a reasonable price.
warn
• Don’t develop bad music habits. It may not be enough to attract attention at first, but over time, it will be different and you will probably have a hard time breaking away from these bad habits.
• Don’t be “exclusive.” Look at music in all its forms with appreciation.