Becoming a musician is a big task, but we all start somewhere. Here are the things every beginner musician needs to know to start their journey.
1. How to Pick Out the Right Instrument
Unless you’re planning on becoming a master penny whistler, picking the right instrument is going to take a lot of research and a lot of money. Sure, you can pick up a simple acoustic guitar for less than $100 dollars to see if you like it, but that instrument is going to get in the way of your development quicker than you think. If you are serious about the time it takes to learn an instrument and become a musician, then you will need to also invest the money into getting something of quality.
The first step to picking out the right instrument isn’t even music-based, it’s budget-based. Researching instruments before knowing how much money you have is like going to an expensive restaurant without enough money in your pocket; you want the things you can’t afford and are more likely to put yourself in debt. Instead, carefully consider how much you can spend and then explore options that fit within that budget. If you know what kind of instrument you want but can’t afford a new one, check out Loan Star, who can show you affordable, high-quality, gently used guitars, drum kits, and other instruments to help you pick the best one for your needs.
2. How to Read Music
While musicians like Thom Yorke can’t read music, that isn’t exactly the best route to go when learning to play. Getting the basics of music down involves learning how to read music. This will often come with your lessons and is an essential skill to learning songs, how music works, and how musicians communicate their music to each other. Music is a language with concepts and lots of technical terms. Getting the hang of all of this is absolutely key to being a successful musician. Unless, of course, you think you’re the next Thom Yorke.
3. How to Manage Your Time
Learning music is like learning a skill and a new language all at the same time. And, just like skills and languages, when you don’t use it and practice regularly, it goes away. To truly learn music, you need to put in the time. It’s both simple and complicated, though. First, set aside blocks of time to work on your skills as often and, possibly more importantly, as consistently as you can. That means regular practice so you can learn new skills and keep them going into the future.
Becoming a musician is a lot of fun, but there’s plenty to do before hitting the stage. With the right budgeting of time and money, however, you can learn a new instrument, keep the skills you acquire, and keep yourself out of debt as you prepare for your big stage debut.
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