5 Tips to Picking a Musical Instrument to Learn

5 Tips to Picking A Musical Instrument to Learn

So you're finally seriously considering learning to play a musical instrument! Congratulations! Maybe you have an old piano that you want to start playing or you like the sound of a guitar. To be able to play and share music is a beautiful thing to be able to do plus it's just fun! Here are 5 tips to put you on your way to learning to play a musical instrument. Well, technically it's only 5 tips, but there are tips within tips, so…bonus!

1. Have fun!
Learning to play an instrument is a great experience as well as, often, a challenge at first. Don't be scared! It's fun! It's really cool when you learn how to play your first song or you figure out how to play something on your own. Don't worry about starting an instrument for the first time! Be patient - learning to play an instrument or sing takes time. Take your time - go at your own pace. Most people are not instantly brilliant when they pick up their first instrument - there is a learning curve (but that doesn't not mean they are incapable of becoming brilliant!). You don't have to have perfect pitch (that's when a person can hears a pitch and can tell you exactly what that pitch is and if it's sharp or flat) to be able to play an instrument or sing (I certainly don't have it, but I know people who do - it seems to have it has its pros and cons; relative
pitch is definitely valuable though - something that you'll learn as you advance on your instrument, depending on your teacher). And don't worry about learning how to read music. Studied, taught and played music for a long time and I think that knowing how to read music is very valuable but not necessarily for everyone. I always recommend developing both your ability to play by ear and read music. Learning to read music is not that difficult - honest. Do what works for you! Don't let not knowing how to read music stop you from giving it a try!


2. Picking an Instrument
There's a chance that you've thought about playing music, but don't know what instrument to play. Instrument choice can have some factors that you may want to consider but you should, of course, pick something that you like or find interesting. Maybe there's in instrument that you've always wanted to learn to play. Maybe you just want something to take along on camping trips. Or, best of all (I think) is there is a type of music that love some much that you want to participate! Whatever the case, here a couple of thoughts to consider before you make your investment:

- Choose what's comfortable for you, the size of the instrument, your body size, the weight of the instrument and so on are things to consider. Some instruments may be bigger, heavier, smaller or more fragile than you might think. Again a trip to your local music store for a closer look will do you good.

- Do you want a portable instrument that can be easily transported? Do you mind if it requires electricity and/or batteries?

- What's your living space like? Can it accommodate the instrument of your choice - for example, it probably wouldn't go over well if you live in an apartment building and decide that you want to play drums…then again, I suppose that depends on the building…. I
wouldn't be surprised if most musicians get in trouble with the neighbors at some point, even if you are the most considerate - it just happens some times…. A couple of months ago, I had a rehearsal
at my apartment with the guitar player of my trio. Though we were both playing at very considerate volumes, the neighbor who lives below me said the music was great but could I please turn down the bass. Sometimes I like to put my tone into mega-bass mode (I can get this excellent chocolate-puddin-phat tone), but when I do that, it makes the building vibrate. When I'm in a rehearsal space I can use it, at home no. And I was being so conscious of being too loud that I forgot that tone that I can get is worse than being just loud. Aspiring bass players take note!

- Find out what accessories or replacement parts your instrument will need and how much it will cost. For example, if you want to play drum set, you will need to replace the drum heads periodically, replace drum sticks, etc. Better to know what you're in for sooner rather than later….

3. How much money should you spend on a new instrument?
Check at instrument retailers online to get a feel for the price of the instrument that you want. If this is your first time playing an instrument, you may not want to invest big in your first instrument for various reasons - you may find a different one that you like better later, you could decide that you don't like playing that specific instrument… you get the idea. One the other hand, you probably don't want to get something that's so cheap and poorly crafted that it falls apart. If you really get into playing, you be happy that you invested in a solidly build instrument.
Whatever the case, you do not need to spend a lot of money on your first instrument. Don't do a real investment until you know you're going to be playing the instrument. If you have any friends who are musicians, give them a shout and ask what their thoughts are on price. Check out some of your local independent instrument retailers and strike up a conversation with someone there. While you're at the shop, hold or play some of the instruments, if you can. If it's an independent store, they may be slightly more expensive than a big chain, but they usually go out of their way to help you because their cool and they want you as a customer long term. Anyway, this may help to give you a feel for what's comfortable for you. If you have any friends who are musicians, see if you can get one of them to tag along (you usually won't have to twist any arms to get a musician to go to a music store!). Even if your instrument is not their instrument, they may think of questions to ask that you may not think of or may be helpful in other ways. It's not a bad idea to get a report going with folks at the local music shop if you really get into playing. You can often find some really great stuff on Craiglist if you decide to get a used instrument route. If you can, take a friend with you so you have another set of eyes to look at the instrument that you may buy.

In the case of pianos, well that's out of my league to try to give tips. As a former Classical pianist, I have very personal preferences to the touch and sound of the piano. For some folks, the piano is a more decorative piece for the room. In that case, you'll probably want to the aesthetics of the room, overall instrument value, etc. Talk to a qualified sales person at a piano shop - they know way more about that stuff!

Buying a musical instrument is a lot like buying a car. An inexpensive new car is great for your first car. But as you develop your own driving style, taste in vehicles and need for certain features, you begin to look into more expensive vehicles with the additional features want. A Toyota Corolla does a fine job, but a Maserati is a whole other bag of chips!

4. Get a teacher
Even if you just plan on noodling around, it wouldn't hurt to take a least a couple of lessons - you'll probably find them to be very helpful. Again, places like Craigslist have all kinds of postings of music instructors. If you ask, you may probably get a break on lessons if you pay for several up front. You can also start out with software that teach you to learn to sing, play piano, bass, drums and guitar most commonly, but you can also find this kind of software
for violin, cello, sax, etc. you'll just have to dig a little deeper to find it. These might be a good introduction to the instrument and at roughly $20 - $60 per course it's not so bad (depending on the instrument and the instructor, lessons range from $30 - $125 per lesson, give or take) plus you have the reference material. That said, nothing ever replaces a real live teacher.

5. Lastly, there is one piece of equipment that you will need to get regardless of the instrument you choose: a metronome. It'll be annoying and drive you crazy at first, but it is just about the most important tool you should have other than your actual instrument. You may have seen or heard one - usually a little box that makes a clicking or beeping sound. A metronome will help you develop got time-keeping. Not to worry...you'll thank me later....:-)