Beginning to learn an instrument can be intimidating. Whether you're able to pick up a new instrument and figure it out in an hour, or have to spend weeks practicing just to create a decent noise, the stages of learning an instrument can be trying. That said, it's all worth it in the end.
1. The initial thought
Maybe you’ve had an old violin laying around your house, or your parents bought your brother a saxophone which he never uses anymore. Maybe you’ve just always really wanted to play an instrument and you’ve decided that the time is now. Maybe you already know how to play a plethora of instruments and you figure that picking up just one more couldn’t be too hard (after all, if I can play the violin, surely I can play the clarinet, right?) Regardless, there was something that made you think “gee, maybe I should learn to play this thing.” At this point you’re nothing optimistic about your potential as a flautist.
2. Picking up the instrument for the first time
I don’t mean literally touching it for the first time, but picking up the guitar with a real intention to play it for the first time. It’s exciting! It feels new and your fingers haven’t quite figured out where they belong on this new-fangled contraption, but images of you as the oboist you were born to be flash through your head.
3. Trying to make noise (pre-instruction)
It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve been through this process. If you’re learning an instrument, you’re going to try to play it before you actually have any idea about how. It looks easy enough, so why wouldn’t you be able to at least play a note? Any note! Well, as we’ve all learned and relearned, sometimes you can’t even get that note out. The clarinet squeaks and the cello roars with horror as you drag the bow across the string. Remember all of the potential you felt you had? That feeling is quickly dissipating.
4. Looking for instruction
Ideally, everybody would want to work with a private teacher- somebody who is an expert on their instrument- every time they wanted to learn a new instrument. However, teachers cost money (usually quite a bit of it), and committing to work with somebody is not only committing an hour of your week for that lesson but also committing to actually practicing so that you’re not wasting their time (or yours). Especially if you're trying to pick up a side instrument, working with two different teachers is a lot, both financially and in terms of time. So for many, the first place to check is youtube- searching “beginner [insert instrument here] lesson” on youtube can work wonders. It’s free, and you might discover after learning to play Twinkle Twinkle that you truly just hate the clarinet and that this is where your journey should end.
The second place is your local music store (support small businesses!) to buy an intro book for that instrument. I’ve used Suzuki books, Essential Elements, even some of Bartok’s learning series. Ask someone at the store what they recommend, or do some googling to see which book musicians and teachers recommend specifically for the instrument you’re trying to learn.
5. Beginning to catch on
At this point, you’re starting to get a handle on your new instrument. You may not sound as fantastic as you’d like (does one ever sound as fantastic as they’d like?), and it may be taking longer than you’d hoped to pick up the basics, but your dog no longer tries to leave the room while you practice! You might not have to write in the notes or the finger on sheet music, or you might not have to google things like “A7sus4 guitar chord” anymore. Those images of you playing trumpet at Carnegie Hall have started reappearing and you start thinking about more difficult pieces you want to work towards. This is exciting! And you know all about Old McDonald’s farm because you’ve practiced that song for half an hour to make sure you can play it as perfectly as possible. Your fingers hurt from being pressed against metal strings, and your arms hurt from holding the violin up for so long, but you work through it. It stops hurting eventually, I promise.
6. You can play an instrument!
I mean, you really could play your instrument in the prior step, but at this point you’re playing confidently. Even if it’s still very basic music, you’re (hopefully) able to play your scales and you can find music you genuinely enjoy playing (opposed to the pieces you have to play in order to learn, like Ode to Joy). Some of the excitement might have started to die down, but the under-appreciated fact is that your instrument probably feels normal for you by now! You don’t have to sound like Joshua Bell or Jimi Hendrix to be proud of the fact that picking up your new instrument and practicing feels comfortable for you.
7. You keep going
You might start learning to improv, or look for a group to play with (e.g. an orchestra, quartet, jazz combo, etc.) Playing with people more talented than yourself is the best way to get better. Even if you’re just jamming with friends in somebody’s apartment, playing with other people pushes you outside of your comfort zone- maybe you’re not used to playing around other people, or improving stresses you out. Playing music that makes you uncomfortable is a whole new kind of accomplishment.
8. Branching out
This goes along the lines of the last step, but listen to different kinds of music! Try to imitate it! If you play mostly classical music, think about trying out jazz. If you’re a guitarist who plays most folk, try some classical. Even if this new genre doesn’t catch on in your musical endeavors, it makes you think about your instrument and the way you play it differently.
9. You (still) keep going
Yup. It never ends. There will always be somebody more talented than you, and there will always be music that you need to practice. You just keep practicing and keep playing. Even if you go through phases where you don’t feel the need to pick up your bass, you’ll still come back to it. Very few people will end up fulfilling that original image of playing at Carnegie Hall, but you've gained a skill and a hobby, maybe even a profession, and you love your instrument.
10. You do it all again
You’ve got the french horn down, but you’ve always been curious about the ukulele…
