The best musicians are always learning. However, there’s more to learning music than simply learning new material.
How you learn can have a big impact on how competent you are able to become. In essence, to become a better musician, you have to learn the right way to learn. This post explains more about how to improve your musical skills – whether you’re a vocalist or an instrumentalist.
Make sure you’re passionate
Practicing/performing music shouldn’t be a chore. It should be something you do because you truly enjoy it. Make sure that you’re passionate about your chosen instrument – and that you’re not just learning an instrument because your parents made you choose it. Think about where your musical passion lies. For example, if you love rock music, you probably don’t want to be learning classical pieces on the French horn. Only by being passionate will you actively go out of your way to challenge yourself.
Put the time in
Beyonce didn’t learn to sing like that overnight. Developing your skill as a musician requires many hours of practice. While it’s worth reiterating that you don’t want music to become a chore, you do need to be prepared to find regular time to practice – ideally every day. Regular practice will help you build progress more quickly, which in turn will motivate you to continue getting better.
Learn in chunks
‘Chunking’ is a method of learning things that can apply to various sequence-based activities in life from learning lines in a play to learning a choreographed dance. When it comes to learning songs or compositions, chunking can also be useful. Instead of trying to run through as much of a song as you can in one go, chunking involves learning a song in very small sections – perfecting each section before you move on to the next. Each time you learn a new chunk, you then return to the beginning of the song and perform it up until that point. The key is not to move onto a new chunk until you’ve perfected the previous chunk so that no part of the song sounds sloppy.
Develop your rhythm
When learning songs solo, many of us learn them at our own tempo – speeding up and slowing down at different parts depending on the complexity. However, when performing with other musicians, it’s essential that you’re able to maintain the same rhythm as them. Using a metronome or drum machine as you practice can help you to keep a steady tempo when performing live. It’s worth also jamming with other musicians and learning to lock in with their rhythm.
Get used to having an audience
You may be able to perform a song perfectly when you’re alone in your bedroom. However, as soon as you’re on a stage, this could all change. The pressure of being watched causes many of us to speed up or make mistakes. This is why it’s important to practice and perform in front of other people – and in different environments. This can help you to get used to having eyes on you while you perform.
Learn from other musicians
You cannot rely on self-teaching to become a better musician. Even if you don’t want to take music lessons, it’s still worth talking to other musicians and asking them for feedback – you could learn all kinds of tips and tricks. If you don’t know any fellow musicians, you can always learn from musicians via the internet through forums and YouTube tutorials. However, you should also try to make musical friends in real life, as you’ll be able to learn more interactively this way.
Venture out into different styles of music
Don’t confine yourself to a single style of music. While you may think that sticking to a single style helps you to perfect that style, this isn’t always the case. Other styles of music can help you to explore different techniques and methods of playing – and some of these skills could be transferable. For example, learning folk songs could teach you to play more softly, which could help you to build a better sense of dynamics when playing rock songs with softer parts. Learning new styles could also inspire you to take creative spins on genres, which could help you to build a unique style when writing your own material.
Improvise and play around
Improvising and playing around is key to writing your own songs – and the more playing around you do, the more unique your songs will be. However, even if your plan on performing nothing but covers, improvising and playing around can still have benefits. It could encourage you to perform your own take on songs and put out more memorable performances. Learning to improvise live could also bring a fun unpredictability to live performances, which could make them more exciting for returning audience members.
Look beyond the music
Great musicianship isn’t all about the music. There are other skills that musicians have to learn to be successful – especially if you’re looking to turn music into a career. Stage presence can be important for making live performances more exciting. Meanwhile, learning how to market your music can be essential for connecting with fans. Developing an exciting image is also important in this day and age, as it can help you to be more memorable. This includes everything from what you wear on stage to the artwork you use for singles and albums.
Don’t give up
If you’re still a beginner, there could be many times when you feel like giving up. Perhaps your fingers just won’t move fast enough across the piano or you just can’t find a breath when performing the vocals for a certain song. While it could be beneficial to take a break and come back, it’s important that you don’t give up. Keep practicing and you will get there eventually. As you start performing in front of people or releasing recorded music, you should similarly not let criticism cause you to quit. Instead, learn from their criticisms, get better and prove your critics wrong.