Last updated on August 13, 2018
It doesn’t matter at what level you are playing, most people would like to become better musicians. The only issue is that not many individuals know how to go about doing this. Well, in case you are looking to improve, you have come to the right place. Here, you will find all of the tips and tricks that you need to elevate your musical talent.
Play the Right Instrument
Now, when you first decided to play an instrument, you probably graduated to what was either easiest to play or what was the most popular. This is why the first thing you need to do is be honest with yourself. Do you really enjoy playing the instrument that you have chosen? If the answer to this question is no, then you may want to think about making a switch. After all, there is little use in you continuing with a task that you clearly have no interest in. Since there is little to no motivation involved, it is unlikely that you will actually make an effort to become better.
Sometimes, the problem isn’t the instrument you have decided on per se. Rather, it is that you have chosen a brand or model that just isn’t suitable for your particular expertise or the type of music that you like to play. If you feel that this is the main issue, then it may be a good idea to get some professional advice on the matter. You can either head down to a local music store or read through articles based on this subject.
Study Up on Your Instrument
When you are a beginner musician, you will be focused on how you can sound better. This means that you may not take time to actually learn about your instrument. For instance, do you understand the function that each part performs? Do you know what would happen if you tweaked a certain aspect of your guitar or your drums? Can you understand how certain materials, designs, and structures produce different sounds? Since there is a good chance that you don’t actually know all that much about your instrument, then now is the chance to learn.
Once again, there is a lot of information online so you should be spoilt for choice when it comes to this particular topic. At the same time, getting a seasoned musician to walk you through the various parts and accessories can be helpful as well. Still, there are few things that can rival your own experimentation process. So, go ahead and figure out what will happen when you make certain modifications to your guitar or drum set. You may actually end up creating a sound all on your own.
Set Proper Goals
Since most people view music as a largely creative activity, they don’t actually think about things like goals and schedules. Well, if you want to improve as a musician, then you had better start making a list. There are two objectives you will need to focus on – short-term goals and long-term goals.
For the most part, short-term goals are what you will aim to achieve on a daily basis. However, depending on your playing schedule, you may want to think about attaining a particular objective every week or so. With long-term goals, it is all about thinking in terms of the musician that you want to become. So, this may be about learning how to play a particular song or even composing your own song.
It isn’t enough just to write down a bunch of goals you want to reach and call it a day, however. Once you have listed out a specific aim, you will need to break it down into smaller parts. More precisely, you should write down the things you will need to do to reach this goal. By doing this, you will find that it is a lot simpler to accomplish.
Don’t Be Afraid to Go Your Own Way
Most people like to stay on the safe side when it comes to playing music. As a result, you will find even the most talented musicians only playing covers of other people’s songs. While there is certainly nothing wrong with this, it won’t help you grow as a musician. So, once you have covered the basics of your training, why not try to compose your own song? You don’t have to create anything especially long or complicated. In fact, it doesn’t even have to be all that good. The only thing that matters is that you have tried to produce something entirely original.
As mentioned above, there is a chance that your first attempt isn’t going to sound too great. This doesn’t mean that you should give up. Instead, start polishing up what you have already produced. By making certain tweaks here and there, you will eventually improve enough so that your once rudimentary song is now something beautiful. What’s more, by critiquing your own work and being able to smooth out the flaws, you will automatically be forcing yourself to be a better musician.
Find Other Musicians to Play With
There is no denying that playing in front of other musicians can be rather daunting. That being said, by playing with others, you will find that you are able to challenge yourself to become better. This is because you will be able to take note of where you are making mistakes, simply by listening to others. To top it off, you will actually be able to get free lessons from these individuals, just by watching them play.
Another benefit of playing with other musicians is that you will quickly learn how fun it can be. It can even help to revive your passion in the instrument you have, making you more determined than ever to master it. This is a final step but it is definitely one that you will need to make if you hope to truly evolve as a musician.
As long as you are playing the right instrument and have the will to improve, there are very few obstacles that can stand in your way. With the tips mentioned above, you will soon be on your way to being a markedly better musician.
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