Four Hacks for Learning an Instrument, Fast

Most people have an ambition to learn an instrument in their lifetime, but many lack the time it takes to become a musician. Sure, we all learned a few piano or guitar tunes in music lessons at school that we still remember now, but what if you want to go beyond that?

You might think that your full-time job, family commitments and the various other responsibilities in your life mean that there’s just no time in the day to devote to music. We’re here to tell you that you could be wrong! 

Here’s some sage advice from real musicians about how they managed to learn their instrument, and how you can too. 

Commit to 30 Minutes’ Practice Every Day

The real trick to becoming a master of any craft? Practice. It takes a whole lot of willpower to turn up for something every day, but if you really want it, that’s what you have to do.

Think of the time you spend each day that could be turned into something more productive. That could be watching TV for half an hour when you get in from work every day, or that long coffee break you take in the morning. Would you be prepared to sacrifice that to learn a new skill? 

This rule applies to learning anything, be it a musical instrument, a new art form, or a language. Carve out the time and commit!

Own Your Dream Instrument

One way to lure yourself into daily practice is to buy that dream instrument you’ve always wanted. After working hard or spending a lot of money to get something, you’ll be much more inclined to actually use it.

Wanted a Gibson SG for as long as you can remember? Buy it! Lusted after an expensive violin for years? It’s time to get it. If you’re not sure which instrument to buy, check out reviews online, like this drum set review 2019 from Drum Center of Portsmouth. 

When you’re proud of owning an instrument, you’ll automatically want to play and become great at it – trust us. 

Get a Mentor

Doing hobbies alone is one thing, but with the help of others, you’ll learn much faster. You’ll pick up tips and tricks from long-time players by joining a club or band. Alternatively, invest in one-to-one lessons, which is the surest fast-track to mastering your instrument. 

If you can’t afford proper lessons or a real-life mentor, there is a wealth of training material online for you to take advantage of, and much of it is free. YouTube is an amazing resource for how-to guides and learning just about anything. Chords, scales, and songs are no exception. If you find a YouTuber you love whose style really resonates with you and helps you learn quicker, they’re almost like a remote mentor anyway!

Listen to Music

Get inspired. Look into some of the best players of your instrument in genres you love and listen to as much of their work as you can. From there, you’ll get to know what they do that makes them so great and you can set about emulating them. 

Don’t just stick to those you know. Find out about new musicians you’ve never heard of and listen to their tracks – you could discover the exact song that makes you fall in love with music and your instrument all over again. 

Always keep things fresh, and yourself on your toes. Push yourself to explore new genres and you never know what you might find.

The Bottom Line

Above all, listening, reading and seeing as much music as you can will keep you inspired to come back to your instrument every day. By clearing a 30-minute slot in your life every day to practice, you’ll slowly but surely become the musician you always wanted to be.