GETTING STARTED: FOR THE BEGINNER

Don’t ever let anyone tell you music isn’t for everybody. Music IS for everybody, you just have to have an interest! 

We all start somewhere, even the most famous musicians, paul mccartney, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis, Beethoven, weren’t born strumming six-strings and tickling the ivories. Yes it takes years of practice to be a solid musician, but the rewards are well worth it. So the question is: where do you begin?

The first step is DEDICATION. It is not a good idea to try to learn an instrument if you are not motivated from the start. There is a lot of practicing and hard work that is necessary for becoming a great musician. Yes, we all get discouraged sometimes and lose motivation but it takes dedication to get past the rough parts and get to the fun stuff.

Ok, so you’re dedicated. You know you want to play music and you are willing to put the hours of practice in to get there, now what? Now it’s time to ask yourself: what instrument do I want to play? This may take some trial and error but here are a few tips on how to decide:

1.     Listen to ten of your favorite songs…what instrument (or instruments) stands out to you the most? What instrument makes you love each song?

2.     What musician or artist inspires you the most? What instrument do they play?

3.     Picture yourself on stage in front of thousands. What instrument are you playing (singing counts).

4.     If you have access to a guitar or piano, hold it, feel it out, try to play a few notes.

5.     If you can’t decide, pick one and see how it goes, you can always change to a new instrument.

Now that you’ve decided which instrument you will wield, you need to BUY your very own. If you can’t borrow one from a family member or friend, you will want to start with something cheap because you never know if this is the instrument you want to stick with. You can always get a nicer guitar or keyboard later when you get a little more serious. 

GUITAR CENTER is your friend. They have everything and usually you can negotiate a great deal with one of the salesmen. Also, check your local music store, ask the guy at the front, let him know you are just starting out and he will have the “perfect one for you”. 

Check out my next post about taking lessons and practicing tips!