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Choose your weapon according to what you want -

The first part that most people get wrong is choosing the wrong instrument. If your dream is playing with a rock band, consider what instruments are typically played.

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Do you suspect that you have an aptitude? -

This will keep you motivated in your journey. If there’s no dream or final goal, it might be good to consider which instrument you remember best in songs. Do you remember the drums easily?

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Get your hands on one and try it out -

The next step is getting your hands on an instrument of your own, or at least having regular access to it. In schools in Prague, they introduce children to instruments by filling a room with instruments of every sort and seeing which ones the kids gravitate to.

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No need to buy the best right away -

You don’t need to buy a high-end instrument immediately. Most top musicians start with rickety instruments. Besides, when you’re just beginning you’ll barely be able to tell the difference between mid-range and high-end.

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Choose an instrument that feels right -

Choosing the instrument can feel a little like the scene from 'Harry Potter' where Harry gets to choose his wand (or, rather, the wand chooses him). Don’t overthink it. If it feels good, it is good.

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Teachers can help a lot at the beginning -

Teachers are great to get you started and moving. There’s plenty of online material that should get you off the ground as well.

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Theory is great, but so is music -

Music theory is great. It informs you on the relationships between keys, how chords are formed, how tempo works, and so on. But remember: music theory is formed to make sense of music, not the other way around.

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Get down and start playing -

The teacher, online material, books, and classes will give you the information. You can take in all of this information for 100 years, but you need to physically practice the actual instrument so that it’s not just theory.

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Little by little -

The best way to practice an instrument sounds cliché but is true. It’s about putting in a few minutes every day. Practice three to five days a week.

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Make practice part of your routine -

The best way to do this is to allocate time to practice every day, much like brushing your teeth or showering.

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Keep your instrument in sight -

Keep the instrument on hand. Don’t keep the guitar in a case or your keyboard tucked away. You want to be able to sit down and play whenever the mood strikes you.

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It's great if you get lost playing, but don't force it -

If you get effortlessly lost in playing, then great. But if you don’t, there’s no point in forcing it. The problem with forcing it is that you create a negative association with it in your mind.

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Learn what you know and love to listen to -

Enthusiasm can be exhausted. Learning an instrument is more mental than it is physical. With this in mind, try to make it as effortless as possible. Start by learning some songs you like.

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Chords -

The aforementioned ensures you will already know the timing and the changes. If you’re learning piano or guitar, this is a very sensible way to start getting familiar with chords.

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Once you have learned something, move on -

Once you know some chords or a song, move on. Don’t keep practicing the things you already know. This is one way to stunt your progression.

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Write important pieces down so you can rehearse them -

Learn something well and completely, write it down on a piece of paper, and practice it now and again (maybe once a week). This ensures that you don’t lose the chords and technique you gained from learning it in the first place, but also means you can move forward.

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Learning what you love helps you develop your own individual style -

Not only is this true, but if you learn the music you love enough you will start to develop your style. Every musician has a certain type of music they’re best at. B.B. King couldn’t play pop music like Ed Sheeran, and Ed Sheeran can't play the blues like B.B. King—but they’re both masters of the guitar.

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Engagement -

Learning this way just means that you’re going to be far more engaged than you would be if you were forced to learn classical music even though you may have no interest in it.

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Use what's available to you -

It’s almost not fair on people who learned instruments 50 years ago, seeing as we have so much material online. These days there are tutorials for virtually everything. Someone can take you through most pieces of music you want to learn step by step. Take advantage of it.

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Find other players -

The likelihood is that you will pick up some mistakes along the way. It can be helpful to try and make friends with someone who also plays your instrument so you can learn from them.

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Get jamming/join a band -

The sooner you can get playing with other people, the better. This keeps you motivated to practice. You’re not going to show up to your Saturday rehearsal without having practiced (at least not often).

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A little bit of technique can save you a lot of pain and effort -

Consider spending at least a little bit of time learning about technique, because if you learn how to do things the right way, to begin with, everything will be much easier. It’s harder to correct technique once it’s learned wrong to begin with.

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A little bit of understanding goes a long way -

Again, this doesn’t mean that you have to specifically dedicate 10 hours a week to technique. It means that you have to just watch a video or read for a few minutes now and again about it.

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Play slow to learn fast -

You might be enthusiastic about how fast you can learn to play something, but you should play slow. Playing slow gives your brain more time to digest it. The slower you play at the beginning, the faster you learn.

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Stay healthy and well rested -

Consider your learning and practice synonymous with your lifestyle. You need good quality sleep to digest new information effectively. You need to eat well. You need exercise.

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Set goals -

Set realistic goals for yourself so you know how you’re performing. In meeting these goals, you will be motivated to learn how far you’ve come.

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Being a rock star is not a SMART goal -

The best way to set goals is to apply the SMART system, ensuring your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and subjectable to a Timeframe.

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Don't be hard on yourself -

People normally expect way too much of themselves and are subsequently too hard on themselves. It will come if you are persistent. Try to manage your expectations, and remember that every musician who ever lived was once where you are.

Sources: (Musiah) (Liberty Park Music)

See also: Famous actors who are also musicians

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