heyhey,
this here might contain two questions actually.
- got an idea, what instrument might suit me?
- how, actually learn?
background
i am not new to learng stuff by myself, mostly languages in the widest sense. the only thing i can’t really get my head around is music. i know rudimentary how to read notes, but ofc don’t really grasp what they mean. when i learned a bit about electronics, that explained a lot more about music for me. i tried to learn the recorder (bc its was there) and keyboard (bc super versatile). by now, that all didn’t work. i am a beginner.
i guess that is abt how these are played. i am used to grab a book sit down in a comfy position and read. keyboards need setup and are relatively large. the recorder is small and portable, but you need a decent body position, to control your breath.
i was thinking about some kind of ukulele, maybe? how do i build a habit, that works for practice?
Any musical instrument I know needs a relatively active body position and you cannot learn playing music by reading a book. Let’s start by why you want to learn to play music, is it only for bragging rights? do you want to play with others at some point? Do you actually enjoy listening to/playing the music with a certain instrument? Perhaps start by listening to some performances on different instruments and see what you like. I think the main driver in learning an instrument is that you actually enjoy the sounds you can produce with it. Then second, find some beginner sheet music, preferably with associated tips and tricks. The impsl database is amazing for free resources, but an actual guidebook from the library or music store might be better for beginners. And finally, you learn to play by just doing it a little every day. Find out how you can produce the most beautiful sounds, record yourself to spot errors and use a metronome to make sure you have rhythms and tempo right. There are many youtube videos to watch as well. In the end, getting lessons is way easier than self-teaching, but if that is not available to you this might work. Piano and guitar are usually seen as easier to selfteach than violin-type or flute-type instruments as the technique for beginners is more straightforward, but you run the risk of teaching yourself bad technique that is hard to unlearn at a later stage in all instruments.
thx a lot, for pointingout these ressources!
as for the why: i just realised that i really do view music as a kind of language, something that can be written down, realised acoustically and (with practice) be understood. that might be a big misconception. but my primary driver is to get a better understanding of what’s happening in music in general. just like speaking helps in learning a language, i thought, imitating music should help to learn music. that’s maybe why i don’t really care for the specific instrument … it’s rather instrumental.
i wouldn’t play with others, or for others. there’s not even a style i’d prefer, its just the basic understanding outside of a vague emotional reaction. i can’t tell the difference between a chord and a single note. in many cases not even what note is higher. and i feel like that’s failure? or at least a shame.
maybe i need some elementary school level lessons.