Picking Up an Instrument Again After Years

7 tips for adults taking up a musical instrument

5 February 2018, 12:26

Is it likewise belatedly to choice up a musical instrument when yous're on the other side of 30? Absolutely not, say Classic FM's Alexander Armstrong, Lucy Coward and John Suchet.

It might seem like a daunting job, starting a musical instrument from scratch or picking one up that you haven't touched in xx years. Simply think of information technology this way: at present you're out of school (and your parents' clutches), yous are learning a musical musical instrument for YOU, and y'all lonely.

Hither are some tips to make those first few months of practice a bit less overwhelming.

one. Dedicate a pocket-sized amount of time every 24-hour interval to practice

'Little and often' is a cliché, but when information technology comes to practice, information technology actually works.

"Just brand sure you continue at information technology," says Alexander Armstrong, who took up the oboe again later on a 25-year break. "Quite ofttimes, it's what your muscles retrieve when you're not playing that volition help you.

"And so, if you're not getting information technology, just persevere. Put the instrument down, come back another 24-hour interval, and you lot'll find you lot've croaky it."

2. Find some new music to play

Although it might seem like a swell idea to launch straight into Albinoni's Oboe Concerto, which you admittedly nailed aged 17, you want your instrument to feel like a fresh and heady new hobby.

"If information technology'south a slightly fresher approach, it won't experience like you're putting on a pair of old, wet swimming trunks. It will experience new and exciting," says Alexander.

"And so, don't dig out the books y'all learned from first time round. Get online or to a good music shop, and find yourself a new volume. Perhaps a beginner's ane, something you can whizz through."

iii. Get your instrument serviced

If your instrument has been sitting on the shelf since schoolhouse, take a tip from Alexander and get it serviced.

"There's null more depressing than trying to play with a central that'southward non working, or with perished rubber effectually your keys," he says.

Getting the instrument serviced will assist you play to the best of your ability, without beingness held back by technical difficulties.

4. Give yourself something to work for

Giving yourself something to work for is a great fashion to give meaning to your practice. Last year, Lucy Coward took up singing over again equally office of a projection to perform at Classic FM Live at the Royal Albert Hall.

"It won't exist anybody's cup of tea," Lucy says, "but it really kept me going. I had such a sense of pride when I had completed that performance."

OK, maybe the Purple Albert Hall stage isn't a very realistic first goal. But to give yourself something to aim towards, consider signing yourself up to a local music night, joining an orchestra and playing at their next concert, or even doing one-half an hour of busking. The butterflies will be worth it for the conviction boost that follows!

5. Think why you're doing it

This time, you are playing your instrument for your wellbeing and your personal development – not because you take a lesson in an 60 minutes's time. Although lessons are keen and incredibly useful for making progress, playing music is primarily about making you happy.

"I would always experience then much lighter and my head would exist much clearer afterward a rehearsal," says Lucy Coward.

"I don't make enough time for myself, few people do. Simply with an instrument it'south easy to justify focusing on that – therefore you lot – for half an hour or and then because you're learning a new skill."

6. Persevere

Here's when information technology starts to go tough. It'southward all well and good picking up your instrument once, then putting it down once again for another six months – merely if you want to go more out of it, you'll need an extra sliver of decision.

Alexander Armstrong found out the difficult way. "The get-go and second times you play, yous'll accept a lovely time – but then, around the 3rd, 4th and fifth, yous might exist visited by the familiar 'ugh' y'all had while you were playing in your teens. You lot just accept to push button on through."

One time yous've got by those initial feelings of frustration, you lot'll realise that if you used to sing or play at schoolhouse, a lot of it volition come back to you.

"I was reminded that you don't lose many of the skills you learnt all those years ago," says Lucy Coward. "In fact, when I started singing again I realised I had remembered and then much almost reading music, breathing, phrasing, counts, etc. that actually it was a major boost!"

7. Don't be afraid

Taking upwards a musical musical instrument is nigh bringing more joy and satisfaction into your life. Accept John Suchet, who gave upwardly the trombone aged 18, then decided to pick it up again 50 years later, aged 68.

"Although picking up my instrument after all those years seemed terrifying at start, I really felt much ameliorate equipped to exercise it every bit an adult," says John.

"Information technology'due south such a lovely feeling, knowing that you're playing for the sole joy of creating music."

Are you feeling psyched to choice up your onetime French horn again notwithstanding?

coopersionsity.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/tips-adults-musical-instrument/

Share this post