So you want to play a musical instrument and you know what instrument you want to play. Now how do you go about getting the needed instruction? Actually, you have several options.
If you want to learn how to play a musical instrument, there are several ways in which you can go about it. While hiring a professional teacher or coach is the most cost effective way to go it certainly isn't the least expensive method and there are alternatives.
There are several ways in which a person can go about learning how to play a musical instrument. Perhaps the easiest and most common (while not the most cost effective) is to take lessons. You also have the option of teaching yourself (could be cheap if you use library or online resources) and there are always those sickening people that just seem to come by it naturally. They say that they are playing by ear. Whichever method you choose for learning to play your musical instrument there are a few things you should keep in mind.
First of all, hiring a professional to teach you how to play is probably the best way to go if you are hoping to achieve great things from your musical instrument and your time playing it. There are downsides to this of course, the obvious one being the expense. It takes years of training and practice for a person to reach a point in which he or she could adequately teach someone else to do this, and that person should rightfully so be well compensated for their time and attention. A good music teacher has most likely spent more time with his or her musical instrument than most doctors spend with their medical studies. So keep in mind that you are paying for their valuable expertise in the specific musical instrument you are learning and treat it as such.
Next, if you are planning to teach yourself how to play a musical instrument, you need to be prepared to take a much longer time to learn. Or I should say learn well. There are plenty of great courses available that can have you playing faster than you might think. But if you want to get really good, you'll eventually need a teacher.
There is a lot to be said about learning from a Master, it certainly makes the process seem less painful. If you have the opportunity you may want to see if a local college offers group lessons for the musical instrument you wish to play. It isn't the same as one on one instruction but can be less frustrating than attempting to teach yourself and comes at a much-reduced price.
If you are one of the lucky few, you will have a natural feel for the musical instrument you wish to play and require very little instruction. This is a very rare case but has been known to happen. Even if you are primarily self-taught you may reach a point where you outgrow your teacher, this is the time to seriously consider professional instruction. Private instruction is the best way to go in the long run.
If you want to learn how to play a musical instrument, you have more than one option available to you. While hiring a professional for private instruction is the easiest way to learn a new instrument, you can use alternative methods which include teaching yourself or taking group classes.
There's even online courses that are effective and cost just a fraction of what a private instructor might cost. But again, as you get better you'll eventually need someone who can take you to the next level. It all depends on how far you want to go.
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