How to Learn a Musical Instrument; Offline or Online? | Guest Post

There are some who need to learn an instrument for a career purpose, and others who want to learn out of guilt for not paying enough attention as a child. And there are some who have learnt to appreciate the beauty of music and want to express themselves through it, feeling they have the time and energy to give an instrument a try. Learning can be inspired by friends, family, even celebrities, (see highly acclaimed British pianist James Rhodes guiding Benedict Cumberbatch around a grand piano, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD6o_sCI3N4) but an open attitude in life and a love of music will open up a world of opportunities to learning whatever your inspiration. So what to do about it? In this digital age you have many ways to learn online either through videos or one-to-one skype music lessons, or you can opt for a traditional offline learning approach with a local music school. Otherwise you can put the washing on the line, stick the kettle on and leaf your way through a ‘learn the saxophone self-help’ book. Your local music school will offer a community approach where you spend time getting involved in the people and the heart of the place alongside learning your instrument. If the music bug grabs you, you can further progress into music colleges, universities and conservatoires and focus on the absolute optimum performance. Offline learning institutions can morph you into a social sponge and commit you into all sorts of departments i.e. promotions manager, official concert tea maker… That said if you’ve got a lot of the time and the inclination to learn in the community then the personal rewards can be immeasurable. At the other solitary extreme online, you find YouTube videos from wide ranging tutors, qualified and unqualified trying to pass on their knowledge. Filtering out the best YouTube tutorials can be of benefit in the initial stages of learning and are a free and open resource to tap into for further understanding. But despite YouTube and video tutorials there are other ways to learn online with qualified and experienced music teachers. Services like British online music school www.yourspacemusiclessons.com bring together pupils and teachers in surprisingly positive, social and personal lessons on Skype. The true advantages cannot be realised until you try a skype lesson. Most say ‘after a while you don’t realise you are talking though a screen’ which only goes to show that the human interaction elements required to successfully learn (engagement, exchange and feedback) can all be achieved without a teacher in the same room. Without travelling or being dragged into making the tea for 100, you can make tea for one, put your slippers on and take a Skype piano lesson with your music teacher. Everybody is different but be sure to explore your options, open your mind and see all the ways you can learn. Online, offline or just hang out the washing. It’s up to you.