Many trades have been hit hard by the pandemic and its ensuing lockdowns during 2020 and 2021. Musical performers have been hit especially hard. With bars, theatres, and nightclubs closed, musicians have been mostly unable to earn a living for themselves. However, the world is beginning to return to normal, and musicians are due to be back in high demand once more. Personally I’ve always wanted to be able to play classic TV theme tunes, and have always had a crazy dream to start a TV and movie theme covers band. That may never happen but I would still love to improve my musical ability and learn a few songs.
Whether you are a performer or just a music lover, this article will offer you a few tips on how you can improve your musical skills from the comfort of your own home:
Take a Course
You can take a course to either learn new skills or just to refresh your memory. Focusing on the fundamentals of music theory is one of the best ways to improve as a musician. Once you have mastered the theory behind music, then you can begin mastering the practical elements. You can take courses online or in community college, though the former is probably best considering the pandemic. It might also be the cheapest.
Online courses are very flexible and allow you to learn about music from the comfort of your own home. If you are a germophobe, it also means that you will not have to attend a physical college or classroom.
Set Yourself Goals
To improve as a musician, you need to begin by setting yourself realistic goals. For every goal, you set yourself, set a due date. Work hard, practice, and push yourself toward achieving your goal by the date set. A few examples of goals might be:
- You want to learn a specific piece of music;
- You want to perform publicly;
- You want to begin teaching people music;
- You want to get your first gig as a musician.
Other goals might be that you want to practice for a specific amount of time every day, that you want to take a college course, or that you want to begin posting examples of your music on the internet for other people to see. When you set yourself goals and work hard to achieve them, you will become a better musician. If you fail to meet your due dates or to achieve your goals at all, do not beat yourself up – instead, just keep trying.
Practice Makes Perfect
There isn’t a single accomplished musician in the world who hasn’t practiced night and day. Becoming a musician isn’t easy. You develop and set yourself apart from other musicians by practicing. Music is a craft, and unless you perfect your skills through practice, you won’t master it. It won’t happen overnight, and you will make mistakes again and again. When practicing, do not burn yourself out. If you work yourself too hard, you could lose interest or make things harder for yourself.
You will make mistakes, that we can promise you. However, mistakes allow you to grow as a person and a musician. Don’t beat yourself up about them; keep practicing and keep trying.
Give Yourself Breaks
It’s important that you give yourself breaks. If you are truly passionate about music, then you will put your heart and soul into every performance. This can burn a lot of energy! Give yourself breaks and allow yourself to recuperate lost energy.
Many experts recommend that you practice music for a few days on, then take a day or two off. If you are burnt out, you are more likely to make mistakes.
Study Music
Studying music is a good way to improve as a musician. When we say study, we do not mean practice with your instrument. We mean that you should study music itself. Take time to learn about music, learn to read and write sheet music, and research the music of others. Studying music can sharpen your mind and make you a more competent musician.
You can take a course like we previously mentioned, or you can invest in textbooks and teach yourself at home. YouTube is a great place to learn about the history of music and its theoretical side.
Listen to the Music of Others
Listening to other people’s music can be very inspiring, especially when you are a musician. When you take the time to listen to other people’s music, you can learn new patterns, sounds, and ideas. Don’t just confine yourself to the genre of music that you play – listen to all types of music.
You might also want to consider collaborating with other musicians. This has proven to be a very successful way to improve as a musician, and with websites like Soundcloud, you can do it from the comfort of your own home.
If you want to become a better musician, then you need to look no further than this page. The tips listed here will help you to improve, progress, and succeed as a musician, whether it’s playing retro TV theme tunes or any other musical genre!