In terms of beginning new music, most of us reach for the instrument we are most familiar with first.
However, only interacting with one instrument could leave you stuck in a creative rut…
One of the best methods to break out is to pick up a totally new instrument.
Whether your primary instrument has keys, pads, strings, or sticks, attempting something different has a lot to offer.
Listed below are the top 6 reasons you should learn a new instrument.
1. You’ll get a theory workout
When your musical muscle memory goes out the window with a new instrument, you will be stuck with just your brain to guide you.
Relying on your theory knowledge to orient yourself on a new instrument is like a workout for your skills.
Do you really keep in mind the key signature of Ab Major?
As you fumble around your new instrument you will have to be deliberate about every single action. Which means understanding what you mean to play before you play it.
The theory center of your mind will be working overtime and that extra stress will assist you to solidify your key concepts.
2. You’ll find new approaches to melody
Attempting to come up with new melodies is difficult.
Melodic habits are simple to develop and hard to break—particularly in case you have practiced them lots of times on your primary instrument.
On a new instrument, you will not have any habits to fall back into. Working on melodies this way could take you down unexpected paths.
Perhaps you are forced to play slower lines and longer phrases. Or perhaps you could finally play multiple parts at the same time.
Whatever the result, you definitely will not be able to stick to the familiar.
3. You’ll be encouraged to learn by experiment
Do you keep in mind the sense of possibility you felt when you first began learning your instrument? Perhaps not anymore after a long time working with it…
However, when you begin playing a different one that feeling comes back quick. There’s only one method to discover your method around a new instrument—experimenting!
Experiment to find out what that button does, or what occurs when you turn it up really loud. Experimentation is one of the most fun methods to learn anything, however, it’s particularly fun in music.
Getting your sense of musical adventure back is an implausible reason to pick up a new instrument.
4. You get to think like a newbie again
Plenty of artists credit their lack of formal training as a source of creativity.
Pure musical intuition is the essence of punk, and it’s simple to access once you do not feel the pressure of attempting to improve on your main instrument.
So use that anything-goes strategy to distill your ideas down to their most basic form. You will have to when you are working with a totally new instrument!
Generally, the simplest solution is by far the best. Beginning out on a new instrument keeps you concentrated on that simplicity.
Hot tip: Record everything during your newbie phase. There is no such thing as mistakes once you are just beginning out
5. You’ll gain a new appreciation for an arrangement
All of us have a soft spot for the role our own instrument plays in an arrangement. However, playing a different one forces you to concentrate on a whole different part of the track.
Going from a melodic instrument to a rhythm section role (or vice-versa) is a large paradigm shift.
Even changing from a polyphonic instrument such as piano or guitar to a monophonic one like trumpet or monosynth could have a giant impact.
You will have to concentrate on sonic elements you might have taken for granted before.
Making an attempt out new roles may also help your songwriting. Get comfy enjoying the completely different elements of a track. It would broaden your understanding of the way to write for them.
6. It’ll make you better at your primary instrument
All the lessons you learn by practicing a different instrument will pay off if you go back to your main one. Consider it like cross-training for music.
If working on your new instrument forced you to brush up on theory, or got you thinking more about different parts of the arrangement, these lessons will stay with you.
Sometimes getting perspective this way is all it takes to break through barriers and level up your game.
Practicing is a vital part of musical life it doesn’t matter what your instrument is. However, gaining perspective by shaking up your habits is vital.
Shock of the unfamiliar
Learning a new instrument is great for your musical health.
Whether it’s to escape well-worn patterns or experiment with a new perspective, picking up a new instrument is worth your time.
Make learning a new instrument part of your new approaches. There is no time like now to try new things!