Music Lessons in a High Tech World: Can I learn to play an instrument from an app or video? Should I?
Music Lessons in a High Tech World: Can You Learn to Play an Instrument from an App or Video? Should You?
We’re so lucky to be living in what some may call “The Age of Information”, where we can pull up the answers to our questions in seconds or watch a video about nearly any topic you can imagine. I mean, look how many of us used our time in lockdown to teach ourselves how to bake bread or become a budding home gardener! Having all this information so readily available can make any skill seem easy to pick up and may leave some wondering “Why would I need someone to teach me a musical instrument when I have Youtube tutorials?”
Here at Opus Music School in Hacienda Heights, we always love to see someone start on their musical journey, whether that be self taught or with any of our incredibly talented music instructors! But when it comes down to it there are definitely some amazing advantages that come with learning with a skilled instructor.
Feedback
A lot of learning to play an instrument involves muscle memory, such as how to hold your violin bow or playing chords on the piano. This muscle memory definitely works in our favor generally but it also makes it very difficult to unlearn any bad habits you may have developed while learning. When learning to play from a video or book, you lack any outside perspective to help correct your mistakes which can lead to a rocky foundation to your musical journey!
Not only can a private piano teacher or guitar instructor help correct your mistakes or help you make adjustments when you need to, but they’re also there to provide positive feedback as well! Having someone there to celebrate your first time perfectly playing through a tricky piece or to compliment your improvements can provide the motivation and support you need to persevere even when you’re struggling!
Personalized Approach
With every student that walks through our doors comes a completely unique individual with their own strengths and weaknesses. In the same way that you may be more of a visual, auditory or tactile learner, you probably have a preferred way of learning music- whether you know it yet or not! Some students like to have a teacher who makes jokes and keeps things fun in a lesson, while others work best with someone who is more serious to keep them on track during their voice lessons; other students may like to be guided the whole way through where someone else might want a little more independence with help sprinkled in along the way!
Being able to learn the way that suits you best will help you to really hone your musical skills and reach your full potential. Because other forms of independent instruction are meant to be used by many different students, they can’t appeal to everyone’s needs. If you’re an adult who’s a complete beginner at the piano you might find that a lot of the material available is aimed at a much younger audience which can be very demotivating when you’re trying to learn something new! In a private one-on-one lesson your piano teacher can present you with the knowledge that you need and in a way that’s going to be the most effective for you.
Move At Your Own Pace
Have you ever tried reading an instruction manual for something and it goes from the basic instructions like plugging it into the wall then right into using technical terms you’ve never even heard of so quickly you check to see if you missed a page? Luckily in a situation like that you can usually guide yourself through using your new remote or microwave, but with learning an instrument it’s hard to move forward with your progress if you never fully mastered a certain element or concept.
You may find with a music book or video that they’re moving ahead before you have a chance to perfect what you’ve learned or, alternatively, that you’re stuck repeating exercises over and over again on something you already feel confident with! Your music teacher can work with you to ensure that you’re moving at the perfect speed for you. They can spend time to make sure you’re actually understanding a new concept and can show you tips and tricks to make it easier or move past a scale or exercise that came to you in no time. At Opus Music School, our music teachers offer private lessons, such as private piano lessons, guitar lessons, drum lessons, and voice lessons, so you can move at your own pace.
Motivation
Everyone needs a cheerleader on their team! Your music teacher is there not only to teach you how to do something, but also to remind you that you’re doing a great job. Having someone there to encourage you to keep trying even when things are tough is so important when you’re learning and that extra support you receive could make the difference between playing for a month or finding something you’re truly passionate about!
Even if the video instructor says “good job!” or “don’t give up” at the end of the recording it doesn’t feel as authentic as hearing it from your drum teacher who has actually been watching you grow since the first time you picked up a pair of drumsticks. Having someone there to challenge you to try to play a little bit faster or work a little bit harder is a great way to reach new heights with music that you may not even know you were capable of!
The knowledge and tools out there to help you learn and improve is so amazing and we’re thankful to have access to the wealth of knowledge that the internet and music books put right in your hands. When it comes down to it though, we feel the best way to get the most out of these resources is to use them with the help of a skilled instructor! Don’t believe us? Try it out for yourself with any of our incredibly talented music teachers here at Opus Music School- See you soon!