Whether you've been playing your chosen instrument for years, or youre just getting started, no one is perfect and everyone can improve. So if youre hoping to take that next step towards playing like a pro, or looking for new ways to hone your skills, here are our tips to help you become a better musician.
Musicianship is not something that can be measured. Sure it means you can play your instrument well but in no way means you are a musician. A musician is someone who can not only play, but someone who can understand, write, perform, and feel music. Musicians also can play with other musicians due to their knowledge and ability. A musician must be well-rounded in every aspect of music. They must also have the ability to listen. Playing over someone else or playing the wrong harmony can be catastrophic. Listening cannot be over stated.
PRACTICE TECHNIQUES
This may seem like an obvious one, but the point we want to make is that simply playing your instrument is necessarily not the same as practicing.
When a professional musician practices their instrument, they go through scales (or rudiments) repeatedly, working hard to improve their technique. Set yourself a dedicated practice or warm-up regime for each day to burn those scales into your memory.
Not only should you practice scales and exercises to maintain your abilities, but you should also challenge yourself to master something new as often as possible.
SET YOURSELF GOALS
Set yourself realistic targets at every opportunity and work towards them, whether thats learning a certain scale by heart during one practice, or mastering a full song by the end of the week.
By accomplishing set goals, youll enjoy a greater sense of achievement as your skills begin to develop, and approach each practice session with a more productive attitude.
PATIENCE
Perhaps the most important quality in a musician looking to perfect their instrument is patience, especially if youre just starting out. No one becomes a virtuoso overnight, so if you hit a wall, dont worry, just keep going until you get it right. It takes a lot of time and effort to be a truly great musician.
Don't take your frustrations out on your instrument! Keep calm and carry on practising!
KEEP IT FUN
While its important to work on your scales and other (more boring) techniques - don't forget to keep your practice sessions fun! Learn your favourite songs and work on new material around your more regimented exercises to make sure you feel fresh and enthusiastic about your instrument. The worst thing for a musician is when playing becomes a chore, rather than an enjoyable experience.
ORGANISE A JAM SESSION
Whether youre aiming to set up a new band, or just enjoy a friendly jam with friends, playing in a group can help to not only improve your technique but also your timing and improvisational skills.
Playing with other people can expose you to new ideas and methods, and is a great way to receive honest feedback on your playing style.
KNOW WHAT KEY YOU'RE IN
Following on from the last point, if youre planning on jamming with other musicians, its important to be able to identify which key youre playing in at any given time, and adapt your approach accordingly unless youre the drummer of course!
Learning scales can help you to stay in key during a jamming session. As the more experienced musicians among you will know, each musical scale focuses around a specific key. So, the more scales you know, the better youll be at staying in key, improvising on a track, and making sure you sound great playing alongside other musicians.
FIND A TEACHER
Taking lessons is one of the most effective ways to become a better musician, no matter what your skill level. Theres always something new to learn, and a professional mentor can help you develop new techniques and improve old ones.
However, paying for lessons isnt necessarily for everyone and there are plenty of self-taught musicians out there. If youre strapped for cash, you could always ask musician friend to help develop your musicianship or watch and learn from one of the thousands of YouTube videos out there covering your chosen instrument.
GET TO KNOW YOUR GEAR
A professional musician should have a thorough understanding of their equipment as well as their technique. You cant produce a great sound if you dont know the capabilities and limitations of your gear.
However, you dont want to be an all the gear, no idea guy. If youre new to your instruments, theres no point splashing thousands of pounds/dollars on a top of the range bit of kit, when you can get the same results from an affordable one.
LOOK FOR RESOURCES ONLINE
They are plenty of free resources out there for musicians looking to improve their skills and learn new songs. Websites like UltimateGuitar.com and 8notes.com offer access to thousands of tablatures, chord charts and sheet music. If you want to learn a new track or cover a certain song, there's nothing to stop you searching for the chords, tabs and notation online.
MOVE OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE
It's often tempting to stick with what you know, but as a musician, you should try to leave your comfort zone as often as possible, discover new ways to play and constantly challenge yourself. Yes, it can be frustrating, and yes it'll be hard work, but the rewards mastering something brand new are worth it. In a year's time, you'll look back with pride to see how far you've come!
LEARN MUSIC THEORY
Music theory can change the way you write/play music. It opens up your mind to all the different possibilities and options you have. Music theory is also universal, most musicians should know it. It will make things easier to explain. For example, telling someone to play a C major chord is easier than telling them where to put each finger.
IMPROVE YOUR RHYTHM
Keeping time is very important whether your playing with other people, or playing by yourself. Having bad rhythm will make the piece of music sound bad even if you are playing the right notes. You don't have to be metronomic, but as long as you can keep a tempo without speeding up or slowing down that's OK.
Play with other people. Playing with other people will force you to stay on time. It will also give you experience and make you more confident in your abilities. And above all playing with other people is a lot more fun then playing by yourself. Joining a band will also be very beneficial.
LEARN MORE THAN ONE INSTRUMENT
This will help broaden your horizons. If a guitar player was to start playing bass guitar, the guitarist would then start to realize the role of bass guitar. So the next time the guitarist has to write a bassline, the guitarist will have a better understanding of how to write a more effective one.
PERFORM
Performing requires you to know the music that you are playing inside out in the event that something goes wrong. Most performances require you to memorize your pieces. Having a good memory will benefit you because you always know what to play. It will also allow you to have more confidence in your talents and music.
BE EXPRESSIVE
It's one thing to learn the notes and rhythm, but it's another to express the music. This is probably the hardest thing to do, because expression is different for everyone. Try picking a slow song; they tend to have a lot of hidden meaning within the notes. After you get used to slow songs, try faster ones; they're a little harder because you need good speed, timing, and accurate articulation. But remember, too much expression will make you sound a little corny.
SOURCES
1. Be a Good Musician - http://bit.ly/2P3JkL2
2. 10 tips for playing like a pro - http://bit.ly/3lnlW7o
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