I want to show my choir singers which parts to sing — what instrument should I learn?

Just the other day, I got this question from one of my email subscribers:

It should be said that learning how to play an instrument isn’t a significant focus of Music Entrepreneur HQ.

But connecting musicians to the right resources is, so let’s go a little deeper into this.

I’ll share a few resources first, and then get into what I specifically advised my friend to do next.

Music Entrepreneur HQ

On Music Entrepreneur HQ, we currently have 40 posts filed under Learning & Playing An Instrument.

So, more than likely you will find something of value in our archives with the caveat that you won’t find lessons on specific aspects of playing an instrument.

I also have a guitar eBook that might be of interest to beginner and intermediate guitarists.

Music Industry How To

I’ve been a staff writer for Music Industry How To for five years.

You can find many beginner-oriented lessons for guitar and piano on the site, which will help specifically with the technical side of playing an instrument.

You’ll notice that many of the guitar lessons on the site were created and written by me!

Musical U

At Music Entrepreneur HQ, we have Musical U as an affiliate partner (if you purchase through this link, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you).

Musical U is an awesome membership site (I’ve been inside and have personally evaluated it) dedicated to helping musicians develop their inner skills — improvisation, ear training, composing, and so forth.

But this is more for people who’ve covered the fundamentals. People who have a basic working knowledge of theory and technique but don’t sound like their heroes and want to be more confident and expressive on their instrument.

What I Shared with My Subscriber

I advised my subscriber to learn keyboard or piano.

She indicated that she was already learning to play two instruments and loved the piano, so this seemed a good a place to start as any.

Further, figuring out melodies and harmonies (parts) on piano is relatively easy once you’ve learned your major scales and key signatures.

I also shared that the best way to learn an instrument is to commit and get engrossed in the process. There are so many great resources out there, be it books, articles, or YouTube videos, that if you’re intentional about finding resources, you can find them!

Lastly, I shared that finding a teacher and working with them would likely fast track her progress. There is the rare “prodigy” or “self-taught genius” out there, but let’s be honest — even they had to learn from somewhere, even if it was just auditorily or visually.

The only other thing I can say is to work at it every day! Once you’re comfortable with 15- to 30-minute practice sessions, and you’ve got more time in your schedule, increase that to 60 to 120 minutes. See if you can get to 180 minutes per day and sustain that for a while. Your skills will develop fast.

Conclusion

Learning an instrument takes time. So, commit to the process. Practice every day. Think about it all the time. Try to connect the dots (music theory) for yourself without relying on resources (but still take advantage of tools when needed).

Get started, stay started, and keep going. You will know when you’ve reached a level of comfort with your instrument and be able to do the things you want to do with it.