Why Lessons Really Are Necessary (Now Go Practice!)

Few issues are more widely debated in
music than whether the road to success passes through a music teacher’s studio,
or whether it’s best accessed with one’s own experimentation and innate talent.

If you quizzed a sampling of
professional musicians–whether they’re part of a stadium-filling band or a
studio musician laying down tracks on a 40-hour schedule–you’re likely to find
a wide variety of answers.

Well-schooled musicians will tell
you that there was no way they would have reached their highest points without
good instruction. And many of them learned their crafts from teachers in small
towns or modest cities throughout the country, just as you can do with a quick
check of TakeLessonsreviews and the local instructors they track.

There’s no doubt that certain
performers have a knack for their chosen instrument (or instruments). Many
players can show evidence that a feel for the instrument and an ear for sound
will carry you far.

But there are a number of
downfalls with learning music unassisted compared to being under the tutelage
of a qualified instructor.

Ability to archive

Or, “What was that brilliant
piece?” Learning by ear will most certainly enable you to duplicate the
work of others, maybe down to the last note. But if you picked apart Chopin in
2004 and want to perform it in 2013, you will have to largely re-learn it.

On the other hand, with
instruction you’ll be able simply to archive the sheet music and retrieve it
years later, then rehearse it and quickly regain your proficiency.

And if you compose your own
melodies, the ability to document it on paper will help you remember it for
later, share it with others, and protect it with copyright.

Ability to assimilate

Learning the rudiments of an
instrument will help you to understand the methods associated with different
styles of music. That’s how we ended up with a flash of jazz in Led Zeppelin
and a whiff of Big Band in the music of Rush.

Knowing the techniques, chord
progressions, syncopations, and other unique elements of many different genres
will inject character into both your own compositions and your interpretation
of the work of others.

That assimilation of other styles
can also shine through in your playing and song selection.
 Classical Spanish guitar permeates the Eagles’ live version of
“Hotel California”. Without their propensity for such music, the
group’s guitarists would have never been able to lay down a classic
re-imagining of a legendary rock song.

Ability to expand

You may in no way aspire to
multi-instrumental skill, but a qualified teacher may have just the insight to
detect something in your talent that you don’t see in yourself. This could mean
either adding a new instrument to your repertoire or steering you toward one
that better suits your skills.

A good music teacher may also choose to
accompany you on a different instrument, allowing you to hear the interaction
between the two and developing your skill for playing in an ensemble.

The old joke says that how you get
to Carnegie Hall is “practice, practice, practice.” But unguided
practice in music is counterproductive and can limit your success. Spend the
time to find a great instructor who inspires and motivates you. That person can
take you and your instrument to places you never imagined.