Learn music: How, Where, With What ($)?????

"Learn Music, Fast 'n' Easy!!! For Cheap!!"

If someone says that to you, turn and run in the opposite direction. He's a liar and a thief.
Yes, learning music is HARD and SLOW (not to mention costly)!!! Don't make it any harder than it is by not having a study plan, and a financial plan! We have a real mean opponent to tackle here, so we need some real strategy. Music is a vast subject. Add to that trying to make a living from it, and we have a real real tough combination...

How do I learn music most efficiently?

Elsewhere on this site, I've written about the different aspects involved in learning an instrument:

1. Knowing your instrument's possibilities: how general music theory relates specifically to your instrument. In other words, how do you relate, from your mind and understanding, to your instrument.

2. Technique: how do you relate, from your body, to your instrument.

3. Style specifics: knowing the specific traits and characteristics, both theory and technique-wise, of the style you are dealing with.

This serves as a map that will help us optimize study time. No-one has more time than they want or need. So making wise use of it is essential!!!

Of course, this map is all about learning an instrument!!! Which is a very specific aspect of learning music. The principle here is to start general, and then gently work our way to the specific. So, in our strategy, we will place learning general music theory before learning our instrument. Learn what's more important first, then see how that relates to your more specific musical interests. Learn music efficiently!

Yes, this is hard. It's hard because theory seems abstract. But it will be a real time saver in the long run: Learning Theory is Practical!
It will also make you more versatile and better equipped to establish yourself; better equipped for your career. By easing the way to deep assimilation of music, it will free up time and resources for you to focus on building your musician career.

Every successful musician you talk to will tell you all the marvels of the way they learnt music:

"Go to school, it's the only way!" some will say...

"To learn everything by yourself is the only real way to learn" say others...

This is all nonsense: It is essential that you find the right mix for yourself: what suits YOU best? In any case, having a broad perspective of the vast world of music, in all its aspects, is the best way for you to find yourself within it. So be curious: ask, talk to people, read, surf the web... Don't limit yourself in your attempt to learn music -and make a living from it- by following too rigid a path. Flexibility, when coupled with clear goals and hard work, is the best attitude we can adopt if we really want to learn music.

So, to make a long answer short: look into school, for sure. But don't get married to it. You may well find that it can lead you away from your goals. Don't be afraid of rejecting school if your personal path leads away from it: the world is a vast place, with an infinite number of opportunities. But don't reject school (or anything else, for that matter) without first getting a real taste of it: find out what works best for you. In music, as in life, no one can teach you how to be yourself.

Regardless of what path you choose in order to study music, you will need plenty of time. Time free from day jobs, and the like. That means you need an alternate source of income. An alternate, custom built business solution that will propel your music learning, and all your projects.

And there can be no business without strategy. Be sure to research all you can into the evolution of the music business in today's world, and stay abreast. All of the old models are crumbling, fast! In todays fast changing world, the only way to stay alive is to be adaptable.

Ideally, what you want, is an automated source of income. This will free up your time, so that you can dedicate it all to learning what needs to be learned, and to develop your projects. This will further fuel your musician career. As said above, it will grow like a snow-ball rolling down a mountain!!

Make your custom-built music business plan and generate the resources you need to learn music, in whatever way suits you best.

More info for students looking for ways to make money here.

Go back from How and Where to Learn Music to Make Your Own Music.

Make Your Own Music Index

Make Your Own Music Business Plan: Time and Money Matters

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