Why everyone should play an instrument

As someone who is a pretty big fan of music I have attempted to play numerous instruments over the years. Some I am competent at others arguably not, however does that really matter? I don’t think so. It is the learning of the instrument that is fun, not necessarily how good you are. It doesn’t matter, unless of course you are trying to pursue a career in music, but I am obviously not so my advancement in any of my instruments isn’t too important. As a result of my instrument playing I have come to the conclusion that everyone should attempt to learn at least one instrument in their lifetime.

I am not here to brag about my instrumental talents, there is nothing really to brag about. I am somewhat competent in a handful of instruments but not enough to be considered amazing in any sense. However, learning to play these instruments has brought me a huge amount of joy, particularly when I have been able to learn and play a number of my favourite songs. When I was younger I had lessons for the flute. In this instrument I did manage to go up to grade four, however I didn’t get as much enjoyment from it as I thought I might. I think this might have been because the lessons were strict, too structured and what good songs can you really play on the flute? Well none that I wanted to play. Although sometimes I look back on the achievement with some sense of pride, I went pretty far and it has definitely helped me to understand and appreciate music a lot more [this is most likely a result of the theory side rather than the practical]. Reading music is a skill I have acquired and that may be helpful at some point, who knows.

I then received a bass guitar for one of my birthdays and my passion for music has grown ever since, picking up the guitar, mandolin, harmonica and jaw harp in the process. Now, like I said before I am absolutely nothing special in any of these instruments. I suppose then that it isn’t as impressive as being extremely with a single instrument but I don’t care, I don’t spend my life trying to impress people [or at least I think I don’t]. What is important is how clear it is that I enjoy the learning of the instrument. To be able to pick up an item and create sound but more importantly to emulate the sound of some of my favourite music. There is an immense amount of joy that this brings me and it is something I will always do. That is the beauty of an instrument, it creates sound that we enjoy and not only do you feel a sense of achievement when playing [or learning] one of your favourite songs, but there also comes the creativity of writing your own music. I don’t think I am that creative but the opportunity is there, there isn’t anything holding me back.

Granted, learning an instrument can be hard. I have found the guitar particularly challenging and the flute was also extremely difficult. It can be frustrating when you pick up an instrument, particularly if you expect to be able to immediately play your favourite songs. It is hard to be able to stretch your fingers across a fret board, to be able to hear the rhythm in the song or to be able to breathe right and position your mouth in the correct manner. There are many things that come with playing an instrument and most of them are challenging, although it is important to note that you don’t NEED to be able to read music to play an instrument. [Unless of course it is a classical instrument]. To be able to get all of this down is important, once you can comfortably play your instrument then you need to be able to play songs, to interpret what you are hearing and imitate it. This can take years, in all the instruments I have attempted to play I am always still learning, still practising. However, this is one of the best things about an instrument and why I recommend it to everyone, of all ages.

To play an instrument is to expand your mind, not only in a musical sense but also in a practical sense. You are learning, you are using your mind and it is important to do that when you can. If you are using your mind, stretching it but also getting a lot of joy as a result then this is surely a good thing. It is good to take the opportunity to learn, at any age and an instrument is one of the best ways to do this. It can also distract your mind, help you to focus on a single specific task and calm you down at the end of a busy work day or if you find yourself with a significant amount of alone time. I for one spent my first year of university religiously practising my bass guitar, I suppose because for some unexplainable reason I did find myself with a lot more free time [by myself in my accommodation at night – it isn’t a party every night you know] and with no telly I took the opportunity to practice a lot more than I ever really had. I suppose, as well, it provided a sense of comfort as well as it was my dad that got me the bass guitar and who taught me to play it.

Of course, you need a tremendous amount of patience when learning an instrument. You cannot give up if you’re not immediately good at it. Some people might have a knack for it but no one who is good at music just picked up their instrument and could immediately play it, so you wont be able to either. It doesn’t matter too much anyway, I don’t think you should expect yourself to be good at it. I am not particularly accomplished in anything I play but I continue to play because it fills my soul. There are some instruments that are much easier to play I suppose, so if you are cautious then pick yourself up a harmonica or a jaw harp. They are relatively easy and don’t require as much practice to be able to produce an acceptable sound. Essentially their effects are much more immediate.

Music so clearly makes up many aspects of our lives – well it does mine – and so surely to learn an instrument can be fulfilling. It is something which I highly recommend and it doesn’t have to be expensive. You can pick up a guitar from a car boot or a harmonica for a couple of pounds online. You don’t need expensive instruments to learn, the quality of the instrument only matters when you become much more accomplished and serious about it. So, go out and see if there is any instrument that piques your interest, I doubt you will be disappointed.