Learning a new instrument can undoubtedly be a profoundly fulfilling experience, if not excruciatingly difficult at times.
In a way, the learning process is part of the reward. Unfortunately, the learning curve offered up by many instruments makes them hard to stick with, especially in the early days of practicing.
As with most modern endeavors, however, tech is here to help you out. In an effort to save you both time and money on your journey towards musical majesty, here are some great ways you can leverage technology to your benefit.
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The Rise of Online Learning
Online learning has been the talk of the town over the last few years, and in many ways, it has stepped up to the plate and helped many individuals continue their education despite the physical hardships.
Dedicated platforms are in place to help aspiring musicians such as yourself nurture their talents.
Say you wanted to learn the saxophone, there are some superb online avenues of education specifically designed for that reason; you can check out this article for a prime example of how organizations are using the virtual world to offer guidance and advice.
Free Software
Mac users have had the joys of Garageband at their fingertips for years now, but this is by no means the only free option worth checking out.
Audacity, Ableton Lite, Akai MPC Beats, and Cakewalk are all great examples of this, and you can pick them up free of charge.
Does this help you learn an instrument? The answer is yes! It can help you:
- Learn Composition and structural understanding
- Play in time and to a backing track
- Train your ear to recognize different keys, tone, pitch, and note variation
- Develop your knowledge of musical theory
- Inspire your creativity
- Get to know different instruments
- Learn about audio engineering and the relationship between different sounds
The list goes on, and even if you are a complete beginner, it is certainly worth taking a look at some music-making software. After all, it’s free.
Apps
Having a handy app take on the role of teacher might save you a great deal of time and money in the long run. Some of the best apps are highly interactive, so anyone who enjoyed Rock Band back in the day might find themselves in luck. By playing along to a visual companion on the screen, you can add an entirely new dynamic to your musical education, which might be perfect for highly visual learners.
Ear Training
One of the most spellbinding skills that a decent musician possesses is the ability to train their ear to recognize elements of a song without needing to think twice. Being able to hear a track and then play it back on their instrument instantaneously is often the sign of someone who has worked hard at conditioning their musical awareness.
There is tech for that too! In fact, some great options are available straight from your browser, meaning no download is necessary.
With a well-trained ear and a few good apps, you are probably well on the way to musical mastery.
