Skills Gained from Learning Instruments

by Jocelyn Wu

Massachusetts

Everyone knows that there are many benefits to playing an instrument. Yes, you’ve probably heard playing an instrument can help you be happier or improve your memory. While these things are true, many people may not realize the challenges that come with learning an instrument. To achieve your musical goals, you need to put in lots of practice and perform in front of an audience. Despite the challenges musicians face, they produce great benefits: soft skills, which are something everyone can benefit from.

1. Problem Solving

Being a musician means that you are constantly striving to improve passages to make them the most clean, musical, and effortless they can be. When you are presented with difficult passages, you are required to closely examine the problem. I usually ask myself “What exactly is the problem? What am I unhappy with? Why is this problem happening? What are some strategies I can use to fix the problem area?” Practicing is a never ending cycle of problem solving. You learn to look at things with multiple different perspectives.

2. Patience

Learning an instrument is not easy. There’s a steep learning curve for a lot of instruments which I can definitely testify to as a violinist. A lot of the skills that you’re working on to improve will take time. Things do not suddenly improve overnight (I wish they did…). You will gradually progress and not even realize it! When you think of your current state of playing, think back to a week ago, then a month ago, 6 months ago, and a year ago. This will give you perspective on how you have actually improved a lot and each individual practice day contributes to that.

3. Persistence

Persistence goes hand in hand with patience. You might have heard of the quote “You only need to practice on the days that you eat”. It is really important to practice every day, even if it’s just for a short amount of time. Practicing regularly ingrains a sense of routine and familiarity within yourself. It’s a valuable lesson learning that you can only get the results you desire when you put in the work on ALL days, not just the ones where you feel “motivated”. Persistence teaches you to push through the hard, tiring days and make the most of them.

4.Learning How to Uniquely Express Yourself

The thing that makes classical music so great is the fact that it is very much personalized. Even though we are all playing common repertoire, the difference lies in how we interpret the music. This is definitely harder when you are younger or just getting started with your instrument, but as time goes on you will realize that you can make certain choices to create certain sounds and expressions. For example, I might decide that I want to use a really fast vibrato to bring out tension in the music or I might decide to play a passage on G string instead of D string so I can create a deeper sound. It’s important to know what exactly YOU want to express to the audience.

5. Learning to Go Out of Your Comfort Zone

Playing a musical instrument is challenging in so many ways, but you can only grow when you do things that are slightly out of your comfort zone. For example, many students might be nervous when it comes to performing a solo piece in front of their audience or playing at an audition. We fear that we will be judged by others and end up feeling like we aren’t good enough. While these fears are very valid, we can only overcome them by exposing ourselves to these situations and learn from the difficulties.

Whenever you’re struggling with getting yourself to practice or feel down about the level of your playing, remind yourself that these challenges are totally normal. They are all part of the path to improvement. The skills you gain from learning an instrument carry over to the world outside of music. Your persistence in daily practice will transfer to your studying for a big exam. Instead of stressing and cramming the night before, you will study consistently throughout the week. When you play an instrument, you are not just learning the instrument itself, but you are also learning important lessons that will help you in many other realms of your life.

Picture Credits: Unsplash