Tone Tailors offer lessons for anyone. Maybe you’re already a player asking “should I take music lessons?” or perhaps you’re a beginner looking to learn for the first time. Whether it’s your first time or you’re looking to dust off your chops after years of letting your guitar sit in a closet, there’s an instructor here for you. Over the years, and especially since the rise of the internet, there has been debate between the merits of teaching yourself to play versus formal instruction. I could list all the famous musicians over the years who have made it without a single lesson, but we’re going to talk about the three biggest benefits of taking them.
I thought, “Should I Take Music Lessons?”
As a teenager when my parents insisted I give lessons a chance, I was adamant that I didn’t need them. I’d taken piano lessons at a very young age and picked up the guitar in middle school. It felt silly to learn to read music all over again and spend time with a teacher when I could simply go online and pick and choose whatever Beatles or Green Day song I wanted to learn from ultimate-guitar.com.
After a few months of struggling to learn chords and hacking my way through tabs I was admittedly relieved when I was introduced to a jazz guitar teacher who seemed like he’d be easy to learn from. In our first few lessons one of the things that really drew me in was the fact that this veteran player who clearly knew his way around a fretboard was still taking lessons so he could improve.
Discipline
That discipline and motivation modeled by my teacher was something that I couldn’t fully appreciate at the time but definitely was a big part in my personal journey. One of the top reasons to start taking lessons is the habit forming it can build. Regularly setting goals week to week, and having a reason to pick up your instrument can also help to form healthy patterns in your life in general. I know that I was only able to develop certain techniques or learn new scales because I knew that someone else was keeping me accountable.
There is also some psychology behind setting and completing small goals. Every time you hit a small goal, your brain rewards you and helps you to keep moving towards bigger goals. So when you finally can play your way through the major scale without a hitch, it’s that much easier to tackle the next hurdle (looking at you gypsy minor scale).
Feedback
Not only will a teacher give you homework to work on, but they’ll also check back in week after week. This is probably the biggest benefit of one on one lessons. Virtual lessons or learning from YouTube has its perks in that you can go at your own pace. However, an instructor being able to make sure you’re holding your pick correctly, hitting the right spot on the drums, or simply providing encouragement is invaluable. Having someone who can both give constructive feedback can help to build your confidence, as well as ensure you don’t develop any bad habits. Being given proper instruction on how to handle an instrument can also translate to other areas of life. Hand eye coordination and timing are always valuable skills!
It Helps Your Brain
The final point I want to touch on here (and will likely write more about later) is that learning music can have wonderful impacts on your brain. In children who take up music, it has been shown to increase IQ after just a few weeks worth of lessons. It can also help in developing social and language skills. In adults, learning an instrument can help to fight off dementia or Alzheimer’s by delaying decline as well as help with fine motor skills as you age. Not to mention the ability to sit down and play music can bring immense amounts of joy! If we’ve answered “why should I take music lessons?” feel free to reach out through our lessons page or call us with any questions at 717-553-5199!
