Picking up an instrument for the first time and expecting to be able to play it in a short amount of time is no joke, especially when it’s your VERY FIRST playing experience! Follow these 3 pointers and you’ll be off on a better start than before you chanced upon this information!

1) Be prepared to accept that playing is an ACTIVE experience!

Most first-timers (adult students, I’m looking directly at you!) associate PLAYING (active) with their past experiences of LISTENING (passive), which are two distinctly different activities. Sure, we do need to listen intently (but actively!) while playing, especially in a group, but you’ll soon learn that, with the instrument in hand, your attention needs to become laser-focused!

2) Muscles take some time to learn even the simplest movements!
It may not seem obvious, but our bodies are made of living organic material (as opposed to steel machine parts)… haha! What I mean by this is that we often build up a mental ideal that’s so far removed from reality that the only thing left after is guaranteed disappointment.

Especially when dealing with your first instrument experience ever, let go of your crazy expectations, find out first what your arms and body want to do naturally, and then course-correct from there. Relax, be curious, and you’ll find that with much less stress, you’ll quickly be on your way to one of the most exciting personal discoveries you could imagine!

3) Our bodies need some preparation

As an extension to the previous point, our bodies aren’t made to function like machines. Instead, what we DO have is supple tissue, ready to be shaped by whatever tasks we decide to pick up, on a regular basis! That said, before the shaping begins, we want to make sure we start with minimal tensions, accumulated stress, etc, as far as we can manage. In practical terms, this means that if we’re coming from a long day of work and we’re setting up for our lesson on a Friday evening (some of you may be laughing right now!), take the luxury of a stretch, a yawn, anything to get the oxygen circulating again in your knees, back, and shoulders! Your body’s going to thank you for this, and believe it or not, so will your sound! Do the right thing, stand up now from your desk, and swing your arms around a little!

(If nobody’s looking, GO CRAZY and turn it into a full-blown dance party!)

Stay healthy, keep your bodies happy, and talk soon!
X.O.