How to Teach Yourself to Play an Instrument

I used to be a beginners’ piano teacher at a music center for kids. Often, I heard parents and older siblings say how much they wished they’d learned an instrument when they were younger. What they didn’t know (and what I withheld because a girl’s gotta work) was that everything I taught the kids was pretty much stuff you could learn at home! I started as self-taught. Though nothing compares to the hands-on experience of working with an instructor, it’s possible to teach yourself a lot. And it’s never too late! Here’s how:

1. Set goals and have realistic expectations.

The main reason people don’t think they can learn an instrument is that it seems overwhelming—it’s not!

Instructors keep students on track and map out their progress. Research your instrument and create goals, like which simple techniques you want to learn and what songs you want to play (please, no more “Wonderwall” or “Clocks”). Then, schedule your goals realistically. You won’t be playing Chopin or Jimi Hendrix solos after six months, but you can have made it through a technique book or two, learned some songs by heart and found a new hobby!

2. Use your resources.

I often showed my students the same videos I used to watch to help with their practice at home. Youtube is great! You learn so much just watching others. But repeat after me: not all videos are created equal! Try Googling lists of reputable sources online, like this one for guitarists. You can find the same video series I used to learn piano here and an updated version here.

But don’t forget about good old-fashioned books! Look for instructor-recommended beginners’ books or ones written for self-taught musicians. Because being self-taught doesn’t mean you’re making up your own theory and techniques. It’s like taking an online class—you don’t get the benefits of a teacher to ask questions to IRL, but with enough dedication, you can make it just fine!

3. What about sheet music?

Perhaps the most daunting task of all is learning sheet music. But, if you just want to play for fun, you really don’t have to read music. Many famous musicians don’t know how! But that doesn’t mean they haven’t worked just as hard to strengthen their aural skills. When you’re searching for resources, be sure to specify you want to play by ear.

If you are interested in theory and reading music, take your time. You’re basically learning a new language! It will require extra studying, but you’ll be able to play and understand so much about all kinds of music.

4. Play with others.

Masters like Prince, Jimi Hendrix and Dave Grohl are famously self-taught. But they didn’t get there just by playing alone in their rooms. Reach out to other musicians and play together. See what they can show you and ask for help with things that are hard to judge yourself, like posture. It’s the best way to improve, and it makes the process way more fun.

5. Practice, practice, practice.

The most important part of learning an instrument is actually practicing. Even with an instructor, most of the work is done at home.

Set aside time every day to devote to playing, even if you can only fit in a short period. You’ll be surprised how quickly you catch on! But be patient and go easy on yourself. Music is supposed to be fun! So, have a good time and get practicing!

• FSU
• instrument
• music
• piano