Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music

Interlude: Don’t Say Practice

The very best answer is: play as much as you feel like. That may seem

like a cop-out answer, but let me explain. Playing is supposed to be

enjoyable, first and foremost, never forget that. When you learn

something new, there is a very high possibility of frustration. Avoid this

like the plague. If you begin to feel frustrated, keep at it another couple

minutes to see if the frustration goes away, and if it doesn’t, stop. It’s that

easy. Pick it up again later in the day or tomorrow.

Come on Baby, Light my Desire

The single most valuable thing you can have is your desire. Foster it.

Imagine yourself playing somewhere. Anywhere. You could be on stage

in front of 10,000 screaming fans, you could be at Carnegie Hall, you

could be at the local coffee shop, you could be playing a song for a loved

one, or even in a room alone playing for yourself. There are many

excellent players in the world who play only for personal enjoyment. Use

your imagination to see yourself performing, keep with it and you’ll get

to experience it!

Desire will keep you motivated through exercises and repetitions and

slumps in mood. The only problem with desire is that it’s not like a

metronome. You can’t bop down to the local music store and pick some

up, so you’ve got to foster it, be aware of it, let it grow. You can’t buy it,

but there are ways to increase it.

Live Music is Best

The single most beneficial thing to your development as a musician is

to go see music performed live. It will increase your desire to play

more than any other thing. There are many places to hear live music:

coffee shops, concerts, even just sitting around in a friend’s living

room and listening to her play. Somehow, seeing music being done

right in front of you makes it more real, more within reach. Recordings

are great, but live is better.

Your Stereo is Next Best

Listening to good music is important and can be very inspiring,

especially if you realize the musicians you listen to were once as

clueless as you may be right now. So listen as much as you can.

Take a music bath
once or twice a
week for a few
seasons, and you
will find that it is to
the soul what the
water bath is to the
body.

Oliver Wendell
Holmes, Jr.