Mistake #1: Unrealistic Expectations

Watching someone play the piano, fingers flying across the keys, melodious notes swirling through the air. It’s all so magical, a captivating experience. For many of us, experiencing this magic is what sets us out on the path to learn to play piano, guitar, drums, or another instrument in the first place. But what the professional musician failed to mention during his streetside concerto are the hours spent practicing one chord, the months it took to perfect a single song, and the countless failures he met along the way. Success is hard and it takes time, but learning to play an instrument is the greatest gift you can give yourself and worth every ounce of effort it takes. Just set realistic goals and expectations for yourself so you don’t get discouraged when you’re not playing for money after a mere year of practice.

Mistake #2: Just Learning Songs

Many newbies to the art assume that if they can play a song, they’re really rockin’ the scene. This is a mistake. If you excelled at paint by numbers, you wouldn’t consider yourself a da Vinci, and learning to play a song or two won’t help you advance your musical hobby either.

Playing an instrument is about connecting to the music, hearing the sound behind the symbols, and understanding the various components that make up good music. To really appreciate, excel, and make the most of playing the piano (or flute or guitar or any instrument), study the notes, the rhythm, and the harmony. Discover the meaning behind the melody to appreciate your music in a whole new way.

*Trusting your ear is a good way to combat this mistake. Don’t limit yourself to notes and chords written on paper; stretch your ears and let the music be your teacher.

See Also: How to Read Sheet Music 101

Mistake #3: Not Getting Honest Critique

Some people think they’re God’s gift to mankind while others are perfectionists who can never fully appreciate their accomplishments. Some students try to learn musical instruments overnight, and others won’t touch another piece until they’ve mastered the first one. All these novices are missing out on an integral piece of the learning process: an unbiased opinion of where they are holding.

What’s wrong with not seeing the picture clearly? If you don’t think you’re good enough, you’ll never take the leap forward to really master the piano or the clarinet or the harmonica. If you think you are the best thing since sliced bread, you’ll fail to see the flaws in your music. Avoiding honest critique will limit your ability to expand, grow, and flourish in your newly acquired gift.

See Also: Which Instrument Should You Learn to Play

Wisdom is power. Now that you know what mistakes people make when they start to learn an instrument, you can stay ahead of the game. Avoid these common slip-ups, and start to really enjoy this magical art form that can transform your life.

The post 3 Mistakes You’re Making While Learning to Play an Instrument appeared first on Learn to Play an Instrument with step-by-step lessons | Simply Blog.

For most, getting started is actually super frustrating. The key to it is overcoming the first few steps until you actually feel comfortable with the instrument. The music apps below are a fun, casual, introductory apps to learning music. Jam a little, create some music, feel good about yourself and have fun!

And now, in no particular order (actually, in alphabetical order), here are the top 5 iOS music apps to get your feet wet:

Acapella from PicPlayPost, by Mixcord

Record yourself singing or playing an instrument and join the channels together for a fun acapella sequence. The current version is free to download in celebration of their newest launch, however, there are in-app purchases for creating longer sequences.
Price: Free to download, with in-app subscription
Download link: Get it on the App Store

Free Karaoke! Sing karaoke on YouTube with Yokee

A wonderful karaoke app! You can record yourself singing and share your performance with others (but careful – if you share people will be able to rate your singing). The app enhances your voice so you sound better than you actually do, which is a nice touch, though I prefer facing the honest reality, and therefore never sing 🙂

Price: The app is free to download with a selection of free songs and a subscription is available for purchase for full access.
Download link: Get it on the App Store

GarageBand by Apple

GarageBand is a cornerstone for music apps on the App Store, or in Apple’s terms – an essential app. It’s the ultimate virtual instrument, letting you do really cool stuff while still sounding great. You can record different tracks, also using the microphone, mix channels together, add effects, and share with the world. Definitely one of the best apps out there.

Price: The app currently costs $4.99
Download link: Get it on the App Store

Magic Piano by Smule

Smule is famous for creating fun musical nuggets that are used and shared by millions. This virtual piano app is one of their biggest successes, allowing users to play popular songs on the iPhone screen. It’s cleverly built so that no matter how you play, you always sound great!

Price: The app is free to download, however most content will be blocked without a subscription
Download link: Get it on the App Store

Ocarina by Smule

Unsurprisingly, Smule has another app in this short collection. Launched in the early days of the iPhone (remember the good ol’ days?), Ocarina lets you blow air in the iPhone mic, turning it into a virtual, you guessed it, ocarina. In case you’re wondering, an Ocarina is an ancient wind instrument dated more than 12,000 years ago(!). It looks something like this:

Ancient Ocarina Wind Flute

Price: The app costs $0.99 (as of Nov 15′)
Download link:  Get it on the App Store

Feel free to share other cool music apps in the comment section!

The post Top 5 iOS Music Apps You Can’t Afford To Miss appeared first on Learn to Play an Instrument with step-by-step lessons | Simply Blog.