Can You Learn to Play a Musical Instrument Without Formal Training?

Can You Learn to Play a Musical Instrument Without Formal Training?

Simply stated, the answers to that are yes and no.

It is possible to play an instrument without having had formal training. Anyone can pick up an instrument and explore it on their own. Many method books, especially for the piano, give instructions on which keys one must place one's fingers and provide preliminary exercises for beginning players. Continuous follow-up on these methods and etudes might get a person to a certain level of understanding of the technicalities involved in playing that instrument.

I have met individuals who could play the piano without having had any formal training at all. They could even harmonize without being able to read notes. As a result, they could play popular melodies using their ears and play for their family members. Such individuals who can pick up an instrument without formal training are rare and, as we said, entertain their families and guests.

However, as a formally trained musician, I recommend taking lessons if one wishes to achieve a decent playing level. Familiarizing oneself with theoretical concepts is fine before engaging a teacher, but in applying these concepts, I would strongly advise taking formal lessons with a teacher.

Why is this important, and why does it matter?

1. Correct posture and the right way of holding an instrument are essential in music-making.

2. It is better to start off correctly from the beginning to avoid adopting bad habits that are difficult to correct later on.

3. A qualified instructor can guide you while considering your set goals. This process of regular input and feedback helps you to save time as you progress.

4. The teacher can only do that through weekly lessons that you carry to your practice room and follow up their instruction independently.

When playing any type of instrument, the way you hold and apply the correct posture makes a big difference in facilitating your playing and creating a beautiful sound. As you progress, you will notice many details that your teacher can point out to you so that you can optimize your playing by holding any instrument correctly.

When playing tennis, dancing, or even swimming, for example, one can not help but notice the positioning of the player, dancer, or swimmer. Upon close observation, the individual's posture speaks volumes about their performance. The player or swimmer usually looks more than ready to perform, and this aspect plays an important role in the outcome for the individual.

It would be quite challenging to teach oneself an instrument without the intervention of a teacher every week. The teacher normally points out all the things you need to address in your practice time. Your practice time will be the time to remember all these pointers and work on them so that your teacher can help you move to the next step during the following lessons. When you are on your own, the tendency is sometimes to come up with the wrong ways of doing things without even realizing it, and your teacher will help you minimize these problems.

For instance, I am a cellist and have had a lifelong interest in learning how to play the viola da gamba. This year, I began taking lessons with a professional teacher. I know all too well that although these two instruments have some similar structures, the techniques of sound production, application, and repertoire differ.

Therefore, a qualified teacher can guide you through this process, which will be harder to follow should you do it alone. In the meantime, when you work with an instructor, you also save time. Something that would take your teacher to point out in one lesson or a few minutes might take much longer. And the teacher can only do this through your consistent effort to attend the weekly lessons.

Therefore, if you want to learn how to play an instrument at whatever age, find a teacher you feel comfortable working with and commit yourself to weekly lessons. And don't forget to practice what your teacher tells you in the lessons.

Have you tried to learn an instrument on your own? What type of challenges did you encounter? Please share with us in the comments below.