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How to Learn to Play an Instrument (Ep. 256)

Last Updated March 25, 2019

I’ve been thinking a lot about music this year.

Instruments have been a part of my life for a long time, but I’m no virtuoso. At some point, I hit a skill level that I just didn’t care enough to push through and moved on to other things.

But this year, I’ve rededicated myself to piano. In fact, I’ve probably improved more at both music theory and practice in the last three months than in the last five years.

So today, Thomas and I are sharing our experiences with musical instruments and how we’ve been learning to play them.

If you have an instrument you’ve always wanted to play, or perhaps one in a closet somewhere that you’d like to dust off, clear your schedules. This might just be the right time to rekindle your love for music.

Things mentioned in this episode:

This week’s episode is sponsored by:

  • Brilliant: Accelerate your learning in math, science, and computer science. Start learning for free at Brilliant.org/CollegeInfoGeek — and if you’re one of the first 83 people to use this link, you’ll also get 20% off your subscription.
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  • Audible: Get a free audiobook download and a free 30-day trial by going to Audible.com/CIG or texting “CIG” to 500-500 on your phone.

Other things we mentioned in this episode:

Want more cool stuff? You can find all sorts of great tools at my Resources page.

Timestamps:

  • 0:03:43 – Clip: Martin playing the piano and Thomas playing the guitar
  • 0:07:27 – What instruments does Martin play
  • 0:11:17 – How we practice and learn new pieces
  • 0:17:44 – Why learn music theory
  • 0:23:52 – Sponsor: Brilliant (Learning problem-solving skills)
  • 0:25:32 – Sponsor: Audible (Listening to audiobooks)
  • 0:28:26 – Sponsor: FreshBooks (Managing your invoices)
  • 0:30:03 – What piano should you buy, or where you can use one
  • 0:35:01 – Taking lessons and how Thomas learns guitar
  • 0:43:54 – Breaking down songs and listening to them more attentively
  • 0:50:31 – Conclusion

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How to Learn to Play an Instrument