How Can I Build My Confidence With Music?
Learning how to play an instrument is certainly a difficult task. Not only do you have to master reading the music, but learning and building the new skills required to play music is also an arduous process. You will certainly need a great amount of determination, patience, co-ordination and a positive mentality to learn a new instrument. But the most important thing you will need is confidence. If you are not confident about playing your instrument, playing music will not only become a lot more difficult, but you might also begin to dislike and not enjoy music altogether. Building confidence is definitely a critical aspect to playing and enjoying great music.
Here are some simple ways to build more confidence with music:
1. PRACTICE, practice, and more practice!!!
Practicing your newly found skills every day will not only get you more comfortable with your skills, but it will also build more confidence in yourself. You will begin to feel more confident about playing your music if you practice. Practicing for as little as 10 minutes a day will make a big difference in your skills, and you will quickly become more comfortable with playing music. Try it! It is a simple and sure way to help build your confidence with music.
2. PERFORM your music skills in front of others.
Playing in front of other people, whether it is your family members, friends, or even your pet cat, will boost your confidence immensely. You will not only overcome your lack of confidence, but you also get practice in showcasing your skills in front of an audience!
3. COMPARE your progress with your previous skills.
Reflecting back on when you started and comparing that with where you are now will help you see the results of hard work, and along with lots of practice, it will help you realize your true potential. You will find that you really have come a long way and have progressed deeply in playing music. This will certainly give you much encouragement to learn and practice even more.
4. LIST REASONS as to why you are a good musician.
Listing reasons as to why you are good at playing music before you start your practice sessions will make it far easier to help elevate your confidence in yourself and your skills. Try telling yourself "I am a good musician. I love music, and I have improved a lot since I first started playing. I have great potential to learn more and improve my skills". It will not only give you much needed confidence when you feel down, but it will also help you calm down to set your thoughts straight so you can move forward.
5. RECORD yourself when you play music and LISTEN to it.
This is a great way to improve your music skills! By recording yourself and then listening back on it, you can pick out your strengths and weaknesses. Improving on your strengths and fixing up your weak points will give you more confidence, and it will surely make you an even greater musician.
6. SET A GOAL.
Think of a goal or an aspiring musician you want to be like. Setting yourself a goal and disciplining yourself to train to achieve that goal will help you gain confidence in yourself and your skills. Think about how pleasant it would be when you reach that goal! Encourage yourself and keep building on your skills, and you will have reached your goal in no time!
7. BELIEVE in yourself and HAVE FUN!
The most important thing to building your confidence in music is to believe in yourself, your skills, and have fun! You should play music with passion and really enjoy it to boost your confidence levels.
Remember, you ARE a good musician; you HAVE IMPROVED immensely since you first started, and you have great POTENTIAL to further develop and fine tune your skills! So be confident about yourself and your music skills and have fun!