The benefits of learning to play a musical instrument are endless such as developing your memory or increasing your confidence and broadening your social circle.
Learning a new skill such as an instrument doesn’t always mean having to venture out to lessons. As the internet has developed, so have the opportunities to learn an instrument.
You can now learn a variety of instruments online, and this method of teaching has huge benefits. We’ve devised a list of 8 advantages to not only learning an instrument but choosing to take these lessons online.
1) Progress At Your Own Pace
Typically, if you choose to learn an instrument in a regular setting, it is done in group lessons in places such as church halls and community centres.
Whilst learning with others around you and a teacher there to physically guide you has its benefits, learning online has its pros too. By taking online lessons with providers such as Centre of Excellence, you are able to progress at your own pace. In a group setting, you may feel a little rushed through an area you’re struggling with, or don’t have the confidence to speak up.
Learning online means you can repeat the same piece over and over again until you feel ready to move on.
2) The Convenience of Staying at Home
Learning to play a musical instrument online with course providers like Virtual College allows you to learn from the comfort of your own home. This can help with confidence as you’re in your own environment, but it is also convenient!
No need to get changed out of your pyjamas and you’re able to log into a lesson at any time, no need to rush across the city to make it there. With rising fuel costs, you’ll also save a little bit of money on the commute.
This is also ideal if you have a slightly unsociable lifestyle, for example, you work night shifts meaning you can’t access the mainstream lesson times on offer. Online learning will give you access to teachers around the world with flexible schedules.
3) Cheaper Than Physical Lessons
Physical lessons are normally quite highly-priced, due to increased overheads and location to name a few, meaning that music teachers are able to offer a cheaper price for online lessons. You also have the benefit of being able to access teachers all across the globe, giving you a full choice of a broad range of instructors, all with varying price points.
If you aren’t able to afford lessons quite yet or are exploring a variety of instruments before picking the one you wish to invest in lessons with, there is so much free content available to stream on sites like YouTube. You could even start with a course such as Introduction to Music Theory with online providers such as EDX.
4) Discover New Friends
If you head into physical lessons, you’re likely to meet 3 or 4 other people who you are going to be learning with. By choosing an online platform, you’re able to immerse yourself into a community of people who are also learning a new instrument.
These like-minded people are quite likely to become friends of yours. You’re also open to meeting people with more experience than you, that can help and give you advice on how to progress with your instrument. These are people you wouldn’t normally have access to, so make good use of them whilst building your knowledge.
5) Relieve Stress & Anxiety
When learning to play an instrument, you’re required to put all your energy and concentration into it. Taking your mind to a different place, away from the stress of real life, builds a state of mindfulness, bringing on a sense of calm.
This calming nature allows us to step away from the anxiety that we are feeling. That feeling of ‘losing yourself’ in a hobby that people often refer to, is achieved by learning a new instrument. Music is known to improve your mood by releasing dopamine, known as the ‘happy hormone’ and in turn reducing our stress hormone, cortisol. This makes learning to play an instrument a double whammy in improving your mood.
6) Build Your Confidence
Learning to play a musical instrument like a guitar or drums etc from PMT Online works to build your confidence by allowing you to express yourself in a different way. Learning a new skill takes time, however, you will soon reach a point where you want to show those around you what you have learned.
When it comes to assessments you will have to play your instrument in front of someone to grade you, which in turn also becomes an avenue to build your confidence, which can feed into your day-to-day life. It may even give you the confidence to push yourself in your work career!
7) Exercise Your Brain
Something you may not know is that learning to play an instrument requires both sides of the brain. Using both sides of your brain concurrently strengthens your memory retention.
This benefits you both in your musical and day-to-day life, as it helps you to retain the skills you’re learning with the instrument, but this will also carry through to everyday life. This sort of ‘brain exercise’ stimulates your brain in the same way that physical exercise does your body.
8) Direct Access to the Best Teachers
As previously mentioned, by choosing to learn a musical instrument online, you are giving yourself access to the best teachers around the world. You may live in an area where there aren’t any teachers proficient in the instrument of interest, meaning you aren’t able to access face-to-face learning.
Worry not, world-class teachers are at your fingertips with online learning. You are guaranteed to find a teacher for any weird and wonderful instruments you may be interested in on the web.
