Why Every Woman Should Learn to Play an Instrument
Gender stereotypes pervade all aspects of modern society. From a young age, norms dictate what we should and shouldn’t do determined on the mere fact that we were born women and this tends to have a rolling impact on what people do and don’t do in their everyday lives. Let’s take the realm of music as an example. If you take a look around at popular musicians and artists, you’re likely to find an overwhelming trend. In the music industry, women tend to be more successful in the realm of pop. They sing, dance, and perform. On the other hand, more alternative music, where people are in bands and play instruments, tends to be dominated by men. When you list the celebrated icons in this field, they tend to be male - The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Nirvana, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix… the list goes on and on. However, if you’re interested in learning an instrument and playing by yourself or joining a band, don’t let this intimidate you. You can do whatever you put your mind to! Just because there tend to be fewer women in the field, doesn’t mean that you should keep a distance. It’s time to break tradition and learn an instrument yourself! Here are a few things that can help you along the way.
Try Beginner Instruments First
Where there’s a standard instrument, there tends to be a slightly simpler version that you can try out in order to test the waters. If you’re interested in string instruments and ultimately want to play the guitar, you might want to try out the ukulele first. The ukulele is smaller, lighter, and has fewer strings than the standard guitar (the ukulele has four strings, while the standard guitar has six), allowing you to get to grips with the instrument a little faster. You can then transfer your skills on the ukulele over to the guitar and start learning six string chords. The ukulele is also generally cheaper, so you can decide whether string instruments are for you or not without making too large an investment to start with. There are also plenty of free resources out there like https://www.musicianauthority.com, which will provide you with music to learn. If you’re interested in keys, you might want to start out with the keyboard before making your way up to the piano. Key instruments are pretty complex and you will want to get in plenty of practice at home, but a keyboard is a whole lot more affordable than a piano!
Take Lessons
When you first try out an instrument, you might want to make use of free online tutorials through video streaming sites. There are plenty out there on Youtube! But, as you progress, you’re going to benefit a whole lot more from one-to-one tuition. This will provide you with a personal tutor who can correct your technique as you go along. You will develop your skills a lot faster in this kind of learning environment.
As you can see, learning an instrument is an entirely achievable task. So, if it’s something that takes your fancy, embrace it and get started as soon as possible!