curious to know how you tackle learning new stuff and what is the most effective personal approach that suits you

 

I think this poll should allow multiple answers.
Anyhow:
-by doing, practice is key
-by studying songs I love (see point 1)
-by listening to the genre I want to learn
-by jamming/playing with other musicians (preferably better than I am) (see point 1)
-by studying techniques (see point 1)

 

Last edited: May 17, 2020

done

 

Even if it doesn't satisfy your curiosity: a bit of (almost) everything. I do not agree with "you cant learn music its either you got it or no". Everyone can basically learn everything, but some have the gift to learn certain things faster and achieve more in their lifespan than others.

Anyway, the first step is to ask yourself: "What do I want to do?" etc., according to the "SMART" principle for defining goals. I try to use it regularly, not just in art. Subsequently, my most effective personal approach depends on the desired goal and the options available for implementation at the time.

 

Appreciate your input @Pagurida while I agree with what you say , could you be more specific your answer is very general

 

My approach to learning music is:

1) spend most of your life learning small, random, unrelated bits from the whole spectrum of writing / production / mixing in no particular order.

2) realise you're now old and not particularly good in any of the aforementioned areas.

3) pretend you have finally realised that you were doing it wrong the whole time and now you have new exciting projects coming.

4) release one song that lacks in modern sound standards. get no attention and blame the industry.

5) repeat #3 and #4 until you die.


It's The Wavy's Secret Formula for Absolute Failure

 

I Feel pesonally attacked by this reply

 

By the age old formula: "Fake it 'til you make it."

But really, practice and doing, that's all there is to it for me.

 

Buzzby asks: How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

Gerudel answers: Practice, practice, practice.

I took about a year's worth of guitar lessons when I was 12 years old and learned the basics from a guy my dad found. I didn't enjoy it too much because the teacher himself didn't seem very interested or excited about fostering my musicality or proficiency on the instrument. After that I listened and learned from Neil Young, Frank Zappa and Jerry Garcia, not so much of notes and licks, but rather what I could only imaging the technique with which they got their sound. I would play parts that I created along to their and other bands records that added to the song and complimented what the guitarists in those bands were already playing. I guess that's the reason people have always liked to jam with me, because I tend to create space for others and telegraph my chordal bits or solos with the intention to have everyone grok the moment, the music as a whole rather than fostering the individual egos of the players to creating personal spaces for themselves.

I try to play at least a couple of hours a day of guitar while giving time, switching off between the acoustic guitars that I blessingly have in order to keep them sounding fit and full. Acoustics need to be played to maintain their potential and sound quality. I also try to get in at least an hour of keyboards daily. I enjoy synthesis and the choices afforded. I'll never be a great or even good keyboardist like in the vein of Billy Preston, Stevie Wonder or Rick Wakeman who I grew up thinking of as godz, but pound the plastic nonetheless

I don't know if I answered the question or not, though suffice it to say that every time I play an instrument, be it a guitar, bass, keyboards, Native American flute, harmonica, ukulele, hand drums or found objects, I learn something about my relationship with that instrument, understanding how to better express myself with that tool of creation, letting my soul express itself to the best of it's ability using this human mantel as best it can...and I love it and reap great joy from being a part of it.

Without creating music, singing and as well, dancing, life on Earth would be a very much weirder place for me as and a far greater challenge than it would be without them.

 

Last edited: May 17, 2020

i think most people probably use a mix of all of those things. i chose "study core concepts" and "by doing" because i think they are the strongest factors for me, but if i could have chosen more i would have chosen almost all of them.

 

@tun that's exactly how I experienced it. Once you understand what you want to learn, you can start thinking about how you will learn it. Not every method is equally suitable for every task. Often there are several different learning steps necessary on the way to your goal, some successively, others at the same time.

Typically, theoretical knowledge will be required before practicing, such as for mastering a musical instrument or studio equipment. But you can also gain interesting insights by plain trial and error. It's up to you! For me, it has always been important to do both.

@Zeyad eLmoghazy all of the methods you listed I personally have already used more or less at some point. I imitated, studied, practiced, listened, analyzed, played solo and with other musicians. I think I'm pretty average in this regard, because that's surely the way most musicians try to develop, improve and perfect their skills (if they want to at all).

 

Last edited: May 17, 2020

I learn mostly by endless useless debate on music forums...

Nah, just kidding, I'd say it's a combination of pretty much everything on the list at various times and situations in life.

 

QFT.

I do kind of prefer Paul McCartney's response when he was asked that "isn't it hard to play the bass and sing at the same time?".

"Well... you practice."

 

Since I'm right-handed I approach from the left hoping to play the element of surprise and beat the hell out of that Music bastard.

PS. Sorry, I was just watching "SEAL Team"...

 

Got to train that pinky and ring-finger daily...
Anyway by copying i've learned a lot about sounddesign but i would not be able to do the same without taking my time to really listen 2 what I hear.
Also understanding notes and music theory makes it very easy to distinct notes in tracks chords riffs etc...
the other side mixing is a bit more difficult... but also there it's about listening to what's happening in the music you want to learn.

Like this kid

or this vid :D

 

Trial n error.

Didnt have friends that did the same,. self taught!

 

There's an approach called "exact approach". God doesn't give it to everyone. You must go to extremes in being his devoted and faithful servant. If it happens, you don't need any of these material things.

 

This guy tackles interesting topics in his channel but very often he takes positions that are questionable to say the least. The kid and his perfect pitch being one of those examples.

 

My thoughts exactly. The poor exploited boy, BTW.
As long he turns 14 is gonna stick all that training in his father's ass and turn to a narco-hippie in order to recover his lost childhood.