One thing I've noticed about having a musical hobby is that it's expensive! Even if you're a casual hobbyist who only wants to play in your living room for yourself, the cost of instruments themselves can add up.
Some are more expensive than others, and you have to make the decision of whether or not it's worth your money to purchase an inexpensive instrument if it doesn't do what you want it to do. I learned this lesson the hard way more than once.
Music is an important part of life. It soothes frayed nerves, it provides entertainment for the player and the listener, and it increases mental astuteness.
There could be dozens of reasons that you might want to learn to play music.
The drawback can be a big one though: Learning music is an expensive hobby. Just in order to begin playing, you'll need an instrument and music. If you don't already know how to read sheet music (and if you can't, here are five reasons you should learn to read sheet music).
These are my tips for making music a more affordable pursuit for anyone wishing to learn to play.
Music is an important part of life. It soothes frayed nerves, it provides entertainment for the player and the listener, and it increases mental astuteness.
There could be dozens of reasons that you might want to learn to play music.
The drawback can be a big one though: Learning music is an expensive hobby. Just in order to begin playing, you'll need an instrument and music. If you don't already know how to read sheet music (and if you can't, here are five reasons you should learn to read sheet music).
These are my tips for making music a more affordable pursuit for anyone wishing to learn to play.
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| Jon Delorey CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr |
// Purchase the Instrument You Really Want the First Time
I know. You've probably read my advice on how to choose your first ocarina and seen that I advise new players to start out with a plastic ocarina because of the price. The reason that I suggest this is because many people choosing to play ocarina do so because it is an inexpensive instrument that is (generally) easy to learn how to play.*
If you are well and truly invested in learning to play well (as I was), then I strongly advise you to begin by purchasing the instrument you most want but can learn to play at a beginner level.
For example, I feel I should have started out with the Dragontooth ocarina from Songbird instead of with the Aria ocarina from STL. The Dragontooth is the instrument I really wanted but I bought the Aria on the advice of others and in part because it cost US$20 less than the Dragontooth did.
Had I purchased the Dragontooth in the first place, I might have had fewer issues with the low notes (more with the high, but I'll get to that in another post) and may not have given up on playing like I did with the Aria.
Investing more money now in the instrument you really want to play will result in spending less money further down the line. If you start with a lesser instrument, you're more likely to buy the one you wanted in the first place at some point down the road -- potentially doubling (or more) the amount you would have spent on the one you really wanted in the first place.
* Note that does not mean that it's easy to play well!
// Master that First Instrument Well Before Moving On
One of the wonderful things I've learned about playing music is that it is ridiculously addictive. What better addiction is there than playing music that calms yourself and pleases other people? Can you imagine anything more worthy of addiction? The problem is that this addiction drives us to spend money on multiple instruments because we want something "better" or "different."
When you buy that first instrument, commit to learning to play it well before moving on to another.
This was one of my big mistakes. My guitar and ocarina get the most use, with the violin and the keyboard (which I can play but not well) gathering dust for the moment. That's because I didn't spend the time necessary to get to know them well and play them before moving on.
Now I'm lucky: I've fallen head-over-heels in love with the ocarina. But they are also an addiction. I could have mastered one before moving on to the next, but now I have four ocarinas that I play daily in order to keep them fresh. Those four ocarinas are in two keys (C and G) and two pitch ranges (Alto and Soprano).
It's a lot to learn, and a lot of money spent learning it.
The rational choice would have been to master the first ocarina I purchased. Or better yet, to master my guitar before moving on to the ocarina. I'm happy with my choices, but I've worked hard and saved my money for the instruments that I own.
If you're on a budget, buy the one you want, and master that before buying another.
// Avoid Cheap Instruments
It's hard to be on a budget and still avoid cheap instruments. Depending on what you want to learn to play, you should expect to pay anywhere from US$25 to US$400 for your first instrument.
If you buy your first instrument cheap, you will risk learning improperly because your instrument is out of tune. My first (and for now, only) violin came relatively cheap and is difficult to keep in tune because the tuning pegs slip out of position too easily. It comes out of tune while playing, and it's a constant fight.
Instead of saving money, I wasted it. I might as well have thrown out the cash that I spent on this instrument at the time. Looking back, it was the worst thing I could have done.
My guitar is a good example of doing it right. I set aside a budget of US$150-$300. I figured that would be enough to get me a decent guitar to learn on. Instead of trusting myself to make the right decision about which one to buy, I went to a music store and worked with a sales person I was comfortable with to find a guitar that fit my budget. It's been with me since then and though I no longer play daily, I love that guitar.
That was a good choice. I could have spent ten times more on an excellent instrument, or I could have spent US$100 on a lesser instrument that couldn't play in tune. I don't need something outstanding to learn on, and the first is always going to be the "best" if its quality is enough to allow it to be played in tune.
// Consider Second Hand
My flute (didn't mention I had one, did I? That's because for some reason I can no longer play it.) is a high-quality instrument that I purchased for less than US$100 at a pawn shop. It is the single most high-quality instrument I own and have ever played (apart from my childhood piano).
If you're lucky, your pawn shop doesn't know what they're selling or its actual quality.
Music stores often have second-hand instruments available for those with a budget. Salespeople can help you to determine which instrument meets your needs and your budget, and second-hand instruments sometimes have additional character.
Second hand instruments are best purchased from pawn shops or music stores to be on the safe side, and make sure that you know what you're looking for before buying. Make sure that the instrument you're buying has all of its parts. My flute did need to be re-keyed due to a couple of bad keys -- but it was still worth the additional US$80 to do that considering the quality of the flute.
Don't turn your nose up at hand-me-downs, either!
// Buy Books of Sheet Music
I have purchased most of my sheet music one song at a time through Music Notes, and let me tell you, it is expensive. I'm not the most frugal musician in the world, but I'm working on it! The best way to get your sheet music is to buy it in books. This will cut the cost of the music drastically.
You may also be able to find sheet music and tablature online for free -- if you know where to look for it. If you like, you can follow our Pinterest board for free sheet music.
// Share Your Suggestions
What would you suggest to someone wanting to start out in music, but who has a budget? Please add your suggestions in the comments so that other readers can learn from your experiences.
And don't forget to pin this post if it's been helpful to you!
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| a.otge CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr |
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