Learn a new musical instrument!
If you love music, it’s fairly likely that you’ve had a bit of experience of playing an instrument at some time in your life, perhaps as a child. Even playing the recorder at school counts. If you are considering taking up an instrument for the first time, or learning another instrument, take heart from these observations…

It’s never too late to learn an instrument. Youngsters might have supple fingers and good ears, but an older person has the advantage of a more mature, realistic approach, possibly better self-motivation – and usually more money to buy a better instrument to play if you get serious.

Many first timers find that learning to read music is the hardest part of learning an instrument. Once you can read music, picking up a second instrument is easier to begin with. All you need to worry about is making the right sounds…

Musical instruments are expensive to buy. If possible, try to hire or borrow one while you find out whether you are going to stick with it. If you are still keen after a few months, you could consider buying your own. Many music shops operate instrument hire schemes where, for instance, you have the option of purchasing the instrument at the end of the hire period. Have a search online to see what’s available.

One of the greatest rewards of playing an instrument is being part of a group, band or orchestra. It’s possible to get some of the flavour of this with playalong CDs, which are widely available in a huge variety of styles, from classical to jazz, rock and pop. Front your own band in the privacy of your living room!

Reviews of new music releases
Find reviews of new album releases by genre on this BBC site.
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Practice makes perfect (almost)
Although it’s rare for a musician to be absolutely satisfied with a performance, practice is the only thing that will get you anywhere near perfect!

To get the best from your instrumental practice, you need to make it part of your daily routine. Try to schedule it for a similar time each day, and then it will become habit. Beginners benefit from as little as 15 minutes practice at a time as long as it is regular, ideally every day. As you improve, you will need to spend longer at your practice.

Structure your practice. Start by warming up with, say, a few scales. Make sure your instrument is in tune and that you are comfortable. Then play your pieces. Don’t just run through them once and call it a day. You need to identify parts that are causing you difficulty, dissect them and plan how to overcome them. Then practice those parts – that’s what it’s all about. Finish with something you really enjoy playing.

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