The Hard Truth About Learning Music
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- Опубліковано 13 чер 2024
- Adam Maness goes deep into the hard truths about learning music as you get older. It may not feel as easy as when you are a child....but it can be.
Ready for the Beginner's Mind?
Explore Open Studio, the #1 online jazz community: openstudiojazz.com
The "You'll Hear It" podcast channel: / youllhearit
0:00 Intro
2:45 Play more, think less
4:35 Organize your life like you're a kid
6:42 Find a mentor
8:39 Find a community of peers
11:03 The beginner's mind
12:44 Summary
14:14 The Open Studio community
This is an excellent video! I'm 68 years old, been playing keyboards most of my life, and came to a couple of realizations in the last year. 1. I'm better than I think I am. 2. I will never play like Keith Jarrett. 3. My ego is my nemesis! (judgement, fear, comparison, contempt, etc). 4. I need to cultivate a beginner's mind! Thanks for talking about the human side of being a musician.
Such a great comment! I’m 58 and even after many years playing am only just really finding my feet as a musician playing predominantly Jazz. I’ve been worried lately that maybe I’ve got here too late. But good to try and expunge such thoughts from our mind
One thing that's given me some perspective is interviews with Keith Jerrett where he says that even he is surprised about what comes out of him & can't explain it. He practices like we all do, and then it just comes.
I think there's a kind of humility in that, even beauty. It's not really entirely in our control, and we can only take so much credit. All we can do is put our selves on a good practice schedule and do the best we can, and things inside of us way beyond our comprehension do what they do and beautiful music emerges.
What's great about it, I think, is you don't have to have what Keith Jerrett has for beautiful music to emerge. It will naturally come for anyone that has the facility to play at all. It's a kind of gift humans have been naturally blessed with. That's actually kind of reassuring, if you think about it. You do what you can, and the music will come. Have faith. That's a really heartening & encouraging thought for me.
Keith is spelled K E I T H, not Kieth. 👌🏼
Kenny Werner ...Effortless Mastery is a good resource.
@@bilbobaggins4403 yeahh every pianist should read it
I played in band as a kid and remember that every sound I could make was cool, it didn't matter how basic or bad it sounded, just the fact that I could play something was amazing. I try to keep this attitude as an adult learner. None of this internal criticism about my performance, just pure wonder that I can make any sounds at all.
Bill Evans once said
" Practice the minimum!"
Meaning to practice the least amount of material at the given time to fully absorb it to the point that you really own it.
Practice the minimum/play the maximum is my one and only religion,, 🙏
I like the idea of scheduling events. That feels very useful. Reminds me of Ellington: "I don't need time. What I need is a deadline."
I just started playing piano 5 months ago, at 42 years old - a lifelong dream of mine - and the only thing that stopped me from starting sooner was that *story* I told myself that said I was too old to start. We all write our own stories, every day. The story I'm writing now is one of passion and dedication - and it turns out that I'm actually pretty good! I'm writing my own music, playing pretty well for a newbie, and learning more and more every single time I sit down to play. And I just PLAY! It's FUN! It's challenging, pushing myself to learn more, but man is it fulfilling!
Excellent video and a great message - I think it's too easy to forget that it's supposed to be FUN - that's why it's called PLAYING =D
I just started 9 months ago at 60 yrs old
Good for you!
Wishing you fun on your journey
LOL Too old is when you're dead! When you're just starting out, it can be an uphill struggle, but having fun is the most important thing!
I started harp at 40! I'm 2 years in =) I enjoyed reading your post thank you for the reminder!!
Thanks for this Adam. Am 77 years young, had to leave music by age 18 in order to climb out of relative poverty. Rediscovered my love for playing at age 53 when semi retired (violin/fiddle) and now coming back to the piano at age 75. Doing some theory and loving more just doodling and making music. I GET what you have just presented. This needs to be recognised by all teens who have the support to engage fully with music. The cuts to free music lessons in schools (as I had in the '50's is a tragedy, and I hope to give back supporting my grandchildren.
I'm so thankful for my community orchestra. A place to play, to be inspired, to inspire, to perform, to grow, to connect with other, and to learn.
I am sixty one. I started lerning violin about a month ago.
I find your talk very useful .
Thank you very much.
I feel like I found the Beginner’s Mind by switching instruments. I had been a bass player since college, but switched to bari sax at age 47. I still like those low notes, but I’ve had to sprout a completely different musical mind, and the discovery and exploration has been wonderful.
Same here! Learning guitar has done a ton for my piano playing
@@joel6427 indeed. Going from bass to sax is a different ballgame. Going from a rhythm instrument, kind of in back of the stage, in back of the mix, mostly “supporting” the band…to being up front with this loud & shiny instrument and being the center of attention…different role and has me thinking about tone and precision and of course melody in away that bass never forced me to do.
Nice thing about playing bass for so long you probably know a lot of chord progressions and that will really help you in your improvisation on sax. As a child I played saxophone and my idols were Gerry Mulligan and Gil Melle speaking of baritone sax players. But I switched to guitar and continued on that instrument until I was 45 and now I play both guitar and piano. I also tried flute for a while but I dropped the woodwinds I love chords
@@matta5348 bari sax is the bass of common saxes so good swap
@@matta5348 Really funny, I actually did the opposite as in switching from a "lead" instrument (guitar) to bass, and just the same it had me learning a whole lot of fundamentals in order to be even remotely accurate in my playing, rhythm etc.. And, weirdly enough, trying to learn a ton about harmony in order to better highlight the chords. Loving it!
This is so true. I am an adult and I struggled a good time trying to implement all that theory and knowledge about harmony. Finally, I made my biggest progress when I stopped thinking of all the harmony rules behind stuff and stopped trying to explain everything. Now I can just play and when I improvise I rarely think about scales, modes, extensions etc. I just play, and somehow call muscle memory patterns that sound good for me. Thats the way!
I love this! Funny thing is, I already know and I still love to be reminded. Grown-up life is habitually serious, and (just going to say it) almost everyone is habitually self-critical a lot of the time, especially when trying to get better at something.
A lot of the best musicians I know say that when you practice, you should practice hard and keep at it until you get it to sound the way you want, and then when it's time to play, forget about practicing and just play.
Accomplishing anything in any art comes from doing both: practicing hard in practice, then letting go of practice and being playful when it's time to play. Each mental state is its own type of genius: practice builds mental and physical intelligence, and play brings emotional intelligence. It all really requires a lot of work along with plenty of time of no-work.
Wow thank you so much for this. I never had any lessons as a child but I remember in 5th grade listening to Dave B. for the first time. Something inside that music ignited a passion in me. Fast forward to today, I’m 30 year old female immigrant from Mexico and decided that it’s now or never. So now I practice the sax regularly. I taught myself (via books) basic music theory and learning now to read music from scratch! I sometimes just put music on and play even if I mess up I’m just SO happy to finally do what I never had the chance to do. Thank you for the encouragement!
Why never? Started at 62.
Wow. This is honestly one of the most important talks I've ever watched. I'm so glad I clicked on this, and thank you for the mentorship.
I will be 70 this year. Had my own piano since 50 . It's hard not to be judgmental (disappointment) at my progress. This video helps a lot. Be more gentle with myself. Thanks, you did good.
Adam, you are a treasure! Fantastic musician and wonderful person.
Awesome advice, worth more than any number of “10 things you need to learn” videos out there. It’s about giving yourself permission and space to grow!
Boy can I relate I'm 71 I've been noodling on the piano since I was 45 that's 20 something years and then I listened to Joey Alexander who's just a kid play like a an adult of 35 years old playing for 30 years and he plays twice as good as me -- I just get discouraged but I practice anyway. I can play songs and that's about all I ever wanted out of it and it's nice.
I needed this message today. I was 14 when I stopped taking lessons. Now I'm 50, and started taking lessons again within the last year.. I feel like I'm stuck.I haven't mastered any of the tunes I've been learning. I feel like I sounded better at age 14. I practice for at least an hour a day. When I get to my weekly lesson, it's like I've never placed my hand on a piano before.
I have been playing for 60 years, and I still get fumble fingers when I go for my lesson. It is very frustrating, but remember, at this point you are just playing for yourself, and your own fun, and you have no recitals or anything to worry about. So just laugh, and tell your teacher you will work out the details at home!
Perhaps don’t beat yourself up about “mastering” songs yet. Learn as many songs/things as you can, and you will gradually develop skills, and get closer to mastering them over time
So beautiful i could cry.....happy tears...happy musical tears that make melodies 🎶🙏🏻💜💙💗💚💕 thanks a million! Adam
Thanks for making this video Adam. It really resonated with me and I recognize so much in it about my own musical journey. I've spend most of my 20's doing a lot of technical work on the guitar, spending most of my practice time doing technical etudes.
It caused me to really burn out on playing the guitar, and almost didn't play for the first years of my 30's. Now in my late 30's I've picked up meditation and mindfulness and managed to reconnect to the simple joy I once felt of just strumming a chord,
or even a single note and my playing is better than it ever was. I guess we calledl it 'playing' music for a reason.
Adam: This is so right on many levels for everything, not just music. Many, many thanks for putting this into words.
Very intentional self-talk without flagellation. Play for fun, for self, and deadlines place urgency into your process!
I’ve been teaching piano for quite some time. I’ve radically changed the way I teach in the last 2 years from being militant about reading, to encouraging students to play by ear, make mistakes, JOIN THE SCHOOL BAND. Of course I’m applying it to my own playing as much as possible and my teaching and playing are much, much better. I was terrified to play piano with other people. Now I’m enjoying the hell out of it and getting better much faster improvising. There are so many different aspects to learning music and they all need to be nurtured. Most classical teachers miss this and many of their students lose interest in music and quit.
Some of the best advice I’ve ever heard. Thanks Adam and Peter. For many years I’ve believed that the journey never stops, but even at the level (pun intended) of success I’ve attained, what you say about playing for no good reason and letting go of the story you have about yourself really resonated. I’ll be sharing this. Keep up the good work, I downloaded one of your courses but have been procrastinating because I thought of it as ‘more work to do’ - now a new mindset is possible 👍🏽
Agreed on all points, but with a caveat.
I sometimes wish I had been forced to play hours a day when I was a kid. I would be monstrous at this point. But I don't think my art would have quite as much depth to it.
Kids that spend all day playing music and not just playing around and experiencing life just don't seem to have the depth of feeling in their music that some less prodigal but more life-experienced players do. It's why these days I prefer listening to actual songs instead of just endless jams conducted by technical wizards.
Of course, the best of both worlds is totally possible. I think Pat Metheny, Esperanza Spalding, and Miles Davis are great examples. That's what I aspire to; not to be the hottest prodigal player on the block, but to write music that makes people feel deeply while at the same time blowing their minds with musicality.
Keep up the good work, guys. This was a great message; I can tell it was heartfelt, and I'll be thinking about it and applying it.
I know a friend of a friend who picked up double bass as an adult and is now one of the heavies on the scene. He worked his butt off and fell in love in his mid twenties and now is one of the best out there. It's possible to do at any age.
You have hit on pure gold! Adam speaking truths and Peter playing those truths!!!!
Wonderful video, Peter and Adam!
Im 40 and i feel sooo stucked. Thanks Adam! this touched me
I definitely found listening to my body when practicing helps, if you don't feel it, put your instrument down and do something else for minute. If you really want to play and are meant to play, you'll want to in time.
Amazing video and such an important message. Thank you, Open Studio Pro, for helping me embrace my inner beginner. I can't believe the joy that you bring to my life six days a week through the daily sessions and the one-of-a-kind community you've brought together.
I was expecting a music lesson but received one of the best life lessons in life
I read somewhere that neuroplasticicty, the ability for the brain to reshape itself to do new things, or current things better, doesn’t deteriorate with age. Also my experience at 46, learning drums. After 5 years at drums i’m definitely way better than at year 1, and have played paid gigs by now.
Such a pleasure to watch and listen to Peter Martin play... such a great jumping off point for shed & jam ideas.
I'm 62 and just got my first keyboard, a generous gift from a dear friend. Will my development be slower? Sure! Brain plasticity is reduced in the older years, but I'm very much looking forward to playing embarrassingly bad Bill Evansisms in a few years time. Exploring chords is huge fun. Can't wait till my left hand has a clue, though. 🤣
Absolutely love your videos in which you teach and share music, and I love equally these videos that focus upon the mental aspects of our music journey. Thank you so much for all you do!
52 year old electric bassist who never learned to sight read, and still struggling with it, but I can swing and have a decent feel and can improvise ( though it is a lifelong project learning) I discovered just recently that I have a real knack for composition- and I am having fun with it and not disgusted by what I am producing
You guys are so helpful and creative...
This is the best piece of advice about learning I've heard. I was already thinking half of these things and you just affirmed them. Being part of the music community is one of the most exciting things in the world - playing with people, learning from each other and having a mentor is all about that ❤ I feel very encouraged after this video - thanks you :)
Hi Adam,
Thanks for this video. It hits home on so many levels. It's easy to get distracted with all the noise that's in our minds and the outside noise in world. It's important to center ourselves and remember our connection to music.
Adam, thanks so much for this video. I’ve been following the channel for a few years, and I’ve always appreciated both of your insight and ideas, but I found this video to be not just especially helpful, but especially compassionate. I’m someone who has very much gone through the peaks and valleys you describe. I got my degree in jazz, which I think makes me particularly susceptible to the pitfalls of “informationing” over playing. It also leads to incredibly high standards and what you might call “self-vibing” (I’m coining that now, but you have my blessing to use it in a future video lol). Anyhow, I found so much of what you had to say in this video to be really encouraging, so thank you again.
I resemble this remark. 😅
You’re in my head bro! Thanks for sharing
Thanks for this Adam (and Peter! Definitely made the video more exciting and memorable), these tips are so applicable across many things beyond music. Love it.
This is such good advice and inspired me as a piano teacher to help my students get involved in these missing pieces like peer group and mentorship you talk about. Thank you!
This is an interesting subject, I saw a study done teaching people to juggle who had never done it before selecting people of all different ages. They found that the prime time to learn something was about 17-24, but that if you're in other age ranges then your learning rate is fairly similar.
All of the advice in this video is great, and will absolutely help. But the one thing children have over adults in this situation is TIME, they are time wealthy compared to adults which is why we need to be extra focused at finding time to play as adults so we can advance at the rate we want to.
thank you Adam and Peter for this message, it was exactly what I needed to hear.
Wow. I'm 26 and learning piano from scratch for a year now. I'm so glad UA-cam recommended this to me. But I'll be honest - I expected some different discussion from the title.
Thank you for raising such an important topic and sharing your wisdom. Definitely provides food for thought!
This has concepts that can elevate any life to the next level, on any skill or thing you'll do. Such potency, you left me stunned.
I discovered music production, DAWs and VSTs almost two years ago. I used to play keyboard and sing years ago, and before that I used to play guitar at high school. I probably produced close to 100 instrumentals, and I loved each one of them except one that was pure expression of bad feelings which I didn't like later. Different genres, different instruments, mainly between rock, hip-hop and EDM(and several subgenres of both, like speed metal, drill and melodic dubstep). I can't play the physical instruments as well as the phrases I imagine, but I'm happy with just being able to transcribe my thoughts into music. Some of the best producers out there didn't play a single instrument anyway, so it's all good as long as I keep my mind living music.
Man you got me on my feet! I saw you and Brian Owens do a masterclass during my undergrad at Webster a few years ago about similar topics and it left an impression on me. This video is a nice reminder, thanks Adam.
Brought me to tears. Brilliant speech and beautiful playing in the background
I absolutely needed to hear this! Thank you for this gift!!
More you play more you get better. Respect your limitations is also important along the learning process. To get a mentor, to put in practice the discipline, begginersmind and to be part of a musicians community is vital also. Try to develop your own technique, try to find by yourself your own way to play your favourite instrument, be unique. This is an awesome video. I'm 45.
Right now I feel Humble and touched. Listening to what you Said … Hearing what Peter played … memories flooded my mind and tears rolled down my cheeks. I am 61, living in germany … played Keyboard in a band for years but then stopped because of „life“ … now I try to get back (or Forth?) again … but am Kind of frustrated, and „adult“ in a negative way (Similar to what you Pointed out) … thank you so much for reminding me of my „childish joy“ and „beginners mind“ … (I have to stop typing now … I hear my Keyboard calling for me 😉) … Thanks and „love you all“ …
This was awesome!! Thank you Open Studio
Just what I needed at this stage of my life. Thank you for the fresh start. Blessings
Sage advise Adam both for learn music as an adult and more generally for learning as an adult. What makes us age intellectually is loosing that beginners mind that open approaching. I've enjoyed all your videos but this one is especially resonate. Thank you.
Just a never ending source of inspiration and wisdom! Thanks AM/PM!
I was going to Dallas high school: Arts Magnet at Booker T Washington in 87. During lunch, went into the auditorium for a lab band performance. On stage, was our lab band, with Roy Hargrove on the right and Wynton Marsalis on the left, trading kicks and blowing the roof off of the place. I had never seen anything like it….A sensational performance I’ll never forget. That may be around the same time when Wynton discovered Roy, not sure…..RIP Roy…
Loved the video. Really helpful. Thank you so much.
Fantastic message and all healthy truths that can easily be applied to develop a sense of wellness and health. When it comes down to it loving what we do and experiencing that joy is what it’s all about. This videos hits some simple things that can be applied to have that experience. Great stuff!
Thank you so much for this video. You have affirmed my intuitions as I have started to work on learning an instrument from scratch with a teacher, exercises, etc. (Not really working.). I had concluded what would be best is just to play around with the instrument for a while rather than taking formal "lessons.". This video is excellent and right on time. Thanks again.
I think the main thing is to have fun no matter how good or bad you are. If you have fun then you'll play more and then you'll improve.
"In the eyes of infinity, we'll always be children.."
Great vid!
It was actually my guitar instructor who once told me that there is an "openness" to the mind prior to the age of about 15 or 16 that facilitates the capacity to learn new things such as playing a musical instrument or speaking a second language. And it kind of just disappears after that point in life, never to be seen again. But he ALSO said that it's important not to treat learning new skills after that point in life as though it's impossible or even particularly unlikely. And then he told me that Eric Clapton had never picked up a guitar until he was about 19 years old. I've never fact-checked that bit of information, though. I'm worried that he only told me that as a means of encouragement,so I just choose to believe it's true.
Clapton started learning seriously around 15, if I remember correctly
This video was so nicely presented! It's gave me great confidence when i could check off every box on the list at the end of the video. Even though I'm always looking to immerse myself deeper into each point! Music is a cool way to live your life..
it's always great to hear that my struggles are common. i was always obsessed that i need to know all the theory before i start doing something. now i will try to just take more fun from playing guitar and making beats. thank you!
This is my favorite sermon ever!
This is such a superb piece of advice. Thank you
Sage advice that should help anyone who uses it. It immediately brought to mind an interview that Eric Clapton gave decades ago. When asked about his proficiency, he replied, "the secret is to 'just play. Don't put a time limit on it, just use everyday to play.'" EC was talking about the "process of discovery" where a musician might discover something completely by accident that hadn't occurred to them or solved a mystery on "how that is done." Then the next steps to "learn it" by practice so that it becomes a "part of the player, a tool that the player can use."
A story of practical application is the one that Joe Walsh tells. Joe routinely practices and warms up in the dressing room prior to an Eagles concert. One night as he was practicing, Glenn Frey rushed into where Joe was working. "What's that song?" Frey asked. Joe replied, "it's not a song, it's just a little exercise I use to warm up."
Frey sat down and had Joe run through the chord progression to learn it. Then he got up to say, "I gotta find (Don) Henley. This is an Eagles' song!" The two knocked heads together and came up with one of the Eagles' signature songs built on Joe Walsh's exercise. The name of the song? "Life in the Fast Lane."
Only starting playing 2 years ago and being 22 This will chang how I think about music forever
Beautiful. Very insightful.
Thank you. Much appreciated
This might be my favorite video on UA-cam. Wow. So much insight, motivation, and killer backing music by Peter Martin.
Love that picture of the Williams family outing @1:55...
Thank you Adam, sharing your inspirational thought.
People say this about language too, and it's like, no, as an adult, if you put in the same amount or time as a kid learning that language, you would reach the level of a 12 years old in a fraction of the time. It's a total myth that children are quicker or more creative that is perpetuated by average adults. Another key factor to this is children can easily be forced into all kinds of areas they would not select into in adulthood. So yes, in that sense it is nurture. You can make a child become better at an instrument than they would ever choose to become as an adult
I've searched forever for a channel like this!
What a great video! A message that we all need to hear, thanks for all your video work!
Thank you so much you have no idea how much I needed to hear things you said. Been in a musical funk and not sure what to do and the answers are in there. Thanks again.
I love these guys! I’m about to share this with my community! Good luck to you man and I hope you get out of your funk soon!
Believe it or not, I’m in a funk as well! I need to reach out to my mentor! 🙏🏾
I belong to @OpenStudioJazz and know first-hand what a wonderful community of musicians and instructors it is. The instructors are so knowledgeable and have created an incredible culture of supportive learning. I've made musical friends from around the world, and as Adam says, we DO have each other's backs - and have a lot of fun learning together. Check it out!
Thanks a bunch for this man. Music has been with me my whole life, but I've never really been able to push through and get serious about it.
Just perfect for me at this point. Thank you so much! 🙏👏🏻🙏👏🏻
I really enjoyed this video, great advices !
This is super inspiring! Especially that "stop looking up information and just explore" mindset. I just need to work up my own confidence first before I do any jamming with strangers though...
You guys are the best.
I really needed this, bless you ❤
Wow... Pure wisdom... Thanks 🙏
Some very good advice here sir. Thank you for the refresher! :)
Thank you,Adam🌹🌹🌹🌹Beautiful encouragement. Preachin' to the choir,and I sure needed the sermon. Hi Peter! 😎🌹😎🌹
I couldn’t agree with this more! This has always been my default mindset in life with everything! 😂
I’ve been on this channel everyday for months, and today I discovered this video! This channel keeps getting better and better! I am definitely signing up at some point soon! Cheers! And greetings from Scotland! 🍻🏴🙏🏽🤍🤘🏽
This the most powerful and need word I needed today, thank you
Awesome!!! Great talk!
I love your stuff. Thank you a trillion times.
Don't know when this vid was made, but that "Hit Me Peter Martin!" is the "shizzle"... & yes, you are VERY, VERY, VERY fortunate to have Peter Martin at arms reach!
Great Video Sir...from my journeys it seems also to be about NEW Neural Pathways...and the young mind is an empty "psychic sponge"...unhindered by all other adult responsibilities...
{of course their are the physical aspects of the muscles of the hand and their young/or older already formed aspects too}...but music IS just like Martial Arts...there MUST BE a beginners mind at all times to grow...
Wow! Great video! Great advice!
I needed to
Hear this. Thank you
Adam this video is genius on every level. Love the production and the live soundtrack by Peter! And there were some wonderful tips in there that I didn’t expect.
IMHO part of why we older music students tend to feel frustrated is in part due to entitlement. Older students may have disposable income and been successful in a professional career. They literally don’t have the awareness of just how much shedding it’s going to take. For example they wouldn’t question years of studying law or medicine but forget the music can be equally demanding.
I used to make this mistake of wasting my music lesson with psychological questions around practice or lack of progress. My theory now is don’t waste any precious time with a music teacher on psychology, if you need therapy go get that separately 😂
Be kind to yourself, find community like OS pro and have fun! Play on!
beautiful playing
Great speech thanks !!!
Merci Adam pour ces superbes mots, merci Peter pour ces notes inspirées. I feel much better this morning, after a week of frustration feeling targetless. I'll keep the 5 rules from now.
Thank for all❤
Thanks I needed that.