• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Musicaroo

Learn to Make Music Like a Pro

  • Home
  • Singing
    • Learn To Sing Better
      • Best Online Singing Lessons
      • 30 Day Singer Review (Free Trial Available)
      • Christina Aguilera Masterclass Review
      • Roger Love Singing Academy Review
      • Singorama Review
      • The Vocalist Studio Review
    • Microphone Buying Guides
      • Best Mic For Live Vocals
      • Best Mic For Recording Vocals
      • Best Mic For Rap
      • Best USB Mic For Vocals
      • Blue Yeti Vs AT2020
      • AKG C414 XLII Review
      • Audio-Technica AT2035 Review
      • Neumann TLM 103 Review
      • Rode NT1-A Review
      • Sennheiser e945 Review
      • Shure SM7B Review
    • Best In-Ear Monitors For Singers
    • Preamp Buying Guides
      • Best Mic Preamp For Vocals
      • Avalon VT-737SP Review
      • Behringer XENYX 1202FX Review
      • DBX 286S Review
      • Focusrite Scarlett OctoPre Review
      • Grace Design m101 Review
      • Pre-73 Jr Review
      • TubeOpto 8 Review
      • Warm Audio TB12 Review
  • Guitar
    • Buying Guides
      • Best Baritone Guitars
      • Best Bass Guitars
      • Best Bass Practice Amps
      • Best Combo Amps For Metal
      • Best Electric Guitars
      • Best Metal Guitars
      • Best Electric Guitar Amps
    • Bass Guitar Reviews
      • Fender American Performer Review
      • Gretsch G2220 Review
      • Ibanez GSRM20 Review
      • Squier Bronco Review
      • Sterling Ray34 Review
      • Yamaha TRBX 504 Review
    • Guitar Reviews
      • ESP LTD Eclipse EC-256 Review
      • Jackson JS32 Review
      • Les Paul Studio LT Review
      • Ibanez Gio GRX70 Review
      • Ibanez Prestige RG5120M Review
      • Squier Bullet Strat Review
      • Sterling MAJ100 Review
      • Synyster Gates Custom-S Review
      • Yamaha Pacifica Review
    • Guitar Amp Reviews
      • Bugera Infinium V5 Review
      • EVH 5150 III EL34 Review
      • Fender Mustang LT-25 Review
      • Fender Super Champ X2 Review
      • Line 6 Spider V 20 Review
      • Peavey Vypyr VIP 2 Review
      • Yamaha THR10II Review
    • Learn To Play Guitar
    • Tips and Advice
  • Violin
    • Buying Guides
      • Best Electric Violin
      • Best Violins For Beginners
      • Best Violin Bow
      • Best Violin Case
      • Best Violin Rosin
      • Best Violin Shoulder Rest
      • Best Violin Strings
      • Best Violin Tuner
    • Reviews
      • Bunnel Clearance Violin Review
      • Bunnel EDGE Review
      • Bunnel NEXT Review
      • Bunnel Pupil Violin Review
      • Cecilio CEVN-2 Review
      • Cecilio CVN-300 Review
      • Cremona SV500 Review
      • D Z Strad Model 101 Review
      • Mendini MV500 Review
      • NS Design WAV5 Review
      • Ricard Bunnel G2 Review
      • Yamaha SV-200 Review
      • Yamaha YEV-105 Review
    • Tips and Advice
  • Trumpet
    • Buying Guides
      • Best Trumpets
      • Best Pocket Trumpet
      • Best Plastic Trumpet
      • Best Trumpet Mouthpiece
      • Best Valve Oil For Trumpet
      • Best Mic For Trumpet Recording
    • Reviews
      • Allora MXPT 5801 Review
      • Bach TR300H2 Review
      • Carol Brass CPT-3000 Review
      • Eastar ETR-380 Review
      • Jean Paul TR-430 Review
      • Jupiter JTR710 Review
      • Mendini By Cecilio Review
      • Mendini MPTL Review
      • Sky Band Bb Review
      • Yamaha YTR-2330 Review
    • Tips and Advice
  • DJing
    • How To Become A DJ
    • Equipment For Beginners
    • Learn To DJ
    • Set Up DJ Website
    • Get First DJ Gig
    • Grow DJ Career
  • Great Music
    • Bands Like…
    • Great Songs About Things
    • Song Meanings
    • 27 Great, Forgotten 90s Songs
    • Best Karaoke Songs (Easy To Sing And Sound Like A Star)
    • Songs To Sing To Your Girlfriend
You are here: Home / Business

Why Experienced Musicians Should Learn A Totally New Instrument

December 19, 2018 By Camila Leave a Comment

experienced musicians learning second instrumentI am sure most musicians think about it.

Trying something new.

You think about it even more, once you feel you’ve mastered your instrument and you begin itching for another challenge.

But, should you do it?

And if so, why?

The truth is, there are multiple benefits for musicians who jump into learning a new instrument.

Whether you tackle a related instrument, like a guitarist who learns the drums, or a completely different challenge, like a DJ who learns the violin, doing so will benefit you both personally and professionally.

Below you’ll find some of the best, though maybe not the most obvious, reasons why it is a good idea to take on learning a new instrument.

 

Why To Learn A New Instrument

Flexibility / Career Expansion

This part may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s important to address.

You open new doors for yourself and create flexibility in your career with the ability to play more than one instrument. It may mean more paying gigs, or even just being able to bounce into different genres of music.

Having the knowledge to play in more than one type of band can be greatly beneficial to your career. It gives you the ability to take on more business opportunities that you would have to pass over otherwise.

The know-how to play different instruments gives you a huge advantage when looking to join a group, as well. Let’s just say, for instance, a group only needs one guitarist. Or they only need one trumpet player. Or just one violinist.

And they already have someone who plays that instrument.

If that’s the ONLY instrument you know, there is no place for you. Knowing more than one instrument, on the other hand, makes you more valuable to any group.

Whereas you might be passed over for a spot in a band, orchestra or symphony if you only know one instrument (and it is the wrong one, i.e. one they do not need), knowing how to play two, doubles your chances of getting a spot.

 

Versatility

This is related to the previous point. Picking up a second instrument should be seen as an opportunity to become more versatile in the music field in general. Yes, if you already know guitar and you start taking piano lessons, you will be able to use both instruments, which makes it easier to land gigs or other types of work.

But more than that, you will be able to create new sounds and add a different feeling to songs you have already mastered on your first instrument. If you write your own music, having the ability to play a second instrument can add a whole new dimension to your existing songs.

Songs you have previously rocked on the guitar sound even sweeter with a simple piano accompaniment, and can have a different emotional feel that will attract new attention. It also makes it easier to sell your music.

If you’re an instructor and you teach guitar, learning piano, keyboard, etc. can add value to your business. Suddenly, you have doubled the number of potential students (ignoring the relative popularity of various instruments, of course).

Even if you start out only being able to teach easy songs on the piano or absolute beginners on the violin, those are students you would not have had before.

What you are doing, in effect, is giving your music an opportunity to be more versatile, not just
yourself. This increases your options even beyond just having more opportunities because you qualify for more positions or gigs. You can create new types of music and add new levels of complexity to your existing catalog.

In short, knowing a second instrument opens up new avenues for creativity, just like it opens up new career avenues.

 

Appreciation / Knowledge

This may seem a little silly, but it’s an important point and an important benefit.

You gain a deeper connection and appreciation for music when you learn more than one instrument, because your overall music knowledge increases. Learning another instrument won’t make you any smarter per se, but you will gain new perspectives and new insights into the world of music.

The knowledge you have with your first instrument is also expanded. Let’s say, for instance, you
know how to play piano and you decide to learn the bass guitar. Though you are already aware of the bass clef in music, and how to use it on the piano, when learning bass guitar you will be concentrating and focusing much more on the bass clef portion of your music.

Your knowledge is going to broaden and you will become sharper and more skilled in that area.
This new insight will even transfer back to your original instrument, the piano in our example, and make you a better piano player.

You’re going to learn more about the new instrument you take on, but also the instrument you have already mastered, heightening your expertise within the field of music as a whole. You grow as a person and as a musician, which opens more doors for you, whether you teach or play.

 

Ignite a New Passion

Playing instruments is great for your health, including your mental health.

So how does that work if you’re learning a new one?

When taking on a new instrument, you have to start at the beginning. This can be very challenging and humbling when you are already skilled at one instrument.

Mentally, this may not feel good in the moment, but the sense of accomplishment you’ll feel after conquering a new musical instrument can be euphoric.

Besides challenging yourself mentally, there are numerous other benefits to broadening your knowledge and opportunities.

Not only are you opening up yourself to more career options and to personal growth, you ultimately could ignite a stronger passion than the one you already have.

If you love the piano and enjoy playing it immensely, and decide to take on the guitar next, you could fall in love with the guitar and end up focusing more on it. It could become your preferred instrument to play or teach.

How long does it take to learn guitar? Who cares! You’re having a blast and it looks like it might even bring you more joy and fulfillment than your first instrument ever did.

 

Go For It

You should never stop learning. Your craft is your passion and a large part of who you are.

And who knows?

Maybe you’ll actually end up loving that new instrument more than the one you play currently.

Or if you learn to sing, you may find a new passion and start singing your songs as well as playing them on your first instrument, giving you double the exposure.

Your knowledge increases, you gain more flexibility, you learn to have a new and fresh
appreciation for music, you open up new genres, and you have a lot more opportunity to expand
your career when taking on a new instrument.

If you’re already an experienced musician in one area, it’s time to start fresh and learn something new. It can only help you be a better and more well-rounded musician and person

Like this? Please share...

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

You Might Also Like

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Recent Posts

Types Of Electric Guitar Bridges

Types Of Electric Guitar Bridges (Which Is Right For You?)

Should You Learn Acoustic Before Electric

Should You Learn Acoustic Before Electric Guitar? (Benefits Of Each)

Multi-Effect Pedal Vs Individual Pedals

Multi-Effect Pedal Vs Individual Pedals (Which Is Best For You?)

How To Make An Electric Guitar Sound Metal

How To Make An Electric Guitar Sound Metal (For Different Styles)

How To Connect Guitar To Computer

How To Connect Guitar To Computer (A Simple Guide)

Footer

Important Links

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Disclosure

Search

Disclosure

Some recommended products may use affiliate links. musicaroo.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

*Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates

Copyright © 2023 · Musicaroo · All rights reserved.