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5 New Year’s Resolutions. . .

1. Make a commitment to learn

If you have been thinking about learning a musical instrument, it’s time to seize the day and take that leap. Find a reputable teacher or school and book yourself or kids in for lessons. One on one lessons are great to focus on learning the correct approach and technique from the outset. Therefore, bad habits will be avoided and a good teacher will push you to succeed at a rate that works for you.

 2. Get the right equipment

Time and time again students won’t have a full working drum set to practice on, won’t have a music stand or won’t download the song that we are studying. Make sure you are committed to improving and don’t sabotage your progress by not having all the equipment you need. When you have all the tools you need then you just need to practice.

3. Practice regularly

Make sure you can set aside some time to practice, even 10min a day can go a long way. I always suggest to my students that 10min a day 4-5 times a week is better than just 1 hour of practice once a week. Regular practice = results and progress. Therefore if you want to get better you need to set aside some time to improve your skills.

4. Ask questions

Never feel scared to ask questions, if you don’t understand something then always ask your teacher. Great teachers will know when students “get it” but we are all human and sometimes things just need some more explanation. When you have the full picture, things will make more sense and your progress won’t be compromised.

5. Get inspired

Every now and then we all need an extra “kick” of motivation. Go out and see a live show or concert. Ask your teacher to recommend some good players to check out on youtube or locally. From experience there is nothing better than seeing a live show with incredible musicians playing. Take mental notes of things you liked or anything you might like to try and learn with your teacher. Soak up the atmosphere and the next day jump back in the practice room.

By Andrew  Warren

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