Learn, Practice and Play
People pick up an instrument because they want to make music. They have been inspired by something and now they want to play. In order to play a piece of music, you must first learn. Whether it is learning the right techniques, the relevant theory or the particular notes and scales to play – you don’t get very far without learning.
After learning, it is advised to take some time to practice. Sometimes you will have to spend hours to memorise scales or to perfect a bend on the guitar. This can take a lot of time. The goal of practicing is not to sound perfect, but to learn from your mistakes. And when these “mistakes” make you a better artist, were they really mistakes?
Once you have spent some time practicing a new musical concept or song, you can then play without consciously thinking about theory or technique. Instead, you can focus fully on your feelings, and turn these into beautiful melodies. There is no need to think about what you’re playing – you did this already while learning and practicing.
Playing music will often open you up to new ideas. This is what happens when you are not consciously engaged with your thoughts. These new ideas may require some additional learning, which means that after playing, you often go straight back to learning.
"The more you know, the more you know you don't know."
Aristotle
