Discover the Best Music Classes Near Me
Most attempts to define music begin with a notion of music as “organized sound.” By pushing that notion towards a greater degree of specificity, we might say that music is an artform that combines rhythm, melody, harmony, and otherwise expressive sounds into an aesthetic arrangement.
Engaging with music generally involves both conceptual knowledge of these aesthetic principles and practical skill with a particular instrument. While music classes typically attempt to blend theory and practice, they will naturally emphasize one specific component through course content; while a guitar class, for instance, will cover theoretical components like scales and modes, the primary focus will be on techniques for playing the instrument.
Why You Should Learn Music
Music is, as is the case with any form of art, rewarding primarily for reasons of personal satisfaction. Engaging in music offers a great outlet for creative self-expression and stress relief, and can also provide the sense of gratification that comes from the mastery of a particular skill.
However, the benefits of music extend beyond just personal development. Major research universities like Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania suggest that music, and especially playing an instrument, has a strong positive impact on cognitive health and development by engaging multiple areas of the brain simultaneously.
The truly ambitious may also attempt to spin their musical talent into a career. With enough talent, persistence, and, quite frankly, luck, it is possible to secure lucrative musical gigs. Be it an impromptu performance at an open mic night, a small-scale gig at a local bar or coffee shop, a DJing set at a wedding or in a nightclub, or even a stage concert at a local festival, fledgling musicians have many options for launching a career in music at a small scale.
5 Ways to Learn Music
Despite the prevalent myth of the “self-taught” musician, that label is somewhat disingenuous; a self-taught musician is a musician who learned without formal instruction. Even the most independent self-taught musicians learn with some form of guidance, even if it is as simple as watching and listening to other musicians perform.
Fortunately, it has never been easier to find the necessary guidance to pick up musical skills. Whether through formal instruction or through more self-guided methods, there are many modes of instruction for any skill level and time commitment. Consider one of the following tried-and-true methods for guidance on your musical journey.
- The standard method for learning music is through formal instruction in the form of an in-person class, either in a one-on-one lesson or as part of group instruction. Because music is a skill, formal lessons encourage meaningful practice under the guidance of an experienced musician. The combination of purposeful practice with the direct, real-time feedback from an instructor makes formal lessons one of the fastest, most efficient ways to learn music.
- A live online class seeks to reproduce the benefits of an in-person class in a more accessible manner. While there may be some discrepancies in acoustic quality when comparing an in-studio lesson to one shared over computer speakers, they still provide the main benefits of real-time interaction with an expert.
- A more self-directed option is to follow on-demand video classes. YouTube hosts a wide assortment of free music videos, and many instructors also produce online on-demand masterclasses, though these videos are typically paywalled. While these videos lack the real-time, interactive component of a formal class, they can be a great way to explore theoretical concepts or instrumental techniques.
- It would be a huge mistake to think that music books are simply collections of sheet music to follow along with. On the contrary, most music books are designed as instructional guides, offering sequential lessons to build competencies in both music theory and specific instrumental techniques. The Hal Leonard Guitar Method, for example, is a popular choice for guitarists to learn how to play guitar, and similar books are available for most instruments. These books are often used in conjunction with lessons with an instructor, but they can be used independently. You can find instructional music books for your instrument of choice in national chains like Sam Ash Music or Guitar Center, and also at smaller local establishments like a King Toot’s Music Store.
- The fad of Guitar Hero and Rock Band may have died out, but its spirit lives on in the form of interactive apps designed to teach instrumental techniques and music theory in a fun, accessible manner. With apps dedicated to specific instruments, like Flowkey for piano or the JustinGuitar app for guitar, as well as generalist apps like Yousician, interactive lessons for virtually any instrument are right at your fingertips. While some apps are free or begin with a free trial, expect to pay for the higher-quality apps.
In-Person Music Classes
Whether you’re looking for training with a particular instrument or for instruction in aspects of music theory, CourseHorse offers a range of music classes nationwide. No matter what instrument you play, there are sure to be a wide range of local course offerings that provide training in even the most niche of instruments.
While some organizations devote themselves entirely to a single instrument like guitar or piano, a popular approach is to offer music classes covering as many instruments as possible, making it easier to find appropriate classes. In New York City, for example, City Music Schools, located in Hell’s Kitchen, was founded in 1921 with a single goal: to make quality music education accessible to everyone. Today, City Music Schools offers affordable private instruction in practically any instrument. By offering short-term enrollment options, City Music Schools provides flexible access to quality instruction without needing to commit to an expensive long-term tuition. Course offerings from City Music Schools include private lessons devoted to Voice techniques, to orchestral instruments like Piano, Viola, Cello, Oboe, and Flute, to popular instruments like Guitar and Drums, and even to zanier instruments like Accordion and Banjo. Because each class is with a private instructor, you can be sure that class content will be tailored to your needs and skill level. Private lessons also provide a great deal of flexibility in coordinating a preferred time slot, with slots offered from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM. City Music Schools requests that you please bring your own musical instrument with you for all lessons.
Another option is to locate a more specialized organization that offers classes devoted to a single style or a single instrument. A popular focus these days is on DJing, where organizations like Scratch DJ Academy focus on the burgeoning art form. Originally established in New York by Jam Master Jay, the DJ of legendary East Coast hip hop group Run DMC, Scratch DJ Academy was founded with the mission of lowering the barrier of entry into the arts of DJing and music production. While initially a New York organization, Scratch has since grown into a national organization with sites in Los Angeles to spread DJ skills beyond just the East Coast.
The Intro to DJing (DJ 101) course is the perfect option for a beginner DJ who wants to hit the ground running. By covering basic DJ techniques as well as some core skills for mixing and blending live, this crash course is an effective way to build competence in live performances. To emphasize the importance of live performance, the course is capped with each student performing a 15-minute set in front of classmates, showcasing in real time their newly developed skills. They also offer an Accelerated Intro to DJ Course, which combines the introductory material covered in the DJ 101 course with additional intermediate mixing techniques. Both of these introductory courses operate over the course of six weeks, meeting two times a week.
is home to The National Conservatory of Arts, a community music school In partnership with the nonprofit Royal Conservatory of Music. Operating with a belief that music is a fundamental part of human life and following scientific research into music that suggests that music education can have a profound positive impact on development, The National Conservatory of Arts offers individual and group instruction to students of all levels and ages. The National Conservatory of Arts offers group piano classes, with introductory classes both for children with Beginner Piano for Ages 7-8 and for adults with Late Beginner Group Piano for Adults and Adult Piano.
Virtual Music Classes
In addition to a vast selection of local music classes, CourseHorse offers an impressive range of online music classes available to anybody with an internet connection. Whether the offerings in your local community don’t match your exact interests or you need additional flexibility in scheduling, these virtual classes are a great way to get hands-on experience with a professional instructor without the need to commute to the studio.
By opting for an online class, you are securing all of the core benefits of in-person instruction. An instructor will be working with you in real time, demonstrating techniques for you to follow, responding to your own technique as you play, and providing feedback and technical advice as you go. Moreover, online classes provide you with more access to niche subjects that may not be available in your local scene, and instructors are typically willing to provide flexible scheduling to find a time that best accommodates your busy schedule.
Be advised that an online class does require some extra attention to your personal equipment and playing space. While high-quality speakers and microphones are not essential - even basic equipment is functional - the sound quality of a session will depend on your equipment, and cannot hope to match the acoustics of being in the same room as your instructor. While the notes will still be recognizable, the discrepancy in quality may prove frustrating to those particularly sensitive to such matters.
Online classes are often a great way to learn more about music theory, because they focus on areas where discrepancies in sound quality are not as critical as in instrumental classes. Songwriting resources are available on the West Coast, where thriving entertainment industries rely on talented writers, actors, and musicians flocking to hubs like Los Angeles. This community has given rise to institutions like the Songwriting School of Los Angeles, a prestigious institution whose instructors include Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated songwriters, ASCAP and BMI Song of the Year Award winners, and composers for films and television programs.
The offerings from The Songwriting School of Los Angeles rotate throughout the year, and are typically devoted to very specific genres and purposes. The current listing channels the East Coast spirit of Broadway in a workshop on How to Write for Musical Theater. This class covers everything needed to write music for a theatrical production, including strategies for developing and expressing character through song, advancing the plot through song, placing a song within the overall structure of the performance, and also techniques for revision and rewriting.
On the East Coast, New York organizations channel their robust local communities to provide strong songwriting options through online instruction. For instance, the Irish Arts Center, an organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the evolving arts and culture of contemporary Ireland and Irish America, offers many classes devoted to music theory. The Introduction to Music Theory requires no prior experience in theory or in reading music, and can offer complete novices a sound foundation in the basics of music theory by analyzing the modes, scales, and rhythmic patterns commonly found in traditional Irish music. With equal emphasis on learning concepts by ear and by consulting notation, this is a comprehensive course to develop practical listening skills as well as the written representation of theoretical concepts. Those less interested in formal notation may be drawn instead to Learning Tunes by Ear, which is designed to encourage active listening to recognize and latch onto patterns commonly found in Irish melodies. Both of these classes rely on traditional Irish music to supply examples and patterns, so they’re a great option for anyone who would like to approach theory through a distinctly Celtic lens.
Private Group Music Classes
Popularized by The Blues Brothers back in the 80s, the phrase “we’re getting the band back together” has become a ubiquitous phrase, a trope for getting a group of friends back together after a long absence. The phrase works because there’s just something special about the kind of bond music creates between people, either as a band or in an informal jam session.
When people talk about “rock star” employees, they don’t usually mean it literally. Nevertheless, a virtual jam session can be a great way for a team to unwind and collaborate, strengthening inter-group bonds through shared music creation. To get the band back together for some group bonding, CourseHorse offers music classes for private groups.
While CourseHorse doesn’t currently have any public listings for virtual jam sessions, they can work with you on an individual basis to organize a customized musical event. You can reach out to CourseHorse to learn about the options they can provide, and they’ll get to work scheduling the perfect event for your group.
If you’ve got a team of music lovers who don’t necessarily all play instruments, music can still be the centerpiece of a team social event. Let your team flex their music knowledge with a Music Trivia night, or have a bit of Christmas in July with Holiday Music Karaoke Trivia.
Whether you’re scheduling a custom course or pursuing public listings, CourseHorse makes it easy to book an online group course with a streamlined checkout process and options to tailor your event to your specific needs. It’s also easy to change your booking details after the fact; CourseHorse will hold your date as soon as your event is confirmed, and allows you to change your group size if anything changes leading up to the class. You can be flexible and add or remove people from your group, and CourseHorse won’t finalize payment details until you have a truly definitive headcount.
What Will I Need to Learn Music?
Learning music requires just a couple of essential elements, though there are many tools that, while optional, can make the process much easier.
The most important thing to learn music is an instrument. Be it a guitar, a piano, a violin, a flute, drums, or even your voice, you will need something to actively create the musical sounds. If you are serious about music, it is a worthwhile investment to buy your own instrument and take care of it; many instruments are temperamental and can be affected by the temperature and moisture in the air, so a case or cover is also a prudent purchase. If your dream instrument is too expensive, even a budget option is a good idea until you can save to afford the premium model. If even a cheaper instrument carries too prohibitive a cost, many music stores offer options for rentals, especially when paired with music lessons.
With your instrument in hand, your best bet is to secure some sheet music and a music stand to make the sheet easy to read. Sheet music contains the written notation for a piece of music, and most music practice involves playing along with the sheet music. Other variants for notation exist, like guitar tabs, which indicate finger placements rather than the played notes, but they are still a form of writing that you will need to read and follow. A music stand is not truly necessary, but makes the sheet music more easily accessible, and can help promote good playing posture.
A tuner can ensure that your instrument is in tune and playing the correct notes. This is absolutely essential for an instrument like a guitar or violin, which needs constant tuning in a way that an instrument like a piano does not.
Because rhythm is an essential part of music, a metronome can be a useful tool for playing at a specific tempo. A metronome is a device that produces a steady noise at regular intervals, which can help your ear develop a sense of rhythm and timing.
It goes without saying that playing music requires an adequate practice space. This could be any comfortable environment, be it a living room, a bedroom, or what have you, but the best practice spaces are specifically set up with acoustics in mind. If you’re a singer, you may find that the shower is a great place to practice because of the natural acoustics. Some instruments, like the drums, will require a room equipped with some form of noise-dampening materials, out of respect for housemates and neighbors.
While not a real device or material, most musicians will tell you that persistence is one of the most important things to have to learn music. Music has so many components to absorb, and, like any skill, takes a great degree of time and practice to become proficient. Absorbing all of the information being thrown at you can be quite demanding, and it takes patience to overcome many of the difficulties of learning music.
Is it Difficult to Learn Music?
Most musicians devote their entire lives to the craft, constantly picking up new techniques and experimenting with conventions and theories. The attempt to jump into such a field can be a daunting task, and any musician is bound to run into quite a few difficulties, especially at the beginning.
Many beginners can be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of techniques and theories to absorb. The combination of technical proficiency and theoretical knowledge can create a high barrier to entry; as if it weren’t hard enough to learn where to put your fingers on the guitar or piano to make certain notes, the theory behind combining notes into chords and scales adds an extra layer of complexity. It can even take quite a bit of time to get comfortable reading the notations of sheet music; remembering the placement of notes on the staves takes some practice, some memorization, and some mnemonic devices like FACE and “Every Good Boy Does Fine.”
In the face of difficulties, the key is persistence. Or, as legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix phrases it, stubbornness. In the autobiographical Starting at Zero, Hendrix advises“If you stick with it you’re going to be rewarded. If you’re very stubborn you can make it.” Beginners who stick with it are rewarded with an unmatched outlet for creative expression.
