Self Study: The art of The Alpha or The Stupid?
Well, it's pretty common to see people nowadays saying they "self studied" or "self learnt" an instrument...and it sounds pretty cool...is it, though?
Well, to be very honest, I've never tried self learning any instrument per se, but I have friends and acquaintances who have done so, and I myself tried self-learning a lot of other things. So, you can reckon that with my experience, and what I've seen, one could possibly analyze whether self-learning will be a stupid decision for them, or a wise decision for them.
Notice how I put emphasis on "for them". That's because Self Study is very subjective. It works well with some people, and it just doesn't work for others...This doesn't mean some are smart and some are dumb, it just means that self study naturally suits some people, while others have to really struggle with it, and in the end still not get results they may desire.
Let me tell you my personal experiences with Self Study. About five years ago, when I used to teach guitar to a boy, his sister used to learn the keyboard from someone else. This guy was really good at what he did, but then my student told me something that sparked an interest in me. He said that this piano teacher who his sister was learning from, has self studied the guitar.
Apparently, when I met him, neither was he confident about it, nor was he very good at it. He had been playing the guitar for about the same amount of years as me, but he knew so little compared to what I knew.
Well, to be very honest, I've never tried self learning any instrument per se, but I have friends and acquaintances who have done so, and I myself tried self-learning a lot of other things. So, you can reckon that with my experience, and what I've seen, one could possibly analyze whether self-learning will be a stupid decision for them, or a wise decision for them.
Notice how I put emphasis on "for them". That's because Self Study is very subjective. It works well with some people, and it just doesn't work for others...This doesn't mean some are smart and some are dumb, it just means that self study naturally suits some people, while others have to really struggle with it, and in the end still not get results they may desire.
Let me tell you my personal experiences with Self Study. About five years ago, when I used to teach guitar to a boy, his sister used to learn the keyboard from someone else. This guy was really good at what he did, but then my student told me something that sparked an interest in me. He said that this piano teacher who his sister was learning from, has self studied the guitar.
Apparently, when I met him, neither was he confident about it, nor was he very good at it. He had been playing the guitar for about the same amount of years as me, but he knew so little compared to what I knew.
Why?
The reason this happens with most people is that when you self study, you're starting from ground up, you're doing everything from scratch by yourself, even though you can learn from a million videos on YouTube. Most people learn by watching YouTube videos or something along those lines and call it "self study", but that doesn't work out so well for them. I'll tell you why.
Have you heard from anyone that old men are wise because of their experience and what they've been through? Have you ever heard that people work under someone to learn from their experiences? Similarly, in music, when you take classes, you're learning from someone who already knows exactly how to teach you, what to teach you and when is the right time to teach you. A teacher is learned, he knows, he's experienced.
Why is it so important to learn from such people?
The reason it's so important to learn from such people is that they have been through everything just like you. They were not born millionaires or born guitarists or pianists, or born businessmen. Everyone started learning at some point, just like you.
From their position, they know exactly what you need, and they can really speed up your learning process by sharing their experiences, their ideas, and their thoughts. This also prevents you from making mistakes that they have already made in their life, therefore skyrocketing your success in any field. This is the reason they say old people are wise, and this is why learning from a teacher is way better than self studying.
OR
So, Self Study is not good?
Self study is extremely good, but it all depends on the kind of person you are, and what your aim is.
If you're adventurous and you have no hurry to learn, you can go ahead and try self learning an instrument. It will be an experience. You will have to find videos, articles, everything available online and in libraries to help you master the game. It will be an adventure of a sort. You'll make mistakes, you'll get back up again.
The best part about self study is, your honest research has gone into it. It's not just someone who told you the facts. You dug deep, did your research, found out for yourself, and you're so much more interested. Every theory of music you read, every new note and pattern you play, it makes you want more. There's nobody to stop you, nobody to hurry you, nobody to give you any practice homework...well, that won't be needed because you will be practicing yourself.
Here's the problem, though: Self Study involves reading dozens of articles through books, the internet, and journals. Dozens of videos. Every video, every article, comes from different sources. You don't know what's the reliable source, you don't have a set pattern of studying and sometimes you may learn something that's not to be learnt at your stage, and that may confuse you. You may not be able to understand the instrument and you may just quit playing, because you've been reading the wrong articles at the wrong time.
Now I'm confused...
It's only natural to be confused after reading this article. Self Study sounds amazing, but it sounds bad...
Okay. There is only one thing you have to remember while deciding whether to self study or not:
Comments
Post a Comment