At Expressions Music Academy, we firmly believe that music is a lifelong journey. And like any journey, you don’t always make consistent and linear progress, and that’s okay.
That’s why one of our favorite things to do is help people reconnect with instruments they played in high school or earlier in life. It is never too late to learn a musical instrument even with zero experience - doubly so if you have previous experience, even if that was decades ago.
So here are a few things you should know if you want to relearn your instrument after high school.
Warm-Ups and Routines Are Important
Playing scales and warm-up exercises are obviously not as much fun as just jumping in and playing your favorite pieces, but they ARE important. When relearning an instrument after high school, it’s tempting to think you can just pick it up, knock off some rust and play like you remember.
Certainly your muscle memory WILL eventually return to you, but first you have to establish a playing routine like you used to have. Warm-ups are a great way to not only help shake off the rust, but also put you in the right mindset for playing and practicing.
This is especially important for wind instruments where warm-ups can help you with proper breathing and air support.
Learning a musical instrument at any stage is a process of building up to improvement and growth, not starting at the top.
Practice Well by Starting Slow and Using Tools
In a similar vein as getting into the right mindset by warming up and getting back into a playing routine, you should also make sure you’re practicing your musical instrument efficiently.
Even at the peak of your playing ability, you still had to practice. That’s not something you had to do just because you were young, it’s a process that every musician at every level has to do, from amateur to international superstar.
So don’t trick yourself into thinking that you’re “too old” to practice your instrument, or that it should come naturally because you used to play. Practicing is normal, and as long as you’re going to do it, you may as well do it right.
One of the most tried-and-true methods of musical instrument practicing is to play slowly. Trying to play a piece at full tempo before you’ve practiced makes it difficult to address trouble spots and tends to create bad muscle memory. What you want to do is create good muscle memory by playing pieces slowly and accurately, then replicating that success a little faster until you’re at full tempo.
Tools like a metronome and tuner can help keep you honest while you’re practicing your instrument as well and make it easier to stop yourself from the tendency to rush.
Don’t Get Discouraged
While it is absolutely possible to learn your musical instrument again and become as good or even better than you were in high school, don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t happen immediately.
Not only do you have to practice to regain some of that ability, but it’s also important that you don’t compare yourself too harshly against the past. Playing an instrument in high school is a wonderful experience for those who did it, and it tends to give us rose-colored glasses about what our talent level was at that time.
That’s not to say you weren’t talented in high school, of course! But you probably weren’t perfect. And you’re probably not going to be perfect when you pick your instrument back up either, and that’s okay! Music isn’t about being perfect all the time, it’s about the joy you feel when you improve and make music that makes you happy.
So when you’re relearning your instrument after high school, try not to think about whether or not you “used to be better.” Instead, enjoy the music you’re making in the moment and appreciate every small bit of progress you make.
It’s Never Too Late For Lessons
We said it before and we’ll say it again: it’s never too late to enjoy music. At Expressions Music Academy, we teach students of all ages and skill levels to enjoy what music has to offer at every stage.
If you’re coming back to your instrument after high school and want to recapture the magic of making music, contact Expressions Music Academy today about affordable, fun, and effective private lessons to get you back into playing shape!