There are multiple reasons why learning an instrument is going to help you sing, believe me, I’ve been playing the bass and the guitar way longer than I have been singing (seven years before I picked up singing). That allows me to answer this with confidence.
Being able to play other instruments will improve musicianship and will allow you to practice your singing very effectively. Choosing the right instrument plays an important role but is not something you need to think too much about.
It’s time to dive deep not on just how it helps you develop your musicianship but why some instruments are more affordable and manageable than others. All of which I’ll tell you about below.
It’s Kind of Expected of You
This is just going to be a short preparation paragraph for you, to give you a little boost of motivation on how short of a time it really takes to get yourself sounding good, initially.
It is quite common to see vocalists play instruments while they sing. Guitar, ukulele, and piano are the top choices. You’ve seen it and so have I.
Don’t Worry – It’s easier than it looks
There are tons of sources for learning any instrument you want and some of them are indeed free. You should definitely start learning as much as you can for free, though if you’re serious you should consider a paid service.
If I could give you a timeline it would be this.
If you practice holding a bunch of chords and you have growing pains on the guitar, they will probably not last more than a week if you put in 30 minutes of practice each day.
The benefit of such a practice (30 minutes a day) is that it allows for consistent progress, which may seem hidden for the first few initial days and then may sprout up like a bamboo shoot (which doesn’t sprout for years and then suddenly does).
Musicianship
Learning to play an instrument helps your musicianship by improving your sense of Ear, rhythm, and melody.
Ear – The “What” of things
Improving your ear will allow you to listen to “what” you and others are playing.
The best way to improve your ear is to use your voice. Even for musicians who don’t sing. I know because I am one of them.
We communicate our every need through our voice, which means there is already an ability that we use so effectively and effortlessly that we don’t think twice about it. Which is funnily enough, what we’re trying to do with singing as well (to sing effectively and effortlessly).
When you learn to sing, you train your ear to externally voice what you’re hearing. Which is amazing when you start to get it right. However, there is a problem. Our voices are not trained to sing ‘on-pitch’ when we first begin. Which is normal.
Instruments allow you to reinforce your ear by giving you a system of hearing back what you’re playing and then mimicking those sounds with your voice. This starts to train your voice to sing ‘on-pitch’ whilst turning you into a better musician.
This can turn your practice sessions from boring bedroom vocal exercises on YouTube to wonderfully personal exercises to strengthen the skills you’re lacking.
Rhythm – The “When” of things
Improving your rhythm is knowing ‘when’ to play and ‘when’ others are playing.
Rhythm needs to be mastered as much as your ear. It is the rhythm that dictates ‘when’ something is happening in music. It’s also the same skills required to ‘anticipate’ chord changes and when (lol) others are coming in or music is changing.
However, you can’t play chords with your voice. You can, luckily enough, play it with instruments. Doing both simultaneously will 100% improve your rhythm dexterity and also allow you to look cooler than before.
It’s only remotely tough when you first begin. When you let it seep through your practice routine it will allow you to become a very strong musician.
It is only WHEN (haha) you have mastered a sense of timing that you are able to manipulate it and that leads us to talk about…
Melody – The Great Determiner
Melody is the most determining factor that shows the uniqueness of your or someone else’s song.
You hum melodies, not anything else. 95% of the time (5% for those banger solos or intros). But, no denying the fact that it’s true.
Melody is basically notes put in a particular order and time.
In other words, composing and understanding melody requires you to have a good sense of both ear and rhythm. This becomes ten times more important when it comes to composing.
Though your choice of instrument doesn’t matter as much, certain instruments are just tailored to support a singer, which perfectly leads to the second part of the article.
Would You Like to Learn to Sing Better?
If you haven’t already thought about this, maybe you should before continuing on because no matter which instrument you end up picking, you’d still have to get better at singing.
I am a big advocate of learning how to sing through online courses and you can find that article here.
If you’re looking for some courses I would guide you to a page I made specifically for that. You can find it right here.
Which One to Pick?
I like to divide instruments not just by their ability to help you sing but other factors like mobility, maintenance, and how technical an instrument is needed to be taken into account as well.
The reason is simple: if your end goal is to sing and perform you would not pick drums as your first choice, though musicians like Anderson .Paak can do it, I wouldn’t and my drummer friends don’t either.
But if you’re crazy enough then go ahead and do it.
Mobility
Mobility just means how easy it is to carry it around from one place to the next.
You just think about mobility as an asset because it really will determine how likely you are to take it along with you. If the instrument is too big to fit into a car, then you’re not at all likely to carry it with you. You’d need to find replacements to play your instrument at the venue or someone else’s recording studio.
Not a bad idea, just a tedious thing after a while.
Maintenance
Did you know your parents and spouse will get angry if you try to buy a new instrument every time your current one starts to give you a little bit of trouble?
Maintenance is one of those things you need to do to your instrument for it to perform at peak performance at all times. It’s not an option and it’s a must.
Depending on how difficult it is to work on the instrument the more expensive it’ll be. You’d need to think about it and ask your local music shop how much they charge for not just basic maintenance but also for a random mishap.
Price
Lucky for you (and me), price is something that can vary a lot these days without compromising that much on quality.
Most of the time though, the price does fetch quality up to a certain limit. For example, the difference between a $50 guitar and a $500 one can be felt but between a $2,000 and a $5,000 guitar not so much.
However, mid-range instruments are built amazingly these days. I have a small collection of five guitars and two basses. Most of them are not high-end instruments. Do a little research on the internet and you will find a lot of the information for free and how your particular instrument sounds.
Thinking about second-hand instruments, a lot of people are looking for people to find new homes for their instruments. They’ll definitely be cheaper than buying them brand new. You also get higher quality by paying less.
At the end of the day, if you have the means to buy a brand-new instrument, go ahead and enjoy whatever instrument you can afford. But if you have to think about buying a second-hand or a cheaper instrument, a lot of options exist for you too.
Remember to enjoy your new instrument.
Some Instruments Compliment Singing and Some Don’t
There are certain instruments that have been used for centuries to aid the performer with their singing. Some instruments on the other hand don’t do it all too well. While with others it’s just plain impossible to sing and play them.
Let’s work it backward, what do I mean when I say some instruments don’t allow you to sing while playing? All instruments that use your mouth, which means all wind instruments make it impossible for you to practice your singing ‘along’ with your said instrument. Flute, oboe, and clarinet (Squidward from Spongebob) use your mouth, so you can’t use it.
Now, on to instruments that are capable of doing it but they hinder some of the other limitations for you to sing effectively. Harp is one of those instruments, it’s possible, it’s just getting over the initial technical (more on this later) skills to make it start to sound good enough that will hinder your progress. Not all instruments are made equal in that sense.
Moreover, a fretless instrument adds an additional level of difficulty. Like the violin, viola, cello, and upright basses. It’s not a matter of it being odd, I’ll talk about these kinds of instruments and tell them how you can use them for your musical growth.
On the other hand, instruments like a digital piano with weighted keys, guitar, and ukulele are amazing for taking as your singing sidekick. They are mostly easy to carry, maintenance can be easily done (by yourself or someone else) and their entry price on all of these instruments is pretty affordable.
Help, My Instrument is More Difficult Than My In-Laws! – Technical Instruments
Not all instruments are easy to learn, some really do have a really long learning curve. Guitar, piano, and ukulele are those instruments that people have simplified so much that it’s really easy to pick them up. (By simplified I mean people have found ways to make complex concepts be understood very easily)
Some of the technical instruments are mostly classical instruments. Yes, guitar and piano can be used in the classical context which is why it makes them better to learn but most of the instruments didn’t make it out of the initial hardship.
Violin is fretless, which means you have to train your hands and ears ‘before’ you can start playing the right notes. However, contrast it with a guitar, if your guitar is set up correctly, all you have to do is ‘tune’ it and play on any fret and it’ll play the correct note.
While teaching guitar, I can make my beginner students play the ‘Smoke on Water’ theme on a single string and it gives them a confidence boost. However, this won’t do on the violin. Also, I am not very good at playing the violin.
So, make your choice and understand that some instruments are more technical than others and will require you to spend a lot more time to start using them effectively for yourself to sing.
Instruments for Musical Growth
As I said, some instruments aren’t meant to give you much hope while singing but on the flip side, they can be amazing for you to start understanding music on a completely different level. Especially classical instruments.
There is a wealth of musical knowledge from the past. I personally prefer to study western classical pieces whenever I can and you should too at some point. They add a new dimension to your musical taste and even though you might not like western classical, you should consider other genres, times, or whatever else you’d like.
They can still push your musicianship to another level and not necessarily with your singing but becoming a more rounded musician is always better. It’ll never hurt. It’ll always add to your current knowledge and sense of music.
Don’t Overthink This
Yes, playing an instrument is going to help you. Yes, you can perform with it and do whatever you want with it. Yes, it’s an added skill. I am going to tell you a story.
I have hated having homework, ever since I was a child. Didn’t like it one bit, now being an adult I know why. Because it didn’t allow me to do things that I actually wanted to do. Like playing outside, being with my friends, or just hanging out by myself lost in my thoughts.
If having an additional instrument is going to be more of a burden than a gift then consider doing it in strides. Keep the instrument practice on the sidelines while you learn how to sing properly. It’ll still help, just the results will come slower.
But, I Have Already OVERTHUNK This!!! HELP!!!
One of the reasons you might not be able to make a decision for this is that you’re suffering from decision fatigue. It’s a real thing. People don’t realize how dangerous it can be and how it negatively affects us.
So, if you haven’t thought about it yet, buy a second-hand guitar. Sagar from bestonlinesinginglessons.com have told you so and that’s why you did it.
You’re welcome.
Music Theory and Ear Training Practice with Instruments
One of the drawbacks of being a vocalist is not having a visual cue of things. Yes, ear training is NOT based on visual cues but on aural skills. In other words, you must understand the relationship between notes, whether played melodically (one after another) or harmonically (simultaneously) without a visual cue.
But, sometimes ear training doesn’t make sense. Sometimes you need to relate music theory with how it visually represents itself.
Why?
Because I am telling you so *laughs maniacally*
Okay, so music theory will help you visualize not just the theory itself but ear training as well. It’s all good and dandy to know that note E is a Major 3rd from C. Wonderful, how do you play it?
When you reach for your instrument to play it, you will see a pattern emerging, a Major 3rd will always be two whole steps away or six half steps away. On a fretted instrument like the guitar, it’s easy to tell. Very easy.
When this starts to happen a world of possibility has opened. You now can practice not just your vocal skills but along with your vocals, your music theory, and instrument and perceive aurally how a Major 3rd sounds and looks like.
You will never view the practice as the same.
