Instruments Anyone Can Play
Making Music
If you’ve been following me for any length of time you know that I am a big advocate for everyone making music, regardless of your “skill” or training. We all know that music is good for our mood. But, it’s also good for our brain and body. Making music is by far the best way to reap the benefits of music. But I know a lot of folks are still intimidated by the idea of making music. Our culture has taught us that we have to take lessons, we have to practice, we have to be “good” to be able to play in front of others. Only then can we call ourselves “musician.”
Instruments that anyone can play
But what if making music was easy, fun, and free (or low cost) rather than time-consuming, hard, and expensive? While I often complain about technology and all the ways it can fail us, there is one way that it is really helpful in terms of allowing anyone to be musical. There are certain instruments that anyone can play. I’m talking about VIRTUAL instruments. Imagine being able to just pick up your phone or your iPad and open an app that allows you to make beautiful music? What would that do for you? Would you be more relaxed? Have more fun? Get your mind off the stressors of the day? I advocate for playing with music for at least 10 minutes a day. How much time do you spend mindlessly scrolling through your social media? Probably more than 10 minutes for most of us. Why not use that time to create some tunes of your own. Just put in your earbuds or headphones and no one else needs to even hear it!
Here are a couple of examples of my favorite virtual instruments:
- Launchpad: This is great for someone new to making music. It includes loops and samples so you can create your own unique sound. I often play with this app when I am on a flight (well…back when there were events to fly to). It would help stave off boredom and was more engaging for my brain than mindlessly binge watching Netflix.
- Garage Band: This app is for folks who are maybe slightly more advanced. Garage Band has a huge library of virtual instruments. It includes keyboard, drums, microphone, strings, bass, guitar, world instruments and more. This app offers so much you could get lost in it for hours! If you’re thinking of taking up an instrument for the first time and you’re not sure what you’d like, this is a great way to test out different instruments virtually.
If you’d like to see a list of my favorites, click HERE to download a copy of the Virtual Instrument App Guide.
What Can 10 Minutes a Day Do?
I am confident that if you took the time to engage with music every day, you would see improvements in multiple areas of your life. But, you don’t need to believe me. Here are a few quotes from folks who participated in our play challenge last year.
“This was so rewarding; a huge gift!”
“It took my mind off of everything else.”
“My whole life has improved.”
“A rush of energy that set the tone for the day.”
“I felt more present with my partner.”
Give it a Try
Download a virtual instrument or two and start messing around with it. Remember, these are instruments anyone can play. Have fun! Be playful! After all, we don’t work music, we PLAY it. Drop me a note and let me know how it goes.
