There’s no perfect musician; what you can find out is there are musicians who are constantly working on improving their art to pass the music test. Nothing should hold you down from reaching your full potential as an artist.
You have to put in a great deal of time, effort, and resources to play like a professional. Know that it’s quite easy for artists to churn out music, but it’s hard work to make the music stand out. Of course, it’s not every artist that will reach the level of Drake, Beyonce, or the late Michael Jackson in popularity, but you need to aspire to be among the greats.
It won’t matter if you are just an upcoming artist in a small town; someone relies on your music to uplift the mood and feed their soul. That’s why you need to go all out to ensure your music passes the test. Here are seven things you should do to improve your music;
1. You Have to Love Your Music
Your music should be your first love, that’s only when others can fall in love with it. Strive to make your music a part of you and take it everywhere with you. We cannot downplay the place of talent, but it takes love to boost and nurture it.
It’s OK if you find yourself hitting the flats and sharps, with love for your music, you’ll soon hit the perfect note. Be prepared, though, your love for your music can be consuming, but gradually your body will adjust to it.
2. Make It Fun
There are boring aspects of music, but you’ve got to go all out to keep your music sessions fun. Make it a habit to master your favorite songs and pick up new materials to work on regularly.
This is one way to keep your music fresh and energized. No one wants to listen to an artist whose music lacks life. Never allow your music to feel like a chore; you must make it an enjoyable experience.
3. Organize a Friendly Jam Session
You cannot grow in isolation; that’s why you should make it a habit to organize friendly jam sessions with friends. This is to help you sharpen your skills and improve your techniques.
By playing with other people outside of your band and circle, you expose yourself to new knowledge and ideas. Of course, you should also be open to receiving honest feedback about your music.
4. Always Analyze Music When Listening
The key to being sound technically is making every song a learning opportunity. Look at music from a technical perspective. You should know when a song would have been better at a lower key or when modulation would have been appropriate.
Listen to every song with your musician’s ear and be able to dissect every song. You are not about to become a music critic but learning from the mistakes and successes of other musicians. Get yourself a good headphone and learn from what you hear.
5. Review Your Practice Sessions
To do this, you will have to record your practice sessions. This is to look out for where you got it wrong and work on improving. You can use your smartphone to do the recordings. Through the review, you’ll know where you are stiff and where to loosen up.
Look out for where your energy is going and how to improve your stage presence. While you are looking for your weak points, look out for your strengths also. Note down all of these and work on them during your next performance.
