5Ws+1H: How It's Done: Choice of musical instrument should be led by heart

Oct. 12—When budding artists are interested in learning to play instruments, Jeffrey Jones, owner of Zomac School of Music, said they should go with their "hearts."

"If you listen to music, and say you hear a piano and you just love the sound of the piano, then that's interesting to you," Jones said. "You have to go with what your heart says about an instrument and what you love the sound of."

Jones said that while picking an instrument out of love for the sound is important, so is the consideration as to whether the person will continue to practice, even when it gets difficult.

"It's not always easy and fun and games. There's a lot of hard work that comes with learning a musical instrument," Jones said. "You have to find something you truly love, so it's not work and it's still enjoyment whenever you have the hard part."

People should also take into account what type of music and style they usually listen to. Jones said people should pay attention to what part they mainly hear when it comes to music, such as if they focus on the beat, melody, or vocals.

Jones said some people walk into the store wanting to learn to play one or two instruments. To help with this dilemma, Jones said he will let the patron have some hands-on experiences with either instrument to see which one they gravitate toward. While the goal of learning two instruments at one time can be accomplished, Jones said a lot of people do not have the time to dedicate to more than one. Jones said people will often learn one instrument, and then pick up another after they have some of the basics down with the first choice.

"Sometimes if you get two instruments it's too much work and people just get frustrated," Jones said. "I recommend starting with one unless you really have a lot of practice time and dedication."

When it comes to the duration of practice times, it depends on how good a person is wanting be at playing the instrument. Jones said someone who is just learning an instrument as a hobby should practice at least 30 minutes a day, while a person who wants to make an income from the activity should practice at least three to four hours a day.

Picking the right instrument to play is not often a difficult decision for people who walk into a store, such as Zomac School of Music, as many already have their minds made up.

Jones said people can often become discouraged when they are learning to play an instrument if they are not receiving feedback from someone such as a music teacher. Having a music teacher, Jones said, helps continue to build a desire to learn and to keep students away from bad habits.

"Having that guidance and having someone give you immediate feedback is totally different," Jones said. "I mean, would Michael Jordan have been the greatest basketball player if he never had a coach? Naturally, he has talent and he is very good, but if he didn't have the proper instruction from coaches working with him every day, would he have been as good? Probably not."