Learning Classical Music– whether Carnatic, Hindustani or Western demands the student of certain methodologies to follow for better results.  There are many myths relating to the classical music and how to become a better performer among the students- which leads to even more confusion on what has to be followed. The idea of dos and don’ts while learning becomes a worrisome thought. 

We bring ten effective tips for the students that would greatly help them in excelling to learn Classical Music:

• Practice, practice and practice: Did we say the term thrice? Yes. The main reason is because every classical musician emphasizes on this. Without regular and consistent practice, no matter how much the student learns theoretically, it cannot be fruitful and hampers growth.  Make sure you practice everyday consistently at least for an hour to maintain the pace and progress better.

• Listening is Learning:  We often put less focus on listening thinking that we have got it right- in limited number of hearings. The art of listening becomes a great path to learn faster and effectively. This also improves focus and memory for the student. Even if you feel you have already got the composition right, make sure you keep listening – something new will definitely be observed through this skill. Every form of classical music emphasizes on ear training.

• Keep an Open Mind: Most of the learning gets hampered when there is no open mind when it comes to music. Be open to all forms of music, even though you are learning a certain form of music. This clears lot of rigid opinions and accelerates progress in learning. After all, every music form has seven notes- is it not?

• Listen to the Great Artists: Apart from learning from the guru, it is important to listen to the legends of classical music to understand how they have excelled in renditions. Learning about great artists, their history and the inspiration for them to excel in music will bring strong motivation to learn better.

• Understand the difference between “Fusion” and “Confusion”: In the current age where fusion music is ruling the roost, a lot of students find it attractive and feel energized to pursue fusion music as a career. But even in order to do fusion, one must understand the classical form thoroughly. With proper understanding of two different music forms, one can come up with a meaningful fusion. 

• Patience is a Virtue: The biggest myth that surrounds classical music is that- it takes long time to learn and with the tech-led generation, it becomes quite confusing. Patience is definitely a virtue when it comes to learning classical music. By learning fundamentals right, the growth becomes exponential for sure. So, hold on there to learn a tough composition and take it like a challenge.

• Bond with your Guru: Learning classical music is not just like another mechanical skill- and it has higher spiritual impact as well. Bonding with your guru makes the learning process even more enjoyable and fruitful. 

• No End to Learning:  Like every art, learning classical music is an eternal process that can cruise through lives. No matter if you get degrees, masters or even PhD in Music, there will be something new to learn. Have an eternal approach towards learning music- and rediscovering its brilliance on every brand new day.

• Attend Classical Events/Concerts: Make an effort to attend as many live performances as possible to get a grip on how legends perform. Listening from a device can definitely not be compared to listening to live. Every music learner has to experience the thrill of attending a live performance- of select artists that will motivate them even greater to pursue the art.

• Learn the Cultural and Historic Background: Along with learning a composition, make an effort to learn the cultural significance of the composition- which makes it easy to realize the greatness of it. Irrespective of the religious limitations, understanding a composition in historic perspective greatly improves the performance and learning graph.