How to become a better listener as a musician
Before any musician has even begun to play an instrument, they discover a love for listening to music. Whilst with time, their focus shifts to being the one to produce the music, their listening skills remain equally as important as the act of playing that instrument. After all, it’s their ears that will help them spot the mistakes on which they need to work on and identify any progress made with time.
As such, every musician needs to take time to not only hone their playing but also their listening skills. Here are some tips that any musician can try out to improve their listening:
Try singing
Don’t worry, I don’t mean that you should take up a new career as a singer. But rather, you should try to include singing as part of your practice. Whenever you read music, sing it to yourself to get a better understanding of the piece.
Train your ears
Of course, to really know what you are doing right or wrong when playing a piece, you need your ears to be trained to spot mistakes and really understand the nuances of what you play. The best training you can do is to actively listen to all kinds of music. ‘Active’ listening means that when you listen to music, you focus on spotting every chord, the different pitches, the rhythms, and more. This way, you start to become more aware of how the pieces take form, and also how you can evoke the same with your instrument.
You can do this also while you are playing. Don’t just focus on what your body is doing to emit the sounds, pay attention to the sound that you make. Take your time, and really become critical of your performance. This is fundamental to improving as a musician.
Create the right environment for listening
We live in a world filled with noise, so much so that we have got used to passively listening to the noises around us. If you really wish to focus on the music you are listening to, then you need to make sure that you find yourself in the right environment for it. No noisy flatmates that watch TV or screaming children in a playground. Take a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, find the perfect spot, and really pay attention to what you are listening to. Sometimes, the reason you might be struggling to focus is all down to the place you find yourself in.
Try to write the music
Improving your listening skills can also mean getting out of your comfort zone. In this case, it’s a good idea to give composing music a go. Why? It’s not because you have to be the world’s greatest composer to be a great listener. But because the act of writing your own music will help you gain a deeper understanding of all the chords and arpeggios that can make up a piece. After all, the more you know about music, the better listener you will become.
Ultimately, the best thing you can do to improve your listening skills is to become an active listener. If you are listening to a piece before playing it, take your time and really understand how it all takes shape.
