As a language education professional, I am constantly having to explain why the only option in becoming fluent at a musical instrument is to attend class a minimum of once a week and to practice every day for 3-5 years. I’ve long since lost track of how many adult beginners tell me, “oh, I’ll just take occasional lessons and practice once a week and take more years to become fluent at piano.” In 17 years of teaching to date, no one has ever come to my studio and demonstrated this path to be successful.
Imagine you were going to learn another language with a different set of symbols and sounds—Korean, Navajo, Russian, Tamil. Would you expect to become fluent if you went to a 30-minute class every 2-3 weeks and encountered the sounds and writing of the language twice a week for 15 minutes? Definitely not.
Music is a language, and becoming fluent at music means a burst of intensity for a finite period of time. Once we’re fluent, we can take as many breaks as we like and we’ll always have the skills, even if we have to dust them off. Imagining the freedom of expression that comes with fluency is a big motivator in deciding to embark on music lessons. Fluency is where the most enjoyment is, and if you’re approaching music lessons for the first time, be prepared to commit to every day for years. There is no substitute ingredient.