Learning Something New: Music Edition

After my cousin called me for some help on a school project, they brought with them something I had never seen before- a kalimba. A wooden instrument with long metal rods, which when flicked, create a resounding, high-pitched sound, the kalimba was something that fascinated me. Intrigued, as always, by the prospect of learning a new musical instrument, I spent the next 3 weeks learning how to play it- this article describes the trials I underwent and how that’s applicable to learning anything. 

First of all, when starting anything, it’s important to familiarize yourself with how to actually play it (I put little stickers to show me what the notes are). Using one’s thumbnail to flick the metal rods, it was quite easy to make simple melodies. After familiarizing myself with that aspect of actually playing it, I got down to the nitty-gritty of actually tuning the instrument. Using a tuner, I hit the central rod (or tine) until it registered on the tuner- knowing then that it was flat allowed me to tap the tine in with a little metal hammer provided. After tuning all the tines with the exact same procedure, I now felt I was ready to experiment a bit.

Using my prior knowledge and applying it, I noticed that the tines on the same side were all separated by a third allowed me to understand that hitting two tines on the same side would create a chord. This newfound knowledge was rightfully used for several minutes of experimentation to create random-seeming sounds. 

However, learning songs (my end goal) was a bit more complex- I had to learn how to read kalimba tablature, and from there, play a song with that. It took me a while to figure out how to read it (with the help of Youtube in the end)- and when it did, I began to finally start one of the kalimba songs. Half an hour later- I had my completed project, and I was really happy with it. 

How is this relevant, however, to learning something new? Apart from me learning something new, there are things in here that can easily be applied to anything out there, and this learning strategy is something that’s definitely worked for a lot of people out there. Firstly, by familiarizing yourself with the practical applications of any given task by immersing yourself in the theory, you gain valuable insights when you begin to experiment with that newfound knowledge. Secondly, making sure the instrument works or isolating the problem itself allows you to fine-tune everything to ensure the best learning environment for you. Thirdly, by using prior knowledge and applying it through the theoretical side of things, beginning to experiment once again will eventually lead to you learning those skills. Fourthly, by pushing through and learning the full theory behind any given task, it’s easier to accomplish it in the practical- and finally, have fun while you’re doing it. Whether it’s a trial and error process or one that instantly clicks, remember to have fun all the way- no matter what you’re learning. 

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