Do you want a career as a musician? If so, follow these tips below from SMVT will help you out.
Principle #1: There Are No Shortcuts
Let me re-emphasize that again; there are no shortcuts. For the most part, you do know that this is true.
However, there is a part of you that wants to think that you will be different and you will make the shortcut work. The truth of the matter is, you will not make a shortcut work. You will need to put in the same amount of effort and take just as long as other people.
You need to realize that those website and platforms that promise ‘1-week success’ or ‘pro secrets to success’ are just there to take advantage of your short-cut mentality. They make their money when people buy (often time literally) into the idea of taking shortcuts.
Once you discard the idea of taking shortcuts, you are able to focus and dedicate your time and energy to actually improving, albeit slowly but surely.
Principle #2: Figure Out Your Motivation For Playing Music
Right from the start, you should determine why you want to play music. If you intend to play music for the purpose of being famous and or impressing people with your skill, you will not be great at it. This is because to be a great musician, you should be able to speak to your listeners; all great musicians speak to us. They say more than the standard ‘look at me.’
Unfortunately, there are very many musicians who reckon that being a great musician is all about acquiring skills and techniques. While your music skills and techniques are important, how you use these skills and techniques is more important. Technique and skills should be considered as the vessel through which you send a message.
You do not want to be one of those musicians who sings and plays notes but does not really say anything.
Some fear that people will reject their message. To be great, you need to get over your fear of rejection and actually say something that is true to you. Induce your personality into your music.
Principle #3: Being Great Is Not Equal To Instance Success
Being great is not a guarantee of success. You can no longer lie back and hope your greatness will help you be discovered. Those times are long gone. Today, you have to hone your musical skill and promote your music at the same time.
I have been promoting some of the best songwriters and skilled musician in the UK, and I have an intricate understanding of this subject matter.
There are plenty of musicians that are exceptionally good. Their music epitomizes spellbinding music. To Sam Beer (samualbeer.co.uk) for instance, his music is unique and compelling. He fits the musician image. He has everything it takes, yet he still struggles to make himself known and get gigs. He will without still make it; his an exceptional talent. However, he has to be patient.
With this in mind, are you willing to wait for success?
Do you have a strict timeline and limit set?
If you have a time limit, you might give in to pressure, and react to trying to please everyone.
Principle #4: Enjoy Your Music
There are plenty of musicians who think that to be a great musician, you have to take your craft very serious. This means that they tend to have to squeeze the joy out of it. Your music should be able to lift you. If it does not, then there is a problem.
Being a musician is a daunting task but playing music should be able to get through the bad times. You will experience rejection, disappointments, and success. However, when you enjoy your music, you will gladly go through it all.
Principle #5: Identify Your Uniqueness And Highlight It
You should identify the things that make you different from any other person and nurture them. All of the musical greats are unique in some way; they have a unique of making music that many people are attracted to.
That being said, it common for many musicians to try and please everyone but themselves. The effect is that they end up being boring and mundane. A quality of great music is music that is divisive owing to its uncompromising nature. As such, if part of your audience love your music while the other part hates it, consider it as a success.
However, when everyone says it is ok or nice, reconsider your approach. Such music does not hit anyone at a deep level to elicit a deep reaction.
You should strive to express yourself in a unique way. You should work hard to develop your own voice.
Principle #6: Simple Music Is Nor Equal To Easy
It is quite annoying for a musician to think that he or she is beyond simplicity and the fundamentals such as feel, timing, and chords.
There are plenty of musicians who know solo’s on Ok Computer very well but find it difficult to play G to D.
They focus so much on learning and mastering complexity but forget to lay a strong foundation.
Jimi Hendrix spent years on end playing and mastering simple rhythm guitar.
This approach did not stretch him, but it did form his own unique style. His style encompassed weaved rhythms and lead in such a way they became one, thereby oozing complexity.
This is basically laying complexity over incredible simplicity.
Principle #7: Always Learn From Those Better Than You
While it is difficult, when you give up the ‘genius’ tag, you end up learning a lot from the great music that is around us. Instead of expending a lot of energy competing with something, you are better off learning from it.
Search for musicians around you who are not famous but just as brilliant. You can learn from them. Furthermore, it is quite easy to say that you are not as good as Bob Dylan, but you can measure favorably with your peers.
