Play It Like You Sing It

Learning tunes can be hard, especially if you struggle with sight-reading.

But there's a step that makes it much easier – and helps speed up a bunch of other skills too, including your ability to play the right rhythm and melody.

Music is a language we become most fluent in through engaging all of our senses. Imagine holding a piece of music with both hands, tapping your foot, nodding your head, and humming along as you go. This multisensory engagement helps to bridge the gap between static symbols on a page and a heartfelt performance.

So what's the best way to internalize music this deeply? The answer is relatively simple – play it like you'd sing it.

Singing doesn't necessarily mean vocalizing tunes for the world to hear (especially for those of us who might prefer to keep our singing voices under wraps!). Instead, it's about harnessing the power of internal singing – learning a tune so well that you can sing along in your head as you play.

What's fascinating is how this process mirrors the development of language. Just as we learn to speak by mimicking sounds around us, integrating variations, and finding our voice within a communal language, musicians internalize, adapt, and express tunes through their instrument.

So, the next time you pick up your pipes, remember to play it not just with your fingers but with your voice, your heart, and your imagination. After all, it's in this deeply personal space that music truly comes alive.

Check out this Dojo Conversations podcast (link below) for a deeper dive into playing it like you'd sing it.