How to learn music

Sometimes learning music is overcomplicated. Sometimes it is.

But for most contemporary music or pop or folk music, it's basically this:

1. Learn chords by ear
2. Learn melodies by ear
3. Memorise them
4. Play them like as many times as possible along with the original recordings
5. Play them from memory as many times as possible
6. Play them for people
7. Record the songs you play
8. Listen back to it
9. Critique and repeat until you have a lot more songs
10. Play songs with other musicians
11. Take lessons with great musicians that you admire
12. Keep learning. Never stop learning.

That time I performed with Bumblefoot in Kuala Lumpur. Photo by André Chiang

This sounds oversimplified but the more I learn and play (especially after 22 years of learning music). the more this seems true.

Will share more thoughts on this in future posts. What are your thoughts? Please comment below! :)