How Do You Study An Unusual Musical Instrument?
• Acquire some prior musical experience. While not always necessary, it is highly recommended. If you already know how to read music and have at least a basic understanding of a more common instrument, you’ll have a lot more luck with learning the new one. A little understanding of transposition and/or composition wouldn’t hurt either, especially if you pick an instrument with little or no music written for it. • Choose an unusual musical instrument to study. When making your decision, keep in mind questions such as the following: How “weird” do you want to be? (Do you want an unusual but still recognized concert instrument, or something so weird that only one man alive knows how to put it together?) How much can you afford to spend? (As more unusual instruments tend to be more expensive and in short supply) Will you actually be able to play this in public? (Or is it found in any band or orchestra?, if you wish to play in such a group.) Then, take a look at your options: • The oboe. “S
