Becoming a Musician as an Adult

4 Apps on the Apple App Store to Jumpstart the Journey

Listening to music reduces pain, anxiety, blood pressure, releases dopamine, and improves sleep, alertness, and memory, highlights Headphones Addict. While roughly 7.11 billion people listen to music, those who are seeking a new and fulfilling hobby, becoming a musician is a great way to indulge in creating sounds of your own. From the already installed GarageBand to how Yousician — and even YouTube — can help, here are just a few apps on the Apple app store that can help jumpstart your musical journey.

GarageBand — the obvious choice?

iPhones and iPads already come equipped with this app, though it can easily be underestimated (and even overlooked) when it comes to starting a musical journey. According to Make Use Of, GarageBand is “a powerful audio recording and editing software for Mac, but getting started is tough.” While it will take some time to get accustomed to the app and how it works, it can offer a fantastic resource for those who are interested in digital music production — especially when considering it can be taken on the go, is completely free, and includes various powerful tools. 

Make Use Of provides a detailed, step-by-step guide to using GarageBand, breaking it down so that even beginners can get started using the app with confidence. When starting a new project, it’s noted that you’ll be asked to add a new track. “For now, just click Software Instrument and Create,” states the post, which goes on to say, “On the left, you’ll see the library, which lets you choose different instruments. The top-right panel is the workspace, where you’ll see the notes you’ve recorded and the different instrument tracks in your project. The bottom-right panel is the editor, where you can make tweaks to your tracks.” Playing around with the app is a great way to explore and get a feel for how to use it, while it’s noted that using features like Apple Loops (defined as “short stretches of music that you can use as a base for your own composition” by MUO) can help make the creation process easier.

Supplementing the use of GarageBand with music production software — such as FL Studio — can be a great way to further experiment, especially if your goal is to make beats. Thankfully, learning to create your own beats can be done rather simply in a few steps — from choosing the sounds, writing/recording various parts of the beat, and arranging the beat parts into a song format, finalizing and mixing the beat, and finally, exporting the result. While it can take some time to get the hang of, making use of in-depth, comprehensive guides can be a great way to be guided throughout the process.

Exploring the benefits of Yousician

According to Music Gateway, Youscician is an app “where you can learn, at your own pace, to sing or to play guitar, piano, ukulele, or bass.” While it’s described to be more like a video game than a traditional course, it’s “presented in such a way that hooks you in and keeps you motivated (or addicted!).” For those who enjoy having immediate feedback, Yousician acts almost like a music teacher by listening to what you are playing and reporting back in order to let you know how you’re doing. The Music Gateway post notes that even if you’re a complete beginner on your instrument, the app can get you playing your first song within just a few minutes. 

Tonestro for woodwinds

While it can feel like there are plenty of apps out there for learning the piano or guitar, finding one that can supplement learning to play a woodwind instrument can be a bit more challenging. Tonestro is just one option worth looking into —- according to the Apple app store, the app’s description involves several features that can be of use to a musician during the learning process. All lessons, for instance, are noted to be tailored by music experts and include music theory, fingering charts, exercises, and sheet music. “It’s like having a music tutor on your side,” states the description, which goes on to note: “With exercises, you work on music theory, rhythm & pitch and with exams, you can check your progress.” With a gamified learning method, there’s no question that the app offers a fun alternative to many traditional options out there.

The underestimated value of YouTube

Chances are that you already have YouTube downloaded on your iPhone or iPad, thus making this app a convenient choice for jumping into learning any and all things about music. In fact, 51% of YouTube users use the platform’s videos to learn new things, according to a 2018 Pew research study that surveyed 4,594 Americans. Whether you’re looking for an in-depth explanation on music theory, a tutorial on how to properly hold a violin, or how to play a favorite song or a less-common instrument, there’s likely a video (or few) out there that can help. For instance, turning to YouTube can be an ideal solution if you’re having trouble finding an app that focuses on learning a less common instrument like the kalimba or bassoon, though it can also help in supplementing other apps, too, by allowing you to build on your knowledge in a different format.

The Bottom Line

It’s never too late to fulfill your aspirations of becoming a musician, and there is no shortage of resources out there to help you learn, either. From the hidden value in common applications like YouTube to those that are designed to make the learning process fun and interactive, there are plenty of worthy choices out there depending on your personal goals.

If you liked this article, please consider sharing it with your friends and leaving a comment below. Also, don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook, “Follow Us” on Twitter and add the Apple Tech Talk channel to your Apple News app.

And if you haven’t subscribed to Apple Tech Talk, now would be a great time to do it so. Just scroll down to the form below and enter your name and email address. Then you’ll receive a notification whenever we post new articles. Don’t worry, we never sell or share your information. While you’re at it, check out our YouTube channel (here) where you will find video on interesting products any Apple enthusiast would love.

Jacqueline Cowell