Learning the piano

So anyone who knows me, knows that I often talk about how unmusical I am. I don't sing well, I have a hard time recognizing pitch and tunes and have basically zero rhythm. All of that basically adds up to me being not very musical.

Well I have decided that despite all the barriers (whether perceived or actual) I have to learning music, I am going to try learning the piano. Don't worry, I adequately forewarned my teacher that she is working with pretty much zero natural talent and that I know very very little. She amazingly enough, is ok with this.

So I had my first lesson today. my fingers feel quite clumsy in this process of trying to smoothly transition from one key to the next. I often found my self trying to use my fingers or wrists to create the pressure on the keys rather than allowing the pressure to come all the way from your shoulders like you are supposed to.

Have you ever wondered why practice makes perfect? When you are learning a new physical skill like playing an instrument or throwing a ball, your body learns new neuro-pathways. In other words, your body has to learn new ways to transmit information from the brain to the different muscles you are using. After awhile, the pathways become familiar to your brain and you are able to preform the activity with more precision and with more easy.

I think there are a lot of similarities between learning a new physical skill and developing new habits. At first when you are working towards a new habit, whether that's working out more, spending less money, eating better, doing devotions in the morning or any other habits, it's hard to get into the routine. Just like our brains learn new neuro-pathways to use different muscles, we have to learn new pathways to develop the new habits. We have to learn new patterns of behaving and making choices. We have to practice those over and over again before they slowly turn into habits.

As you drag yourself out of bed a little earlier to make it to the gym, or you resist the urge to buy the latest and greatest gadget, remember that practice does make perfect. It really does get easier over time.