How Learning to Play an Instrument Can Make You a Stronger Writer
I recently started taking bass lessons. Why bass? I’ve always considered it to be an instrument that you really don’t appreciate until it is not there. Don’t believe me? Listen to Metallica’s …And Justice for All, the album where Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield allegedly turned down the bass to haze newcomer Jason Newsted. The songs are great, but something doesn’t sound quite right.
Last month, I learned my first full song, “Are You Ready” by AC/DC. Granted, it is not the most complicated bass line, but it felt great to be able to play along for the entire song and keep pace with it.
Then I streamed Black Sabbath’s farewell benefit concert from Birmingham, England. When I saw 76-year-old bassist Geezer Butler move up and down the neck of his instrument with the ease of a professional stenographer, I felt that same sense of inadequacy that most writers probably feel when they read a book by Tom Wolfe or Maya Angelou.
Humbling moments aside, learning how to play bass has actually made me more mindful of my approach as a writer. So much of getting a song down on bass or any other instrument is determining how you are going to get your hands to play one note after another without interruptions. When we write, we also have to plan how we will make our case in a way that flows for the reader.
In addition, I have learned the difference between simply playing a note and doing it properly. If you don’t hit your bass string just right, it will make a rattling sound or other unpleasant noise. In turn, you can write a sentence where the subject and verb agree, but that doesn’t mean it is a good one. Nobody wants to hear a song with clanging notes, just like they don’t want to read a bunch of clunky sentences.
While I am enjoying learning to play bass, not everyone has the time to take up a new instrument. That being said, pushing yourself outside your comfort zone and learning something new will improve many aspects of your life, including your writing.
💡 Want more tips on writing in different settings? Check out Three Key Components to Writing While Traveling for practical advice when deadlines follow you on the road.
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