How to Begin

Once upon a time, as an innocent young musician, I thought you began at the beginning.

I mean, it makes intuitive sense! If you are going to begin something, surely the beginning is the best place to start? There’s even a saying: about it: Begin at the beginning.

So for a long time, whenever I began a piece of music, I started at the beginning: I played the first note. Then the note after that. And then another and another and another, never realizing I’d left out something vital.

I can’t remember when or how I realized I’d been doing the equivalent of starting a five mile race at mile marker one, but somehow or other it dawned on me: Music begins before its beginning.

Say what?

See, music is like an iceberg. There’s what you hear, the sounds that actually reach your ears. Then there’s a whole bunch of stuff that lurks below the surface of perception but is, nevertheless, an essential part of making music: your breathing, your thoughts, the movement of the pulse through your body.

Before you play the first note of a piece, you are, or should be, already deeply engaged with the music– tracking its pulse, assessing its character, timing your inhale so that, when it comes time to play, your exhale is merely the continuation of your ongoing musical intention.

Let me say it again: Music starts before sound. You need to be making music before you make sound.

It’s an essential concept, but it can be a challenge to implement. Fortunately, you can practice!

The next time you begin a piece, give it a shot: Think about making music before you begin making sound. If you do this enough, it will start to become a habit. And I promise it will be worth your while.