Have a go at learning an instrument

Whether you want to rock a stadium of thousands, or impress friends and family with your latest composition, Christchurch City Libraries has plenty of material to help you learn to play an instrument. Guitar, piano and violin are popular choices, but you could also learn to play the saxophone, the flute, the oboe, the drums, the clarinet or even the harmonica.

Many of the learn-to-play resources have CD accompaniments, such as Mathias Wichtrup’s Modern Piano Style. Others include diagrams and explanation of the theory of music and practical guidance on techniques and musical notation.

Progressive Blues Harmonica by William Lee Johnson is another self-teaching title that has an audio accompaniment.

If you like jazz, or would like to learn some of the standard jazz repertoire, or how to improvise, Jamey Aebersold has written several that are excellent teaching resources.

Whichever instrument you choose, learning an instrument is a skill that will stay with for life, and well worth persevering with. And you don’t have to learn alone there are choirs, bands, ensembles and courses for budding musicians and songwriters throughout Christchurch and Canterbury.

If writing music appeals to you, there are guides to writing and publishing songs as well as getting started in the industry.

If you’ve thought about learning, it’s time to get started, so limber up and get playing!

We recommend: Learning musical instruments resources

Our online resources:

• Organisations that offer musical instruction and further study
• Browse our CINCH directory for music industry courses
• Several music writing courses are available in Christchurch
• See our Arts, music and culture listings on localeye.
• Check out our library events to see local musicians perform.

Our Internet Gateway recommends:

• Websites and resources to learn about jazz.
• The Christchurch School of Music website has information on tuition, enrolment, scholarships and staff.
• A listing of music magazines and news.

Browse the resources in our libraries:

• Resources for learning piano, violin, guitar, flute, saxophone, drums, and trumpet.