Father’s Day is coming up on June 19th. And most of us still haven’t got round to getting Dad (or Dads, in the case of some families) a present.
Buying for some Dads is difficult. You’re never quite sure what to get. Of course if Dad’s a sports fan or a connoisseur of great Bourbon, you know what to get him. And you probably get him the same thing every year. But why be predictable?
Why not buy some accessories for the fire pit, like tumbleweed fire starters, or a heavy duty meat thermometer, or a pair of really good barbecue gloves? Or a pack of different artisan made relishes to try? If you’re lucky, you get to share.
For keeping drinks cold, an insulated Koozie is a great idea; it can be used as a pint glass, or to fit a 12 or 16 oz can of beer. An insulated wine cooler sleeve also makes a good present. There is no need to grab ice cubes, just slip the sleeve over the bottle. (For keeping drinks hot, rather than cold, an insulated travel mug makes another nice present, get one that fits the car’s cup holder if you can.)
In the old days Dads never cooked. Modern Dads do. So look for something a bit special to bring some zing to the kitchen. A fermentation kit that will let Dad make his own kimchi, a sauce making kit, or a pack of different hot pepper sauces, for instance. You might think about getting him a bamboo chopping board or stirring spoons, or a really good sushi knife, or even a pasta maker.
For Dads who have a caffeine habit, a French press, a Chemex or Bodum pourover, a better coffee grinder (adjustable for different grinds, from fine espresso to coarse French press grind), or even a ruggedized and lightweight coffee grinder for hiking and camping use.
And … you know… I didn’t tell you this… but some men actually like chocolate. 80% pure cocoa single estate blend dark chocolate will hit all the right buttons.
But while Father’s Day comes once a year, you can deliver a present every month if you get Dad a subscription package. A crate of craft beer every month, for instance, or a pack of different coffees, or a subscription to National Geographic.
Now you don’t necessarily want to tell Dad you got a discount deal, but you probably want to take a look on Vipon before you head out to the mall or buy stuff over the web. After all, if you find something you couldn’t normally afford, but it’s half price, you can get him an even better present… and who knows, you might find a little something for yourself, as well.
Now it’s nearly summer it’s time for the grown ups to come out and play. For some, their exercise will be a standard sport but if you’re looking to have a bit of fun along the way, consider playing a game that’s geared to amusement rather than effort.
Yard Yahtzee, for instance, takes a regular indoor game but transfers it outdoors and you’ll get a bit of exercise throwing the super sized dice. Giant Jenga is huge fun, and compared to tabletop Jenga makes a really scary noise as it comes crashing down at the end.
Outdoors Twister is another game guaranteed to give you exercise. It’s better than a yoga classfor bending your body into weird shapes, and you can have a laugh which is something you might find in short supply at some yoga classes.
Or you could take some of the great European outdoor sports. Petanque is played in France where many villages still have a petanque pitch. The ‘cochonnet’ or ‘little pig’ is thrown on to the pitch first, then the players throw their larger balls to try to end up closest to the pig and the closest wins.
Bocce ball is better known in the US, but it has a different technique – the balls are bowled instead of tossed. The big advantage of petanque is that because the balls are tossed, you can play it on the lawn, on sand, or on gravel; it really doesn’t matter. With bocce ball, you need a smooth surface.
Croquet apparently was once the same game as golf before they went their different ways. It was the Scots who made it into golf, and the Irish who made it into modern croquet. Trying to drive the ball through all the hoops in turn and hit the post in the middle before the other team sounds easy, but don’t forget, the other team can hit your ball out of the way, so you’re always at risk of being sent right back to the beginning.
Kubb was allegedly invented by the Vikings and it’s noisy and brutal, the way it was played was that you throw wooden clubs at the skittles to try to fell them. You’ll probably want to play it on the lawn, but it can be played on any surface. Swedes play on snow and ice if they have to.
Come up to date with a game of laser tag, where you lie in wait to shoot your best friend or hold a shootout with your kids. Or if you really want a workout, get yourself a spikeball set. It’s like a cross between soccer keepy uppy and volleyball, you take it in turns to smash the ball into the net with your hands (or any other part of your body), and you win when the other team can’t return the volley. The playing area can be as big or as small as you like and unless you want to compete, you can change the rules to suit yourself.
Personally, I still think a good game of frisbee is the best exercise and the most fun you can get but you do need a lot of space to play it.
Whichever game you want to play this summer, you’ll find equipment on Amazon and you should definitely check out Vipon’s money off deals first. Spending less money on your game equipment means more money for half time refreshments!
The days of shaggy beards and straggly hair are over. Male grooming is a big thing these days, and companies like Blind Barber, Anthony, and Detroit Grooming Co have built that businesses on the modern male’s requirement for great hair and skincare. So let’s look at what’s available, and what you need, to be the best groomed man in the room.
If you have a beard to look after you can’t just snip the end every so often. You really do need a beard trimmer to give it some definition and keep it from getting straggly. You’ll also need a good small pair of scissors and a comb, particularly for keeping your mustache looking good.
Your beard, like your hair, needs nourishment as well as cleaning. That’s why many men use a beard conditioner; if your beard is scratchy, try some out and you may be surprised what a difference it makes.
Your skin needs care as well. This is something men traditionally have not done, and most moisturizers on the market were aimed at women. But there’s no excuse today; there are loads of good moisturizers aimed at male customers. You’ll need to find the right moisturizer for your skin type, particularly if you have oily skin or dry skin; and remember that your skin can change its character over the years, becoming drier, so you might need to take that into account at some point.
Your skin needs care as well. This is something men traditionally have not done, and most moisturizers on the market were aimed at women. But there’s no excuse today; there are loads of good moisturizers aimed at male customers. You’ll need to find the right moisturizer for your skin type, particularly if you have oily skin or dry skin; and remember that your skin can change its character over the years, becoming drier, so you might need to take that into account at some point. A good moisturizer should also come with sunscreen of SPF factor 30 upwards. It reduces wrinkles and also reduces the risk of skin cancers, so it’s not about looking good now, it’s about still being here and still looking good in a few decades’ time. Try brands like Aesop, Jaxon Lane, or Lab Series.
You should also remember to use a good moisturizer or cream on your hands. While you don’t want your finger pink and baby-soft, having flaky, rough skin on your knuckles is not masculine, it’s off-putting. And get a good pair of nail scissors and a file – again, you don’t need a full-on manicure and nail job, but having neatly trimmed nails should be part of every man’s basic grooming routine. You should make a practice of giving yourself a good face scrub every week or so, too, to get rid of dead hair cells and stimulate your skin. Bullfrog and Tom Ford make good exfoliating scrubs, so treat yourself. You’ll feel great afterwards. Use a good shampoo, and remember to use a conditioner – without it, you’re going to dry your hair out. And know what hair products you need and what you can – and even should- go without. Unruly hair needs wax or pomade; don’t use it on fine hair, which needs oil-free, matte finish. Plus, it goes without saying, don’t skimp your visits to the barber.
Yes, the barber costs money. So economize by looking for discounts on your grooming products. Why not take a look on Vipon for deep discount offers on Amazon products? Then you can get a great new haircut to go with the great new products!
If you were born with green fingers, but you live in an apartment or a townhouse with only a tiny yard, you may feel you’ve missed out on the chance to have a garden. But gardening without a garden isn’t impossible – you just need to find the right plants and the right way to grow them.
An obvious first start for many people is window boxes. Use a box as deep and wide as you can fit; that will help keep water in the soil and stop it drying out too fast. Window boxes are heavy, so make sure they are firmly attached to the window sill, or fixed on brackets, particularly if you are on an upper floor.
Some people use window boxes just for summer flowers, but you could have greenery all year round if you plant ferns, or evergreen plants such as alpines. You could also use window boxes to grow herbs, and even strawberries in summer – not having a garden doesn’t stop you growing your own food.
You can use your indoor windowsill too, of course. Because it’s a warm and sheltered place it’s a good home for succulents and cacti, which you’ll want to grow in a dry medium (mix compost with grit). Mix different styles of pot for a good display – you can even use teacups for the smallest plants!
If you have a balcony or a tiny yard which has been concreted, you can grow plants in containers. Use your imagination and there are some fantastic possibilities. You could try training climbing plants up the wall, hanging small containers on the wall or having them in tiers on a stand, or even hung from the rungs of a ladder to make a tiny herb garden. If you have a reasonably large watertight container you can even grow waterlilies. A strawberry pot lets you grow strawberry plants in several pockets on the side of the pot, making it easier to pick the fruit.
Bigger containers will let you grow small trees, or tall herbs like rosemary. Or you might decide to get slates or shallow pots for bonsai landscapes – though those take a lot of care to grow well. Use mosses, ferns and other evergreen plants to keep your ‘un-garden’ looking bright even in winter.
A terrarium is a fascinating indoor garden – start one in a bottle, a fish tank, a special terrarium vase, or even in the glass coffee jug from a filter coffee machine that’s died. Because a terrarium is pretty self-contained, it won’t need watering too often, and just needs a little liquid fertilizer from time to time.
Some plants don’t even need soil. ‘Lucky bamboo’, moss balls, coleus, spiderwort, and sweet potato vine will grow in just water – so will hyacinth bulbs; some plants will grow in air alone, though they’ll need a good soak in water for half an hour or so every week. (In nature, they live in conditions of high humidity and get what they need straight out of the mist.)
So the thing you really need is to get the right pots. Galvanized containers look beautiful against greenery, while glass vases can hold a cactus at the bottom in very little soil, while the sides protect the cactus from drafts (and you from the cactus!). ‘Pocket’ style pots are made to hang on a wall; some people prefer classic terracotta, others, blue or celadon glazed pots.
Take a look on Vipon to see what kind of containers are available at a discount right now, and get your garden-without-a-garden started!
What is your favorite plant? Comment down below to let us know! You might have a chance to win our garden kit!
Most of our home storage is made for three kinds of things – soft things that hang up, like coats or kitchen towels, hard things that can be arranged in rows, like DVDs or books, and anything that will fit in a drawer. If you have a guitar, a canoe, or a bicycle, you have a problem – particularly if you live in an apartment.
But the good news is that storage solutions do exist. For instance, there are some superb bike storage systems that will use the wall, or if you have a high ceiling in one part of your home you can use a ceiling rack. Even the simplest of wall hooks stops bikes slipping over or the pedals sticking out – pet hate of anyone who has ever hit their shins on a pedal when they forgot about the bike parked in the hallway.
Guitarists have a huge number of solutions available. Hanging guitars on the wall can be one, but it’s as practical when you want to play as a floor stand. The standard floor rack is an A-frame for a single guitar, but you can get multi-guitar racks too. On the other hand, if you have a toddler, or pets, a wall rack will keep your guitar out of trouble.
Shoes are less bulky, but equally awkward. Fortunately shoe racks of all sorts offer a solution. You can get hanging shoe racks that will fit in your wardrobe or behind a door, in cloth or in metal (the latter is a bit easier to clean). Some wooden and bamboo shoe racks are stackable, so if you run out of space, you can just buy another one. For boots, buy boot hangers which will keep them out of the way and stop the sides of the boots getting wrinkled.
If you love the great outdoors, canoe racks will ensure your canoe is stored safely, taking up less space than using a pair of sawhorses. For a sporting family, four-on-a-wall racks are available. For fishing aficionados, fishing rod racks will keep your rods and gear safe out of the way, too.
If you have kids, you’ll know that toys are always difficult to keep organized, even if you haven’t yet had the experience of treading barefoot on a Lego brick. Throw-and-go is the best approach, with stackable open topped storage bins.
And what about your collection of vintage purses? Not all of us have a walk-in dressing room, but you can choose a place to install a hook board or coat rack or two, and put them on display. Purses at the top, totes at the bottom, and you’ve got it made.
Some of these storage solutions run into the hundreds of dollars, if you go for a custom-made solution. But often, there’s a much cheaper alternative that does the job equally well. Look on Vipon first if you want to save yourself some money – it’s amazing what you can find at an extra discount!
Is your mom sporty, loves cooking, is mad
about gardening?
Whatever mom’s hobby – we have tons of ideas
to help you find a great gift that will make her smile on Mother’s day.
#1 Help
your Mom stay beautiful
Every mom loves to be pampered.
If you are not sure what to get your mom on mother’s day then beauty products
are always a winner!
Our favourites are manicure & pedicure
sets, makeup brushes, eye masks. If you do not have much to spend fun nail
polish, decals, or even a makeup holder are wonderful ideas. You could even get
a new cosmetics bag – there are tons of funky designs to choose from.
Does your mom love to cook? From beautiful
plates to fun gadgets there are dozens of gift ideas you can get her.
If you are on a tight budget a beautiful new
apron or kitchen accessory makes a perfect gift. If you have a bit more to
splash out on a gift for your mother then knife set, juicers, or kitchen gift
sets are great.
Last year I got my mom a veggie spiralizer and
she loved the healthy meals she could make with it.
How about getting her some new gardening
gloves, a lovely flower pot or even a pretty gardening tool set.
A really popular product that is trending right now is garden torches and
lanterns. These look great in summer or winter. No garden? How about a new vase
or flower pot for the window. These are really simple but will make mom happy!
Anything that makes your home prettier will
bring a smile on mother’s day.
Our favourite gift ideas include throws, cushions and fun home accessories.
Recently essential oil diffusers have become super popular, they are not that
expensive and turn every room from a plain room to a wonderful scent. If mom
already has a diffuser then she would love some new essential oils.
Every mom loves food. From fun table mats to a
lovely new plate set – dining gifts are always popular. Get your mom a new mug,
apron, salt & pepper shaker set. You don’t have to spend a fortune to find
a nice gift.
Something as simple as some new place mats or
a colourful table cover will make mom happy. Have a look around your home or
ask your friends moms for ideas on what to get for your mother.
Moms love to be spoilt! You could get her a
new fun accessory, like a belt, bracelet or top.
Socks are another great idea – warm cozy socks
for mom to wear around the house. Bathrobes, earrings, necklaces are also
great. They don’t have to be expensive to be nice!
She will love a sporty gift. From yoga mats to
a new training gadget there are literally hundreds of things you could get. We
recommend yoga pants, microfiber towels and running belts. These are all
relatively cheap gifts but super practical!
A really cool product I got recently was
stretch bands. They have really helped me become more flexible – and are
perfect for runners, yoga lovers and all sporty moms!
Have a think about what you mom loves to do
when she has a little bit of free time – we know how busy moms can get! Then
try to think of a gift that matches her interests – it doesn’t have to be big
but your mother will appreciate you thinking about her gift for this special
day!
There are more ways to make money from home
than ever before. So if you don’t like waking up to an alarm clock and
answering to a boss, I want you to know – there’s a better way!
In today’s article I will show you 4 easy ways you can start making money from home right away.
Food and Grocery Delivery Service
For food delivery, apps like door dash,
Grubhub, and Instacart, are all great places to start. All you have to do is go
to the restaurant that your phone tells you to go to. They will then give you
the food that’s been ordered, and you deliver it to the person who ordered it.
follow the instructions on your phone to deliver it.
Grocery delivery is even more popular right
now. You can use a service like Instacart to shop for people and drop it off
safely to their home. This service is so popular right now, that I guarantee
you will be fully booked all day if you have the capacity for it. This can help
you save a considerable amount of money during this crisis.
Freelance Skills
These days, more and more companies are
looking to outsource work. It’s a lot cheaper than paying for an entire office!
If you have the type of skills they are looking for, this can not only be a
great side gig, it can turn into a completely new career.
So what kind of skills are in demand? Well
one of the most popular is freelance writing. Websites all over the world
require millions of pages of content written every single day. although you
might not consider yourself a writer, if you completed high school English,
you’re good enough. In fact, many of the most popular writers are non-native
English speakers. So if you have a decent grass with the language, and can
write naturally, that puts you far ahead.
You could also be an editor. You can read
others’ writings and correct them for spelling and grammar. If you’re a graphic
designer, that skill is in high demand as well. As is web design and
programming.
Don’t think you have any freelance skills?
Well, head over to one of the more popular freelance websites and see for
yourself. People are hiring for so many different jobs these days that I can
practically guarantee you’ll find something you can do.
The best websites are Upwork.com,
Fiverr.com, and Freelancer.com.
Sell Some of your Excess Stuff
This might not be considered a side gig,
but it’s a great way to make some extra cash quick. The truth is, most of us
have way more stuff than we need. If you really look through your stuff
seriously, I know you’ll find a lot you can sell. In fact, you’ll be surprised
at how much you can get rid of.
Even better, when you add all this together,
it can add up to a decent chunk of change.
The best places to sell your extra stuff is
Facebook marketplace and craigslist. The most important aspect of selling your
goods fast is to take quality pictures. So go somewhere where the lighting is
the best in order to get the best possible picture. Write a brief description
and be sure to include what kind of quality the item is in.
Publish Content on the Vipon V Show
We recently released a brand-new feature to
Vipon.com. It’s called the “V Show”. It’s a lot like YouTube. Anyone can upload
great content. And then we’ll show it to our audience.
The difference? It’s a lot easier to earn
money on the V Show than youtube! We pay based on likes. So if you get 10 likes
to your video/article, you can earn $1. The better your video/article, the more
likes you’ll get… and the more money you can make. If you can crack the code to
our audience, you won’t just make money… you’ll get famous.
In Conclusion
This might seem like difficult and scary
times. And while they are, every cloud has a silver lining. The silver lining
to this crisis may be that you find a brand-new way to start making money. I
hope this article gave you some concrete ways to get started. If you follow the
advice I’ve given you, you’ll either find the right opportunity, or you’ll be
in the right direction. Don’t give up and before you know it, you’ll be making
more money on the side than you thought possible.
Are you looking to earn some extra money
online? Vipon has an amazing new opportunity for you! And… you could even get
famous.
As you know, millions of people
are now making full-time incomes online. YouTubers, influencers, and internet
celebrities at throwing their alarm clocks away, traveling the world, and
getting paid handsomely to do so.
Now it’s your turn.
With Vipon’s new feature, the “V Show”,
you’ll now have a real chance at earning a nice side income for making
content!
What is the V Show?
Every day, over 10s of thousands of
people visit Vipon. We are one of the largest Amazon coupon websites in the world. And we
continue to grow every single month.
Recently, we wanted to provide our visitors
with more than just amazing deals. We also want to entertain them, teach them
new skills, and improve their lives. The way we’re doing this is with the V
Show.
With the V Show, anyone can upload a video or article. We will then feature it on our homepage. Then our daily visitors will see your content. If they “like” it, your content will be shown even more. Popular content creators can expect to get thousands of views very quickly.
Get Paid For Your Content
We plan to reward our creators handsomely.
For now, you can get paid $1 for every 10 “likes”. When your video is seen
thousands of times, these likes add up quickly.
You can withdraw money from your account
after the balance reaches $10. If you consistently upload high quality video,
you can expect this to be a brand-new income stream that’s independent of your
current job or location. Since many people are choosing to stay home right now,
this is the perfect time to start your new career.
Imagine having a blast recording a video…
knowing it’s going to make you money. Imagine wanting to buy something, and
knowing all you have to do is make a content and its yours. This kind of life is now
possible for you with the all-new V Show!
What Kind of Content Can You Upload?
We intend for the V show to be a diverse
entertainment network. You can write articles, post pictures, or videos. In
general, videos will likely spread better.
You can also upload old videos that you’ve
recorded. In other words, you don’t need to create brand new content. However,
you cannot upload someone else’s content and claim it as your own. If we find
you’ve done this, your video/article will be deleted, and any likes and
money you’ve earned from it will be canceled. Also, if you create
content that breaks our guidelines (is violent or adult oriented), we will
remove the content and cancel the payments.
Other than that… it’s up to you what kind
of content you want to upload!
A Way for Influencers to Exponentially
Boost Their Audience
Are you already a well-known social media
influencer? If so, the V Show can take your brand and career to the next level.
By publishing great content, you can quickly add thousands of new views to your
videos every single day.
Of course we will tell people what your brand is, so it will grow your audience
across every platform.
How to Upload Content？
Adding your content to the V show couldn’t be easier. Here’s how it’s done:
Register for a Vipon Shopper
Account and verify it
Login to Vipon
Complete your profile
Upload your content by clicking Personal
Center -> My Post -> New Post -> Upload article or video
Once your content
is added, users will be able to watch it. The more people who “like” your content, the more we will show it. People will be able
to share your content on social media websites
like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and more. This means a good content will be seen by many people all over the world.
In Conclusion
We believe that the show will quickly
become the most popular part of our website. Even though we already get
thousands of unique visitors every day, this could push that number to
millions. We are in the very early stages of the V Show. Which means if you get
in now, you can get a huge chunk of traffic, build an audience, and perfectly
positioned yourself to grow your career as we grow too.
We will be spending significant resources
promoting this section of our website. So don’t delay . Create your Vipon
account right now and start uploading content. See what our audience responds
to. See what people like. Get paid when people like your content. And change
your life.
It’s
true: the coronavirus is now a public health crisis.
We need
to take immediate, drastic measures to make sure we’re not seeing the
worst-case scenario. The good news? There’s still time.
In
today’s article, I am going to give you a few tips to put the odds in your
favor of getting through this disease.
It’s Time to Change Our Behavior
This
virus spreads incredibly quickly. So much so that we have limited options to
protect ourselves. Washing your hands is a simple weapon against the virus.
But, believe it or not, there’s a right way and wrong way to do it. The wrong way is to splash soap on your
hands and briefly wash it off. Instead, you should vigorously cover your hands
with soap. Make sure to get your thumbs, in-between fingers, and the front and
back of your home. Then, use the water to wash your hands vigorously for 20
seconds. It’s more thorough than you’re probably used to. But it’s the best way
to keep yourself safe.
However, there’s evidence the virus spreads
through the air. If this is the case, we really only have ONE effective
measure… avoid crowds.
Yes, it’s
difficult. However, if you’re able to stay indoors much more than usual, you
drop your odds of picking up the virus. Soon, of those who DO get the virus,
many will recover. They will then see an immunity which will help stop the
spread of the virus further.
Protect Vulnerable People
This virus
CLEARLY affects older people more than young. Although young aren’t
invulnerable, they seem to get over it quickly. And for many it’s like a basic
cold more than anything. For this reason, if you are over the age of 60… or
have family members who are over the age of 60… PLEASE impress on them the
importance of avoiding crowds.
I don’t
want to cause panic, but this could literally be life or death. This is not the
time we can be casual. It’s an inconvenience. But we NEED to change. Now.
Emergency Prep Best Practices
The best
way to get through an emergency is to be prepared. Although there is some good
news with the virus, we still need to be prepared for the worse. It’s never a
bad idea to have 2 weeks of spare food on hand. This can help buy time in the
event of a worst case scenario.
Practice Meticulous Hygiene
It goes
without saying that washing your hands is important. ANYTIME you leave the
house, be sure you DO NOT touch your face until you’ve washed your hands
thoroughly. Leave shoes in the entryway. If possible, immediately change into
clean clothes and put dirty clothes into a trash bag for washing.
I know…
it’s inconvenient. But the unfortunate reality is this is VERY serious. We will
be inconvenienced. If you don’t want to experience that, I feel for you… but
you are putting yourself and others at MAJOR risk.
Other Helpful Items
Soap and
hand sanitizer is a must for killing the virus (generally speaking, you don’t
need both). And there are some other items that can help protect you too. N95
masks have proven to be effective against the virus. However, those will likely
be in short supply as we need those for healthcare workers first. Also, latex
gloves will help protect the virus from getting in through devices everyone
touches, like phones, atms, self-checkout, etc.
Medicine/Vaccine Development
We have
scientists working around the clock right now trying to figure out how to fight
this thing. The only problem is, even in the best case scenario, these
medicines take time to roll out. If we rush it, we risk giving the public
something that actually harms them more than the virus! Can you imagine if we
vaccinated millions of people and it turned out to be worse? We can’t take that
chance. For this reason, even with the fastest technology and most expedited
process, we will not see a vaccine for at least a year.
Yes, it’s
sobering… yet here’s the better news.
Right
now, we have several anti-viral medications in clinical trials. We don’t know
if these will work or not. Yet we do have some that have worked with other
coronaviruses in the past. We will know in 30 days whether or not this medicine
is effective. If it is, we can mass produce it and we could severely reduce how
dangerous this virus is.
In Conclusion
I won’t
lie to you… these are scary times. However, the fact is, it could be worse.
Most people who get the virus recover from it. Please make sure to stock up on
food and other necessary supplies while you can. Prepare for the worst… hope
for the best.
Playing music is something that I believe
everyone should do. Why? Well, studies show that people who play music are
actually smarter than those who don’t. It has an effect on the brain that has
been shown to help you with everything else in your life. Yet more importantly,
playing music can be an incredible option for self-therapy. It’s an inexpensive
way to make your life better.
In today’s article, I’m going to give you 5
simple tips that will help you learn a musical instrument much faster than you
might think.
Learn How to Practice Effectively
The number one reason why most people don’t
learn a musical instrument, is because they don’t know how to practice.
Practicing isn’t easy. It takes discipline and dedication. But here’s the thing…
if you’re not capable of practicing a
musical instrument, you’re probably not capable of practicing anything else.
This means for your entire life, you will underperform at virtually everything
you do.
At the end of the day, practicing is
simple. You take something you can’t do, and you start out extremely slow. You
practice that thing over and over again, making sure that your attention is
focused in the moment. Overtime you get better and better at it , until before
you know it, you are unconsciously competent.
Now, if you’ve never practiced a musical
instrument before, you need to learn how to do it. Which brings me to my next
point.
Get a Good Teacher
Thanks to YouTube and the Internet, you can
learn a lot about music without ever having a teacher. But, you’ll miss the
most important part. Without a teacher, you risk never learning how to practice
in a way that is effective for you. In just a few lessons, a teacher can give
you a practice foundation that helps you for your entire musical Life. For this
reason, if you’re serious about music, get a teacher. You can find many quality
teachers for as low as $20 to $30 an hour.
A great way to find a good music teacher is
to simply ask people that you know are good at their instrument. If you admire
someone and the way they play, ask them who their teacher was. Then you can
know that you’re getting the best instruction possible.
Believe In Yourself
This might seem kind of abstract. But the
truth is, a musical instrument is not really that difficult. Most melodies are
simple and can be played even by beginners. The reason why most people struggle
with music is they are simply not confident. They may sit at a piano and feel
nervous, not knowing what to play. Instead of trusting their ears and looking
inward to see what they fill sounds good, they worry about what others will
think of them instead. The truth is, some of the best and most famous musicians
aren’t necessarily the most talented. Instead, they are simply the most
confident in their abilities. They can get up on stage and trust their heart.
Listen to (and Study) Music
If you think about good musicians
throughout time, one name that will consistently pop up is Mozart. He was the
very image of a child prodigy`. By the age of five he was already touring
around Europe playing for Kings. For this reason, some people believe that
Mozart was just gifted. He never had to study, and he never practiced.
Yet that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Even Mozart himself said that nobody had studied the great Masters of the past
as much as he did. And Joseph Haydn, himself a respectable, legendary composer,
and Mozart’s teacher, said that the reason why he was such a good composer, was
because of how much he listened to music.
When most people listen to music, they
listened to relax and enjoy. Of course, I recommend you do this too. But, also
take the time to study the music. Figure out what the writer is doing. You will
find that they repeat certain sections. You will find that they take breaks or
change the rhythm, to increase tension. When you really start to study music,
you’ll find that it isn’t rocket science.
Borrow Ideas From Your Favorites
“Bad artists copy. Great artists steal.” –
Pablo Picasso
There’s a common misconception in the world
of music then all the best musicians are totally original. In other words,
everything they wrote was brand new and never written before. But when you
actually start to study music, you realize this isn’t the case. In fact,
virtually every famous artist copied or in some cases directly stole some of
their best work.
Famously, the best-selling band Led
Zeppelin stole many of their most famous songs. Even there hit “stairway to
heaven”, was directly lifted from another musician. Of course, they made it
their own, and their version is very far from the original. But it goes to show
that when you listen to something you like you can imitate it in your own way.
This will form the foundation to writing your own material in the future.
In Conclusion
Learning music is a lifelong journey. Yet I
promise you this: it is easier to get started than you think. If you can get
over the initial practice hurdle, you’ll find yourself playing beautiful music.
At this point you’ll gain real joy out of playing, and it will be easy to continue and get better.
