A good musician can play more than one instrument. Usually they can play their primary instrument well, and maybe a few others to a lesser degree. Learning other instruments helps expand your musical understanding, as well as your sound.

An instrument I have recently picked up is the mandolin. It is a small, five stringed instrument with the same tuning as a violin. It is primarily used in folk music, but it is not limited to that. In fact, the mandolin is one of the primary instruments in local Trinity band Jaspers Cast. I highly recommend learning various instruments. It helps keep things interesting and fresh, and it is easier to make those mistakes that turn into something great on an instrument that you are not as familiar with.

It is just as important to maintain your instruments. For example, I play everything from blues and rock to jazz on my guitar. But jazz requires crisp notes and clean strokes, and I needed to get some work done on my guitar in order for this to be possible. I took it to Krazy Kat Music Store and they did a good job. Being happier with the way my guitar plays, sounds and feels makes me prone to playing more, and therefore, becoming a better musician.

Musicians Guide to life at Trinity by Clay Ford is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.