Transferability

A lot of skills in music are not specific to one instrument. A number of musical skills are either universal or can easily be transferred to a different instrument.

Things like ear training, rhythm, phrasing, and music theory are universal. They aren’t specific to one instrument and can easily be applied to different instruments.

Things like finger dexterity, breathe control, embouchure, coordination, and fingerings may be more specific to one instrument, but can easily be transferred to another.

Finger dexterity is something that you need to learn for any instrument and is required for many different instruments. The more closely related those instruments are, the more easily that skill will be transferred over. If you know how to play guitar and decide to learn ukulele, the techniques involved in guitar will transfer over easily because those instruments are closely related.

If you know guitar and decide to learn piano, the overlap is less, but the finger dexterity will still help.

If you know guitar and you decide to learn flute the overlap is even less. There are many new skills you’ll need to learn. But the finger dexterity you learn to play guitar will help in being able to finger the keys on flute.

Some instruments share similar embouchure techniques. Clarinet and saxophone are two that are incredibly similar. This is often why professional clarinet players often play saxophone proficiently. The reverse is also often the case. The embouchure, and instrument construction are similar and allow for a lot of skill transfer.

This is also often true for stringed instruments. The bow technique for violin and viola is similar. The same can be said for the bow technique of violin and cello, even though it may be slightly different. The instruments are also constructed in similar ways and have a fingerboard with no frets on it.

The more instruments you learn, the more skills you have that will transfer over. This is why many band directors and elementary school teachers are able to play all of the orchestral instruments at a fairly high level. Once you learn clarinet, you can more easily learn saxophone and flute. Once you learn trumpet, you can more easily learn trombone, french horn, and tuba. And this keeps going the more instruments you learn. Once you know flute, clarinet, and trumpet, all of the skills involved in playing those instruments can be transferred to whatever the next instrument is that you are trying to learn.

This also applies if you have developed high levels of universal skills. Having well trained ears will help with learning any instrument. Having solid rhythm will help with playing any instrument because they all require that you play in time. Understanding phrasing can help you play more musically once you’ve gotten the basic techniques down.

ISJ