14 Online Music Communities You Can't Ignore

So you want to learn to play a musical instrument? In addition to a great teacher, you’ll likely also want to find a community that shares your enthusiasm for learning. In this post, we recommend a few places to start your search for resources and insightful conversations to help you learn music online.

BLOGS

No matter what instrument you play and regardless of your skill level, there’s a blog out there for you. In addition to being valuable sources of information, blogs can also point you in the direction of additional resources, technology, techniques and tips. Here are a few we dig:

The Musicians Way - Veteran musician Gerald Klickstein shares his thoughts on Music practice and performance, creativity, collaboration and life as a musician.
About Piano - About.com offers a wealth of information for piano players. From the  history of the instrument to instrument care and playing styles, there’s much to learn on this site.
Violinist - With more than 25,000 registered members, Violinist.com is one of the biggest online communities of violin players and enthusiasts. Ask questions or just read up!
Banjo History - Everything you’d ever want to know about banjo lives here.


GOOGLE+
What does Google+ offer to help you learn a musical instrument? More than you think! There are a number of active (and approachable) communities with insightful conversations around individual musical instruments. Check these out:

Guitar - If you’ve got guitar questions, this is a great place to get them answered. Advice is shared quickly and readily in this community.
Ukulele - An enthusiastic group of ukulele lovers. Join the discussion and share your opinions, thoughts and influences.
Barbershop Singers - 'Singing' is a catch-all term. Your tastes are probably more specific than that. Look for the group or online community that suits your interests. There's even a Google+ group for barbershop singers!
Drums & Drummers - If you’re a drummer or aspiring to be one, you’ll like what you find here. Join the discussion and share some photos. If you’ve got questions, ask away.
Harmonica - This community is especially great for inspiration. Talk with other harmonica enthusiasts and share your favorite riffs...and learn a thing or two while you're at it.

REDDIT
If you fancy yourself an ultra-savvy internet user, you’re probably already on Reddit. If you’re not, check it out. Its a bit intimidating at first but there is a lot of great information sharing going on within the various music communities (called subreddits). Click here for a full list of music-related subreddits. 

The ZOEN's recommendations for beginners:
r/LearnMusic - Find information and swap tips related to a shared interest of learning to play a musical instrument.
r/Saxophonics - More saxophone enthusiasm than you can shake a stick at!
r/MusicMakers - Those interested in composition and songwriting take note. This subreddit is a great place to share and get feedback on your music.
r/Guitar - This community really knows guitar. Got questions about a particular model or need suggestions of the best guitar gear to buy? Ask away.
r/Bass - Talk amps, strings, technique and songs on this subreddit. Lots of great information from more than 15,000 bass players and learners!

So there you have it - plenty of resources to expand your musical world.  Go on, find your tribe. 

Is there a blog or group we missed? Let us know in the comments below!