Find the Right Teacher
Instructional books and DVDs are fun, but nothing beats the right teacher. Finding a compatible classical teacher might take a few days. While the local musician’s union office or website is still the best place to start, you’ll probably need to find an active jazz, country, or Celtic performer in your area for other styles. Try Googling the name of the nearest big city, your instrument, and the style you desire.

Your parents might be impressed by the extra inspiration you’re getting from an additional style and split the bill for lessons. And the extra time you spend learning another style pumps up the one you started off on. The more you explore different sides of your instrument, the less you’ll have to start over with any kind of music, be it classical or Celtic or the blues.

“I wanted to play so bad in that style that the transition was relatively easy,” admits Young, now a sought-after electric bluesman releasing his first Back Porch Records album with harmonica virtuoso Dan Kaplan.

Maybe the answer to the question “How hard can it be to learn a new style?” is really “The more you want to learn, the easier it’ll be!”