Language and music have a lot in common. We learn both of them in large part because they feel good. It feels good to connect with other people; it feels good to express yourself. Sure, you might say the real reason you're learning Mandarin is to help with your career, your studies, or any number of other reasons. And that can be a great starting point. But language learning is an endurance sport, and those who don't find some way to enjoy the process are much more likely to burn out and give up.

Similarly, the vast majority of people who regularly play an instrument do so in large part because it feels good; it's meaningful; it's enjoyable. And we tend to feel sorry for the few musicians who play despite disliking it or finding no meaning in it, just because they "should." Why bother?

Not that you need to find complete enjoyment in learning Mandarin right now. Like any new thing, it takes time. So give yourself time (and space) to explore, to try various things, to follow paths of inquiry that inspire you. There's no one correct path when it comes to languages (or music).

A conversation is a lot like a jam session. It goes well when everyone listens to everyone else; when everyone plays in the same rhythm and the same key. Everyone takes turns sharing the spotlight; one player takes a solo, and the others hang back, make space, nod in affirmation, ask questions, play counterpoint. A good conversation can be a beautiful thing, just like a well improvised piece of music.

In his TEDx talk at Gabriola Island, musician Victor Wooten tells the story of learning to play the bass guitar as a very young child. Before he was old enough to even hold a real instrument, he would sit in on his older brothers’ jam sessions. His brothers put a plastic toy guitar in his hand so that he could feel like he was part of the band. You could say he was learning music at the same time that he was learning English.

This is an unusual way to start learning about music, but it was effective: By the time Wooten was old enough to hold a real instrument, nobody needed to tell him what to do with it. He knew how to play music -- it was just a matter of teaching his fingers to channel what his mind already grasped.

Nobody ever told Victor Wooten that he wasn’t ready to play yet. That he wasn’t allowed to jam with his older brothers until he learned more chords and scales. So don’t let anyone -- least of all yourself -- tell you that you aren’t ready to speak Mandarin until you learn more words and phrases.

If you’re a beginner, then maybe you’re just like that baby Victor Wooten, sitting in the chair with the plastic guitar. If you know what it feels like to communicate with someone, then you already know how to speak Mandarin. You just need time to figure out where to put your fingers.

Dialogue

L：欸？餐廳在哪裡...
L: Éi? Cāntīng zài nǎlǐ...

L: Huh? Where’s the restaurant…

M：你不知道怎麼去？

M: Nǐ bù zhīdào zěnme qù?
M: You don’t know how to go?

L：我忘記了...

L: Wǒ wàngjìle...
L: I forgot…

M: 你忘記怎麼去！要不要我幫你看Google Maps?
M: Nǐ wàngjì zěnme qù! Yào bùyào wǒ bāng nǐ kàn Google Maps?

M: You forgot how to go?! Do you want me to help you look at Google Maps?

L：不用了，我可以的
L: Bùyòngle, wǒ kěyǐ de

L: Don’t bother (literally: don't use), I can do it.

M：你看左邊！是那家嗎？

M: Nǐ kàn zuǒbiān! Shì nà jiā ma?
M: Look to the left! Is it that one?

L：喔？不是。不是那家

L: Ō? Bùshì. Bùshì nà jiā
L: Oh? No, it’s not. It’s not that one.

M：好吧... 欸？等一下！是左邊那家很大的餐廳嗎？

M: Hǎo ba... Éi? Děng yīxià! Shì zuǒbiān nà jiā hěn dà de cāntīng ma?
M: Alright… Oh? Wait a sec! Is it that really big restaurant on the left?

L：在哪裡啊？

L: Zài nǎlǐ a?
L: Where?!

M：在那裡啊！

M: Zài nàlǐ a!
M: There!

L：喔！對！就是那家！我的眼睛有問題了

L: Ō! Duì! Jiùshì nà jiā! Wǒ de yǎnjīng yǒu wèntíle
L: Oh! Yeah! That’s the one! My eyes have a problem.

M：沒關係，趕快停車！

M: Méiguānxì, gǎnkuài tíngchē!
M: It’s fine, hurry up and park!

A note about pronunciation: The dialogue above includes the pinyin romanization of the text. The advantage of pinyin for English speakers is that it uses the familiar symbols of the Latin alphabet. The disadvantage is that English speakers are easily deceived into thinking these familiar symbols represent the same sounds they do in English. They don't. That said, pinyin can be a useful system to learn, but you must rely on your ears first, eyes second.

Don't expect to be able to pronounce anything just by reading the pinyin; the romanization is just a reference to jog your memory. The language exists primarily in its sounds, which is why daily listening and imitation practice is so important.