Music Self-Efficacy, Self-Esteem, and Help-Seeking Orientation Among Amateur Musicians Who Use Online Music Tutorials

The present study explores the relationship between music self-efficacy, help-seeking orientation, self-esteem, and the preferences of online music tutorials use among amateur musicians. We hypothesized that autonomy help-seeking orientation, high self-esteem, and the use of autonomy online music tutorials (which foster independent learners, incorporate context, and background) would be positively correlated with music self-efficacy, whereas dependent help-seeking orientation and preferring dependent online music tutorials would be negatively correlated with music self-efficacy. Participants were 316 amateur musicians from 26 countries, who use online music tutorials while learning to play new pieces. They answered questionnaires measuring different learning and playing habits (coplaying experience, studying music with a teacher, years of playing, hours spent playing per week). Ordinary least squares regression indicated that the independent variables accounted for 48% of the variance in the dependent variable, and that the model was significant. Furthermore, the theoretical independent variables accounted for 34% of the variance in the dependent variable, above and beyond the variance explained by the background independent variables. The results indicated that self-esteem, autonomy help-seeking orientation, preferences of autonomy online music tutorials, and weekly hours of playing were positive predictors of music self-efficacy. Conversely, dependent help-seeking orientation was a negative predictor of music self-efficacy. The uniqueness of the study lies in using personal characteristics and learning habits as MSE predictors among amateur musicians. The findings highlight the need to examine any possible causality in the relationship between learning and playing habits of amateur musicians and their music self-efficacy.