When starting your journey in music, the first elements you should focus on learning include:

  1. Musical Notes and Pitch: Understand the basics of musical notes, which are the building blocks of music. Learn the names of the notes, their positions on a staff, and how they relate to the pitches on your instrument.
  2. Rhythm and Timing: Get a grip on rhythm, which is essential for playing music effectively. This includes understanding beat, tempo, and meter. Practice clapping or tapping along to a metronome to develop your sense of timing.
  3. Scales and Key Signatures: Start with major and minor scales as they are fundamental to Western music. Scales help you understand how notes are organized in a key and are crucial for developing melody and harmony​​.
  4. Basic Chords and Harmony: Learn the basic chords, starting with major and minor triads. Knowing how to build and play chords will enable you to accompany melodies and understand song structures.
  5. Reading Music: Learning to read sheet music will greatly assist in understanding and performing music. This includes recognizing notes on the staff, understanding rhythm notation, and interpreting dynamics and articulations.
  6. Listening Skills: Develop critical listening skills to distinguish different musical elements. Listen to a variety of music and try to identify instruments, rhythms, melodies, and changes in dynamics.

These foundational elements will set a solid base for further exploration in any musical genre or instrument you choose to pursue.