How to keep yourself motivated playing guitar:
- Play with other musicians
- Allot dedicated time
- Incentivise
- Remind yourself of the benefits
- Learn from the best
You’re more likely to quit within the first few months of learning to play guitar than at any other time in your career. You might have had a reality check when you realised how good a lot of pro guitarists are, or maybe you find practising tedious. Maybe your favourite songs are too tricky to play, or you simply can’t find the time.
Whatever the activity, profession or vocation, keeping yourself motivated is the largest factor in becoming the best you can and enjoying a fruitful life-long experience.
Don’t walk away from the guitar it just yet! There’s still hope. Here are five tips to make sure you stick with playing guitar, regardless of ability.
Jam with other guitarists
Practice can mean sitting at home for an hour or two running through techniques or bits of songs by yourself. It can be a lonely experience, so sometimes it’s good to mix it up. Ask someone to jam, or check out websites that advertise for guitarists in the local area.
Having someone by your side who has been playing longer can help you correct mistakes and show you new techniques. You’ll improve by simply watching a good player up close. This isn’t to say they need to be your teacher, because you can still choose exactly what type of music you want to play.
Avoid distractions & dedicate time
Set aside allotted time during the week where you’re not doing anything else. Put all phones, tablets and distractions away, turn off the TV and go into another room if you can to play guitar.
Getting distracted by outside factors can be one of the simple reasons you might say you don’t have enough time to fit in playing. Sort out a practice schedule to keep you on track.
Incentives & goals
Set yourself targets. If there’s a certain technique, scale or progression of guitar chords you struggle with, face it head-on. Use proven methods to progress such as playing with a metronome, going through finger exercise routines and getting used to referring to chord charts. Go back to basic blues scale fundamentals and even taking a look at tab sheets. You are more motivated when you have clear, obtainable incentives.
Don’t put a time limit on your targets. There’s no rush! It’s possible to improve at any age. You’ll be better at playing certain styles as your general ability improves too.
Remind yourself of the benefits
Have you ever thought about how a song is structured or the writing process theory? Keep playing guitar and, naturally, you’ll understand music theory concepts.
Even if you don’t learn how to read sheet music there are certain fundamentals to pick up on, like time signatures and notation. This can expand your perception of music in the future and you’ll get more out of the art form on a personal level.
Playing guitar will improve mental discipline, patience and offer a type of escapism from the routine. Sticking with guitar also has physical benefits for finger flexibility, ambidexterity and coordination.
Online guitar lessons from pro guitarists
Some professional musicians run online one-to-one or group guitar lessons over Skype and similar video chat apps. Not only are you learning something new whatever ability you might have, but you get to meet people you aspire to play like.
These musicians have more than likely been through whatever mental block you have and came out the other side making a living. A motivational pep talk from someone in the business can inspire you to push on with the learning process.
Let us know if any of these tips help you keep up playing the guitar! If you liked this read, check out more of our learn articles.
If you’re looking for a new guitar, check out the Andertons website.
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