But I Don't Deserve a Good Guitar

Do you deserve a new guitar?

Have you been thinking about buying a new, better guitar don't think you "deserve" it. I have students who believe they should earn a more expensive instrument by attaining a certain level before they reward themselves. Then there are others who go out and buy an instrument that's probably more than they need, or is it? There are two schools of thought, and maybe after reading this post your viewpoint will change. At the very least you'll have some food for thought.


The guitar as a reward.

Setting goals and offering a reward, in this case a new guitar, can be a motivating factor, but are you sacrificing something that would make beginning guitar much easier? Does your current guitar at least play and sound good? Buying an inexpensive guitar used to be a much worse idea. Basically, if you bought a cheap guitar you got a cheap guitar. With the lower price point more competitive now, the manufacturers are improving the quality. The bar has been raised and it's much more difficult to pass off a poorly made guitar. So, if you're happy with your present guitar you probably should keep it for a while until you reward yourself with a nicer, better sounding one.

The guitar as a motivational tool.

The other way to look at it is by investing a larger amount of money you'll be more motivated to practice. When you've handed over more of your hard earned cash it shows a higher commitment level than the ever popular "I won't lose much if I quit." Beginning guitar students have that attitude a lot more than you'd think, and I can't but think to myself, strike one. When they come in with a guitar that's obviously been given serious thought, it shows that it's not just a trial period to see if they like it.
Many of the major brands including Martin, and Taylor among others, have entry level guitars that are
well made and reasonably priced. Does a Baby Taylor or a Martin DX sound as good as their expensive guitars? No, but when you own a guitar made by a reputable builder you know you haven't wasted your money on an entry level instrument.

So the main points to keep in mind are to do some research, get some opinions from guitar players you know, and most important, try to choose an instrument that you'll keep for at least the first couple of years until the guitar bug gets you. Once that happens you'll be hooked.

What's Your Excuse?

Having trouble finding time to practice?

We all have busy schedules, but those that really want to learn guitar simply find the time! I've heard enough excuses that I've toyed with the idea of writing "The Beginning Guitarist's Excuse Book.) Kids, family, work, vacations, you name it, there's a never ending list of excuses.

Get up earlier? Are you kidding me?

Learning to play guitar, or any other instrument, requires commitment and time to practice. Too many people are content with practicing 15 to 20 minutes a few days a week, then upset because they don't see much progress. I go through their typical day, and if it seems like there's not a spare minute, they look at me like I'm a space alien when I suggest staying up later or getting up earlier.

"I haven't practiced, should I come to my lesson anyway?"

Another pet peeve. You should absolutely come to your guitar lesson anyway, we can still teach you something. Skipping the lesson is like skipping the gym, the more you do it the easier it becomes. Your guitar teacher can find lots of ways to fill the time even if you haven't picked up the guitar all week. You can work on theory, rhythm,  scales, finger exercises, or just spend the lesson doing what you should have done all week, practice.

"I'm going to take a short hiatus."

Again, bad idea. I can tell you with absolute certainty that the vast majority don't come back, or at least not in a short time frame. Usually it's a couple years later, accompanied with lamenting about how they should have stuck with it.

The bottom line.

The bottom line is that if you're going to pursue anything, playing music, writing a book, learning a skill or a hobby, you have to commit yourself to it. My theory is that if you really, truly want to do it, you'll find the time.

What Are You Working On?

Are you practicing or just "noodling around" on your guitar?

To make continual progress, you need to be working on something. While it's fun for a beginning guitar player to perform songs he or she already plays well, it doesn't do a lot for moving forward. I'm not saying playing guitar should be all work and no play, but if you're looking to play better it's necessary to work at it. Each serious practice session should at least have a couple of goals, things you're working on.


Scales and alternate picking.

One way to move along is to improve your playing techniques. Scales help with muscle memory as well as developing your ear. Most people seem to think that playing by ear is a mysterious skill that can only be learned by talented, gifted students of music. However, once you know a little theory and you get used to the sound of scales and chords you'll find that it is a skill that most people can learn. Using alternate picking, (picking down and up), is a good technique to develop while practicing scales. It helps you find the strings and maneuver the pick. You'll find that many songs have passages that are simply scales or parts of scales.

Songs that are a challenge.

You don't have to choose a song that's way over your head, but your playing will improve with songs that are at least a little more difficult than what you're used to. Most beginning guitar books and most teachers will provide you with songs and exercises that get progressively harder. I don't encourage my students to gloss over songs, but I do try to keep them moving forward. Once you've got a song to a level where you just need to polish it up, see if your guitar teacher thinks you're ready to tackle another.

Keep on keepin' on.

The last bit of advice for today is to not get discouraged, don't be in too big a hurry, and remember that playing guitar is a long term commitment. Too many times the student will "pull the plug" when things get more difficult, and then years later pick up the guitar again, wishing they hadn't stopped!

Guitar Players That Have Influenced Me the Most

Today I thought I'd name a few of the guitarists I listened to when I started playing.

This is by no means a complete list.

Doc Watson. I discovered Doc on a trip to our local library's record collection. It was a 33rpm album simply titled "Doc Watson".  Back then the albums described the artist as well as the songs on the record. I read that he played fiddle tunes on guitar, with a pick, and when I heard him do that I was amazed! There were very few bluegrass guitar players doing that in the 1960s. He also plays country blues using his fingers instead of a pick, and it was my first introduction to open tunings. I had no idea as a beginning guitar player that anyone tuned to a chord. If you're not familiar with Doc, check him out. Even though he's in his 80s now, he's still an awesome guitar player!

Chet Atkins. I heard his name time and again, and finally checked him out. I was under the impression that he was mostly a country guitar player, so was quite surprised at the many types of songs he had on his albums. He was a fingerstyle player, with a solid, alternating bass line going while the fingers played the melody and some harmony to the songs. You would swear that you were hearing more than one guitar. In fact, John Fahey, an accomplished guitarist in his own right, said in a Guitar Player Magazine interview that he was sure there was "no way that's just one guitar." Chet made albums with a diverse group of his contemporaries including Jerry Reed, Les Paul, Mark Knopfler and others. Again, if you're not familiar with Chet or his music, there's still plenty of it available.

Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Paul Simon.

Peter and Paul are the ones from the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary. I was absolutely a fanatic about fingerpicked, acoustic guitar and these guys were my favorites. I'd say I learned most of what I played by listening to these 3. Paul Simon got me hooked when he recorded Anji, a guitar instrumental that I still play. All of these guys demonstrate the 3 Ts of music: Timing, Tone and Taste.

Still crazy about guitar after all these years.

While that hardly scratches the surface, I think it demonstrates how other players can shape your playing. I've been playing guitar for over 40 years and I can honestly say that I still love it. So if you're just beginning guitar, find a good teacher, immerse yourself in the kind of music you enjoy, and open your eyes and ears to as many types of music as you can. I've always felt that I could learn something from everyone, even those that play music that's not necessarily what I like. I've learned and added songs, licks and tricks from all kinds of artists, guitarist or not.

How Often Should I Change Strings and What Kind Do I Get?

How long you go between string changes depends on a few factors.

Do your strings look rusty or black? Change them. Have they been on your guitar for more than a year? Change them. Does your guitar keep going out of tune? Change them. When in doubt, it's best to replace your strings. The nice thing about guitar strings is that they're fairly inexpensive, so there's really not much of an excuse for not changing them.

What kind of strings should you use?

Guitar strings are pretty confusing especially to a beginning guitar student. There are multiple thicknesses, brands, materials, and much more to consider. Again, since they're not very expensive if you find a set you don't like, get rid of them.


There are three basic types of strings, and many variations.

A classical guitar has nylon strings, an acoustic has steel strings, and an electric also has steel strings although they're usually made of different materials. Nylon strings have 3 or sometimes 4 wound strings which have an inner core of nylon or silk wrapped with very thin wire. The unwound strings are nylon and resemble fishing line.

A steel string, acoustic guitar has strings that are usually made of nickel, bronze or phosphor bronze. The bronze strings have a brighter sound than nickel and project a little better.

Electric guitars have strings that are usually nickel, and they're generally thinner (lighter) than acoustic guitar strings.

Those are the bare bones basics of guitar strings. In future blogs I'll go into more detail about ways for a beginning guitar student to choose the right strings.

Playing Under Pressure

Have you performed a piece well at home only to fall apart at your lesson?

I know how you feel! I had to take Class Piano when I went back to college, and even though I could play well at home, when I had to play for the teacher it seemed almost impossible. Since then, I've narrowed down the causes and the solutions.

• Confidence: The pressure mounts immediately when you lack confidence. Knowing your teacher or the person listening will be critical, you try extra hard to play well. Just another case of stage fright even though there's no stage. How to solve the problem? Record yourself, play for friends and family, go to open mic night, play in jam sessions. All of these are confidence builders. The more you do it, the more relaxed you become.
• Positive Thinking: I can't tell you how many times during the week my students preface their playing with telling me "I always mess this part up," "I'll probably screw this up even though I played it perfectly at home," and many similar comments. Two words: self-fulfilling prophecy. 
• Knowing, Understanding and Liking the Song: For a beginning guitar student it's difficult at the start because you probably don't have the skills to play like you want to. That doesn't mean you can't like the song and practice it until you know it well. I record assigned songs for my guitar students and tell them not to go too long without listening to it. They'll think they have it memorized only to be shocked when I point out that they've learned it wrong. 

So get out of your comfort zone, play in public if you can, or if you can't at least find someone to play for. Negative thinking only makes it worse, so make a game of learning the song. Parts that give you trouble need to be isolated and worked on. See how many times you can play that section without making a mistake. Play slowly so you don't make mistakes and that builds muscle memory as well as confidence. I always tell my students to please tell me if they don't like a song. There are usually many more available that teach the same concepts. Don't be too hard on yourself. Learning guitar takes time, so don't be discouraged if you think you need to move faster.

Five Questions to Ask Yourself About Taking Guitar Lessons

Self Assessment for Beginning Guitar Players

As I said in a previous post, the hardest students to teach are the ones who have no real idea of what they want to play on guitar or why they're even taking lessons. Saying "I just want to play guitar" is far too broad of a statement when you think about the versatility of a guitar. Answering the following questions will help you focus on what you have in mind.

1. What kind of music do you enjoy the most? Don't just answer "I like all kinds of music." We're looking for specific styles.
2. Who are your favorite guitar players? Name no less than 5. Don't worry about whether or not you think they're beyond your ability, just name names.
3. What is your main reason for choosing to learn guitar? Do you want to be in a band, play and sing for fun, jam with other people? Again, "I just want to play guitar" is not helpful.
4. If you could play like ONE GUITARIST who would it be? We all have favorites and I know picking just one is difficult, but it gets you thinking about what you really like. I have guitarists that I like but don't necessarily want to play like them. For instance, I like listening to jazz and classical music on the guitar, but it's not my main interest.
5. Name the songs you'd most like to play. Having a list of songs is a good step towards learning to play guitar. Seek out a teacher, present him or her with the list, and get advice about which songs to start with. Depending upon how long you've been playing, it may not be possible to play them immediately, but that's a great way to set goals. 

Remember, playing guitar should be fun, relaxing and enjoyable.