Optimist, Realist or Pessimist, Which One Are YOU?

Would you describe yourself as an optimist, a pessimist or a realist?

As a guitar teacher I've taught, (am teaching), plenty of examples of all three. Most beginning guitar students start out as optimists, and I do my best to have them maintain that outlook. I've said for years that talent is overrated, and I still believe that to this day. Let's look at how attitude plays an important role in learning to play guitar.

The optimist.

The beginner starts out being optimistic about how much fun guitar will be, the enjoyment that will be derived from it, and how great it will be to have a hobby that will last a lifetime. He or she has no doubt that learning the guitar will become a part of the daily routine and that progress will be steady.

The realist.

A little more conservative than the optimist, but still maintains a lot of the same positive attitude. Smart enough to not buy the "learn guitar in a weekend" hype, and understands that learning is going to be a slow and sometimes difficult process.

The pessimist.

The most difficult of the three to teach. The pessimist calls or sends an email with red flags waving. I'm thinking maybe I'd like to try to learn guitar, but I'm not sure I'll be able to do it, or I may not even like it that much. Already convinced that it will be hard to learn, the journey begins on a negative note.

Changing the thought process.

Before seeking out a guitar teacher, you need to ask yourself some questions. Here are some you should think about in no particular order.

• Have I always wanted to play guitar? Some beginning students have a burning desire to learn to play. I took my first guitar lesson when I was 5, although I believe my parents were just humoring me. They bought me a beginning guitar book but no guitar, and I was supposed to "practice" playing air guitar. When I didn't practice enough, remember I was only 5 years old, they told me I couldn't take lessons.
• Do I have time to practice?  A minimum amount of practice time would be 5 days a week, at least 30 minutes. Making the commitment to put in the time is absolutely essential. If you can't see that happening, taking guitar lessons is probably not a good idea.
• What kind of music do I want to play? If all you can come up with is a general statement like I just want to learn to play guitar, you need to drill deeper. While it's possible to start taking generic guitar lessons, it's a lot more fun to learn songs you know and would like to play.
• Am I willing and able to commit time and money to this? While the cost of entry isn't a large amount of money, there are some basics that will help you get the most out of your lessons. At the bare minimum you need a decent instrument, a music stand, and learning resources. Either a teacher or a do it yourself method to guide you. Self serving or not, I always recommend a live teacher, especially in the beginning. The main reasons are that a book, CD or DVD can't answer questions, and they won't correct potential bad habits. There are many different ways to get started on guitar, and a teacher can move you in the right direction.

So there's a basic overview of getting started on guitar. It's a new year, time to decide if you're serious enough about learning guitar to take action. I've played guitar for years and can honestly say that it's still fun to play.