Are You Putting Too Much Pressure on Yourself?

The race to be an awesome guitarist

Are you trying too hard to play guitar in the shortest time possible? Have you read too much beginner guitar player hype about how you can learn the guitar in a weekend, 7 days, play every song with little or no practice? Let me pop the bubble for you. Anyone that tells you that is being totally dishonest. Ask any accomplished guitar player or guitar teacher and you'll be told the same thing. Learn in a weekend? Sure, I can teach to play in a weekend as long as you're trying to play the first few notes of Smoke on the Water.

It's all about muscle memory, practice and passion

Believe me, when I first started playing guitar I was sure, (or at least hopeful), that if I practiced enough I'd get good really quickly. I practiced guitar several hours a day, tried to play music with my best friend Rich, hung around other guitarists who were better than me, and studied out of lots of books. My conclusion? You can't speed the process up too much. Yes, you may be able to play a song in a relatively short amount of time, but your fingers and your brain have to be trained to remember all of it. If you put in the time you'll get there, but you can't do it without a commitment to practice. Ask yourself how much you want to be able to play the guitar. Do you have a real passion for music or does it seem like this quaint idea.

Get help, get motivated and get involved

If you don't have a guitar teacher or mentor, get one! A good teacher can help you figure out what you want to play, what you're capable of playing at each stage, and be a guide for your musical journey. To get motivated you need to listen to lots of music, challenge yourself when you practice, and have your teacher give you feedback and pay attention to it. I love when I suggest something to a student and he or she replies "that might be a good idea." No, it IS a good idea. I've devoted my entire adult like to teaching and I can guarantee you that what I'm telling you works. Getting involved means supporting live music, participating in jam sessions, and finding out what the music scene is like in your area.

Remember: It's not how many years you've been playing, it's how many hours you've put in.