How to Keep Getting Better on Guitar

Making steady progress.

Everyone wants to make steady progress on the guitar, but be prepared for times when it doesn't seem to get any better. We all reach plateaus, and sometimes it can be very frustrating. A plateau is just a temporary setback, so try to accept it as that. When I was first learning guitar and later banjo, I remember sitting there wondering if I just ran out of talent or skill, and that was as good a player as I was capable of being. Over the years many students have told me "I think I'm getting worse instead of better." Here are some ways to help you get off the plateau and back to making progress.

Work out the details.

Whether you're a beginning guitar player, an intermediate player, or even a guitar teacher, there are times when it's easier to play what you know and not work on the hard parts! I'm as guilty as anyone, with a list of songs that I've never finished for whatever reason. Sometimes it's a physical problem, sometimes it's mental, and be honest with yourself, sometimes you just don't like the song well enough to finish it.

Physical problems.

I've had students who will complain about not being able to execute a particular fingering, complaining that either their fingers aren't long enough or that the pinky doesn't work. Before giving up, you can try using different fingerings or playing the passage on a different part of the fingerboard. The nice thing about the stringed instruments is that you can play the same note in different places. Maybe you can find the same notes higher up the neck where the frets are closer together. Most students don't take the time to strengthen the pinky, they just chalk it up as not being able to get it to work. Practice some stretching and strengthening exercises and you just might be surprised at the difference.

Mental problems, or, don't think.

Self-fulfilling prophecy time. Here comes that part I can't play. I always screw this part up. I can never get this part to sound right. Sound familiar? Almost any one of those problems can be solved by not over thinking the problem, thereby building self confidence. Guitar is a lot like sports. While talent is important to some extent, the ability to play the part perfectly has a lot more to do with how you perceive it. Get rid of those negative thoughts. If you think the part doesn't sound right, listen to recordings, get your teacher to help you make it sound right, then move along. I have students who can play passage perfectly, but they still come in convinced it "just doesn't sound right when I play it."