Don't Lose Your Momentum, or, Keep On Keepin' On

Does your interest in learning guitar seem to be disappearing?

Don't worry, it's something we all go through. Call it a rut, a plateau, a screeching halt, whatever, everyone slams into the wall at one time or another. Sometimes it seems you're just not getting anywhere, or the music doesn't seem all that interesting, or you get this hopeless feeling that you're getting worse instead of better. These are complaints guitar teachers hear a lot.

Breaking out of the rut.

Although it sounds counter intuitive, sometimes taking a little break can help. I'm not talking about stopping lessons for 6 months, putting the guitar away, or anything that drastic. Instead, learn a different technique or style of music. After my guitar students have worked on notes for a while we switch to chords, then advanced strumming, then more difficult songs, you get the idea. In addition, you can recharge your batteries by taking a few days off from practicing. Listen to some music, watch some videos, visit some instructional websites, do something to make you want to play the guitar. I've exposed students to music they never heard before, didn't know it existed, and ended up liking it better than what they thought they wanted to learn.

Picking out the fun stuff.

Learning guitar is hard, especially in the beginning. Your fingers hurt, you sound terrible, and you're sure you're the worst guitar player ever! If you don't have a guitar teacher, find one. As soon as you're capable of it, try to find others to play music with. There are lots of people at the same level, and it really helps to try to make music together. You may have to play simple songs, but once you're a little more comfortable you'll be surprised at how good it feels to be in a group with similar interests and abilities. At our studio we run beginner jam sessions where there's no pressure, you only need to know a few basic chords, and you learn to work together. If your guitar teacher is working out of a method book teaching you notes, ask about simplified songs that you could play that are available. We use the Hal Leonard Guitar Method and supplement it with Easy Pop Melodies and Easy Guitar books.

Follow these tips and you'll find it much more fun to practice. And remember, talent is overrated, it's sticking with it that makes the difference.