Don't Quit Too Soon!

How long should you give it before you decide to quit taking lessons?

It happens every year about this time, students look back at the past year and wonder what they've really accomplished with taking guitar lessons. If it's been a relatively short time, less than a year for example, they really need to assess the situation.

A recent example of not giving yourself a chance.

Right after the holidays I had a student cancel lessons, even though it had only been a few months. (He started in October.) During that time he missed lessons because of working overtime, having car trouble and being sick, so he took about 12 lessons. He felt like he hadn't made a lot of progress and he was right, but how much time and effort did he give? I had him playing several chords, working on songs that he liked, and doing what I would consider reasonably well considering the circumstances and his previous skill level. The skills amounted to playing a couple of months on his own and trying to learn from the internet. Unfortunately I didn't have a "talent pill" to give him and he started to realize that with or without a teacher, you need to put in the time.

What can you do to change it?
  

• Lower your expectations. There, I said it, lower your expectations. Learning the guitar or the banjo is a time art. You need to commit to a practice schedule, set some goals, have a nice place to practice and put in the time. 
• Don't think you'll make progress every week. We've all been told that practice makes perfect, so we think every week we'll get better. Sometimes psychological, physical or mechanical problems hinder our progress. It's easy to get discouraged when you think you got worse instead of better.
• Be patient. I tell my students that in the beginning learning will be painfully slow. This is especially true if you've never played an instrument or if you've never played an instrument with strings and frets on it. You need to keep pushing and understand that your hours of practice will pay off with some persistence and dedication.
• Believe in what your teacher is telling you. I've had students think that I'm just trying to make them feel better when I tell them they're getting somewhere. I take into account the fact that you're nervous, you played better at home or you're having a bad day. Believe it or not I can still tell whether you've practiced and if you're getting better.

So there's your answer. Give it a chance, be patient, work hard, don't make excuses and believe in yourself. A few lessons or a few months of trying to play isn't always an indication of what your results will be down the road.

Are You Using Your Practice Time Wisely?

Many beginning students confuse playing the guitar with practicing the guitar. Here are some proven ways to make sure you're spending your time wisely.

1. Setting aside time to practice. A specific time of day is a good way to get yourself into a practice routine. A lot of my students, especially the adults, devote whatever time is left in the day to practice. This is usually after working, fixing dinner, cleaning house and whatever else is part of their normal day. It's much better to have a time set aside for practicing.
2. The practice space should be quiet, clean and private. I hear complaints all the time about the distractions that take place when trying to focus on music. Kids who come in and ask questions, spouses who interrupt or feel compelled to comment and/or criticize, music or tv playing in the other room, and the list goes on. I know it's hard, but try to get the rest of the family to understand that your music needs your undivided attention.
3. Getting the most out of the time you have. Having the guitar in your hands for 30 minutes isn't the same as practicing for 30 minutes! "Running through the songs" is a good way to warm up, but are you improving or just playing? After a thorough warmup, work on improving something about the song. You do warm up, don't you?
4. Have something in mind. I have many students who complain about not getting any better, but they don't seem to be doing anything to get better once we talk about their practice time. Work on one thing that will improve the performance of the piece. Record your playing so you can hear what it sounds like. A frequent comment is how they played the song perfectly at home last night, but now it's awful. Remember, recordings don't lie. 
5. Know when to quit. No, not quitting the guitar, ending the practice session. Sometimes it doesn't go that well and the harder you try the worse it seems to get. When that happens, either take a break or pick it up again tomorrow. 
6. Relax, don't put undue pressure on yourself. You will make steady progress if you practice, but sometimes it won't feel like it. We all have plateaus that make us wonder if we'll ever be any better or if this is as good as we'll ever get! Don't think it's something that just happens to beginners or amateurs, it's common and it happens to everyone. 

So hang in there, work at getting better, and keep on pickin'.