Hey Friend,
Lee from Texas recently joined us and let me know that keeping the “drive” alive is a challenge…
I don’t know how long Lee has been playing, but I get it. Practicing can be really boring, especially if you’re playing the same thing all the time.
Maybe you’re working with a guitar teacher that has a specific method, one that follows a linear path…
… learn the notes on the first string, then the notes on the second string, and so on.
It can take weeks or months to feel like you’re making any progress.
Let’s face it - repetition is a key element to learning and mastering guitar. The more we repeat something, the better we become at it.
Whether we like it or not, music is built on specific patterns. Scales and harmonies (chords) work because the patterns that form them are not random. They follow the physical laws of nature.
But when when we’re trying to learn these patterns, they don’t have any meaning to us.
That’s why we have songs. And if we’re not learning how to play songs, learning guitar can get kinda boring, right?
So how do you spice it up?
What’s Your Why?
Let me lob a question back at you: Why did you want to learn guitar in the first place?
What lit that fire in you?
Was it a particular song or an artist performance?
Was it something you witnessed, like how people react to music?
Maybe you wanted to catch someone's attention…
… because guitar players are cool, and other people are attracted to cool people!
Whatever it is, you need to tap into that feeling again. Think about what motivated you to start playing guitar and you’ll get a shot of inspiration.
But that’s not usually enough to “keep the fire burning” for more than a day or two.
Look Outward
You need to have an external motivator as well. Something that you’re working towards short term.
If learning a new song is a strong enough incentive for you, great! Pick a song that inspires you and make yourself a commitment that you’re going to learn how to play it this week.
If you want to give that commitment some teeth, tell someone what your goal is. Someone that’ll be disappointed if you quit on yourself. Tell me!
Or here’s a better idea. Find a friend that plays and set up a jam session. Tell them what you want to learn and that you just want to get together and try it out with another musician.
Even if you don’t end up playing that song together, the interaction will make your “drive” so much stronger. In fact, that could very well be the start of something bigger.
I can tell you it was THE catalyst that moved me from picking up my guitar once a month (maybe) to playing every day and forming a band.
If you don’t know anyone, a great place to find local musicians is BandMix.com.
Tap in
Reminding yourself of why you wanted to play guitar can be enough to kick-start you back into action. Once that reason is back in focus, practicing the “boring,” repetitive stuff like scales and timing can actually be fun!
But also get out of your room and jam with someone. Music is a social activity, and it’s a lot more fun to get the synergy with another musician.
Let me know if this helps!
Peace~
Dave
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