HOW TO BECOME A GREAT GUITAR PLAYER?
This article is to help you become a better guitar player and pull back the veil to uncover your true potential. A guitar player's journey into mastering their instrument is closer to a marathon than a sprint and, for some of us, a lifelong obsession filled with triumphs, failures, our greatest joys, and moments that make us want to give up altogether. What you'll read will help give you a boost to becoming a great guitar player, and hope you enjoy the ride.
1. INSPIRATION
Since you're reading this article, chances are you already have an interest in the guitar and want to learn more. Most students, in the beginning, tend to dip their toes in the water to see what the guitar is about, just to see if they like it and want to continue learning. When you first are introduced to the guitar, this is a perfect mindset to have, especially for the beginner. There are a lot of students who have many other activities and learning guitar is just one of many things they are doing at the time, which is a good thing. However, when you find yourself ready, willing, and wanting to learn the guitar more than breathing, it's time to go all in.
Be passionate, wear it on your sleeve, eat, sleep, and breathe it, and become the guitar player you've always wanted to be. Inspired students learn much faster than the average student. Transform yourself into an inspired student. Listen to music, go see a live show, find a guitar player you'd like to emulate, and watch yourself think about music more than you ever have before, practice fiercer than you ever have been able to, and watch yourself fly. Inspiration is what we do, so you can become the guitar player you imagined yourself to be.
2. KEEP PRACTICING - 10,000
10,000! That's the average number of hours a student will practice perfectly before they feel that they've arrived or be where they want to be as a guitar player, and for most, that's only the beginning. While 10,000 hours seems daunting to some of us, get excited and see how fast you can get there. Be dedicated, and take every chance you get to play your guitar and knock off as much of your guitar practice odometer as you can. It doesn't feel like you've traveled very far in your car when you take a trip to town, but it doesn't take long before you hit the 10,000-mile mark and wonder how the miles raked up so fast. Keep your guitar out so you can see it in a safe place, and you'll find you will practice more often than when it's in its case.
If you want to Shatter the 10,000-Hour Rule, read this Article:
Supercharge Your Practice Session - Shatter the 10,000-Hour Rule!
3. SMALL PARTS, TRACK YOUR PROGRESS & SET GOALS
Have small, short-term goals for your progress that are attainable. This will push you to achieve these goals faster. By caring about your progress, setting goals, and achieving them, you'll always maximize your potential as a guitar player while in every phase of your guitar lessons. Record yourself practicing and playing the guitar and keep an ongoing record of it. When you feel like you're not progressing, simply listen back to how you used to sound a few months back, and in most cases, you are progressing as a guitar player but weren't able to notice your own success.
When you critically listen back, it can both inspire you and help you to hear areas where you might not be progressing as much as you'd like and you can set new goals to get better in your next practice session. Once you hear yourself play recently, you'll know exactly where you're at as a guitar player. In your mind, imagine where you'd like to be as a guitar player, playing on a stage or a song you've always wanted to learn. See a detailed picture of yourself in your mind, playing the song smoothly and confidently, and use that image to inspire your next goals and dreams as a guitar player.
4. FIND AN INSTRUCTOR / ONLINE LESSONS
We believe that Lessonpros.com features the best guitar lessons on the web, and we have highly qualified instructors who have modeled their lessons and online courses to be easily learned in an online format. Each guitar video is carefully crafted with the online viewer in mind and goes in-depth in all areas to make the student feel as though the instructor is in the room with them and to help those seeking to learn and progress faster than ever before. Lesson Pros teachers are not just professional in manner, they're also professional musicians dedicated to helping get you to any level you desire. Whether you're starting from scratch or an advanced player looking to up your game.
5. DECIDE TO PLAY
No one knows you better than you. You know your schedule, how much overtime you're working, how much homework you have to do, how much Netflix you decide to watch rather than pick up your guitar that day because you didn't have the mental space to do it, and it's ok because you decided to. Don't get down on yourself because everyone goes through those moments. What's important is what you decide to do next, put the past in the past, and decide to get better as a guitar player today. Decide that your dreams are worth working for and go get it and be a great guitar player.
6. HANG OUT WITH BETTER GUITARISTS
All of the people out there who also play the guitar are like little walking, talking encyclopedias that you can bounce your thoughts off of and gain a new perspective on music. This will help you become a playing better guitar. Hang out with other people who play the guitar; finding others who learn like you, think like you, and can have conversations about music like you is both rewarding and inspiring to learn more. When you find the right people to hang out with, pay attention to the guitar players that you feel are better than yourself. Watch, learn, ask questions, and be amazed at how willing people in the music community will open up and be willing to share tips and tricks that they're working on.
CONCLUSION
While navigating the waters of learning the guitar can be challenging, we can put ourselves in a better position to succeed by knowing how to overcome obstacles as they appear. We can get over bumps in the road because we've prepared to climb mountains. Even though you may not know where the road is going to take you on your guitar adventure, there are instructors out there who can help lead the way.
Lesson Pros
If you are interested in learning to play an instrument, check out our Guitar Courses or All Lesson Pros Courses.