Getting Into the Groove - The Secrets To Mastering Those Guitar Instructions!
Starting is the hardest part!
Okay let's get the bad news out at the start.
The most difficult period when learning the guitar is the beginning, most who quit playing the guitar do it within the first few months or even weeks!
Why?
Well mastering all the different parts of guitar instructions, is very similar to learning a new language or learning to drive a car!
From a neurological (brain) point of view it goes a little something like this.
When you learn anything new, the brain creates new pathways as a way of remembering the experience of it being done.
This is important to note.
It wasn't how you did it but the experience of doing it.
If it was simply how you did it then once you understood the HOW of it - it would be simple right? Wrong!
The more often you repeat the pattern of experience (practice) the bigger and faster the pathways get (think little track to dirt road, to sealed road to 8 lane super highway).
If you drive, can you remember how hard it was when you were first learning?
How tricky it was to get the feel of the car and know when to engage the clutch and look for traffic and all the other bits and pieces?
But now everything is second nature right?
Well it's the same with the guitar.
You have to learn to use both hands in completely different ways, often with differing timings, you need to listen intently and to think musically and creatively.
WOW! That's a lot to learn huh?
Wait! Please don't freak out because the brain is really good at creating these pathways, not only that, it's really good for you!
Learning a musical instrument is right up there with learning a new language when it comes to great things to do for your brain (and it's a lot more relaxing than learning a language too!)
So bottom line? Give yourself a break, RELAX - literally - relax your posture, celebrate your achievements and DO NOT COUNT YOUR FAILURES!
Remeber that why they call it PRACTICING.
Now, where to learn?
The ideal situation is to have a combination where you learn from a variety of different sources simultaneously. For example, 1-1 lessons with a real tutor plus online guitar lessons or books and instruction DVDs. There are some great home courses and online sites to learn to play guitar, but read reviews and choose wisely! You need to make sure that the pace, what they teach, the style and level of the lessons are suitable for you.
Click here to see our recommendations
It's best to be self motivated and ideally be committed to a minimum of 20 mins daily practice. (Remember those pathways?)
So how do you make sure you're self motivated...?
Have a goal!
It's a scientific fact that the vast majority of those who succeed in anything have tangible, measurable goals! It's just the way we're hardwired - So do yourself a big favour - grab paper and a pen, sit down and think about why you want to play the guitar. Is there something you would love to do when playing the guitar?
Is it playing at your local pub in a Rock band?
Is it playing your favourite Country song yourself?
Now imagine how it feels as you are doing this... ..remember that feeling and write it down.
Keep this goal in mind often. We recommend that you reread this each time, just before you start practicing and get back in touch with the feeling of accomplishing this goal. Trust us, it works wonders! Before you know it you'll be crossing that goal off and creating a brand new one!
Here's a secret! - the magical part of all this is not only have you achieved your goal, but you have EXPERIENCED the feeling of SUCCEEDING every time you practiced before you even accomplished it.
...
AND.. ...AND (here's the best bit)
WHEN YOU DO SUCCEED - it feels even better than you imagined!
Not a bad trade off for a little bit of make believe huh?
Want to find out more about achieving your goals? Try this AWESOME free course!
How Long Before Stairway to Heaven?
All right! You're relaxed, you're motivated, you've found the learning style that's right for you! How long will it be before the cat stops looking at you funny every time you play?
Everyone is different, but the average is around 4 weeks before you can strum along quite happily to basic beginner songs. This assumes you're being taught by a good quality method for learning guitar and possess an average skill for the instrument.
After that? Well, you've taken your first steps on a never ending journey that will hopefully bring you an amazing amount of enjoyment, relaxation and satisfaction!
Click Here to See Our Reviews of Beginner Guitar Courses!
