Everyone knows that exercise is good for health and yet millions of people starting exercises with a lot of excitement are unable to sustain the routine and finally give it up. The same thing happens when you see a lot of youngsters attracted to the style and charisma of guitars and guitarists and feel an intense desire to learn to play the instrument, but the outcome is similar to what happens with exercising. The initial euphoria does not last long, and most learners end up quitting early, unable to have the patience and perseverance necessary to complete the learning process.

There is a wrong perception among the youth today that believes in instant gratification and want to have everything too much and too soon. Just as a plant needs time to grow appropriately, learning music and playing the guitar like a pro also takes time.

Learning is a process that has its growth structure, and learners have to take one step at a time, complete the learning of each step before moving on to the next one. Picking the strings of a guitar accurately takes time and how much time it takes depends on the skills, desire, and attitude of the learner. The natural growth process is fraught with making mistakes and learning from it which tests the patience and commitment of learners. Being a guitarist can never happen very soon just as it took time to build Rome that could have never happened in a day.

Have the right mindset

You have to love music first and be clear in your mind about why you want to learn the guitar that develops a sense of commitment that pushes you through the long journey and keeps you motivated. While it is easy to gather information about guitar lessons from websites like trustyguitar.com that carry a lot of information about guitars, learning needs a proper mindset.

Do some introspection and ask some questions to yourself to judge if you are genuinely passionate to learn the guitar or the urge is just some momentary emotion that would die down soon. To reach your full musical potential, you need complete support from your mind. The better you can evaluate your abilities and believe in it; easier will be the process of learning.

Take a slow and steady approach

Like the fabled tortoise, those who take a slow and steady approach have higher chances of succeeding to become a guitarist. Acquiring the skills to control the instrument efficiently and make it work the way you want takes time. Moreover, you have to match the skills with your knowledge of music to achieve the musical goals that motivated you to learn the instrument, and this is a time taking process too. Therefore, expecting to do it fast will only derail you in your journey to learn the guitar that you are so passionate about.

Create and follow a plan

Have a learning plan and most importantly stick to it. While it might not be challenging to create a plan, following it religiously is not always easy. The plan would have milestones in learning like learning five major chords by the end of a few weeks or playing a new song every month, and you must follow a routine for achieving the target. Check the progress intermittently to ensure that things are moving in the right direction. Achieving the milestones give a tremendous sense of satisfaction that builds confidence and motivates to take the next step.

The lessons are important

Learning does require not only efforts from students but also need the support of a well thought out course and curriculum. It means that the lessons are crucial. The course has to take care of the student needs and address issues that help them to learn the right things accurately. Resist from taking up any self-learning measures that won’t take you anywhere. Learning from an instructor is the best way to hone the skills. Learn from someone who has good knowledge about the ground realities. The instructor must be accountable for the student’s progress and capable of making changes to suit the learning process of the individual as also the learner has to live up to the expectations.

Be in good company

Although you might be learning alone, you must associate yourself with other musicians who are better than you so that you can learn many things from them too. It will help you to evaluate your position concerning others, and you can use the benchmark for improvement. When you play with someone better than you, it gives good motivation to improve and learn things that you had not thought about earlier. The more skilled musicians would enrich your learning process as you learn many things even beyond the courses and curriculum.

Do not tax your brains

Learning the guitar is a fusion of your skills, musical senses, and cognitive abilities but there are times when you are unable to make the progress you desire. You might remain stuck at some stubborn point in the chord progression that seems almost impossible to come to terms with. You keep struggling for hours to no avail. It is a sign that your brain is unable to support your action and no amount of physical efforts can help to overcome the problem. Instead of trying too hard, call it a day only to take it up again later. You will be surprised at the progress you make when trying it again after some days.

The learning process is very similar to the notes of music that takes time to reach a crescendo. Take small steps at first when you are learning the basics and building the foundation. Avoid the temptation of adding bells and whistles right from the start because these are distractions and hamper the learning process. Start with the right kind of instrument that you are most comfortable with and once you start loving it the journey becomes quite enjoyable and learning becomes easy.