It’s not talked about much online in guitar forums, communities or blogs but it’s the one skill you need before you even pick up a guitar to succeed. That’s DISCIPLINE.
I know this as well as the next guy, possibly even better because I struggled with this when I started and still do. Getting excited about learning something new and buying a new program, piece of software or gadget to help you is great but without discipline you’re not going to follow through and succeed.
I wanted to give you 3 tips on developing discipline in learning guitar. Take a note of these if you’re having trouble or if you’re a beginner starting out they should help. If you’ve just bought a new guitar lesson dvd or learn to play guitar course before you tear it open read these and keep them in mind as you go. It might help you stick at it when times get tough.
1.) Plan: If you’ve bought a home study guitar program or if your taking guitar lessons privately having a plan is a must. If you’re taking a lesson from someone else then part of your plan is done. You’ll be told what night and when your lesson is all you have to do is show up. If you are using a self study program then you need to decide when you’re going to watch, read or listen to lessons and how often.
You can adjust this as you get started but decide up front what you’re going to commit to and how often so you can stay consistent, which is the next step.
2.) Consistency: You might think of this as the same thing as discipline but it’s not. What I want you to do is be consistent with your learning an practicing. If you’re going to watch one lesson each week do that, and try to do that on the same night each week.
This is especially important for practice, you should practice almost every day. I wouldn’t try and practice for an hour every day when you first start, maybe 10-15 minutes is good but be consistent and create the habit of practicing guitar and you will grow to have a practicing habit. This is a great thing to have as you become a better and better guitar player.
3.) Be Realistic: Expectations can kill you when you’re starting out on something new. Remember, learning to play the guitar isn’t like learning to play guitar hero. You can sit down for a night and learn to play guitar hero and maybe even be half decent by nights end, how ever real guitar playing is a heck of a lot tougher then that.
Have milestones, and if possible work them out with your teacher or browse through the course you’re using and look at how the lessons are laid out. Some products, like Learn and Master guitar, have a time line for how long it should take to learn a particular skill. Challenge yourself to meet these goals, but don’t think you’ll be playing like Clapton or Hendrix in a month.
This is a bonus tip but it always helps me out when I’m starting something new. Visualize yourself being successful. Think about playing those great solo’s, amazing your friends and playing at parties for other people. Maybe that isn’t the reason you started learning to play guitar, so for you use what ever your reasoning was. Visualize the dream, the big payoff. This will keep you motivated and disciplined even when you really don’t want to be while learning.
For a great lesson plan that uses a timeline and helps you stay focused read the Learn and Master Guitar Review.