Hello everyone! It’s a rainy September afternoon and I could not be more excited! Fall is finally coming! The kids have been in school for about a month and and we have had a huge “fall surge” in student numbers. Every fall, as students get back into a regular schedule, we see a big number of students returning to their private lessons, as well as a large number of new students. And, as is typically the case, we teachers start hearing that old question; how long will it take before I get good?
Lucky for me, I keep a crystal ball in my filing cabinet so I can answer those types of questions with 100% certainty.
Okay, not really. But that sure would be nice! In reality, those types of questions are really impossible to answer. There are way too many tangents that factor into how fast a person progresses on any musical instrument. Things like music background, available practice time, quality of the instrument, and interest level all make a big difference in how fast a student progresses. But there is one thing that I can say that ALWAYS makes a huge difference: grab that guitar and play every single day.
As a teacher, I’m always looking for ways to inspire my students to practice more frequently. A big part of that is finding out what kind of music the student enjoys listening to and finding a way to make it available to them that isn’t too far beyond their abilities. With young students, we work on developing proper technique, reading skills, and chords to help them move forward. Older students tend to have more focused goals so I lean more towards providing a more direct pathway.
But no matter how young or old or experienced, the best thing you can do is pick up your guitar and play. Get that thing in your hands as often as you can and have some fun with it! And let me be clear, for some students practicing is a joy. For others, especially young students, it can sometimes feel like a chore. It’s important to have “play” time along with practice time. I always say we practice so that we can play. By that I mean we work on things that challenge us so that they eventually become a part of us and enhance how we play. After all it’s not called “working” the guitar, it’s called “PLAYING” the guitar.
Here are a few tips that I’ve found work great for me. Number one is to always have a guitar out at home. Buy a guitar stand and keep your guitar out so you can pick it up at a moment’s notice. And explore your guitar! If you are a beginner, you should experiment with playing on different frets and strings. See if you can work out little melodies or songs by ear. Move your chord shapes up and down the fretboard, you will notice they can sound pretty cool in some positions and downright horrendous at others. And play music you’ve already mastered. Try playing some of those incredibly fast just for fun. Write a song! It doesn’t need to be a Top 10 hit, and it doesn’t need to have a bunch of chords or notes. Just be creative. And my most favorite tip to get ME playing more frequently at home is new gear! I’m not even talking about a new guitar or amp, but even small things can be a great motivator. Effects pedals, for all you electric guitar students, can be a blast. Even smaller things, like a guitar slide, capo, or different-sized picks can give you a push.
The idea is to make sure you’re having fun with the instrument. And while there is no substitute for good old fashioned woodshedding, the most important thing is to find time to pick up your guitar. If you can make that happen, good things will follow. My only questions now is, what are you waiting for?
Thanks for reading! If any of you have some ideas or tips that work for you, feel free to share them with me. I’m always looking for new ideas. Until next month, keep at it all you string-whippers!
Jon