Originally Posted by: Guitar Tricks AdminMaggior what are some tips you would give those who have difficulty staying motivated while learning a new instrument?
You seem to have the motivation factor down!
The tips I have to provide are all things I've learned here from various people that I've managed to internalize for myself.
1 - Have some reasonable and attainable goals. Short term ones are important and some long term ones help also. A short term goal could be to learn a technique, learn a song, learn certain chords, etc. A long term goal could be to gig, jam with other musicians, learn a difficult song, etc.
Write these goals down. This is important because you will be motivated by the fact that you are attaining them. Seeing progress in yourself helps propel you forward for further progress.
If you miss a goal, don't beat yourself up. Replan and adjust. Life happens and can get in the way. Figure out why you missed your goals and reset them accordingly. Maybe they were too aggressive? Maybe your long term goals have changed?
2 - Keep it interesting and fun. Focus on music you find interesting. Try to make any exercises musical. Rather than use a metronome, use a drum beat or a jam track to practice scales. Lots of apps for your phone or your PC can be found to help with this.
3 - Try to focus on the journey. Take pleasure in the skills you have acquired and make music with them. So you haven't attained Satriani level knowledge of modes and scales and overall greatness...that's cool, but I bet there are some things you can do to make music that is fun for you. Focus on that!
4 - Don't fall in the comparison trap. Find your own voice. Define your own sound and style. I believe that each of us has music in us to express. That is *your* music, not Satriani's, SRV's, or EVH's. I found it interesting in the recent GT magazine here that David Gilmour said that he tried to play EVH's style back in the day and found he just couldn't. Did Mr. Gilmour give up playing because EVH came on the scene and could shred up a storm? NO! I dare say that Gilmour still had quite a bit left to say on his guitar in his own voice. His voice on the guitar ain't too shabby either if I say so myself :).
It's a constant battle for me to stay motivated and I find I need to remind myself of the things I've listed. Each and every one of them I need to refocus on occasionally. Doing so keeps me motivated, moving forward in my playing, and most importantly it keeps it fun!
