A few months ago I came across a new-to-me guitar lesson web site and found a great line paraphrased here; 'It looks easy because those you are watching already know how.'

I'm fascinated by the success GT's newbies have. These days it seems I see forum posts every week that relate difficulties with skills they have been working on for mere days or weeks... skills that took me months or years to pick up when I was a kid. The credit goes to GT's lessons and instructors and some to the newbies themselves.

I've always believed I don't have talent, I never was and never will be someone whose progression on guitar comes easy and fast but... so what? It's not a competition. If I want to play something I practice it and practice a lot. I think newbies would benefit from a similar attitude. Speaking of newbies and attitudes...

Over and over on the forum we see overly high expectations that learning guitar will be quick and easy. Then there is the 'ka-boom' when those unjustified expectations run into reality. That reality is more harsh for some than others.

In the end, it takes patience and discipline; two key characteristics of maturity. It the newbie doesn't have it, if the player doesn't want to play enough to sit down and do the work, then the newbie will soon move on leaving nothing but old posts about how hard it all is.

I believe those of us that know how to play and/or those who have been around GT for a while (not necessarily the same ) should help newbies with encouragement, advice and solid, well thought out suggestions. We should always remember and remind the newbies the admonition to "have fun." And always point them to the Chet Atkins quote in my signature block below.

john