It’s Not How Good You Are, But That You’re Moving In The Right Direction

Are you the same person you were 10 years ago? Are you the same person you were yesterday? I would venture that if you asked many people these two questions, most would say they are pretty much the same today as yesterday, but not the same as they were 10 years ago. What has this got to do with guitar playing? The answer, a lot. 

There is one thing that is absolutely central to all learning, and learning guitar is no different. You have to believe that you can do it, or at least believing or not believing shouldn’t be an issue. But if you walk around thinking you can’t become good on guitar, well that becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. So if you’re having trouble with your confidence, let’s do something about it. 

Have you ever seen one of these?

I’m guessing you have. My kids had this exact one. Children play with these kinds of toys until they learn how it works, and then they move on to something else. Have you learned to walk? I’m guessing you have. If you learned to do these things, and the tons of other things that you’ve learned, which at the time were very challenging, then why would you not be able to learn to play guitar? Maybe you won’t become good tomorrow, but what about in a year? You’ll certainly be better than today, if you put in the effort. You can say that you’re not talented, that you have short fingers, that you could never play like someone you admire, but it’s all utter rubbish. I’ve heard all of those excuses during my 15 year career as a music teacher in elementary-, middle-, and high school. And believe me, they are just excuses. 

So why should you learn guitar, other than for the fact that you want to? I’ll give you another reason. You’ll practice the art of practising, which is a skill that you can (and definitely should) get better at. You’ll also learn to do something that’s not easy. Both of these skills will come in handy in other areas of life, even if you decide to just play guitar for your own joy. And there is a lot of joy to be had from playing. The great thing is that there’s nothing holding you back from learning, apart from maybe yourself. You can and will learn if you just give yourself enough time, and put in the effort. Chances are you’ll also enjoy it once you start seeing results. You have everything to gain, so pick up your guitar and start practising. 

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