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Keeping Motivation as a Guitarist

Balance, Patience and Consistency. Truly these are three methods you should always remember to apply when entering the crazed world of Music! No matter who you are or where you’re from its gonna take time and you’ll find that learning the language of music is a magical journey that never ceases and is forever changing every day. Never is it the same and it’s very important to keep motivation!

We have all had those days where you just feel you’re not getting anywhere with this. No matter how often you play, your guitar just doesn’t seem to sound like you want it to. Then you get those days where it just all seems to be happening for you, the feel is there and the motivation is high! Take comfort in the fact that your not alone and this is something that happens to everyone and not only guitarists but other musicians too.

Some things to consider regarding practice and motivation:

There are wrong and right ways to practice, for example, your practice should be divided into sections of some basic theory, technique and applying the two into your playing. Again, everyone is different and has different goals to reach in their playing. Not everyone is out to become a pro musician. Whether you’re learning a three chord song, reading up on theory or playing some blues with a backtrack to jamming in a band, always remember that not only are you a guitarist but a musician learning the language of music and how to speak it so you can express yourself with it!

Now because the guitar has such a physical aspect to playing it well, one should be aware that it’s also good to take breaks and not over practice to where you sustain injury or develop bad habits. Tendinitis is an example of a condition that is found among guitar players, it is when the muscles are overworked and then tenses  up causing pain and discomfort. Broken fingertips and arm pains is another example. Sometimes the skin breaks or calluses form! An interesting tip to remember is also to consider the season of the year. It may sound far fetched but it has an effect on how you play and on your warmup times! An example is Winter – you’ll find your muscles are cold and your skin is dry and that it’ll take you much longer to warm up before you can play comfortably.

Also, another aspect is the gear and guitar you use, gauge strings you play will have a big role in your sound but also depends on how much you practice and what kind of player you are. For a guy not playing that often it wouldn’t be a good idea to go higher than gauge ten, whereas a player that plays every day can go to heavier strings because his muscles will develop more and be able to handle heavier strings.

So in summing it up, remember that taking good breaks is just as important as the practice itself and be aware of what to avoid concerning your hands, and your posture should be varied through standing and sitting at times. This will help you gain a good balance and avoid wrong habits as a player.

© Guitar Excellence 2016 All Rights Reserved

* Can make a guitar sound like a violin
* Can also teach basic keyboards and music history in addition to theory
* Prefers playing Fender to guitar hero
* Has over 5000 hours teaching experience

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