In this lesson, we are going to learn the most common challenges for beginner guitar players. Once you learn these, you will be able to know what to look for when progressing forward in your guitar playing.
The most common problems for beginner guitar players are:
It's not an overnight success.
The fundamentals are not always fun to learn
The pain that comes with muscle development
Learning certain types of techniques and concepts
Reading guitar notation
staying motivated to practice.
Now, let’s break down these individually to see in more detail what they are truly all about.
It's not an overnight success
This is very true. Learning to play guitar is not like learning a video game. The learning curve is much longer. Video games are popular because they have a short learning curve. Unfortunately, the guitar does not. You’ll need to commit to the instrument to be a good guitarist.
The fundamentals are a must to learn
This is also true. Learning the fundamentals of the instrument is the most important thing to learn. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen guitarists who’ve been playing for years run into brick walls because they skipped the fundamentals. Then they need to go through the process of learning them, which is not always fun, but necessary.
The pain that comes with muscle development
This is also true. No matter what the guru guitar teacher tells you online, you cannot learn the guitar in 30 days! Your muscles need time to develop. Your wrists, hands, and fingers. Especially your fingers. When you think about it, where else do you spend time holding down metal wires on a piece of wood? Which is exactly what you do when you play the guitar. Acoustic or electric?
Watch the video lesson below
Learning certain techniques and concepts
Things like Barre chords are not going to come overnight. I don’t care how hard you try. It isn’t! You must give it time. Your fingers need time to adjust to holding down strings. Even open chords that are easier to form can be a bit tricky in the beginning to switch between. Theory is another thing that a beginning guitar player can struggle with. You’ll need to develop patience and discipline
Reading guitar notation
Most guitar players don’t read notation. They play by ear. That’s because it is not easy to learn to read sheet music. It can be done, but once again, it will not come overnight. It will take time and a skill I highly recommend any guitar player learn. Even if it’s simple notation such as tabs. It can be very beneficial to their playing.
Staying motivated to practice daily
This is the kicker right here. It is not easy to stay motivated daily to practice. You truly have to have the desire to learn the instrument and be willing to go through the pain to get the gain, as they say. This statement applies to learning an instrument. Especially the guitar. Some things will come easily, and you will focus on those because you have them down. But working on what isn’t easy is not always fun.
Stay focused
Now there are many more challenges, but I think these give a valid answer to the question. If you’re trying to learn to play the guitar, focus on these things I have stated above and see if you can overcome them. Just take it one step at a time and you’ll eventually get there.
Additional help available
If you feel you could use further assistance, feel free to contact me at my website and we will look into ways that can help you progress faster in your studies. Remember, learning the guitar should not be a chore. It should be fun.
Best of luck with your studies.
Sincerely, Dwayne Jenkins
