What to Expect When You Learn Guitar
Easy Does It!

You can learn guitar easy as pie ... as long as you know what to expect, have clear goals, and stick with it! It's not hard to become a great guitar player ... it just takes time! You won't be a Guitar God in a day, a week, or even a month, but with consistent effort what you accomplish will reward you for the rest of your life.

This page is very important advice for beginners! Don't skip it! More people quit playing guitar than there are that stick with it. After they try learning for a little while, they become discouraged and believe things like: "I just don't have the gift like other people", "I just can't learn.", or "I can't get the hang of it, I must be stupid.", or "I'm too old to learn now."

What a pile of bologna! They didn't learn because they gave up. You're reading this because you want to make music, and with some patience you will.

Nobody ever picked up a guitar and started playing. The movie "August Rush" may be inspiring, but it's a fantasy! It's not the kid that's actually playing ... it's guitarists that practiced for years.

Yes ... there is a big learning curve at first, but it levels out with time. Here's what you can expect ... what everyone goes through ... when they learn to play guitar.

AS you learn to play guitar, you'll enter a whole new world where the rewards of learning are extraordinary, including;

• Building your self confidence and self esteem
• You'll get smarter by exercising your brain
• Increasing your motor skills by training your hands and fingers to function individually, and in groups
• Making new friends and having fun jamming with them
• Developing a greater understanding and appreciation of music
• Enjoying a wonderful sense of fulfillment when you accomplish something new
• Once you become good ... you'll connect with people emotionally through your music ... and get praised for it!

Look back at one example of the millions of things you've already learned in life. You learned to read and write; one letter at a time, one word at a time, then, one sentence, one paragraph, one book ... now you could read a set of encyclopedias if you wanted to!

You probably take it for granted, but, learning to speak, read and write was complex at first, and now you do these things without thinking about them! It's the same when you learn guitar. Easy, yes ... fast, no! Patience and persistence and clear goals are the keys.

Let's compare learning guitar to putting together a big puzzle.

At first you may be looking at 5,000 pieces and you sort through all of them to build your border(like the beginning stage where you begin to train your hands and fingers, and get comfortable with your guitar).

Next you start filling in the puzzle one peice at a time (you learn some notes and a few chords).

After a while you have less pieces to search through and finding the next one gets easier and faster, because you've already put so many pieces in their places and now have less pieces to search through (you've learned more chords and notes, and you don't have to think about holding your guitar or your pick etc., and you've learned a few songs).

Finally you've got your puzzle all together (you know lots of chords etc., your rhythm is dead on, and you can learn a new song fast ... You're Rocking!!)

Everything will be awkward and confusing at first. The guitar will feel uncomfortable and your fingertips will feel some pain and tenderness. This is common and will change with persistent practice. Your fingertips won't hurt and your guitar will become as comfortable as an old friend.

With practice playing gets easier and easier, and before you know it, it's second nature ... you'll be able to play with the best of them! Be persistent and never give up!

• Follow lessons step by step ... follow lessons that match your goals
• Record yourself right off the bat ... you'll be amazed how much you've learned when you listen back a few weeks
• Have fun ... after your lessons, play along with your favorite music or learn a new song
• If you get frustrated and you feel like giving up, think back to all the things you've already learned in life. Once you've learned them they're there. Same with guitar ... once you learn, it's there
• If you get too sore take a break ... finish where you left off later
• Practice, practice, practice

Please, make the time I spent writing this advice worthwhile ... never surrender, the rewards of creating music are wonderful and will give you pleasure the rest of your life.

• Next Lesson: How to Hold Your Guitar

• Previous Page: Basic Beginner Guitar Lessons ... Index

• My Favorite Guitar Lessons

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