subject: When You Start A Course Of Guitar Tutorials, Begin With The End In Mind! [print this page] When You Start A Course Of Guitar Tutorials, Begin With The End In Mind!
Most people beginning guitar lessons follow a certain pattern. One day they become interested in the guitar, for whatever reason. They may have a favourite band or guitarist and want to emulate them. They may have friends in a band and want to learn guitar so they can join in. Or they may have relatives who have played before and they want to have a go for themselves.In any case, after taking the decision to learn the guitar, people look for some form of guitar tutorials. This could be by finding a music teacher, buying an instruction book, following an online course, or viewing some YouTube videos and learning to play a few songs. Once they have chosen their preferred training method, they then proceed to start learning.This all seems OK, you may be thinking, all sound logic and common sense. However, most people following the aforementioned pattern quit playing within three months of starting, never touching the instrument again. Why should this be the case? Well, when they picked up the guitar and started their first lesson, they had already doomed themselves to failure - simply because they failed to begin with the end in mind.Most successful business, for instance, don't happen by accident. When it's set up, the owners have a distinct business plan. They know where they need to be in 12 months, 24 months, even five years down the line. They then start putting together a set of carefully constructed plans, to ensure that necessary actions are taken, when required, to meet their end goals and aspirations. More importantly, they develop short-term goals that fit in with the longer-term goals. They instill checks along the way to ensure that they are on target to meet the goals, and can take steps to adjust accordingly.Now, I know this sounds all a bit much, when all you want to do is play your instrument. But, when you're a guitar beginner, having a clear vision of where you want your guitar playing to take you, before you begin your first lesson, can provide the key to staying motivated - and not being one of the majority who fall by the wayside.Obviously your plans do not need to be as complex as a major business. But once you have decided what you want to do with your guitar playing (play part time in a band, write and record your own songs, or just as an occasional hobby) this will help dictate your practice regime. You can then plan accordingly to ensure the level of priority regular practice has in your life. You can then set up a simple to follow weekly plan, establishing short-term goals, that will ensure you continually head towards your long-term aspirations. You may want to master a particular chord progression by the end of the week, for example. Then, if by the third day, you are struggling, you know that you may need to allow time for extra practice to reach your target. In this way, you will continue to make progress in a structured way, rather than wander aimlessly for the first few months, with the risk you may give up in frustration - never having giving yourself a chance to reach your true potential.
