How to Avoid Guitar Practice Burnout - The #1 Reason Beginner Guitarists Give-Up.

This article is about how to avoid guitar practice burnout - something that happens to all of us from time to time!

Yep it's true. Many of us at one time or another has experienced those "blah" days where the last thing we want to do is pick up our guitar and practice. But don't fret!  Here you'll discover valuable little tidbits to help keep you motivated with learning and practicing guitar, so let's get started...

<b>How to Avoid Guitar Practice Burnout:</b>

<b>1)</b> <i>Enjoy the process of learning guitar.</i>

This sounds basic, but often beginner guitarist's will focus on negative aspects about their guitar playing skill level. Instead of "beating yourself up" remember that all professional guitarists started off just like you. The truth is that learning guitar takes time, patience and practice.

As a beginner, you should not try to learn to play guitar too quickly. Why?  In trying to learn guitar too quickly you'll risk increased muscle tension which can actually reduce your guitar playing ability.

So slow and steady guitar lessons will benefit you best for long-term success.

<b>2)</b> <i>Use the quality guitar learning methods.</i>

Many people find that learning to play guitar using traditional methods is too difficult, overwhelming and time consuming. And because of this difficulty, many people give up on their dreams of learning to play guitar because the guitar learning techniques were inadequate.

Luckily though, now days you can get online guitar lessons that teach a new and revolutionary way to learn guitar that produces fast and effective results.  These new guitar lesson techniques make learning guitar fun and easy. So, if learning guitar using traditional guitar methods is too difficult, or causing you too much frustration, know that there are new and improved ways to learn guitar that work extremely well.

<b>3)</b> <i>Learn to practice guitar at your pace.</i>

In learning to play guitar, you'll discover that some days you're more motivated than other days.

For example, some days you'll feel like playing the guitar for hours on end, and at other times, you'll only want to practice guitar for a few minutes. This is normal and if it's one of your "off days" allow yourself to enjoy a break from a long practice section without feeling guilty.

<b>4)</b> <i>Look to others for inspiration.</i>

One of the best motivators in trying to achieve any goal, like learning guitar, is to look to other people for help and assistance. Consider joining a musicians group and online music forums where you can share tips, successes and troubles with other guitarists online.

Chances are, there will be another guitar player who has had the same problem you're facing who can give you great
advice.  Learning how other people achieved their guitar playing success, and the pitfalls they incountered along the way (and how to avoid them), will help tremendously to inspire and motivate you along the way while learning guitar.

<b>The #1 Reason Beginner Guitarists Give-Up:</b>

The biggest reason many people new to learning guitar give-up is because they loose the JOY of learning to play guitar.  Why?  Many beginner guitarists are excited about their new hobby, and this excitement causes many people to rush into trying to play their first song as quickly as possible.

However by not FIRST taking the time to learn proper guitar basics, usually results in increased playing difficulties and frustration. And frustration is what eventually leads many beginners to give-up on their dreams of playing the guitar.

But don't worry! By following the tips above, you'll be well ahead of most people learning to play guitar.

Remember, to avoid practice burnout, it's critical learn to play guitar at a consistent pace, allow yourself breaks from playing guitar as needed, and keep yourself motivated by seeking out other guitarists for help and inspiration.

Guitar Lesson – How To Change Guitar Strings

At some point, all guitarists need to learn how to change the strings on their guitar. Sometimes you'll be forced to change one when a string snaps. But usually, you'll simply want to change them, as strings lose their brightness and wear out.

The amount of time you leave between change strings varies depending on several factors. If you play your guitar regularly, then you might like to change your strings once a week or once a month.

Most Professional guitarists tend to change their strings before each gig. But in the end, it all comes down to a matter of personal preference. Something to bear in mind if you're using your guitar for a gig, is that your strings need a few hours of play to break in properly. During this time, your strings will go out of tune as they stretch so you'll have to retune.

Anyway, here's what you do:
Remove the old strings by detuning the machine heads until the tension becomes loose enough to allow you to pull each string away from the headstock.

Another quick way to remove the old strings is to snip them using a pair of wire cutters. Be very careful if you do it this way, and make sure they are loose, since the bare ends of the strings can be sharp and easily flap around. Bare guitar strings are amongst the many things you DO NOT want to catch in your eye.

How you go about installing your new strings will usually depend on the type of guitar you have, as many guitars have slightly different methods. However, the strings are usually held in place at one end by fixtures behind or on the bridge, and at the other by turning the machine head on the headstock.

Here's a small insider tip guitarists have been using for years to get more life from your steel strings once you've removed them: Boil them.

Dropping a set of strings into a pan of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes will remove a lot of the grimy build up and bring a new life back to what would otherwise be lifeless strings.

It won't last for very long, and you can't get away with doing it too many times, but it can be an effective temporary measure.

I wouldn't suggest you rely on this technique too much, strings aren't too expensive - and using new strings saves you a lot of hassle.

Regardless of what kind of guitar you have, your strings need to be stretched after you've put them on. When you first tune your guitar, put your hand under each string around the pickup area, pull the string a few centimeters away from the fretboard, then release it. If the pitch has dropped, retune and repeat the process. Keep doing this until all the strings stay in tune.

On most electric guitars the strings are either secured at the bridge end by an independent tailpiece (like most Gibson guitars), or passed through the body of the instrument from the back into an all-in-one bridge unit (like most fender style guitars).

At one end of every steel string, you will find a tiny disc of metal around which one end of the string is wrapped. This is called the ball end.

Take the opposite end of the string and thread it through the fixture at the bridge.

Pull the string through until the ball end stops you from pulling the string any further.

Most electric and steel-string guitars use a similar system for securing strings at the machine head. The capstan to which the string is attached stands out vertically from the headstock. Strings can be passed through a hole in the side of the capstan.

The end is then passed around and under, trapping it in place when the machine head is tightened. Some capstans have vertical slots instead of holes. To use these, cut the string to length, and insert into the tip of the capstan. Then bend the string to one side and wind it around.

This leaves the string endings neat and tidy.
Here's what you do next: Slowly turn the machine head for each string, increasing the tension until the string becomes suitably tight.

To save yourself time and energy, you can use a cheap plastic string winder, which simply fits over the machine head allowing you to crank it along more quickly.

Do You have what it Takes to Play the Guitar?

What  does it take to learn to play guitar?

Playing the guitar is a great way to express yourself through music.  If you feel a strong urge to learn to play the guitar, here's a quick self-test to determine if you're ready to take this giant step.

Test Mind and Body

Before signing on for guitar lessons, test your mind and body. Your mind should be clear to learn.  Learning to play the guitar is like learning any other skill.  You must have some free time to dedicate solely to learning - even if it's only 15 minutes per day.  This should be a time of total concentration when you can block out the cares of work and life to work on your lessons and practice.

Physical Health and Playing the Guitar

Your body's physical health is also important.  Playing the guitar requires holding a guitar in an upright position, either resting on your legs or held upright by a shoulder strap.  Consider the strength of your back, shoulders, arms and legs.  A person who suffers from severe lower back pain may find it difficult to hold a guitar for any length of time.  If you know someone who owns a guitar, you can practice holding theirs to test your strengths and weaknesses. 

Also, consider the physical condition of your hands, fingers and wrists.  Some conditions that could hinder your playing ability include arthritis, carpal tunnel or frequent swelling of the wrists or fingers.

It's Still Possible

Even if you have a condition that makes it difficult to play a guitar, this doesn't mean you will never play.  You can research online or talk with a professional instructor to find out if there are ways to work around your disability or physical weakness.  For example, if you have back pain, you might find a lightweight guitar that's easy to hold.  Or, if you have swelling or pain in the hands, there may be exercises to help relieve the tension.  Don't give up until you've done the research.

The Relevance of Musical Talent

If you have natural musical talent, that's great.  However, if you don't feel that you are naturally talented, don't worry.  You only need the desire to learn and the ability to listen, read and practice.  You learn to play the guitar by taking one step at a time - or one note at a time.  Without musical talent, you might have to concentrate just a little harder at the beginning, but soon you'll find it to be similar to learning any skill.

Questions to Ask

After considering the above, answer these questions to determine your readiness to learn playing the guitar.

1)  Do you have a strong desire to play the guitar?
2)  Why do you want to learn to play the guitar?
3)  Do you want to learn to read music or play the guitar by ear?
4)  Is a guitar instructor available where you live?
5)  If an instructor is not available, are you willing to learn using an online guitar course?
6)  Once your guitar lessons begin, are you willing to practice at least fifteen to thirty minutes per day, five to six days a week?
7)  Do you have the money to invest in a guitar?

Your answers to these questions should help you determine if you're ready to learn how to play the guitar. 

You're only lessons away from playing great guitar music!