Why Aren't You Making Progress in Guitar Playing?

If you’ve ever struggled to get better at playing the guitar, you’re not alone.

Many guitarists hope they’ll get better.

Often, they stay in a rut.

The consequences?

• Frustration
• Less enjoyment in playing
• Loss of motivation

Disappointing.

In a private lesson I was teaching for a 12-year-old student, I was reminded why guitarists don’t make progress.

It’s because they don’t think of guitar playing like a video game.

If you’re not into video games, this still applies to you.

Picture this. You’re playing a game. There’s no definition of how to win. When you take action, there’s no feedback. If you accomplish something, there’s no reward.

Would you keep playing that game? Probably not.

If you want to make progress in your guitar playing, 3 things can make a huge difference:

1. Clear Quest

Define what winning looks like. What are you trying to achieve? Make this measurable.

For my 12-year-old student, I’ve started dividing each piece of music into a series of quests.

For example, quest 1 is to play measures 1-8, holding down the left-hand fingers within each chord shape, with right notes and rhythms at eighth=66 with the metronome.

Elements that make the quest clear include how many measures you’re playing, whether you’re using intended fingerings, whether you’re playing right notes and rhythms, and a defined tempo with metronome.

What about musical expression? Things like dynamics and ritardando can’t be measurable, right?

Actually they can.

While these elements do involve more subjectivity, the easiest way to make musical expression measurable is to decide how you want to express the piece.

Some pieces come with many expressive markings in the score.

If your piece does not have markings or if you want to interpret the piece differently from the markings given, write your own expressive directions on the score.

Either way, your quest can be to play the musical expression as written.

2. Action with Feedback

Take action toward the quest. Notice whether your action is getting the desired result.

If you’re working with a teacher, they can give you feedback. For my 12-year-old student, I told him he was playing the right notes and rhythms but not holding down left-hand fingers within chord shapes.

He adjusted accordingly.

Whether you’re working with a teacher or not, give yourself feedback in practice.

Notice which elements of the quest are in place and which are not.

Sometimes it helps to record your playing. Review the recording and adjust your playing based on what you notice.

3. Reward

When a quest is accomplished, celebrate!

My 12-year-old student accomplished two quests in a lesson. I went crazy, pumping my fists in the air and shouting things like “Yes!’ “That was awesome!” “Quest accomplished!” “Way to go!” His mom was in the background clapping.

In your practice session, celebrate when you accomplish each quest. This might feel silly, especially if someone might overhear you, but don’t be afraid to jump out of the chair and shout “Yes!” Do a little dance. Whatever feels right to celebrate your accomplishment.

In some cases, you may want to establish an external reward. When you finish a quest, you can buy some more sheet music. Or a new guitar support. Or whatever.

Now what?

After you’ve accomplished a quest, define another one. It can be helpful to have 2 or 3 quests available at any given time so you can rotate to a different one if you get stuck or bored.

The new quest could be playing the same measures at a higher level (more musical expression or faster tempo, for example), or it could be playing the next group of measures at the same level.

Either way, this approach will help you make consistent progress in your guitar playing, increasing your enjoyment and motivation.

Keep making music!

If you want to eliminate bad guitar days, try my Warmup Routine Checklist. To get a copy, click here.

How do you measure progress in your guitar playing?