Not all guitar players become great… but this doesn’t have to include you. Learn the four mistakes that will keep you from becoming a great guitarist.
The majority of guitarists out there are only average players. To become an excellent guitar player, you need to avoid the mistakes these people make, and replace them with the correct choices that lead you to greatness. The following are the biggest mistakes to avoid:
Mistake ONE: Having a self-doubting mindset
The biggest thing that keeps you from ever becoming a great guitarist is NOT a lack of natural musical talent, a lack of money for the best instruments, limited time as you want to practice or any other countless excuses people make… it is your mindset. No matter how much skill you have on guitar, if you constantly tell yourself you aren’t going to become great or you could never be as good as [insert name here], you won’t do these things.
On the other hand, when you empower yourself and truly believe you can and will achieve the goals you have, you’ll begin doing the actions necessary for achieving them.
Guitarist and music career mentor Tom Hess says, “Thoughts lead to beliefs, beliefs lead to actions, and actions become your reality. Feed your brain empowering thoughts on a consistent basis and you will find yourself accomplishing things you could’ve only dreamed of before. The best guitar players become frustrated sometimes, but they never doubt themselves, and never doubt that they will achieve their goals. Be the same way.”
Mistake TWO: Not working with a great guitar teacher
Many great guitar players were able to get to the highest level in their playing thanks to working with excellent teachers. Although it is possible to become great without a teacher, chances are you will waste tons of time figuring things out through trial-and-error when learning on your own. Don’t make this mistake and cause yourself unnecessary frustration.
Working with a great guitar teacher reduces the time it takes to become a great guitarist by giving you tons of insight, training and strategies you never could’ve thought of on your own. If you haven’t done so already, start looking for a teacher who teaches in your musical style, has already helped many students become excellent players and has credentials specifically related to teaching guitar.
Mistake THREE: Not pushing hard enough when faced with challenges
It’s easy to give up as soon as something becomes challenging. However, great guitar players keep going well beyond the point where most guitarists give up. Push yourself to achieve more and don’t become overwhelmed by frustrations. See frustrating times in your guitar playing as a chance to challenge yourself and take your skills to the next level.
Mistake FOUR: Not setting big musical goals
Don’t settle for having small musical goals. The greatest guitarists all set really big goals that most people are too afraid to even attempt. This is how you should think about your musical goals as well. Take the time to sit down and think carefully about everything you want to achieve in your guitar playing. Then spend some time thinking about how you can make those goals even bigger.
Now that you know some of the biggest mistakes that keep people from becoming great guitarists, avoid them and apply the advice of this article into your playing. You will quickly see results, and you’ll become a much better guitar player faster than ever before.