Anybody can play guitar

It's funny when I talk to people and tell them that I am a musician and play guitar everyone and their cousin plays guitar or can find another instrument they used to play in high school or band. I understand that by abiding by the laws of conversation this comes from the deeper sense of trying to find a common ground. Everybody should have played or tried an instrument at some point in their life. Music helps children develop skills and forms an outlet of energy and feelings for everyone. If you've read prior posts you are already familiar with my findings that adults play instruments for many different reasons ranging from recreation to business.

I often wonder why people stop playing instruments and making music. Most often I hear the lack of time as a reason or the interest in other hobbies. Although I believe that there are so many things in this world that are interesting and we generally only scratch the surface of what we try, I also believe in balance. Picking up an instrument every once in a while can be a welcome change of pace from going to the gym for the eighth time this week. Another reason I hear quite often is that people were not making progress or developing the skills they desired.

There can be a couple of reasons for the failure of reaching ones goals. First and foremost you need to practice. If you don't practice you will not see any improvements. Music doesn't give instant gratification and by sitting down for half an hour today you are not a stellar player tomorrow. You need to be aware of the hard work and commitment it takes to make music and improve instrumental skills.

Let's assume for a moment that you practice diligently. Do you have the right expectations? Do you have a clear image what you want to accomplish? Do you listen to music, listen to people that do what you are trying to achieve? Seriously, I have met quite a few people that I taught in my life that never listened to anything they wanted to play. I had students that wanted to go to college to study music. They wanted to play Jazz. Jazz is quite a big umbrella of styles so I was interested in their preference. Someone said Be-Bop and others just insisted on Jazz. When I asked about artists they listened to I got a blank stare. Others knew a few names to throw out there but when I inquired about albums or songs they listened to I got the same reaction. You cannot learn music if you don't listen. Listening to the charts does not help you develop skills and an ear for Jazz or Blues.

There is another reason why people quit playing their instruments. It's the teachers. Not every city has a music school. Not every primary school has a music class. While most of the teachers in music school have at least a degree and some knowledge of their instrument, a lot of people take lessons from individuals who offer music lessons. I am not saying that either one is bad. There are good individual teachers and good teachers in school. But there are also the bad and the ugly ones. There are teachers that push their own agendas instead of listening to students’ needs and desires. There are teachers that don't know how to teach or don't know how to play.

A good lesson should be driven by two forces: The basic knowledge about music that the teacher has to offer to the student and the goal of the student. No good teacher says my student only wants to play Metallica so that's what we do. If the student only wants to play Metallica he doesn't need a teacher, should go home and start practicing by listening to Metallica as I mentioned above. If the student wants to learn more about music and the instrument and the teacher has them practice scales in all 12 keys all day long the student will go home and quit playing.

A good teacher will offer their students insights on music and their instruments. They will offer practices to understand harmony, melody and rhythm. They will teach tonality and techniques. If you follow these simple rules you will actually have fun learning, playing and on the other side teaching. It is a win-win situation.

Instant Gratification

Playing music is one of the best things you can do in this world. There are hundreds of reasons why you would want to play an instrument. You like to play for yourself and enjoy the music or you prefer to play with others and have fun together. You can play to relax or because you're curious.

One of the interesting aspects of making music is that there is always something new to learn. As you're practicing and learning you are becoming better and more proficient, but with every step you take and every level you reach new doors and passages are opening up.

In this day and age there is a conflict between the rising expectation of instant gratification and the study and practicing of skills. When I look around me I see more and more people acting results driven instead of purpose driven. While I would be the first person to acknowledge that we need both ways to succeed in our quest through life I noticed that there is no balance between them anymore. I am afraid and think it is a shame that we are missing out on the little things.

In music, there is no instant gratification. Although, I will immediately revoke that statement. It takes a long time to become proficient in your instrument. It might take a long time to acquire the skills for the style and genre that you want to play. You aren't able to play after just a half hour of practice. The beauty is that practicing and learning gives you instant gratification. And this is where the paragraph about results driven and purpose driven comes into play.

If you're only in it for the results, you will miss out on the beauty of the learning process. You're closing your eyes before the new path that opens up once you achieve the desired result. Music is dynamic. You are never there. You need to have goals you are working towards but while you do so you will learn about new possibilities, opportunities and further reaching goals. I am not advertising to get lost and overloaded with ideas. There are many ways to achieve your goals but you need to stay focused and at the same time open for new things.

Whenever you decide that you are done, you don't have to learn anything anymore you stop making music. That might be a harsh statement but it holds the truth. The minute you decide that you know everything you need to know about your instrument you are able to mechanically reproduce pieces without depth or innovation.

Music will go on and continue to evolve. Are you onboard?