Learning to play guitar is fun, but it can be frustrating as well. It’s quite typical for new guitarists to see rapid progress in the beginning, but then the rate at which they improve tends to slow down somewhat. Reaching this plateau can be a frustrating time, and if you’re feeling a bit stuck and want to learn to play guitar better, read on for some easy tips that should help to accelerate your progress.
First, if you’re not already practising with a metronome regularly, you should begin doing so right away. Regular metronome practice can dramatically improve your rhythm skills, and will give your playing the kind of tightness and precision that’s exhibited by the most skilled guitarists. Even if you think you already play perfectly in time, it is worth giving a metronome a try, as you’ll probably be surprised to see just how much room for improvement there is, and how rapidly you do improve with regular metronome practice.
Secondly, it’s very important to be patient. If you want to learn to play guitar fast, and develop into a brilliant virtuoso as quickly as possible, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Playing the guitar is a complex skill that takes a lot of time and consistent practice to really master, and even then there’s always room for improvement. So while it’s a good thing to have goals, you shouldn’t get so hung up on reaching a certain level with your playing that you don’t enjoy your current achievements and the journey along the way. Ironically, by adopting a patient attitude, your progress will probably speed up because you’re no longer sabotaging your own progress by trying to go too far too fast.
Lastly, you’ll find you progress more quickly if you remain mindful of your playing as you practice. Really give your full attention to the sounds that you’re producing, and the way in which you’re holding your hands and body. Once you’ve got the absolute basics down, it’s quite easy to just start playing on autopilot without really paying attention to what you’re doing. Unfortunately, this kind of inattention can lead to the development of bad habits, which can stop you from progressing as quickly as you’d like. So instead, try to keep your attention focused in the moment and play as well as you can at all times. After all, there’s not much point to practising every day if you’re spending that practice time just repeating the same sloppy habits and mistakes over and over.
Keep the simple tips in mind, and hopefully your guitar playing will continue to improve as a result.