Are You Choosing The Right Guitar Lessons For You?

Having the humility to admit when you have bitten off more than you can chew is a trait which can save you countless hours and frustration. If you have always harboured dreams of playing ‘that song’ or solo, acknowledging that you have a little work to do first can be a hard pill to swallow. But take heart, everything is achievable and nothing, with the right prep, is off limits.

So, how do you know if you are in for an uphill struggle with the lesson you have chosen? The first consideration is that, within that lesson - be it song, solo or technique - you should ‘recognise’ the majority of what is going on - the chords, shapes, patterns and rudiments should, in the main, look and feel familiar to you. If you have set your heart on mastering that famous Hotel California solo, but the world of lead guitar, basic string bending and a couple of pentatonic boxes aren’t under your fingers, then it may be wise to mark this one for later and seek out some foundation lessons on soloing or some easier solos. Equally if every chord in the lesson still feels fresh under your fingers, playing through them at a pace is gonna take a while and is a sign that some more ground work is needed.

Another indicator is the length of time with which it is taking for you to see a result. Have you been labouring over that song or lick for weeks? Maybe even months? Keep this song as your goal, but apply your energy and focus, instead, on finding a route to get you there in a more timely way. Seek out easier songs which use the same chords, techniques and ‘ingredients’.

Asking yourself ‘why’ you have chosen a lesson or course and what outcome you want from it is process we often forget. It is easy to find ourselves in an online learning ‘rabbit hole’, chasing things which we may either never use or forget as quickly as we have learnt them!

Start by refining your goals; if learning a handful of the songs you love is your goal (see point one) then gather those lessons together and get jamming! However, if you have promised yourself a resolution to becoming a more proficient alternate picker, for example, yet have found yourself half way through an 8 finger tapping workout and wondering how you got there, it may be a indicator that you need to reassess and get yourself back on track.

With that said, goals change. Learning about yourself as a player and what you want from the instrument is all part of the process; embrace this and be flexible. But when you have reaffirmed your goals, stick to them and try not to become distracted.

Another prime habit we can all hold our hands up to, is the practice of learning something because we have assumed we need it. Limbering up for a deep dive into the merits of the locrian mode or advanced scale theory is all well and good if this fits your ambitions, but if your heart lies in the rock n roll camp, this may not serve you well.

The truth is, you don’t need to know everything - moreover, we simply can’t learn everything in one lifetime - so take note of what skills you need and select the lessons which address these.

There is nothing worse than the feeling that your playing is standing still. Seeing results and progress is what drives us to keep playing. If your motivation is experiencing a rough patch, the solution is likely to be found in making a decision about the best lessons to drive you forward.

Whilst remaining cautious about choosing content appropriate or your level, it is important that you remain challenged. Seek out lessons which gently nudge you forward - perhaps there’s a new chord to learn in that song, a single new technique or concept, maybe that tune is a little faster than your comfort zone permits. Think small steps, not giant leaps.

Progress can also be linear. Learning something new doesn’t always have to serve to make you a better player - developing your repertoire or applying your current skills to new musical situations is all part of the journey too! Know that scale? Try it in another key/position. Learnt that song? Challenge yourself to perform it with the original or backing track. Equally, getting a new song under your belt is a result! If you have been labouring over the same song for a while, moving onto something else is, in itself, a form of progression and will prevent you feeling stagnant.