5 Reasons Why Beginner Guitarists Stop Playing
Published on Tuesday 20 August 2024
If you’ve just started to learn to play the guitar and feel like you’re not making any progress, then you’re not alone. In this blog, Dean van der Knaap lists the five biggest reasons why beginner guitarists stop playing, and explains why not one of them is a good reason.
#1. “It’s Too Hard!”
First things first: learning to play the guitar is maybe a little harder than you thought. While all of those guitarists you see playing in Youtube clips make it look easy, there are countless hours of hard training and study that had to happen before they were able to do any of it. They have rehearsed every note of every song over and over until they’re sick – until the point where those songs are fused with their very soul – just so they can make it look that effortless. When you can play a whole song with your eyes closed or without even looking at the fretboard; when you get to the point where you don’t even have to think about what you’re doing any more – to the inexperienced bystander, that makes it look really easy. But the truth is, getting to that point takes a lot of time and a lot of hard work. So, when you start learning to play and realise just how much work it all takes, it makes sense that you might feel at least a little bit overwhelmed. But while you should never underestimate the graft and dedication involved in getting that good, you should also remember that it’s never impossible to get that good. If you keep practising every day then, bit by bit, you’ll see that you’re only getting better and better.
#2. “I Can’t Multitask!”
When you start, one of the first things that can trip you up is the fact that you need to learn to do a different thing with each hand. This takes a lot of concentration, whether you’re a natural multitasker or not. While one hand presses down the strings to make the right chord or note, your other hand plays the rhythm or has to hit the right string. At the same time, you’re listening to what you’re playing, trying to make sure you’re holding down the strings so they don’t buzz or sound bad and trying to strum the right rhythm or play the right strings in the right order. You’re also constantly getting ready to shift to the next note or chord. In short – it’s a lot. Here are a few tips to help break things down a bit.
Slowly, Bit By Bit
- Always go easy on yourself and start really, really slowly. And I mean slowly. When you play slowly, you give yourself more time to focus on what you’re doing and what you need to do next. If you want to play faster, you first need to get everything in your muscle memory so that every movement becomes automatic.
- You can also practise the part of each hand separately. So, for example, you can just stay on one chord and play the rhythm with your strumming hand. Again, start slowly and keep strumming the rhythm while holding the same chord until you don’t have to think about the movement anymore. It can be really helpful to use a metronome while you practise since it’ll train your sense of timing and tempo and, the earlier you start playing with one, the better. You can also do the same kind of exercise with your fret hand. So, without actually strumming or plucking the strings, just practise transitioning from one chord or note to the next and back again and keep repeating until the action feels smooth. So if you’re struggling to switch from a D chord to a G chord, then spend a few minutes (at least) just moving from the D to the G and back again. By spending that little bit of time, you’ll immediately notice how much easier it feels and how much quicker you get.
#3. “I Don’t Know What to Do Next!”
Maybe you started playing with the help of the internet, whether you’ve been watching YouTube tutorials or using websites that offer free lessons or tablature. This can be a great way to start playing but, since there’s no one there to correct you when you need it, you can easily develop some bad habits that can come back and bite you later. One of the most common ‘bad habits’ is inefficient finger placement or neglecting to learn how to mute strings when strumming chords (a lot of chords only include a few notes, maybe only even two, so the rest of the strings need to be muted when they’re not part of the chord so they’re not played accidentally). A less smooth approach to alternating picking is also another common one if you’re teaching yourself.
Find Some Tips
I’m not saying that you can only get good at playing the guitar when you pay for lessons, but lessons can definitely be worth the investment. However, ultimately, you’re in charge of your learning process, so if you’re not very motivated, don’t have enough time to practise properly and you aren’t willing to take on the advice that your teacher is giving you, then there’s barely any point in taking lessons. Also, not everyone can afford to take lessons. If you already know someone who can play the guitar then ask them if they have some tips for you and maybe show them the bits that you’re finding more difficult. They were also beginners once and know where things can be corrected to make the process more comfortable. The more feedback you get on your playing, the more opportunities you get to improve your playing. While it can be a bit confronting, it can also really give your skills a boost!
Online Tips
You can also maybe reach out to people online and ask for some tips. There are countless guitar forums and groups out there. Ask for some tips and the experienced guitarists you’ll find there will be happy to share their hard-won wisdom. It can also be helpful to post a video of yourself playing a song. While it can be a little scary, the feedback you get might be invaluable. Before moving on, what I will say is that all of it begins with yourself: you alone are the driving factor in how good you can get at playing your instrument. If you remain aware of how you’re playing and always remain open to learning, then eventually, you’ll actually be able to correct yourself.
#4. “It’s Not Happening Fast Enough!”
Maybe you feel like you’re working really hard and putting in the hours and still feel like you’re still not progressing fast enough. Here it’s worth remembering that a lot of beginners demand too much too soon. Of course you want to be able to play ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ even though you’ve only just mastered the intro of ‘Smoke On the Water’. As The Eagles once said: ‘Take it Easy!’ Playing the guitar isn’t simple. Even learning to play a couple of classic campfire songs is much easier said than done. Try not to rush anything and remember that you can only really progress if you persevere. The process of learning to play a song is actually more important and far more valuable than the end result. You learn so many different skills along the way, meaning that every time you learn to play a song, you’re getting better at it. So don’t rush it!
#5. “I’m Scared to Play!”
Last but not least: insecurity. Being even a little bit insecure about your playing can mean that you never dare to play in front of anyone else. It can even make you too scared to go to guitar lessons, to play with other people, to ask for feedback from more experienced guitarists and it could stop you from ever joining a band and playing your first gig. I actually think this is understandable, because making music is a really vulnerable thing and, because it’s so personal, you really want to avoid being looked down on. In my experience, there’s also no immediate antidote for insecurity. However, bear in mind that there is no such thing as failure. If things didn’t quite go as you rehearsed them, big deal. It’s only an opportunity to learn. If you don’t even try then you’re not just avoiding embarrassment but losing out on the opportunity to have a good experience. Often people are far more positive than we expect and will offer compliments and good feedback. Feedback can sometimes feel negative but it can give you a good indication of where you can improve. Feedback is the key to progressing. You can’t always see where you can improve and get better so it’s really valuable. My advice? Make the music that you love, share your joy in it with others and above all – trust yourself. Be bold!
Of course, there are more than 5 possible reasons why you might put down your guitar and give up. Let us know about your personal obstacles in the comments.
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