Success in life, as the old saying goes, in all about attitude. Success with music is really no different. I have found over the years that my most successful students (children and adults) have had a positive musical experience by keeping these few things in mind.

Have Patience: This may seem obvious, however the number one question I get asked about lessons is “How long does it take to learn to play the guitar.” Of course there is no real answer to this. Each person has their own goals and expectations. What I typically tell people is “take lessons for as long as you feel that they are enjoyable and you are satisfied with the progress you are making.”

Make it work with your lifestyle: As an adult, or even kids nowadays, we have extremely busy lives. In order to avoid the “health club guilt spiral” when learning the guitar, find a practice schedule that actually works with your life. Avoid unrealistic expectations like “I’m going practice an hour every single day.” Parents, this is true for your kids also. Accept that there will be times that your kids either can’t practice or don’t want to because they just had a four hour long soccer practice. Of course there is no substitute for regular practice in order to improve, however, missing a day or two won’t de-rail your lessons.

Remember to take the time to have fun:

This is why you wanted to play the guitar in first place. Be sure to take the time each week to just “jam.” It’s always valuable to play through old material for fun, or just make up songs using the chords we’ve learned. Playing an instrument shouldn’t always be about following a regimented practice schedule.

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