Clarification of title: Ajax Crypto, Gamer name from the 1990”s. “Never going to be a Rockstar”, I’m learning guitar for my own enjoyment and not to make money. This topic is more about what keeps me going and less about what I did. It’s a list of how to stay motivated.
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Right now I have two guitars hanging on the wall in the TV room, a Les Paul in the down stairs office, two more guitars in the workshop and none in the closest. They are always visibly reminding me how easy it would pick one up and play. My wife even changed her ringtone for me to guitar man.
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The first year was brutal. My finger tip hurt after fifteen minutes, so I practices for fifteen minutes. I couldn’t stretch my fingers to play a simple power chord, so I practices simple open chords. I wanted to sound like Stevie Ray Vaughan. I practice in the garage using a headphone amp so no one could hear how bad I really was. There was this huge gap between where I was and where I wanted to be. So I set long term goals and realistic short term goals. Sound like Stevie Ray Vaughan: ten years. Play a two chord song: two months, easy win. Two and a half years later, I still don’t sound like Stevie Ray Vaughan, but I’m sliding bar chords around like a Rockstar.
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I’m thinking about setting a new short term goal to learn ether Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen” or Lenny Kravitz’s “Fly away”. I tried to learn both of these earlier but got frustrated and set them aside. My skill set has improved and I think it’s time to try again. Whenever I set a goal, I also set a reward. I enjoy woodworking so if I succeed, I will go down to the exotic lumber store and buy enough curly maple and walnut to build an es-335. Now when I sit down to practices I’m thinking, If I get this right I can have a 335. That little “If I do this, I get that” bit of self rewarding changes your entire motivation. What do you think?
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Hi Ajax,
I think the reward system is a great tool, especially works well on a gamer’s mindset. I will reward myself by watching funny cat videos each time I finish the daily practice section, and set reward items for the longer milestones I want to reach.
It’s a great motivation to learn guitar for our own enjoyment. I think maybe in the end, that’s what matters the most. Maybe you’re “never going to be a rockstar” for the public, but you are already “being a rockstar” for yourself and your wife. Keep up the great work!
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Second attempt at “Fly Away”, went better than expected. I have spent the pass year improving the full F bar chord. Mostly the speed needed to get in and out of position. And that migrated to sliding from F to a G bar chord and Bm to C#m. While this song does not have a F bar chord in it, It does have an A, B, C and G chords and they all use the same shape just starting on different frets. So the “Win” is I already know the chord shapes for the first four chords. The area that needs work is the strumming pattern, hammer on technique and the D bar chord. I though sliding all over the neck would be a problem, but my positional awareness has also improved over the pass year. So there it is, I have mapped out what areas that need improvement. Now when I sit down to practices I can focus on the techniques first and then play the song.