Comments on: How to Make Guitar Playing Really Work in 2017

By: Klaus Crow

Klaus Crow — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 09:28:50 +0000

Hi Gurer,
Discouragement and frustrating is part of learning a skill. It means you’re challenging yourself and “challenge” means “growth”. I always tell my students they just have to ignore the emotion of frustrating, just focus on your playing, feel patience and love for your practice. Just take small steps and always start slow. Once you feel comfortable playing it slow, gradually increase your speed or take the next small step. It’s all about repetition.

Don’t sweat about that crack in your guitar. It’s part of the deal :) My first daughter also did the exact same thing to my pretty expensive Santa Cruz guitar. See it as your daughter’s autograph. It gives your guitar character and it makes it look alive. Once the first crack is there, the next one gets easier. My guitars are all beat up and I love it, in the end it’s all about what you get out of the guitar and not how clean it looks. Cracks are pretty. :)

I wish you all the best for 2017, and enjoy the challenge of practicing.

Best,
Klaus

By: Gurer

Gurer — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 08:08:32 +0000

Dear Klaus,
Thank you for this post. I, for sure got benefit of that. Let me tell you what happened last night. I was practicing with my guitar in the room but in a moment I got frustrated and felt I’m not made for guitar playing. I went to living room to tell my wife I’m discouraged because I can’t do that. She tried to encourage me by telling I am giving up very quickly and I should practice consistently on a daily basis for progress. It was ok, I went back to my room and kept on practicing still feeling frustrated. A few minutes later my 3 year old daughter run into my room with a solid toy on her hand smashed it to my pretty Taylor guitar. The damage wasn’t serious but it was the first. It was only a tiny crack on the body but it added more sadness into my day. I put my guitar back into the case and decided to stop for the day. It was enough for one day.

But, today is a new day and now that I read your motivating post, here are my decisions:
1) I will keep on practicising, no matter what. 1 hour a day if possible, if not, as long as possible
2) I will change my guitar teacher. Because he doesn’t give me weekly exercises and I feel he does not add me anything
3) I will also apply a program to excel my bar chords and chord transitions before trying to play my favorite songs
4) I will accept my guitar with its little crack which is only as big as a pen touch on a paper:)
I’m already following your advices; got coach.me, printed out a 2017
Again Klaus, I thank you for your article I will keep reading your posts to get more motivation.
Best wishes from Istanbul

By: Klaus Crow

Klaus Crow — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 05:56:13 +0000

In reply to sri.

Hi Sri,

Thanks. A wish you a happy and healthy new year filled with music!

Best,
Klaus

By: sri

sri — Mon, 02 Jan 2017 13:02:29 +0000

wish you a happy new year :)

By: Klaus Crow

Klaus Crow — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 16:46:33 +0000

In reply to Daniel.

Hi Daniel,
Thanks. Having a guitar with you is a good idea while your abroad. It keeps you entertained and piece of mind when you need it.

Have a great new year!
Best,
Klaus

By: Daniel

Daniel — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 11:50:48 +0000

This is amazing Klaus! really encouraging, even more when I’ll be spending next 4 years of mi life living abroad and need to keep my old friend Guitar with me. Thanks a lot for the content!