<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n If you\u2019re serious about learning guitar, then take some time to sit down and create a schedule of your weekly commitments. How much time do you realistically have for practicing after you account for work, parenting and your other time commitments? If you can, try to carve out three half-hour slots in your schedule dedicated to practicing. Don\u2019t have enough time for that? That\u2019s totally okay, but your progress will be slower compared to someone who can find more time to practice. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The trick here is to be as realistic as possible about how much time and energy you\u2019re able to give your guitar practice. I\u2019ve met a lot of adults who\u2019ve wanted to play the guitar for years who end up taking lessons for a month and then bam, that thing called \u201clife\u201d gets in the way and they end up quitting. Knowing your limitations going in can help you stick to some sort of schedule and continue to make progress. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Knowing what exactly you\u2019d like to accomplish by learning the guitar will help you make strides on the instrument in huge, noticeable ways. Want to write your own music? How about practicing singing and playing some old country songs that you eventually want to play on stage for the first time? Or maybe you\u2019ve always wanted to learn how to play blues guitar like B.B. King. Defining and setting goals is essential because they\u2019ll give your practice more direction, meaning and urgency. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n With guitar, everyone begins in the same exact place. You start by learning how to press your fingers down on the strings in a way that produces pitches. Then you master basic open chords, scales and begin developing muscle memory in your hands. But after you\u2019ve mastered basic technique on the guitar, what you do will drastically change depending on the types of goals you\u2019ve set for yourself. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you\u2019re not entirely sure what you want to get out of learning the guitar, that\u2019s completely normal. The act of defining your goals is a process that will get you thinking about who you are in relation the music and what you truly want to get out of learning guitar. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Whether you live in a mansion or a studio apartment, dedicating a spot in your home for guitar playing will do huge things for your practice. This is because as adults, we realistically don\u2019t get things done unless we dedicate the space for it in our lives.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Are you a parent with young children? Then creating a kid-free space in your home will give you the best chance at being able to focus on learning guitar. If you\u2019re living in a house with roommates then the same sort of idea applies here. And if all else fails, consider bringing your guitar to your office to practice during your lunch hour or even renting out a small studio space in town.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n But creating a space for learning guitar isn\u2019t always just physical. Going back to the parenting example, a parent with young children wanting to learn how to play the guitar will have to hand the kids off to their partner or a sitter when they practice the guitar. If you\u2019re especially career-oriented, you might have to miss drinks with coworkers or meetings here and there to find time to practice. Learning guitar as an adult takes effort, planning and some sacrifices every now and again. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The biggest advantage kids have over adults who want to learn how to play the guitar is that kids usually have their parents making sure they\u2019re practicing and making progress towards their goals. As adults, we have no one keeping us accountable other than ourselves, and this can be tricky for some folks. Why?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Because as adults, we have tons of excuses <\/span>not<\/span><\/i> to practice the guitar at any given time. Work, relationships, parenting, you name it. Being the boss of your own life comes attached with a seemingly endless amount of commitments, appointments, bills and other tedious concerns. This means that if you want to take up something extra, like working out or learning guitar, you\u2019re gonna have to fight for the time and space to make it happen. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n You can absolutely succeed in learning how to play this incredible instrument, but not without planning and accountability. In addition to creating goals and sticking to a schedule, try checking in with yourself every week to see if you\u2019re making progress. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Even people who stick to strict practicing schedules will ultimately not be able to practice as much as they want. Taking an all or nothing approach when it comes to learning guitar will set you on a path toward getting discouraged and eventually quitting. Adults who succeed in learning guitar for the first time are able to find a good balance between being serious about their goals but also for leaving plenty of room for life and all its complications. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n When your life gets hectic and you can\u2019t find time to play, just get back to playing as soon as you can. You\u2019ll probably find that at certain times of the year, like during the holiday season, life is just too hectic for practicing guitar. Again, this is completely normal, but the trick is getting back to a set practice schedule whenever you can.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Taking some time to play your guitar just for fun is a good way to keep things fresh and interesting. If you\u2019re not really sure what to play or how to get started, I recommend improvising over the 12-bar blues progression. In case you\u2019re not familiar, the 12-bar blues progression is a song form developed in the American blues tradition that\u2019s now found in every style of music from rock and roll to jazz. Try recording this simple chord progression onto your smartphone or computer and improvising over it using notes from this blues scale. You can play this with any tempo and strumming pattern you want. Even if you have no interest in the blues, this exercise should be fun and helpful for you. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you\u2019re able to recognize and celebrate the large and small victories in your playing, you\u2019ll have a much better chance at mastering the guitar compared to someone who is never satisfied with their playing. Learning the guitar for the first time is hard. <\/span>Really hard<\/span><\/i>. And there\u2019s nothing wrong with admitting that. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Every bit of progress you make is important, and you\u2019ll need to learn how to get excited enough about the small stuff to get you through the challenge of learning guitar for the first time. Whenever you get discouraged, try stepping back and recognizing how far you\u2019ve come whether you\u2019re barely able to press down the strings or are able to play virtuosic riffs and solos. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The parents of guitar students often spend loads of money to enroll their kids in group lessons or band programs, and this is for a good reason. Kids who learn music in group settings are able to learn from their more experienced peers and have fun at the same time. The same goes for adults. If you\u2019re serious about learning guitar, make an effort to get involved with a band, open jam session or any other group setting that pairs you up with other musicians.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adults sometimes have a way of living narrow lives that are closed to the outside world because we work the same jobs and are exposed to the same people for years or even decades at a time. Being around other musicians or even just adults who are learning guitar just like you will help expose you to new ideas and can keep you encouraged and on the right path. Communities of even just a few like-minded individuals have a way of accomplishing things that just one person could never do, so don\u2019t be an island when it comes to learning how to play the guitar. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Again, adults who succeed in learning how to play guitar are able to balance their serious desire to want to learn with making playing the guitar a fun and rewarding experience. If you approach your guitar playing like you do your career, then you\u2019re going to have a difficult time. I once taught a really nice guy who happened to be a surgeon. He had an incredibly difficult time playing because he wasn\u2019t able to calm down, relax and get comfortable with making mistakes. He never said so, but I believe he had an especially hard time because he put a similar pressure into his guitar practice that he did in his profession. After a few lessons, he got discouraged and quit. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"learning](\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/shutterstock_2117877.jpg\")
My first tip is a hugely important one. Many of the adult students I\u2019ve met fall short of their goals because they weren’t realistic about how much time they\u2019d be able to commit to practicing or even just playing for fun. The only way you\u2019ll be able to learn how to play the guitar is if you take the time to sit down and play it, and this will take a serious commitment on your part. <\/span><\/p>\nTip #2: Define your goals in learning the guitar<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Tip #3: Create a space in your home dedicated to practicing guitar<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"adult](\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/shutterstock_492765709.jpg\")
<\/p>\nTip #4: Hold yourself accountable<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Tip #5: Don\u2019t get discouraged when you can\u2019t find time for practicing<\/strong> <\/span><\/h2>\n
Tip #6: Make sure you\u2019re having fun<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"have](\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/shutterstock_498460387.jpg\")
You probably won\u2019t get very far on the guitar unless you\u2019re able to have fun while you\u2019re playing. Adults sometimes have a way of taking the fun out of things, and this can be a detriment to learning new skills and doing things that can truly enrich our lives. If you\u2019re too wrapped up in the routine of practicing, it might be time to rethink what you\u2019re doing to learn the guitar. <\/span><\/p>\n![\"learning](\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Screen-Shot-2017-08-31-at-4.54.39-PM.png\")
<\/p>\nTip #7: Recognize and celebrate your progress<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Tip #8: Don\u2019t be an island<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"learning](\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/shutterstock_388077721.jpg\")
<\/p>\nTip #9: Make practicing the guitar a pressure-free zone<\/strong><\/h2>\n