Have you ever watched another musician play and thought: "Whoa, how do they do that? I wish I could!"
All of us have envied others during our lives at one time or another. It's normal human nature to feel that way. But did you know, that with work you too could be one of those that others think the same about that you used to envy?
First of all, there's not a magic elixir that you can take to instantly be good at your playing. But there are some methods that you can use to build YOUR confidence and play better.
The first requirement is that you must love what you're doing!
I don't mean just like, you must love playing the instrument as much as you enjoy other aspects of your life. Without passion, how can you expect to ever be good at it?
I joke with other musicians that my guitar has been with me longer than my wife has so neither can be 'caressed' by anyone other than myself. You get the point.
The next requirement is that you have to spend time with your guitar. You have to get to know it inside and out. That means maybe learning to read music, taking lessons, performing with others, whatever floats your boat.
There is no set roadmap for each person and their personal development, but you can definitely discover ways on your own to grow.
For example, there's a church where I live that's offering free guitar lessons for beginners. How cool!
There are numerous resources available by simply querying the internet. Just be selective on what you look at and validate it if you can.
There are also numerous postings I've put out last year and this one that you can read and find useful information from.
The third requirement is to play! This means using the three pillars of musicality: Practice, Rehearsal, and Performance.
Practice is you honing your skills away from everyone else. This is perhaps the most crucial step.
Rehearsal is playing with others prior to a performance. This could also be a solo situation for you. It depends on the event.
The third is performance where you put everything together and Let 'er rip!
Remember that every performance is different. There is no one way it's going to go.
I've been in situations where the sound didn't work the way we thought it would, the weather was cold and wet which caused problems, my guitars went out of tune before I played and numerous others. I didn't quit though even when it was disappointing. There's always another day.
Well, I hope that encourages you to invest time in learning how to play guitar better and with confidence.
Next week I'm going to discuss performance jitters. I'm sure you'll be excited (or nervous) to hear about that!
