How do people learn things?

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I really want to learn to play the guitar, like artists do, people who perform etc.

But, every time I try and learn or have a little practice of what I know, I am awful, because I haven't learned to play, I can only play a few chords.

I lack the patience to learn. I just want to be good straight away and I get frustrated and give up again. I also lack the ability to sit still for an extended period of time lol.

Any tips on how to learn?

Be patient

Have faith in your abilities, try to be patient, and dedicate some of your time into what you want to do.

You can practice for a few minutes, take a break, play for a few more minutes, etc. Thats what I do sometimes.

Also: Remember you will never sound good when you're just starting. Think of your favorite guitarist and how much you want to sound just like him one day!

Good luck!

Guitar_Girl

Go watch some guitarists at a gig or a music shop whatever. Watching real close up helps you understand how to play

It also frustrates me that I won't give the time to things that I really do want to be interested in.

When you hear music in your head, what sound does it make? If you think of a melody that you really enjoy, and play that melody in your head, what instrument does it sound like? Is it a guitar?

You should choose and instrument that you feel for. If you are lucky enough to have the space and the time to just strum / toot then you should do so for the sheer pleasure of hearing yourself make the sound that is in your head. Eventually it will turn into music, of a kind.

If you want to play like an artist, then you have to practice like an artist, all the time.

Remember that the most of the greatest guitarists started playing when they were just kids and kept at it 8-12 hours a day whenever their parents weren't screaming at them to give it a rest!

You don't need to do that to become good, however--a couple hours a day will go a long way.

That's why they make guitar straps! If you ever want to play out, you should learn to play while standing and moving about--you'll have much better stage presence.

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Well, the more time on task, likely the better result, for example: Decide to devote 1 hour a day for ten days to slowly learning a basic here, a fundamental there, on the guitar.

On day ten, evaluate it all. Do you see a very, very small improvement in guitar playing (do to regular, spaced practice)?

By the way, there is more than one world class Olympic athlete who decided as a kid to practice a lot - like four hours a day before school at iceskating/whatever. Of course they had great natural talent/ability, however they did pay a big price in time with practicing, practicing, and practicing.

Most students their ages would never do four hours of homework a day yet these unusual people both practiced sports (ice skating, etc.) as well as went to school.

That's a very extreme example to show the extreme kind of practice a few persons do.

Regarding what you wrote (you lack the ability to sit still for extended periods of time), that can be a major factor for some persons since it may mean a type of ADHD which also involves perhaps a kind of involuntary distractibility/short attention span which can make normal practice very difficult if not almost impossible for some.

There are a few persons with ADHD where the right medicine (a stimulant/alerting agent) can allow them to concentrate and focus a little better for temporary periods of time. I recall reading about a person with ADHD Inattentive who said that the right medicine temporarily improved (for about four hours or so) his ability to play the piano with both hands (not a cure).

Most persons are not ADHD and do not need to consider a medicine, however, for a few persons with ADHD a medicine can help a little (not a cure) and also allow them to realize what may be behind subtle concentration and memory challenges (for example, a type of ADHD or a type of epilepsy or mild/almost invisible cerebral palsy and so on).

Only a few persons are given the gift of great musical talent, for example, only 1 out 10,000 persons has perfect musical pitch.

At the same time, many persons enjoy music and can play some types of music/familiar melodies.

There are even music fake books for lots of common songs which simplify the melodies for players of all kinds of instruments like guitar.

As you know, there are learn to play the guitar dvds available which help introduce guitar players to the basics of it all which can help a little and help promote the idea of regular practice to the dvds.

Recall seeing an Arthur episode (PBS) where Arthur decided to become a great pianist and how he very gradually realized it was not in the cards for him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_(TV_series) - Good luck.

Problem spotted.



You start by realising that everyone is a beginner at some point. And some things you just wont be able to pick up, example:

Some things i'm very gifted in,
Some things comes easy because of me being autodidactic,
Some things i will be able to just do "ok",
..but there are some things that i will never be able to do, like advanced maths.

Repetition, repetition, repetition...


Excuse me, Sir - how do I get to Carnegie Hall?

Practice, M'boy, practice!


There is no other way. Nothing becomes organic, natural until you absorb it and make it a part of you. You cannot wave a wand and make that happen, no matter how hard you wish. Only stubborn persistence will make it happen, and you won't even be aware that it is happening until someone says to you one day "You make that look so easy."

On this topic, I do have some advice. I once chose to force myself into a new special interest, and although it's taken a lot of work, I have achieved what I set out to do.
OP, If you really want to study the guitar, but just can't get yourself through the practice sessions, I suggest the following:
1) Don't practice - If it's not working, there must be a reason. Move directly on to the next step.
2) Take every beginner's lesson/listen to every beginner's tape/read every history book on guitars and guitar playing possible - Skill can not be gained though books, but there's a certain wisdom that can. By preparing yourself in every way before you even touch a guitar, you'll have much more understanding of what you are capable of and of what your limitations are.
3) Create goals & metrics - Focus on one area of specialization at a time and in sequence, skipping though remedial points along the way. List dates that these must be completed by.
4) Practice - Now, with a specific goal and date in mind, go for it. This is where the learning is done, but if practicing is too frustrating, you'll likely understand what's working and what isn't. When necessary, change your goals and dates to better align with your actual learning. Any parts too difficult (frets, pops) can be removed entirely. You'll likely find yourself being able to do some fairly advanced things very quickly.
5) Show off - Get feedback on your skills from people you trust. Explain what you've focused on and what you've ignored. Take their advice, since they've likely done the holistic learning.
6) Start over again - Now that you're skilled enough to know what's what, try quickly going through the conventional learning pattern, making sure to focus on the areas that you found too frustrating before. By now, you should have practice down, so these areas should only be boring (not frustrating).

Good luck, regardless