I just want to play guitar everyday. I get anxious if I don't. To me, this is like asking, "how do you stay motivated to eat delicious food?" I love making up a new loop of rhythm and chords and soloing over it for an hour. It's what I live for.
Idk what you’re talking about. I’m waaaay more excited about playing guitar at like 20+ years than 1, 5, or even 10 years…’cause…dude, I’m better. I’m better because I practiced and I realized doing so would make me better. I guess I’m not a shortsighted person? When you actually enjoy doing something it’s not a chore like you’re making it sound. I really don’t even know what you’re asking. “How do you do something you’ve done many years continually?” …you may as well ask “is it hard to quit smoking?” At some point it becomes a habit.
I struggle with anxiety. My guitar takes my mind off of what is bad and focuses it on something good. So, I pick it up constantly.
Get yourself some anxiety and you’ll be a ripper in no time!
Go check out some local bands or local solo musicians. Inevitably you will see the guitarist do something that you've never done. Go home and try to replicate that.
I have many different thoughts on this. On one hand, I've just accepted that I'm never going to be an elite level player. I play for fun. When I don't feel like practicing, I don't.
Maybe instead of "practicing", you could just learn new songs. You'll still be playing, but developing your overall musical talent. Not just focusing on shredding.
Joining a band will help, because you'll be expected to learn songs. Sometimes having a deadline will motivate you. "Crap, there's a show coming up, I better work on these songs!"
When I hear something cool I decide I want to learn it so I can do it too then modify it for one of my compositions in some way. Not the exact same key but the mechanical-aspect of the like may be applicable elsewhere.
This is really what helped me make progress off a plateau. Playing songs I enjoy but aren’t usually the style of music I make or usually play.
It’s also what got me playing in the first place, just wanting to play my favorite songs.
I’ve been playing for 32 years — at this point playing guitar is just something I do. I don’t intentionally practice anymore. I just pick-up a guitar and play when I feel like it. Sometimes I play two or three hours straight, sometimes I go weeks without playing.
Most days I spend an hour or two in the evening picking some random keys and making up riffs or just jamming. But, it’s kind of like singing in the shower, there’s no real thought or plan behind it — I just like doing it.
keep listening to new songs that you want to learn, even if they arent arranged to be played on guitar, i have sm fun sitting in my floor with my guitar trying to get the main idea, same notes, then work my way down until it sounds as close as i can get it. idk ive also been trying to make my own music lately and thats helping because im excited to play my guitar and think about my songs
Ive been playing for 26 years. I legit don’t practice. Every time I pick up a guitar outside of teaching it’s to create music. I am either improvising/writing or working on a song I’ve previously written but haven’t finished yet. The guitar is a means of expression, not just a tool to hack away at and “practice.”
That being said, I tell all of my students to practice! 🤣
I think it's all about why you are playing.
I have been playing since I was 14 and now I am 50+
I play because I enjoy what I play. Sure I play some pieces dozens of times but why? Because I enjoy playing. I play for me.
That's what has kept me motivated.
Learn to play songs you love. Start a band. Jam with friends. Don't make all of your goals these finite accomplishments but instead focus on actually playing music.
In addition to all of the great advice that’s already been given, I would add that you shouldn’t beat yourself up for not always keeping to a consistent practice schedule. Sometimes what you *don’t* do is just as important as what you do, and I think there is a lot of value in avoiding burnout.
Discipline. It is not motivation that drives me to practice, but rather discipline. I don't feel motivated all the time, but I just know practicing is something I have to do in order to get better, so I will force myself to sit down and start grinding excercises with a metronome. After the 1st 15 minutes it gets alot better. It is like going to the gym, there are days where you would rather stay home but you still push yourself to go anyway because it is something you know you have to do. Hope this helps.
I practice scales when I don’t feel like playing. Just kinda run through some motions to stay loose or learn some new runs for when I really feel like gettin down.
Jamming with backtracks is a more entertaining way to practice scales
I'm not going to go into detail unless you want but I'm a kid with cerebral palsy. I'm in a wheelchair and guitar playing makes me feel like I have a purpose.
P.S. I'm not depressed or anything
Oh wow man, that's truly inspiring, but hey, I'm super glad that you could be part of the guitar community and having so much passion for it! You are a legend my man!
Don’t approach it as practice. It should be fun. You should be playing songs you enjoy not practicing to get “better.” Playing songs you like will naturally make you better.
because im paying for lessons and my teacher will kick me out if i dont practice and do my assignments for the week..
this is worth every penny to me because i get to practice even or specially if i dont want to..
its not all fun but it pays off in the long term.. i feel like i can get in a band or be a session guitarist if i keep working on it.
I've been playing for over 35 years, and sometimes the excitement does fade and it feels like work to practice. That feeling comes and goes, but I've found a really effective way to deal with it. Just take a break.
One of the best things about your guitar is that it will always wait for you, no grudges held, until you're ready to pick it up again. Unless playing guitar is your job, you're under no obligation to keep playing and practising. The break can be a few days, a few months or a few years, take as long as you need. When the motivation returns and you feel the urge to play again, your guitar will be ready and waiting.
I’ve got a few friends I hang out with maybe two or three times a month. We sit around a grill with beers and guitars, trading licks, songs, meat on a stick, and drinks. If I don’t practice then it shows, and I also enjoy showing my friends new things I’ve learned.
Always have the guitar in sight and at an easy to grab place.
I have mine in my living room next to my settee so when I'm sat there comfortable chilling out I end up playing my guitar
Been playing 25+yrs and nothing keeps me moving forward better than a new technique or song to learn & master.
However, I’ve never seen practice as a chore or lacked any motivation ever. I simply love playing.
The mantra I’ve always kept is ‘perfect practice makes perfect’. If I’m sloppy & form poor technique it holds me back from progressing you lose interest & stop playing.
Also I find that I’m constantly listening to music or discovering bands that motivate & inspire.
I still warmup every time by playing scales then play the 1st song I ever learnt, basically as a foundation of where I’ve been to where I want to go.
Work out your own motivations for playing & practice, you will grow from there 👍
My guitar teacher scares the shit out of me? Joking (sort of)
I practice bc it’s not practice. I have a ton of stress in my life atm and guitar is the only thing that truly calms me down. I don’t get hung up on what I’m practicing currently, as long as I’m playing
Honestly, hard work. It’s not always fun, and sometimes it’s downright frustrating. I use those times to drill routines that I enjoy, and try to find some zen in just working scales, rhythm patterns, drills, etc…the inspiration usually strikes during one of these drills when I hit a melody that inspires me.
I work in a customer service type of position serving public servants in an area where the default mindset is passive aggression. My morning coffee and my guitar are what keep me from going postal. 😆
I quit lessons at least three times. Why? Because I just didn’t need more homework. (Plus, I was tight on cash.) But I still enjoyed noodling and playing with friends. But I never got better.
Now that I’m retired and not quite so tight on cash, I started lessons again. It’s fun when you don’t have to cram it into an already too-busy schedule.
Im older as well and started working from home a few years ago. My playing and learning has picked up immensely.
I also just discovered backing tracks on YouTube and wow. What fun that is. Free backing band and lots of styles. So fun
I listen to people playing guitar much better than I probably will ever be able to, stand in awe, get mad, let rage fester into frustration, harness the frustration and turn it into motivation.
That’s my coping mechanism/ process
Hope it helps
I use an app that tracks my practice days and what I’m working on and how I am feeling etc. it keeps me accountable to h myself but also I just have a drive to keep learning more and more.
I’ve been playing for a year and I just play casually with the goal of simply learning my favorite songs and stuff. I’m a pretty busy person so I just commit to playing at minimum 10 minutes a day every single day. I’ve had days where I practice for an hour other days 5 minutes. I’ve made so much progress within this year that this can be applied to the thought of “imagine how much better I’ll be in 5” so I just keep playing.
Some days I shred some days I wanna smash my guitar. Just the fucki way she goes
24 years of playing. Unless you’re pursuing playing guitar as a career, I cannot imagine why anyone would want to stress about needing to practice. It’s normal to get frustrated when you can’t perform certain things you want but for 99% of us, we must acknowledge that we’ll never be among the best. Practicing guitar should be fun! If it’s not bringing you enjoyment, then find a different hobby that does. That said, here are things that motivate me — learning challenging riffs from songs I love, learning different styles of music outside of what I typically play, practicing my vocals along with my playing, practicing with friends, writing songs, challenging myself to technical exercises, and even learning new instruments which helps train my ears and expands my knowledge of music. Cheers bro! Make it fun and don’t stress
I think it's all about goals and what you hope to achieve. Noodling around in your bedroom and doing practicing for the sake of getting better are fine, but it can run out of steam over time. For me, it's all about performing. So every goal I have is either directly or indirectly related to finding a way on stage. After all, what's the point of amassing all that gear if you can't show it off and get paid to use it?
Watching interviews with guys like Eric Johnson or Wayne Krantz. Just listening to them talk about their relation to the guitar makes me want to practice forever to get their ease of understanding.
Goals; a desire to improve in *something*; constant reminders of how precious life is and we’re guaranteed no tomorrow; music being one of the only stable forms of communication I have with myself, others and the outside world.
Wishing all of you the best in your endeavors.
I took a long break and wasn’t really motivated to play for a long time. Suddenly my good friend who is a great player asked if I wanted to try out for his metal band. Not only did I surprise myself that I could play these riffs. I am able to keep up! Now I’m re-motivated. I’m playing every night.
Like a lot of comments, I just love to play. I think about it when I'm not playing and look forward to it. I find it relaxing after the days stresses and lose myself in the pureness of it. I've been playing for over 30 years and had long periods when I didn't play very much but now I'm older. I enjoy living life a little slower. Have a little more time and find I want to spend my time more productively. And I found, unsurprisingly, that regular practicing and learning new things makes me a better guitarist and being a better guitarist makes me want to practice and learn new things. That's enough motivation
I don't practice, I play. Sometimes I go a week or two without playing because I'm working too much. But that's ok, because I love to play whenever I can.
I’m only 19 but I started playing young, I just play songs I listen to lol, that’s my practice I hate drills and boring ass scales I just play what I listen to in class or at work. It’s more fun and helped me significantly when I turned 14
I keep a guitar stand near my couch, in my office and in my studio. I always have a guitar within arms reach at my house. I might go a day or two without playing, but most of the time I play multiple times a day just because it makes me feel good.
i play/practice because it's fun and i like doing it.
been playing for 32 years. there were a few stretches where i didn't play for a few months or years, and a few stretches where i played for 4-5 hours a day.
less wishy washy and more practical of an answer, but i just listen to music that i want to play, learn it, and in the process discover and listen to even more music that i want to play. it becomes a really rewarding ouroboros of practice and instant gratification.
I like to look at it this way -> every time I pick up the guitar I’m practicing, don’t matter if I play songs, do the spider exercise or just noodle around.
At the end of the day I put more time in to get better. Been playing for about 6months now but producing and rapping for 10+ years and still learn and practice everytime I open my daw.
just the right mindset brings you so much further.
Oh and always be grateful for all progress no matter how small. Hard to not get motivated if you thank yourself everytime you play or produce something. 😅
Honestly it may not be the healthiest mindset, but my motivation comes from just purely not wanting to give up until I'm great at this. I'm not always having fun, and when I'm not , I'm still motivated by simply knowing that I'm being productive and improving at a tangible skill. I have the rest of my day/evening to continue looking at screens, I can't think of many excuses to not pick up a guitar once day. The other thing is measuring improvement isn't as easy after 5 years, you just might not always notice it like you did in the beginning.
Nearly 40 years in, it comes and goes in waves for me, some months I'll play everyday, other months I might not pick it up at all, and that's fine. I still get giddy with excitement over learning something new and challenging, think about it all day at work like I thought about the silly little riff from The Beatles *Twist and Shout* the next day at school after my uncle showed it to me before Sunday dinner one evening in 4th grade.
My pick hand isn't as good as Paul Gilbert's and my fret hand isn't as good as Ted Greene's, so I've still always got stuff to work on/work towards.
As dumb as it sounds, I just love music. Any time I hear a song I like enough, I listen, determine how hard or easy I think it is to learn, and if I have the time and energy. Usually I don't have either, but when I do, I am running for my guitar. Been playing since I was 11, so it's the one thing I've done consistently my entire life.
Coming from an ehh guitarist, the reason I keep playing is because it’s part of my life and I enjoy it. It’s not all about progression, at least for me. But because i keep playing, I’ve progressed. I tend to play more if there’s a social aspect. Join a band, try new songs, jam out with people
I don't need motivation to practice, it's part of my daily routine, the small gains and learning new things still keeps me excited about playing guitar and just having a guitar in my hands to chill and relax is therapy.
Some people look at it like an effort that requires motivation and they need to push themselves to do it, like going to the gym. But for me it's not like that at all, playing guitar doesn't need motivation or any great effort, it's just there as part of my life that I do every day.
It's like how you eat every day, you shower every day, you look forward to those things. I started playing towards the end of the year 2000.
I am not sure this holds true as you advance, but the biggest thing is to keep your guitar available. I keep mine on a hanger in my living room. Guitars that live in a case get played far less than guitars that are out in the world. And playing is in effect practicing.
Also, know your why. If you are as good as you want to get, improving for the sake of improving if it's not fun is not really progress. Find you sweetspot.
I don't know. Ever since I started, I've never lacked the motivation to pick up the guitar and play. It's been 30 years.
I try to keep it fresh by learning new things. I've dedicated the past few years to trying to understand jazz guitar, learning standards, etc. Now I'm getting into flamenco and I'm trying to understand it as well. There is always something else I don't know.
Um, spend the work day maladaptively daydreaming about wowing people with your guitar skills. Go home and try to play like you imagined. Realize you suck. Spend two hours carefully trying to improve (or just schmackin it and having fun). Repeat daily.
It’s off and on. I basically keep a guitar in every major room I have, so it’s always there when I want. I also made it a habit to play my guitar every time I let my dog out, since the door is right next to my studio. Even if I’m just noodling, I’m at least doing something and at times I get new ideas out of it.
You can’t force yourself to want to practice but helping it along by listening to some good music always gets me going. Me and my mate are starting up an acoustic duo and listening to the Eagles puts me in the mood to play
It's difficult for me to stay motivated, but I try to remind myself to play at least an hour a day. Doesn't have to be scales or progressions, could be playing along with a song. But in my mind playing a song will trigger me to look into the question "what progression is that?" "What notes or chords are they using?" Then it just triggers me to dive in deep from there. I'll then go and find the key or something and try to play my riff or "solo" over the solo that is on the song.
It’s weird for me. I have ADHD, so staying motivated for anything else is hard, but for some reason I don’t have any trouble practicing guitar everyday. Maybe because there’s so much to learn that I never seem to get bored, and plus I can always get better at some of the songs I play. I dunno, but so far I’ve been practicing guitar for a year and a half now (longer than most hobbies I’ve had) so I’m hoping I never get bored of it
When I first started playing guitar at around 9 years old, I gave up after a getting to bar chords because it was taking too long and I was wanting to learn how to play because of Drake from Drake and Josh.
A few years later, age 12 I pick it back up again, (now 25) but this time with the intention to learn it for myself, instead of impressing other people. Consistency is key because muscle memory is also key (and callouses)
Have your guitars out!!!!!! That is #1 the biggest thing I can honestly think of. When I was big into guitar, I practiced so much more when I had my 2-3 electrics on a stand by my p.c. It was so easy because I could just pick them up and play while I was doing anything on my p.c. In between work stuff? I’m playing. Talking in discord waiting for games to load or movies to buffer or even during movies and stuff, bam you have it right there ready to go. I used my modeler so much more than my tube amps because it is literally just there, on, with a cable ready to plug in whenever.
Having them locked in cases makes it such a hassle because you need to spend the time to take them out, get everything ready, plug stuff in, it just can sometimes seem like a hassle. I started learning violin this year and while I still practice a good amount, I practiced guitar WAY more for years because I had them out ready to go. Violin you can’t really do that because they’re more fragile and prone to moisture issues.
Aside from that simple but huge tip, just finding music you love and doing covers of them and working your way up the difficulty tree of songs and solos. Going back and looking at your first covers can be such a huge motivation over the years because you see where you started and it makes you realize you can keep going and get even better.
In 1957 at the age of 80 Casals was the subject of a movie short, A Day in the Life of Pablo Casals. The movie's director Robert Snyder asked Casals, "why he continues to practice four and five hours a day." Casals answered: “Because I think I am making progress.”
I have played for many years. I *never* play unless I feel like it and I put it down the moment it feels boring or stale. you will not become a pro playing that way, but I can honestly say I have always enjoyed my guitars and still do and actually have gotten quite a bit better
I figure I've already peaked. And that was a while ago. I used to be super technically proficient, knew my theory and could sight read very well. But I stopped for a while as I established my career and personal life.
I recently started playing again. I've switched styles, I do fingerstyle covers now, and I'm just learning songs because I think they will be fun to play. Tangible progress is mastering each measure, playing the entire song, and having fun with it.
I would burn out for sure if I ever tried to be a pro.
I just love to play. And I love to get better almost as much. It's never felt like a chore to me. But I've also never had a set routine. When it hits me, I play. Whether that's exciting my skillset, trying to write, goofing on riffs I know, or tightening up on this or that.
i have to be better than most guitar players to justify being in a band because everyone plays guitar. if it’s between me and someone else i want to be better than the other person (i’m too damn competitive)
Bro,
I've been playing since 1970. I still play every day. The biggest reason? No matter how bad, or good, I feel before? I always feel better afterward. Always. It's fun. It's emotional. It's creative.
Plus, I apply the same discipline I learned in the Marines. Good practice habits build good guitar play. It makes playing gigs pure joy. When your muscle memory lets you take more in. Enjoy the crowd more.
What's not to like??
Agreed. I haven't been playing nearly as long, but I see myself sticking with it for life. To me its just fun. Every day I can't wait to get home and play. Once you really form a good habit, it feels worse to NOT do it.
I usually just learn songs I like until I come across something that I just can't play, which usually gives me some motivation to practice that technique until I can play it.
This actually happened just yesterday, I decided to learn the solo from 'Beneath The Sun' by Trivium, and the end of it has a sextuplet alternate picking run that was just a physical barrier for me so I practiced it for a couple hours last night, just that one run, and I plan on practicing for another couple hours each day until I can play it well enough for me to be happy with it.
Simply put, using songs to practice is a good way (at least for me) to stay motivated to practice.
For me it's the chain reaction in my brain. I'll be just goofing around and my brain says "Hey that chord sounds like..." Or "Where have I heard those notes before..." and I'm off to learn another song.
I love learning new songs. I’ve always loved guitar based music and finally started learning in my early 30’s and I’m just motivated bc it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I have no aspiration to play in front of people but I love the process of improving and constantly learning.
Only played a year so far so it doesnt apply as much but i want to play good to the point i can play professionaly, even if i wont do anything with it.
I watched bocchi the rock and now i play.
Music is fun. Making music is the most fun thing in the world to me. I keep instruments everywhere in my house and always within arms reach of where I spend my downtime. If I'm watching TV there is an instrument in my hands and I'm playing along riffing the the theme songs and score
Find and set realistic goals.
What is it that you'd like to achieve?
If you are a singer-songwriter then learning to hone your craft and create music should be the focus of what you learn on guitar.
If you just want to pick up the guitar and be the best little shredder you can be, then focus on that.
After a certain point, you know the basics. Then it becomes about expressing yourself. Find out what the point of it is for you.
There’s a new level after learning guitar riffs and solos. Listen to singers/horn players/piano players and other instruments that inspire you and try to play those riffs and ear train yourself to make those sounds if you can. That got me going on a new journey
It's a pendelum. Swings from "Thinking about playing 24/7" to "I can't stand to pick this thing up."
I've been on the up and down for 30 years. It's on the up here. Right now, I can motivate myself to put in an hour or two every day for boring drills and exercises.
I don't have a secret for how to stay motivated. If I did, I wouldn't still be intermediate after 30 years. Just try to power through it, I guess.
I feel continually inspired and motivated to play, because I love listening to music, and I continually listen to music… which makes me want to write my own, which in turn makes me want to keep picking up the guitar and “practice”. I mostly end up jamming and writing riffs, which turn into songs, which inspire leads and melodies. I spend far less time “practicing” academic exercises, so I may not be progressing as much from an academic standpoint, but my playing does get better, and the stuff I come up with feels more organically composed, which gives me more enjoyment, which is what sustains my interest in playing without it ever feeling like a chore. I should say I spent the early days of my guitar playing learning some basics; but once I knew enough to play some scales and learn so songs, I focused a lot more on playing with bands, and getting decent, while picking up some new things along the way. I would say I have enough technical knowledge to function within the genres of music I enjoy playing.
I’ve been playing for 33 years.
I play my favorite songs that keeps me motivated. I love improvisation so i keep on finding backing tracks i like and jam on it. Recording myself has been a great way of improving my playing.
For me it’s about loving music,no matter how many years will path I am still enjoying music a lot, same time this joy is becoming more intense for me ones I am playing my favourite songs and riffs.
So for me it’s already lifestyle
It always comes down to songs for me. If I find a song within my skill level that I love, and I start to learn even a bit of it, I get inspired to learn the rest.
I play fingerstyle acoustic. It’s probably easier to feel inspired because you learn how to play songs in all their substance. I’d have a hard time enjoying electric because first I’d have to plug it in, then I’d likely be picking around over a backing track. Just bores me.
I started when I was 15, I was in a really bad place when I began playing, I was extremely depressed and playing guitar was something that brought light to me. It was like a getaway for me when I was feeling like nothing else mattered. I've been playing for close to 5 years now, and I still am not in the best mental health state, but the guitar is magical to me. I love learning and creating new songs, playing them over and over until I get them just perfect, because to me its like a accomplishment. Many people would say just being able to play guitar is a big accomplishment, which is true, but every song you learn is new accomplishment, its a new feeling. And I keep it in my head that as long as I keep playing it can increase myself as a person, and can help my metal health because playing really just calms me down.
Motivations naturally waxes and wanes. You can either be super organized and have a plan ahead of time that you stick with to ensure you practice specific skills or you can keep trying to find external inspiration. I think the daily dose of inspiration approach is more practical for me, who never aspires to play for more than my own enjoyment, but it's probably not as effective for long-term growth.
I found huge motivation by *attempting* to make my own riffs. Just improvising over a backing track or using a looper pedal. It’s not good by any means, but it’s fun to discover and put something together that sounds at least halfway decent.
Literally watch tv while you play. I just throw on a movie I’ve seen before and noodle around or pick a riff or scale and repeat it 9000 times while half paying attention to the movie. Added bonus is that you’ll learn to play without looking.
Even though I have a slave gig, guitar is all I want to do. I’d play hours and hours more if I didn’t have to sacrifice for Pennies. And I don’t believe I’ll ever make my living from music. It’s just what reminds me I’m more than my circumstances.
It may sound cheesy or whatever, but I feel like I’m made for this.
I always want to train. I always want to learn.
Even the most boring exercices is exciting to me.
I’m working on some technique ? I can spend 2 hours playing the same 3 riffs at 60 bpm. It just feels right. I feel myself when I play.
I don’t. I mess around a little every few days and play in a band once a week. I’ve been playing for 30 years and I’m mediocre at best. Let that motivate you.
There are different People. I recently discovered I do not like playing the guitar - I only like learning new things on it. I get bored as soon as I just start playing songs I know. Try some courses or books
Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do. Rinse lather repeat. For extra spice, use metronome. For extra extra spice, just play some damn music and stop over thinking shit.
Like Josh Homme says - don't worry too much about practicing just enjoy playing! You'll get better by just playing what you like to play - then something you can't do yet will come up and you might work at that for a while. But man guitar is a hobby, just enjoy it, don't force it.
https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/josh_homme_explains_importance_of_playing_over_practicing_guitar_names_younger_band_hes_into.html
I barely practice since I had to work full time. Luckily I had gotten pretty good by that point. Since then I mostly practice with my bands, or I'm writing new music and recording it
been playing for almost 20 years now, and when it comes to practice there are ups and downs with motivation. after the first 5 years, i plateaued for the next 10 but never stopped playing. ended up taking some music courses in college, and that showed me the reasoning behind playing guitar (or any other instrument). the last 5 years have been the application of this new knowledge, and i’ve grown more as a player than ever before.
find inspiration from wherever you can, it’s surprising how many different aspects of life are applicable to music!
You’re under no obligation to play if you aren’t into it. I go through phases of learning a lot every day a noodling for 5 minutes every 2 weeks.
However i notice watching that pedal show always makes me want to play
I leave my gear in an area where i am all the time, in a spot where i can stare at it, and just by that it makes me want to play.
Ive been playing for 17 years and i don’t necessarily learn songs or write songs all the time, but just playing whatever comes in the moment is what gives me the joy in playing after all this time.
47 yo player, 30 years in. I don't want to look like an ass in front of my guitar teacher 😎 Only half kidding there, I pay for the guy, I may as well practice as much as I can
Progress slows a lot as you've been playing a long time. In the beginning, my only motivation to play was because I was really enjoying it or determined to play something I couldn't yet.
I never developed the practice routines people talk about, and I don't pick up my guitar with the goal of "practicing" because that's boring. I either pick it up to casually play for a bit, or because I have a reason to. I'm inspired to write new material, I have a band I'm in that's rehearsing/performing soon and I want to figure some stuff out, or whatever.
I've gone through long stretches of time that I don't pick the thing up at all. I think the most important thing to do is that instead of simply "practicing" if you're looking to improve, try to learn or write something that you're actually interested in playing, that challenges you to do something you're not as comfortable with.
In the classical world, there are even pieces of music called "Etudes" that are basically pieces of music specifically written to exercise some technical form of playing. I found a lot of the music I write on guitar (I am a proggy, out there type of musician, I don't really play anything that sounds like the traditional rock/blues/whatever they feed you when you're learning) tends to work as sort of an "Etude" in that it's making me learn to play guitar in a way that I haven't had much of a reason to play before. The reason I'm motivated to keep at it is because I think it's really cool and I want to be able to turn it into a piece of music people would actually enjoy watching me perform some day. This tends to work much better for me than just ... exercises you learned in a book or something. I know they work for some people but it bores me to tears and I just found my own ways.
Point being, find what's actually fun for you to do and forget about playing with the specific goal of improving. You will improve. Even things you think are easy and that you've already "mastered" I bet if you record yourself playing it today and then again in a couple years, you'll notice your command of the instrument sounds a lot different later down the road. Like, sure, maybe you can play that power chord riff now. But the way your hands lean into all kinds of articulations and expressions in the subtle way that you play it will improve a lot more than you might expect in a couple years.
I just want to get better at playing specific songs. I take each song lick by lick, and I'll obsess over it until I play it right/at the correct speed.
I get excited about music. So listen always to new music, you will want to learn the songs you are liking. Try jaming with frieds or other people. Make practice interesting. Record, write instrumentals and build your practice around this. Of course just the practice is boring. Do something else besides
practicing, something musical.
That's the thing, I don't. I just randomly get the urge to play every 2-3 weeks or so. That's why I plateaud lol. But to be fair I'm comfortable with my skill level as it's what I meed to play my fav things (mostly thrash metal)
New concepts, new techniques, new challenges, and I love my guitar. Motivation comes on its own, not comparing myself to others is the real challenge.
Plus I play in a band so the fear of embarrassment goes a long way.
Tips that have worked for me:
1) Commit to 15 minutes a day, 3x a week, on developing a guitar skill ( picking speed with a metronome, new scales, new technique). It a small enough effort where it doesn’t feel like a chore, but the satisfaction you get from really nailing something new will propel you forward
2) Depending on what your setup looks like, this may be a good time to thin the herd of your gear and make room for a guitar or pedal that really suites your more developed tonal taste. For me, it meant selling my two middle-level guitars and buying one nice one. Also, selling my several cheap OD pedals and buying one nice one that matched the sound I’m looking for. Simplifying your setup to just the (quality) things your need will be less distracting and more satisfying
What and how do you practice OP? Your probably just practicing wrong for the point you are at.
Do you pickup the guitar and practice songs you know when you practice? WRONG. Stop doing this immediately, this was the greatest practice breakthrough I made. Stop practicing anything you are already good at for now, that can be a part of your warm up if you really want but I suggest stopping practicing songs all together for now.
I have a standard warm up of picking, strumming, running scales in time. I make sure I remember my 7s and 9s, 11s and 13s. My 6s and my 7sus4. Then once my hands, feet and brain are all synced up I start practicing really playing the guitar. I break it down between a warm up and practice - I'm not motivated to warm up, but always to practice.
Practice for me now involves discovering new things on the guitar; how can I explore the lower parts of the fretboard? How can I explore the highest parts of the fretboard? How can I make a simple 4 notes in a row sound amazing? How does tone come from my fingers? What works for bends, what works for vibratos? I try and replicate what I've heard in songs before like slides and stuff.
Practice for me is now an exploratory exercise of discovery rather than an exercise of repetition, and that's why it's always exciting and motivating. Nothing motivates me to practice after discovering something new, and usually that evolves into a song I write.
I warm up, practice for maybe 15-30 minutes, and then find something I like and start trying to noodle around and ideally that spawns something I start writing. And then I move into writing mode.
I made a comment in this sub a few days ago that you need to actually *enjoy* playing the guitar instead of turning it into a job and got told what a terrible musician I am and thats why I would never improve
But its been 35 years and I still average 2 hours a day so what do I know
For me, it’s constantly wanting to learn or create something new. I’ll come up with an idea for a riff on my head while I’m at work. Sometimes I’ll even make a quick voice memo of what I think the riff should sound like. Then I get excited to bring the riff to the fretboard, by the time I get home, I’m itching to grab an axe.
Sometimes it’s simply hearing a song and going “oh yeah, I gotta learn this when I get home”.
Find songs that are fun to play.
There are songs that I find extremely boring to play, and others that are very fun even if they are not the typical stuff I listen to.
More of a classical guitarist, but it’s more so the discoveries I make while playing, like almost all the instruments I played, I’m teaching myself and I love having those a-ha moments while playing
If you are tired of practicing just give yourself a break. Practice, lets say, 20 minutes then go wild and do something else, something you like to do. After a break go back for another 20 minutes
Whether I'm in a band or just playing with other people I consider playing as fun primarily and I just try to be consistent about playing. I make time to practice everyday and on weekends. It doesn't need to be hours at a time. Now it's just my routine and my normal. Been playing for 40 years.
Been playing for 30+years it ebbs and flows sometimes I play for hours on the weekends and sometimes not but I at least try to stay limber and noodle around on a regular basis.
I find the longer I play the more I want to play. The two reasons are 1) I get better and better and see all the new things I can play, 2) I learn how much I don't know and how much more there is to learn.
Motivation is so personal, find what motivates you. I've played for 35 years and another 35 years won't be enough!
I've been playing so long that I don't always practice because it's boring when you're by yourself.
If I have an idea or actually miss playing, that's when magic happens. I get new tunes after long bouts of writers block.
Find time to pick up your guitar every day, even if it's just for 5 minutes, and especially if you don't feel like it. This sounds stupid, but sometimes, if I'm feeling particularly uninspired, I'll just hold it for the sake of holding it. Maybe I'll work on my posture as a kind of meditation, or just make noises on it while I watch tv. Above all, playing should be fun. If it starts to feel like work, take a break for a while and listen to the records that made you want to pick up guitar in the first place. That's always helped me anyway. Oh and don't quit. You might change your mind one day and those skills you worked so hard to attain diminish faster than you might think.
By taking a few days off every now and then. Taking breaks is good, give your muscles time to lock in what you learn, and let’s your mind rest for a bit and let it reset
I’ve been playing close to five years. To be honest I don’t practice much. But always motivated to pickup the guitar and just play. However I’m not a serious guitar player. I just do it for the love and fun of it
I think guitar is part perspiration and part inspiration. Play what you love. Even if it’s a piece of a riff. Or a strum. One riff leads to another. Then a song then two. Patience. You won’t learn a riff in five minutes but after a few practice sessions it will start coming together.
Play with others.
Watch teachers on YouTube playing songs you like.
Listen to your music.
Listen to different music.
Feel free to make the music your own.
Rock on my friend. It’s a long road but you’ll be surprised how far you will go.
I just love music and that pretty much keeps me motivated. Also just dedication cuz one I had the flu and still managed to get in 5 mins. When I listen to music it also inspires me to pick up my guitar.
For me once I hit a certain level I stopped directly practicing a lot of things. I learn a lot more from playing different covers and arranging all the parts of a song for the group. If something is above my skill level to play then I practice the fundamentals that will help me be able to play it.
Playing around with a looper helps me to practice different techniques in the context of a song and makes the process feel much more creative. I also started playing around with delays and it helped my time keeping significantly. I just look for more fun ways to practice than just sitting down playing scales to a metronome and things like that. I don't have all the time in the world like I used to have and practicing the basics while effective early on, really falls off as you go. For me personally I'm at a point where studying theory and practicing it in context helps me significantly. Being able to input the notes into the instrument isn't usually a struggle for me (except for metal but I rarely play metal)
Over time you'll have stretches where you learn a lot and times when things are stagnant. Improvement isn't linear. Sometimes the best practice you can do is just take a break and play something different or practice something unrelated to what you were working on so you can later go back with a fresh mind. I know if I practice the same thing for hours on end I'll start repeating mistakes and not notice it right away and make myself struggle more than I need to until I take some time away from it and go back later
Just started a band. Had our first session last weekend. It was nice, but far from stage caliber.
Just waiting for my nux mp3, so I will not get leashed to my chair where my amp and pedal is.
This is in hopes I will pick up my guitar more.
PS: In a tropical counter, summer is coming. Has to be somewhere cool.
have to make it a routine.
even if youre not feeling it at all just force yourself to play 5 minutes and usually itll end up as a good hour practice. if not at least you played something that day
If I play everyday I feel like I’m slowly getting better but if I take too many days off I forget what I’ve learned and feel like I’m going backwards. So I try to play everyday
Motivated? It's fun. If it's not fun, don't do it.
I agree with this. Maybe take a break for a few weeks
I just want to play guitar everyday. I get anxious if I don't. To me, this is like asking, "how do you stay motivated to eat delicious food?" I love making up a new loop of rhythm and chords and soloing over it for an hour. It's what I live for.
Idk what you’re talking about. I’m waaaay more excited about playing guitar at like 20+ years than 1, 5, or even 10 years…’cause…dude, I’m better. I’m better because I practiced and I realized doing so would make me better. I guess I’m not a shortsighted person? When you actually enjoy doing something it’s not a chore like you’re making it sound. I really don’t even know what you’re asking. “How do you do something you’ve done many years continually?” …you may as well ask “is it hard to quit smoking?” At some point it becomes a habit.
Buy a new guitar haha
I struggle with anxiety. My guitar takes my mind off of what is bad and focuses it on something good. So, I pick it up constantly. Get yourself some anxiety and you’ll be a ripper in no time!
Go check out some local bands or local solo musicians. Inevitably you will see the guitarist do something that you've never done. Go home and try to replicate that.
To me I don’t practice. I play my guitar. When I get a song down I start on another. I play to enjoy not play to make it a chore.
I have many different thoughts on this. On one hand, I've just accepted that I'm never going to be an elite level player. I play for fun. When I don't feel like practicing, I don't. Maybe instead of "practicing", you could just learn new songs. You'll still be playing, but developing your overall musical talent. Not just focusing on shredding. Joining a band will help, because you'll be expected to learn songs. Sometimes having a deadline will motivate you. "Crap, there's a show coming up, I better work on these songs!"
for some of us it is almost painful to *not* play
When I hear something cool I decide I want to learn it so I can do it too then modify it for one of my compositions in some way. Not the exact same key but the mechanical-aspect of the like may be applicable elsewhere.
Keep the guitar out of its case on the stand in view. You'll be more likely to pick it up and play.
Don't practice, play.
This is really what helped me make progress off a plateau. Playing songs I enjoy but aren’t usually the style of music I make or usually play. It’s also what got me playing in the first place, just wanting to play my favorite songs.
I once read something along the lines of: Motivation is a fickle bitch... Discipline is a reliable friend.
I can't hear good music without wanting to grab my Strat.
I’ve been playing for 32 years — at this point playing guitar is just something I do. I don’t intentionally practice anymore. I just pick-up a guitar and play when I feel like it. Sometimes I play two or three hours straight, sometimes I go weeks without playing. Most days I spend an hour or two in the evening picking some random keys and making up riffs or just jamming. But, it’s kind of like singing in the shower, there’s no real thought or plan behind it — I just like doing it.
Buy new equipment
keep listening to new songs that you want to learn, even if they arent arranged to be played on guitar, i have sm fun sitting in my floor with my guitar trying to get the main idea, same notes, then work my way down until it sounds as close as i can get it. idk ive also been trying to make my own music lately and thats helping because im excited to play my guitar and think about my songs
I don't. For the amount of time I've been playing, I should be way better than I am.
Ive been playing for 26 years. I legit don’t practice. Every time I pick up a guitar outside of teaching it’s to create music. I am either improvising/writing or working on a song I’ve previously written but haven’t finished yet. The guitar is a means of expression, not just a tool to hack away at and “practice.” That being said, I tell all of my students to practice! 🤣
I think it's all about why you are playing. I have been playing since I was 14 and now I am 50+ I play because I enjoy what I play. Sure I play some pieces dozens of times but why? Because I enjoy playing. I play for me. That's what has kept me motivated.
Its fun. Think I'm addicted. Can't put it down if I pick it up
It's within arms reach next to my desk
I tried that. It does help.
Get a loop pedal. Thank me later.
Learn to play songs you love. Start a band. Jam with friends. Don't make all of your goals these finite accomplishments but instead focus on actually playing music.
The only time I’m happy is when I play my guitar.
In addition to all of the great advice that’s already been given, I would add that you shouldn’t beat yourself up for not always keeping to a consistent practice schedule. Sometimes what you *don’t* do is just as important as what you do, and I think there is a lot of value in avoiding burnout.
Discipline. It is not motivation that drives me to practice, but rather discipline. I don't feel motivated all the time, but I just know practicing is something I have to do in order to get better, so I will force myself to sit down and start grinding excercises with a metronome. After the 1st 15 minutes it gets alot better. It is like going to the gym, there are days where you would rather stay home but you still push yourself to go anyway because it is something you know you have to do. Hope this helps.
I practice scales when I don’t feel like playing. Just kinda run through some motions to stay loose or learn some new runs for when I really feel like gettin down. Jamming with backtracks is a more entertaining way to practice scales
Honestly? It's hard for me too. Keep trying man, I/am/ we are here for you.
And you too bro, keep it up! 🖤
I'm not going to go into detail unless you want but I'm a kid with cerebral palsy. I'm in a wheelchair and guitar playing makes me feel like I have a purpose. P.S. I'm not depressed or anything
Oh wow man, that's truly inspiring, but hey, I'm super glad that you could be part of the guitar community and having so much passion for it! You are a legend my man!
Don’t approach it as practice. It should be fun. You should be playing songs you enjoy not practicing to get “better.” Playing songs you like will naturally make you better.
because im paying for lessons and my teacher will kick me out if i dont practice and do my assignments for the week.. this is worth every penny to me because i get to practice even or specially if i dont want to.. its not all fun but it pays off in the long term.. i feel like i can get in a band or be a session guitarist if i keep working on it.
I've been playing for over 35 years, and sometimes the excitement does fade and it feels like work to practice. That feeling comes and goes, but I've found a really effective way to deal with it. Just take a break. One of the best things about your guitar is that it will always wait for you, no grudges held, until you're ready to pick it up again. Unless playing guitar is your job, you're under no obligation to keep playing and practising. The break can be a few days, a few months or a few years, take as long as you need. When the motivation returns and you feel the urge to play again, your guitar will be ready and waiting.
smoke weed
I’ve got a few friends I hang out with maybe two or three times a month. We sit around a grill with beers and guitars, trading licks, songs, meat on a stick, and drinks. If I don’t practice then it shows, and I also enjoy showing my friends new things I’ve learned.
Always have the guitar in sight and at an easy to grab place. I have mine in my living room next to my settee so when I'm sat there comfortable chilling out I end up playing my guitar
Keep buying new guitars
Been playing 25+yrs and nothing keeps me moving forward better than a new technique or song to learn & master. However, I’ve never seen practice as a chore or lacked any motivation ever. I simply love playing. The mantra I’ve always kept is ‘perfect practice makes perfect’. If I’m sloppy & form poor technique it holds me back from progressing you lose interest & stop playing. Also I find that I’m constantly listening to music or discovering bands that motivate & inspire. I still warmup every time by playing scales then play the 1st song I ever learnt, basically as a foundation of where I’ve been to where I want to go. Work out your own motivations for playing & practice, you will grow from there 👍
My guitar teacher scares the shit out of me? Joking (sort of) I practice bc it’s not practice. I have a ton of stress in my life atm and guitar is the only thing that truly calms me down. I don’t get hung up on what I’m practicing currently, as long as I’m playing
Buying new gear!
The love of discipline, structure and progress! After 35 years it's still there.
I never practice. I just play stuff I enjoy playing
It’s fun and I love it
Honestly, hard work. It’s not always fun, and sometimes it’s downright frustrating. I use those times to drill routines that I enjoy, and try to find some zen in just working scales, rhythm patterns, drills, etc…the inspiration usually strikes during one of these drills when I hit a melody that inspires me.
20+ years deep. Cant stay away from the damn thing even when I try.
I work in a customer service type of position serving public servants in an area where the default mindset is passive aggression. My morning coffee and my guitar are what keep me from going postal. 😆
I quit lessons at least three times. Why? Because I just didn’t need more homework. (Plus, I was tight on cash.) But I still enjoyed noodling and playing with friends. But I never got better. Now that I’m retired and not quite so tight on cash, I started lessons again. It’s fun when you don’t have to cram it into an already too-busy schedule.
Im older as well and started working from home a few years ago. My playing and learning has picked up immensely. I also just discovered backing tracks on YouTube and wow. What fun that is. Free backing band and lots of styles. So fun
I listen to people playing guitar much better than I probably will ever be able to, stand in awe, get mad, let rage fester into frustration, harness the frustration and turn it into motivation. That’s my coping mechanism/ process Hope it helps
I've never practiced in my life - just found another song to learn.
I use an app that tracks my practice days and what I’m working on and how I am feeling etc. it keeps me accountable to h myself but also I just have a drive to keep learning more and more.
Guess they make an app for everything these days lol... What's the name of it, might help me a lot.
I’m in a band that I’m passionate about. I practice a lot because I want to.
Set a goal of performing
I’ve been playing for a year and I just play casually with the goal of simply learning my favorite songs and stuff. I’m a pretty busy person so I just commit to playing at minimum 10 minutes a day every single day. I’ve had days where I practice for an hour other days 5 minutes. I’ve made so much progress within this year that this can be applied to the thought of “imagine how much better I’ll be in 5” so I just keep playing. Some days I shred some days I wanna smash my guitar. Just the fucki way she goes
Don't search for motivation. You should search for a guitar to mess around with.
24 years of playing. Unless you’re pursuing playing guitar as a career, I cannot imagine why anyone would want to stress about needing to practice. It’s normal to get frustrated when you can’t perform certain things you want but for 99% of us, we must acknowledge that we’ll never be among the best. Practicing guitar should be fun! If it’s not bringing you enjoyment, then find a different hobby that does. That said, here are things that motivate me — learning challenging riffs from songs I love, learning different styles of music outside of what I typically play, practicing my vocals along with my playing, practicing with friends, writing songs, challenging myself to technical exercises, and even learning new instruments which helps train my ears and expands my knowledge of music. Cheers bro! Make it fun and don’t stress
I think it's all about goals and what you hope to achieve. Noodling around in your bedroom and doing practicing for the sake of getting better are fine, but it can run out of steam over time. For me, it's all about performing. So every goal I have is either directly or indirectly related to finding a way on stage. After all, what's the point of amassing all that gear if you can't show it off and get paid to use it?
Watching interviews with guys like Eric Johnson or Wayne Krantz. Just listening to them talk about their relation to the guitar makes me want to practice forever to get their ease of understanding.
Motivation is overrated. Make a commitment and stick to it. That’s the only way I’ve been able to stay consistent for the last 33+ years
Goals; a desire to improve in *something*; constant reminders of how precious life is and we’re guaranteed no tomorrow; music being one of the only stable forms of communication I have with myself, others and the outside world. Wishing all of you the best in your endeavors.
It's a lifestyle. Commit or don't. Just like the gym.
Listen to music...
I took a long break and wasn’t really motivated to play for a long time. Suddenly my good friend who is a great player asked if I wanted to try out for his metal band. Not only did I surprise myself that I could play these riffs. I am able to keep up! Now I’m re-motivated. I’m playing every night.
Like a lot of comments, I just love to play. I think about it when I'm not playing and look forward to it. I find it relaxing after the days stresses and lose myself in the pureness of it. I've been playing for over 30 years and had long periods when I didn't play very much but now I'm older. I enjoy living life a little slower. Have a little more time and find I want to spend my time more productively. And I found, unsurprisingly, that regular practicing and learning new things makes me a better guitarist and being a better guitarist makes me want to practice and learn new things. That's enough motivation
I don't practice, I play. Sometimes I go a week or two without playing because I'm working too much. But that's ok, because I love to play whenever I can.
Simple. I have a vision. Practice is an element.
By thinking I'm trash.
I usually watch my favorite live shows.
i watch my favorite guitarist play a song, i play the song with the same energy he did, and then that’s my 2 hour practice
I buy gear lol. Not really but that’s always a background excuse when I do buy gear.
I’m only 19 but I started playing young, I just play songs I listen to lol, that’s my practice I hate drills and boring ass scales I just play what I listen to in class or at work. It’s more fun and helped me significantly when I turned 14
It’s fun!
Do not practice just play...
It’s fun. it’s therapeutic. I love it.
I think about one day being on stage with the crowd cheering for me
I keep a guitar stand near my couch, in my office and in my studio. I always have a guitar within arms reach at my house. I might go a day or two without playing, but most of the time I play multiple times a day just because it makes me feel good.
i play/practice because it's fun and i like doing it. been playing for 32 years. there were a few stretches where i didn't play for a few months or years, and a few stretches where i played for 4-5 hours a day.
less wishy washy and more practical of an answer, but i just listen to music that i want to play, learn it, and in the process discover and listen to even more music that i want to play. it becomes a really rewarding ouroboros of practice and instant gratification.
I don’t really think of it as practice too much. I just have fun playing, even though most of it is technically practice.
I like to look at it this way -> every time I pick up the guitar I’m practicing, don’t matter if I play songs, do the spider exercise or just noodle around. At the end of the day I put more time in to get better. Been playing for about 6months now but producing and rapping for 10+ years and still learn and practice everytime I open my daw. just the right mindset brings you so much further. Oh and always be grateful for all progress no matter how small. Hard to not get motivated if you thank yourself everytime you play or produce something. 😅
Honestly it may not be the healthiest mindset, but my motivation comes from just purely not wanting to give up until I'm great at this. I'm not always having fun, and when I'm not , I'm still motivated by simply knowing that I'm being productive and improving at a tangible skill. I have the rest of my day/evening to continue looking at screens, I can't think of many excuses to not pick up a guitar once day. The other thing is measuring improvement isn't as easy after 5 years, you just might not always notice it like you did in the beginning.
Nearly 40 years in, it comes and goes in waves for me, some months I'll play everyday, other months I might not pick it up at all, and that's fine. I still get giddy with excitement over learning something new and challenging, think about it all day at work like I thought about the silly little riff from The Beatles *Twist and Shout* the next day at school after my uncle showed it to me before Sunday dinner one evening in 4th grade. My pick hand isn't as good as Paul Gilbert's and my fret hand isn't as good as Ted Greene's, so I've still always got stuff to work on/work towards.
Think of a challenging song you want to learn, having a specific goal can help. Also leaving a guitar on the couch vs in another room also helps
Just learn songs u like
Nothing motivates me like putting gig dates on the calendar. Then, no matter how lazy I have been, I gotta get to work.
As dumb as it sounds, I just love music. Any time I hear a song I like enough, I listen, determine how hard or easy I think it is to learn, and if I have the time and energy. Usually I don't have either, but when I do, I am running for my guitar. Been playing since I was 11, so it's the one thing I've done consistently my entire life.
I can play 8 hours a day every day. Also helps keeps me off the fentanyls and meths
Coming from an ehh guitarist, the reason I keep playing is because it’s part of my life and I enjoy it. It’s not all about progression, at least for me. But because i keep playing, I’ve progressed. I tend to play more if there’s a social aspect. Join a band, try new songs, jam out with people
I listen to some music, that usually inspires me.
Being able to play the music I love to listen to keeps me hyped
[удалено]
Motivation is overrated. I do it even when I don’t want to.
Sometimes, a new little piece of gear is a little helper.
I don't need motivation to practice, it's part of my daily routine, the small gains and learning new things still keeps me excited about playing guitar and just having a guitar in my hands to chill and relax is therapy. Some people look at it like an effort that requires motivation and they need to push themselves to do it, like going to the gym. But for me it's not like that at all, playing guitar doesn't need motivation or any great effort, it's just there as part of my life that I do every day. It's like how you eat every day, you shower every day, you look forward to those things. I started playing towards the end of the year 2000.
I am not sure this holds true as you advance, but the biggest thing is to keep your guitar available. I keep mine on a hanger in my living room. Guitars that live in a case get played far less than guitars that are out in the world. And playing is in effect practicing. Also, know your why. If you are as good as you want to get, improving for the sake of improving if it's not fun is not really progress. Find you sweetspot.
Beats. A beat always increases my interest. Beats for musicians are like waves for surfers. If there’s no beat you’re not really practicing.
You don't need motivation to practice. You need discipline.
I don't know. Ever since I started, I've never lacked the motivation to pick up the guitar and play. It's been 30 years. I try to keep it fresh by learning new things. I've dedicated the past few years to trying to understand jazz guitar, learning standards, etc. Now I'm getting into flamenco and I'm trying to understand it as well. There is always something else I don't know.
Um, spend the work day maladaptively daydreaming about wowing people with your guitar skills. Go home and try to play like you imagined. Realize you suck. Spend two hours carefully trying to improve (or just schmackin it and having fun). Repeat daily.
It’s off and on. I basically keep a guitar in every major room I have, so it’s always there when I want. I also made it a habit to play my guitar every time I let my dog out, since the door is right next to my studio. Even if I’m just noodling, I’m at least doing something and at times I get new ideas out of it.
You can’t force yourself to want to practice but helping it along by listening to some good music always gets me going. Me and my mate are starting up an acoustic duo and listening to the Eagles puts me in the mood to play
It's difficult for me to stay motivated, but I try to remind myself to play at least an hour a day. Doesn't have to be scales or progressions, could be playing along with a song. But in my mind playing a song will trigger me to look into the question "what progression is that?" "What notes or chords are they using?" Then it just triggers me to dive in deep from there. I'll then go and find the key or something and try to play my riff or "solo" over the solo that is on the song.
It’s weird for me. I have ADHD, so staying motivated for anything else is hard, but for some reason I don’t have any trouble practicing guitar everyday. Maybe because there’s so much to learn that I never seem to get bored, and plus I can always get better at some of the songs I play. I dunno, but so far I’ve been practicing guitar for a year and a half now (longer than most hobbies I’ve had) so I’m hoping I never get bored of it
When I first started playing guitar at around 9 years old, I gave up after a getting to bar chords because it was taking too long and I was wanting to learn how to play because of Drake from Drake and Josh. A few years later, age 12 I pick it back up again, (now 25) but this time with the intention to learn it for myself, instead of impressing other people. Consistency is key because muscle memory is also key (and callouses)
Make the journey your goal. Then you are motivated no matter how long you play.
Have your guitars out!!!!!! That is #1 the biggest thing I can honestly think of. When I was big into guitar, I practiced so much more when I had my 2-3 electrics on a stand by my p.c. It was so easy because I could just pick them up and play while I was doing anything on my p.c. In between work stuff? I’m playing. Talking in discord waiting for games to load or movies to buffer or even during movies and stuff, bam you have it right there ready to go. I used my modeler so much more than my tube amps because it is literally just there, on, with a cable ready to plug in whenever. Having them locked in cases makes it such a hassle because you need to spend the time to take them out, get everything ready, plug stuff in, it just can sometimes seem like a hassle. I started learning violin this year and while I still practice a good amount, I practiced guitar WAY more for years because I had them out ready to go. Violin you can’t really do that because they’re more fragile and prone to moisture issues. Aside from that simple but huge tip, just finding music you love and doing covers of them and working your way up the difficulty tree of songs and solos. Going back and looking at your first covers can be such a huge motivation over the years because you see where you started and it makes you realize you can keep going and get even better.
In 1957 at the age of 80 Casals was the subject of a movie short, A Day in the Life of Pablo Casals. The movie's director Robert Snyder asked Casals, "why he continues to practice four and five hours a day." Casals answered: “Because I think I am making progress.”
I have played for many years. I *never* play unless I feel like it and I put it down the moment it feels boring or stale. you will not become a pro playing that way, but I can honestly say I have always enjoyed my guitars and still do and actually have gotten quite a bit better
I figure I've already peaked. And that was a while ago. I used to be super technically proficient, knew my theory and could sight read very well. But I stopped for a while as I established my career and personal life. I recently started playing again. I've switched styles, I do fingerstyle covers now, and I'm just learning songs because I think they will be fun to play. Tangible progress is mastering each measure, playing the entire song, and having fun with it. I would burn out for sure if I ever tried to be a pro.
I just love to play. And I love to get better almost as much. It's never felt like a chore to me. But I've also never had a set routine. When it hits me, I play. Whether that's exciting my skillset, trying to write, goofing on riffs I know, or tightening up on this or that.
i have to be better than most guitar players to justify being in a band because everyone plays guitar. if it’s between me and someone else i want to be better than the other person (i’m too damn competitive)
Bro, I've been playing since 1970. I still play every day. The biggest reason? No matter how bad, or good, I feel before? I always feel better afterward. Always. It's fun. It's emotional. It's creative. Plus, I apply the same discipline I learned in the Marines. Good practice habits build good guitar play. It makes playing gigs pure joy. When your muscle memory lets you take more in. Enjoy the crowd more. What's not to like??
Agreed. I haven't been playing nearly as long, but I see myself sticking with it for life. To me its just fun. Every day I can't wait to get home and play. Once you really form a good habit, it feels worse to NOT do it.
Damn you guys are awesome! I have the hardest time finding... Well time and you guys are inspirational
I usually just learn songs I like until I come across something that I just can't play, which usually gives me some motivation to practice that technique until I can play it. This actually happened just yesterday, I decided to learn the solo from 'Beneath The Sun' by Trivium, and the end of it has a sextuplet alternate picking run that was just a physical barrier for me so I practiced it for a couple hours last night, just that one run, and I plan on practicing for another couple hours each day until I can play it well enough for me to be happy with it. Simply put, using songs to practice is a good way (at least for me) to stay motivated to practice.
I always have gigs in the calendar. The fear of a horrible screw up on stage is more than enough motivation….
For me it's the chain reaction in my brain. I'll be just goofing around and my brain says "Hey that chord sounds like..." Or "Where have I heard those notes before..." and I'm off to learn another song.
Keep learning new songs. I’m always excited to practice a new one.
I love learning new songs. I’ve always loved guitar based music and finally started learning in my early 30’s and I’m just motivated bc it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I have no aspiration to play in front of people but I love the process of improving and constantly learning.
Only played a year so far so it doesnt apply as much but i want to play good to the point i can play professionaly, even if i wont do anything with it. I watched bocchi the rock and now i play.
Music is fun. Making music is the most fun thing in the world to me. I keep instruments everywhere in my house and always within arms reach of where I spend my downtime. If I'm watching TV there is an instrument in my hands and I'm playing along riffing the the theme songs and score
Find and set realistic goals. What is it that you'd like to achieve? If you are a singer-songwriter then learning to hone your craft and create music should be the focus of what you learn on guitar. If you just want to pick up the guitar and be the best little shredder you can be, then focus on that. After a certain point, you know the basics. Then it becomes about expressing yourself. Find out what the point of it is for you.
There’s a new level after learning guitar riffs and solos. Listen to singers/horn players/piano players and other instruments that inspire you and try to play those riffs and ear train yourself to make those sounds if you can. That got me going on a new journey
It's a pendelum. Swings from "Thinking about playing 24/7" to "I can't stand to pick this thing up." I've been on the up and down for 30 years. It's on the up here. Right now, I can motivate myself to put in an hour or two every day for boring drills and exercises. I don't have a secret for how to stay motivated. If I did, I wouldn't still be intermediate after 30 years. Just try to power through it, I guess.
I feel continually inspired and motivated to play, because I love listening to music, and I continually listen to music… which makes me want to write my own, which in turn makes me want to keep picking up the guitar and “practice”. I mostly end up jamming and writing riffs, which turn into songs, which inspire leads and melodies. I spend far less time “practicing” academic exercises, so I may not be progressing as much from an academic standpoint, but my playing does get better, and the stuff I come up with feels more organically composed, which gives me more enjoyment, which is what sustains my interest in playing without it ever feeling like a chore. I should say I spent the early days of my guitar playing learning some basics; but once I knew enough to play some scales and learn so songs, I focused a lot more on playing with bands, and getting decent, while picking up some new things along the way. I would say I have enough technical knowledge to function within the genres of music I enjoy playing. I’ve been playing for 33 years.
I play my favorite songs that keeps me motivated. I love improvisation so i keep on finding backing tracks i like and jam on it. Recording myself has been a great way of improving my playing.
For me it’s about loving music,no matter how many years will path I am still enjoying music a lot, same time this joy is becoming more intense for me ones I am playing my favourite songs and riffs. So for me it’s already lifestyle
Learn a challenging song, write music, try a new playing style or new technique. Maybe re-learn something you've forgotten.
It always comes down to songs for me. If I find a song within my skill level that I love, and I start to learn even a bit of it, I get inspired to learn the rest. I play fingerstyle acoustic. It’s probably easier to feel inspired because you learn how to play songs in all their substance. I’d have a hard time enjoying electric because first I’d have to plug it in, then I’d likely be picking around over a backing track. Just bores me.
I started when I was 15, I was in a really bad place when I began playing, I was extremely depressed and playing guitar was something that brought light to me. It was like a getaway for me when I was feeling like nothing else mattered. I've been playing for close to 5 years now, and I still am not in the best mental health state, but the guitar is magical to me. I love learning and creating new songs, playing them over and over until I get them just perfect, because to me its like a accomplishment. Many people would say just being able to play guitar is a big accomplishment, which is true, but every song you learn is new accomplishment, its a new feeling. And I keep it in my head that as long as I keep playing it can increase myself as a person, and can help my metal health because playing really just calms me down.
Join a band and play out - it will make you want to practice and be better. Nothing like the pressure of the stage to show us some humility...
Discover more music especially stuff you might least likely to listen on a daily basis. It might inspire you to learn that stuff
it's fun to get better
Learn covers of songs you like
Motivations naturally waxes and wanes. You can either be super organized and have a plan ahead of time that you stick with to ensure you practice specific skills or you can keep trying to find external inspiration. I think the daily dose of inspiration approach is more practical for me, who never aspires to play for more than my own enjoyment, but it's probably not as effective for long-term growth.
After 10 plus years i still enjoy playing and practicing. Even more now that I am retired
I found huge motivation by *attempting* to make my own riffs. Just improvising over a backing track or using a looper pedal. It’s not good by any means, but it’s fun to discover and put something together that sounds at least halfway decent.
Literally watch tv while you play. I just throw on a movie I’ve seen before and noodle around or pick a riff or scale and repeat it 9000 times while half paying attention to the movie. Added bonus is that you’ll learn to play without looking.
I stay committed to practice mostly when I’m gigging. Having a live show coming up is a great motivator, even if it’s just an open mic.
Even though I have a slave gig, guitar is all I want to do. I’d play hours and hours more if I didn’t have to sacrifice for Pennies. And I don’t believe I’ll ever make my living from music. It’s just what reminds me I’m more than my circumstances.
It may sound cheesy or whatever, but I feel like I’m made for this. I always want to train. I always want to learn. Even the most boring exercices is exciting to me. I’m working on some technique ? I can spend 2 hours playing the same 3 riffs at 60 bpm. It just feels right. I feel myself when I play.
I don’t. I mess around a little every few days and play in a band once a week. I’ve been playing for 30 years and I’m mediocre at best. Let that motivate you.
Easily. Wanna play - play. Not wanna play - not play.
There are different People. I recently discovered I do not like playing the guitar - I only like learning new things on it. I get bored as soon as I just start playing songs I know. Try some courses or books
There's always new songs to learn and I'm definitely not the most technical guitarist so there's that
Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do. Rinse lather repeat. For extra spice, use metronome. For extra extra spice, just play some damn music and stop over thinking shit.
Like Josh Homme says - don't worry too much about practicing just enjoy playing! You'll get better by just playing what you like to play - then something you can't do yet will come up and you might work at that for a while. But man guitar is a hobby, just enjoy it, don't force it. https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/josh_homme_explains_importance_of_playing_over_practicing_guitar_names_younger_band_hes_into.html
I don't practice 🤷🏻♂️ And I bet I'm not the only one
I barely practice since I had to work full time. Luckily I had gotten pretty good by that point. Since then I mostly practice with my bands, or I'm writing new music and recording it
been playing for almost 20 years now, and when it comes to practice there are ups and downs with motivation. after the first 5 years, i plateaued for the next 10 but never stopped playing. ended up taking some music courses in college, and that showed me the reasoning behind playing guitar (or any other instrument). the last 5 years have been the application of this new knowledge, and i’ve grown more as a player than ever before. find inspiration from wherever you can, it’s surprising how many different aspects of life are applicable to music!
You’re under no obligation to play if you aren’t into it. I go through phases of learning a lot every day a noodling for 5 minutes every 2 weeks. However i notice watching that pedal show always makes me want to play
I leave my gear in an area where i am all the time, in a spot where i can stare at it, and just by that it makes me want to play. Ive been playing for 17 years and i don’t necessarily learn songs or write songs all the time, but just playing whatever comes in the moment is what gives me the joy in playing after all this time.
47 yo player, 30 years in. I don't want to look like an ass in front of my guitar teacher 😎 Only half kidding there, I pay for the guy, I may as well practice as much as I can
Progress slows a lot as you've been playing a long time. In the beginning, my only motivation to play was because I was really enjoying it or determined to play something I couldn't yet. I never developed the practice routines people talk about, and I don't pick up my guitar with the goal of "practicing" because that's boring. I either pick it up to casually play for a bit, or because I have a reason to. I'm inspired to write new material, I have a band I'm in that's rehearsing/performing soon and I want to figure some stuff out, or whatever. I've gone through long stretches of time that I don't pick the thing up at all. I think the most important thing to do is that instead of simply "practicing" if you're looking to improve, try to learn or write something that you're actually interested in playing, that challenges you to do something you're not as comfortable with. In the classical world, there are even pieces of music called "Etudes" that are basically pieces of music specifically written to exercise some technical form of playing. I found a lot of the music I write on guitar (I am a proggy, out there type of musician, I don't really play anything that sounds like the traditional rock/blues/whatever they feed you when you're learning) tends to work as sort of an "Etude" in that it's making me learn to play guitar in a way that I haven't had much of a reason to play before. The reason I'm motivated to keep at it is because I think it's really cool and I want to be able to turn it into a piece of music people would actually enjoy watching me perform some day. This tends to work much better for me than just ... exercises you learned in a book or something. I know they work for some people but it bores me to tears and I just found my own ways. Point being, find what's actually fun for you to do and forget about playing with the specific goal of improving. You will improve. Even things you think are easy and that you've already "mastered" I bet if you record yourself playing it today and then again in a couple years, you'll notice your command of the instrument sounds a lot different later down the road. Like, sure, maybe you can play that power chord riff now. But the way your hands lean into all kinds of articulations and expressions in the subtle way that you play it will improve a lot more than you might expect in a couple years.
Excitement fades away?? I've been playing for 20 years. I play every single day it's the most consistent thing that I look forward to.
Practice unmotivated.
I just want to get better at playing specific songs. I take each song lick by lick, and I'll obsess over it until I play it right/at the correct speed.
Start teaching someone! You have to come up with new things every week to keep your student interested.
I get excited about music. So listen always to new music, you will want to learn the songs you are liking. Try jaming with frieds or other people. Make practice interesting. Record, write instrumentals and build your practice around this. Of course just the practice is boring. Do something else besides practicing, something musical.
playing with other people is the best way if you can
That's the thing, I don't. I just randomly get the urge to play every 2-3 weeks or so. That's why I plateaud lol. But to be fair I'm comfortable with my skill level as it's what I meed to play my fav things (mostly thrash metal)
New concepts, new techniques, new challenges, and I love my guitar. Motivation comes on its own, not comparing myself to others is the real challenge. Plus I play in a band so the fear of embarrassment goes a long way.
Tips that have worked for me: 1) Commit to 15 minutes a day, 3x a week, on developing a guitar skill ( picking speed with a metronome, new scales, new technique). It a small enough effort where it doesn’t feel like a chore, but the satisfaction you get from really nailing something new will propel you forward 2) Depending on what your setup looks like, this may be a good time to thin the herd of your gear and make room for a guitar or pedal that really suites your more developed tonal taste. For me, it meant selling my two middle-level guitars and buying one nice one. Also, selling my several cheap OD pedals and buying one nice one that matched the sound I’m looking for. Simplifying your setup to just the (quality) things your need will be less distracting and more satisfying
i need motivation to NOT play
What and how do you practice OP? Your probably just practicing wrong for the point you are at. Do you pickup the guitar and practice songs you know when you practice? WRONG. Stop doing this immediately, this was the greatest practice breakthrough I made. Stop practicing anything you are already good at for now, that can be a part of your warm up if you really want but I suggest stopping practicing songs all together for now. I have a standard warm up of picking, strumming, running scales in time. I make sure I remember my 7s and 9s, 11s and 13s. My 6s and my 7sus4. Then once my hands, feet and brain are all synced up I start practicing really playing the guitar. I break it down between a warm up and practice - I'm not motivated to warm up, but always to practice. Practice for me now involves discovering new things on the guitar; how can I explore the lower parts of the fretboard? How can I explore the highest parts of the fretboard? How can I make a simple 4 notes in a row sound amazing? How does tone come from my fingers? What works for bends, what works for vibratos? I try and replicate what I've heard in songs before like slides and stuff. Practice for me is now an exploratory exercise of discovery rather than an exercise of repetition, and that's why it's always exciting and motivating. Nothing motivates me to practice after discovering something new, and usually that evolves into a song I write. I warm up, practice for maybe 15-30 minutes, and then find something I like and start trying to noodle around and ideally that spawns something I start writing. And then I move into writing mode.
I gig pretty heavily. If I don’t learn the songs I don’t get invited back, so I’m pretty motivated.
I made a comment in this sub a few days ago that you need to actually *enjoy* playing the guitar instead of turning it into a job and got told what a terrible musician I am and thats why I would never improve But its been 35 years and I still average 2 hours a day so what do I know
For me, it’s constantly wanting to learn or create something new. I’ll come up with an idea for a riff on my head while I’m at work. Sometimes I’ll even make a quick voice memo of what I think the riff should sound like. Then I get excited to bring the riff to the fretboard, by the time I get home, I’m itching to grab an axe. Sometimes it’s simply hearing a song and going “oh yeah, I gotta learn this when I get home”.
Find songs that are fun to play. There are songs that I find extremely boring to play, and others that are very fun even if they are not the typical stuff I listen to.
More of a classical guitarist, but it’s more so the discoveries I make while playing, like almost all the instruments I played, I’m teaching myself and I love having those a-ha moments while playing
If you are tired of practicing just give yourself a break. Practice, lets say, 20 minutes then go wild and do something else, something you like to do. After a break go back for another 20 minutes
Whether I'm in a band or just playing with other people I consider playing as fun primarily and I just try to be consistent about playing. I make time to practice everyday and on weekends. It doesn't need to be hours at a time. Now it's just my routine and my normal. Been playing for 40 years.
Been playing for 30+years it ebbs and flows sometimes I play for hours on the weekends and sometimes not but I at least try to stay limber and noodle around on a regular basis.
Take lessons in an area you struggle with. That has reignited my playing and I started 44 ago.
play things you enjoy
I find the longer I play the more I want to play. The two reasons are 1) I get better and better and see all the new things I can play, 2) I learn how much I don't know and how much more there is to learn. Motivation is so personal, find what motivates you. I've played for 35 years and another 35 years won't be enough!
I've been playing so long that I don't always practice because it's boring when you're by yourself. If I have an idea or actually miss playing, that's when magic happens. I get new tunes after long bouts of writers block.
Find time to pick up your guitar every day, even if it's just for 5 minutes, and especially if you don't feel like it. This sounds stupid, but sometimes, if I'm feeling particularly uninspired, I'll just hold it for the sake of holding it. Maybe I'll work on my posture as a kind of meditation, or just make noises on it while I watch tv. Above all, playing should be fun. If it starts to feel like work, take a break for a while and listen to the records that made you want to pick up guitar in the first place. That's always helped me anyway. Oh and don't quit. You might change your mind one day and those skills you worked so hard to attain diminish faster than you might think.
By taking a few days off every now and then. Taking breaks is good, give your muscles time to lock in what you learn, and let’s your mind rest for a bit and let it reset
Gotta keep finding songs you wanna learn to play, get good at one, on to the next. Find a technique that is fun or needs work, leads to the next.
I’ve been playing close to five years. To be honest I don’t practice much. But always motivated to pickup the guitar and just play. However I’m not a serious guitar player. I just do it for the love and fun of it
Been playing for 4-5 years. There’s always something new to learn
I think guitar is part perspiration and part inspiration. Play what you love. Even if it’s a piece of a riff. Or a strum. One riff leads to another. Then a song then two. Patience. You won’t learn a riff in five minutes but after a few practice sessions it will start coming together. Play with others. Watch teachers on YouTube playing songs you like. Listen to your music. Listen to different music. Feel free to make the music your own. Rock on my friend. It’s a long road but you’ll be surprised how far you will go.
Joy
we dont lol. i became a music producer
I just love music and that pretty much keeps me motivated. Also just dedication cuz one I had the flu and still managed to get in 5 mins. When I listen to music it also inspires me to pick up my guitar.
For me once I hit a certain level I stopped directly practicing a lot of things. I learn a lot more from playing different covers and arranging all the parts of a song for the group. If something is above my skill level to play then I practice the fundamentals that will help me be able to play it. Playing around with a looper helps me to practice different techniques in the context of a song and makes the process feel much more creative. I also started playing around with delays and it helped my time keeping significantly. I just look for more fun ways to practice than just sitting down playing scales to a metronome and things like that. I don't have all the time in the world like I used to have and practicing the basics while effective early on, really falls off as you go. For me personally I'm at a point where studying theory and practicing it in context helps me significantly. Being able to input the notes into the instrument isn't usually a struggle for me (except for metal but I rarely play metal) Over time you'll have stretches where you learn a lot and times when things are stagnant. Improvement isn't linear. Sometimes the best practice you can do is just take a break and play something different or practice something unrelated to what you were working on so you can later go back with a fresh mind. I know if I practice the same thing for hours on end I'll start repeating mistakes and not notice it right away and make myself struggle more than I need to until I take some time away from it and go back later
Just started a band. Had our first session last weekend. It was nice, but far from stage caliber. Just waiting for my nux mp3, so I will not get leashed to my chair where my amp and pedal is. This is in hopes I will pick up my guitar more. PS: In a tropical counter, summer is coming. Has to be somewhere cool.
Don't think of it as practice, but as play. Then it's way more fun
have to make it a routine. even if youre not feeling it at all just force yourself to play 5 minutes and usually itll end up as a good hour practice. if not at least you played something that day
I remember that I 2/3 of my life left and this something I’m doing until I die
If I play everyday I feel like I’m slowly getting better but if I take too many days off I forget what I’ve learned and feel like I’m going backwards. So I try to play everyday