Trust the Path

Step-by-step it will be granted him to discover the work

- Igor Stravinsky

Each musician's journey is uniquely different and yet most students share the aspiration of becoming accomplished performers.   A good teacher shows the student strategies towards this goal and a good student has the desire to learn and practice what they are taught.  Crucially, the student also needs to have faith in their inevitable improvement.

Certain basic musical truths are useful for students to consider along their musical journey:

·        With no practice there is no development; with minimal practice, minimal development; with faulty practice, faulty development. 

·         Motivation arises when practice provides an improvement or benefit that you want.

·        Improvement occurs with progressive overload.  By repeatedly and consistently asking of yourself a little more than you're comfortable with, a little more than you are capable of, you improve.

·        Progressive overload takes place in small increments within your own comfort zone.  You need to stretch your comfort zone slowly - without any strain or fatigue.  As Pete Seeger said: "Take it easy, but take it."

·        Development requires a tolerance for failure. Barre chords, for example, take most students a little while before they sound good.  It's all good.  'Little failures' are part of the journey towards your ultimate goals and should be treated in a light-hearted way. 

Faith is an intangible yet essential requirement when learning to play music.  Yes, progress does take time, but rest assured: if you place realistic and gradual demands upon yourself you will inevitably become a fine guitarist.