Motivation is a wonderful thing to have, but all too often, it isn’t there when you need it the most. Even though guitar is a fantastic instrument to play, too often beginners stop playing after a while because the motivation to improve just isn’t the same once things get harder.

So, what can you do if you lack the motivation to continue with your guitar lessons? Here are some simple tips to make sure playing guitar is fun and challenging without becoming too difficult and boring.

Divide Your Practice

Don’t just leave out a lump amount of time for your practice. If you say you are going to play for an hour, it’s more than likely you find yourself just jamming away with no clear structure and goals. In the long run, this will halt your progress and it will be harder to stay motivated when you don’t feel like you’re getting better.

Instead, divide your practice sessions for shorter time slots and plan in advance. For example, your hourly practice session could look like this:

• 5 minutes for warm up exercises
• 10 minutes for repeating what you learned last time
• 15 minutes for chord practice
• 15 minutes for learning scales
• 10 minutes for playing a song you want to master
• 5 minutes for jamming

Mix and match the timings and the things you do, so that each session looks and feels a bit different. This guarantees you continue learning different aspects of playing while also having fun.

Create a Habit

You need to make practicing a habit, instead of just doing it whenever you have time or when you feel like playing. If you are the kind of person to lose focus quickly, consider practicing for 30 minutes, doing something else for an hour and playing another 30 minutes later.

If you have a lot of time in the morning, then make guitar practice your morning jog. Set yourself cues and reminders that let you know it’s time to practice!

Don’t Just Play

Learning guitar is much more than just playing the actual instrument. You need to know a bit about music theory as well as develop your listening skills in order to conquer the instrument.

Don’t spend all of your time playing along guitar lessons or by jamming on your own, but do occasionally just listen other people play or read about music theory. This will develop your own guitar playing abilities and ensure you progress quicker than if you solely focused on playing the guitar.

Find Other Musicians

Sometimes group support is such a powerful way to boost your own motivation. If you talk with other guitarists and people involved with music, you will be more inspired to keep improving yourself and you’ll find it easier to share your feelings without being questioned. Every musician knows what it feels like to lack confidence from time to time and sharing your feelings can help you feel better and relight your motivation to play.

Take Time Off

While it is essential to keep a regular practice schedule and to try stick up with guitar lessons even if you don’t always feel like it, you shouldn’t ever force yourself to play. Occasionally, we all need to take a break and do something else. Make sure you have enough opportunities to do other things in your life and don’t be too hard on yourself if you skip a practice session – as long as you don’t do it regularly! Just pick the guitar and continue from where you left once the inspiration strikes.