We've all seen pictures of mountain climbers clawing up the peak in a blizzard, shards of snow clinging to the beard, wind howling, teeth gritted, loose rocks cascading down into the depths, pick axe swinging, struggling for every inch of real estate. Through sheer will and determination, the climber eventually reaches the top in a bundle of exhaustion, looking out over the horizon, happy to have escaped injury or death - and deeply proud of the accomplishment.
Many times we look at our guitar playing journey in much the same way. As a constant uphill struggle to reach an unforeseen pinnacle, fighting for every step, always looking upward, slowly clawing - ascending inch by inch - to the top.
But the reality is that learning to play guitar is not simply one long fluid upward motion, but more of a series of small "climbs", separated by numerous plateaus.
When we first pick up a guitar, determined to master it, the whole process can seem daunting. Like standing at the bottom of a sheer vertical bluff, staring up at a peak, shrouded in clouds.
There are seemingly a million new things to learn; how to hold the guitar, how to tune it, how to make our fingers cooperate on those first few chords, how to hold the pick and learn to strum, how to read chord diagrams and TABs and music charts, trying to decipher all the new terms and digest unfamiliar nomenclature. But still we take those first steps and begin our ascent. We fight through the awkwardness of the feel of the guitar neck in our hands, struggle for some clarity reading charts with all those numbers and dots, and work through the soreness in our fingers - and before long we are playing our first song.
And like the climber who reaches the summit, exhausted and proud, we continue playing that first song over and over until we can play it in our sleep. Knowing that, at some point, we have to continue our climb, but content for the time being in the satisfaction of that first accomplishment, and reluctant to jump right back into the struggle to learn and master new concepts.
But then something happens. We finally reach the point where we are ready to continue the climb and move upward, but as we immerse ourselves in new lessons and theories; it feels as though we're not making any new progress. Like our legs and feet are moving, but unable to find a foothold, and we remain suspended, our upward motion halted.
Most, if not all, of my guitar students experience this. The truth is, I do as well. We all do. They call me to express their frustration that, even though they continue to devote time and energy to practice, they feel like they're not getting anywhere. Like they're beating their proverbial heads against the wall.
It's at that point that I usually have the "plateau" discussion with them. I assure them that the frustration they are experiencing is not only a common occurrence; it's also a necessary step in learning guitar. The truth is that learning to play guitar and improving on the guitar cannot necessarily be viewed as one continuous upward motion. It is actually more akin to a series small climbs, each one landing on a plateau.
It is on these plateaus that the guitar concepts and techniques we struggled to learn have a chance to "soak in". We learn the nuances of "how" to play new things on the guitar while making the upward climb. But it is on the plateau that the new concepts and techniques we learned have a chance to become ingrained into our guitar playing style. We actually need these plateaus, these times when we feel we are not "getting anywhere", to help our guitar playing skills to blossom. We need a breather.
Once guitar students realize this, they tend to become more patient with themselves. Just being aware of where they are in the process can have a calming effect. Knowing that, even though they don't feel the upward motion, they are still making progress, does a lot to bolster their confidence and keep their interest peaked.
Unfortunately I have seen students give up the guitar in frustration. Many without realizing that they are only steps away from reaching the top of the next plateau, and others that are simply on a plateau and trying too soon to advance beyond it.
If you are in the early stages of your guitar playing journey, always try to remain cognizant of what part of that journey you are on. Each step along the way has its own place of importance and just knowing that, even in the midst of frustration, the next peak or plateau is just around the corner, will go a long way toward keeping you on the path to accomplish your guitar playing goals.
...And one more thing. Keep climbing, keep reaching for the summit, for the top of the mountain...but don't ever stop...even if you think you've found it!
