There are some qualities that every professional musician has, regardless of what instrument or style they play. And no, it’s not that all of them were born with it or have a natural talent; while some people can pick things up quicker than others, everyone started from the same place, which is as a beginner, and as someone who had never even touched an instrument before. You don’t have to be “naturally gifted” in order to become a great guitarist. You can just be a beginner guitar player with the following qualities.
Dedication
Any musician will tell you you need to be dedicated to your instrument and learning it. Without dedication, you will always be a beginner guitarist, because you won’t be able to devote enough time to practice and actually improve your abilities. Becoming a great player takes a lot of work, and if you can’t invest in it or make the time to practice, you will never grow.
Motivation
Because practice is so important to learning any instrument, if you don’t feel motivated to do it often, your skills will take a lot longer to develop. Especially for beginning players, there’s a huge learning curve in the beginning, but many of them start to quit or slack off on their practice after a certain point when things get harder. Don’t be like this. You’ll need the motivation to want to pick up your guitar every day to practice, no matter what.
Having good material to learn from is always a good motivation source, so please check out this cool guitar lesson from our man, Jon Maclennan:
An Open Ear
A truly great musician keeps an open ear and an open mind. They don’t stick their noses up at other styles or techniques they don’t understand. To advance from a beginner guitar stage, you’ll need to be able to appreciate a lot of different things, and always approach them openly. That’s truly the best way to grow as a player.
Passion
You can spend your time practicing techniques, perfecting rhythm, and building your speed, but if you don’t feel a passion for what you’re doing, it’s going to show in your music. Watch some great players performing their songs, and you’ll see a lot of emotions on their faces. That’s because their music makes them feel something, and they have a passion for it. Without a love for the music you’re creating, your work will feel empty and flat.
These are important qualities for any musician who wants to excel, but perhaps the most important one is the desire to keep on learning and growing. Someone whom we may think of as a master will usually say they are not a master, and even they are still learning. That’s why mastering a craft also takes some humility.
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