Being very new to guitar, 3 years casual after work practice, the only time I feel like giving up is when I think of the long term goals. It is a slow slog at the non-professional rate of practice, so if I think my value in playing is some future ability, I am screwed.
The value in playing is the joy and challenge of now and the near term goals, like getting those few bars of a new song under the fingers and into the memory. To feel the timing and put it together into the larger piece bit by bit. To get better moment to moment. To hear myself learn to make music.
The long term view is an amorphous and difficult goal. What is good, what is mastery? The “masters” will all tell you they are still learning. If they are not, they probably aren’t “masters”. The long term skill growth will take care of itself if I learn and enjoy the moment I am playing. I try not to worry about the future. I don’t always succeed at that.
|