Teaching music lessons for a while is a great way to get insights into human psychology. Everyone is all smiles and sunshine on their first lesson, sometimes even the first few. Sooner or later, though, it sinks in that learning to play this thing just might be a tall order. This also happens with students who have played for a while and are now trying to pick up new skills or knowledge like theory or music reading. In both cases, the reality of what they are doing hits them square in the face and knocks them for a loop. Sometimes, I think these students had the idea that they would learn in a sort of montage style, like a TV show, and they would have their trip together in a short time. In no time at all, they start to doubt themselves and the lesson process and they now come into their lessons looking sad and making excuses.
When students find themselves in this predicament, there is only one way to solve the problem: they have to make a choice. All of us who have learned to play an instrument or instruments made a clear and conscious choice, at one time or another, to keep pushing through the hard parts and the sore fingers because the difficulties were worth the payoff of learning to play. The choice is simple. You either choose to keep going despite the challenges or you give up and settle for whatever doesn’t take too much effort. We all need to realize that there is no magic in our game, no secret sauce that’s going to make us better overnight. We all also need to realize that we can learn to play anything we want if are willing to put the practice time in to attain it. All it takes is persistence
Like anything else, learning to play requires conscious effort over time. Students who continue make a conscious choice to do so just as much as other students choose to play football and finish the season. Anybody can learn to play music and anyone who learns to play can also learn to play better. Most people give up way before their talent runs out. Next time you feel that hopelessness setting in during your practice time, tighten up your mind and double down on your efforts. Don’t let your ‘self-defeat mechanism’ talk you into making the wrong choice!