There might be a time when playing the guitar might seem like a little too much work. The idea of getting out the music and going through scales just sounds boring and dull.

Well, you might be caught in a slump, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t kick yourself out of it. Here are some very simple strategies to jump start your guitar practices and get yourself some guitar motivation.

1. Don’t beat yourself up. The worst thing that you can do is tell yourself that you can’t do it, because that’s not true. If you have good work-ethic and the drive to succeed, playing the guitar will be enjoyable and enrich your life in new and exciting ways.

2. Schedule time to practice. If you don’t make a conscious effort to interrupt the normal layout of the day to fit in some guitar practice time, you might never get your guitar motivation back. Plan out, in your mind or on paper, when and for how long you can spare time to practice the guitar. Even ten or fifteen minutes can get you into the groove again.

3. Practice where you want. If you don’t like to practice in front of other people because it makes you nervous, then don’t do it! Pick the most personal place where you can truly let loose and don’t let anything hold you back on that guitar.

4. Play what you like. Another point for guitar motivation is to make the decision that you’re going to play whatever you want. If you think that you need to practice some scales, but that just sounds awful, then lay off the scales. Whip out some of your favorite licks and go to town.

5. Celebrate your practice with a reward. Not only will this help to get you through the practice, but you’ll feel better about starting up the next one. When you’re done with practice, get some ice cream or something small to remind yourself that you did well.

Your guitar motivation might have been waning last time because you didn’t get to practice what you wanted, and that can stink. Plan on doing things your way the next time so that playing the guitar is a fun experience again.

Kyle has played the guitar in a number of successful bands giving him years of valuable experience as a musician. His progress in the Ohio music scene has deemed him an authority figure on playing guitar.