Sufi Poet Rumi on Gratitude in Guitar Practice

are short explorations of music, life, and the daily endeavor of practicing classical guitar. Enjoy!

“Gratitude is the wine of the soul. Go on. Get drunk!”

Rumi

Playing and practicing music can be like watching grass grow. We know things are happening, but we may not be able to notice it.

And when we don’t see improvement often enough or quickly enough, we may well get discouraged. This is one of the obstacles we share as musicians.

But in reality, most of us play guitar for fun. We play because we love music and feel it will help us lead a richer life.

So instead of taking our challenges personally, we can accept them as part of the package. We can trust that things will come around in their own time. And more, we can sing praise for the chance to grow and learn something new.

This doesn’t mean that some days won’t be hard – they will. But we control the narrative. We spin the story.

When we focus on gratitude we stay motivated. We hold our bearings and make it through the rough patches (or don’t see them as all that rough).

And it feels good! Saturated in gratitude, guitar may be our favorite part of the day.

“Gratitude is the wine of the soul. Go on. Get drunk!”

Rumi

About Allen Mathews

Allen Mathews learned guitar as an adult, and has been a full-time guitar teacher for almost two decades to students age 4 to 96. He has taught classical guitar at Reed College and Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, and has been a guest lecturer and clinician at schools and universities throughout the U.S. Allen is often praised for his creative teaching abilities, and his dedication to helping adults learn classical guitar. He has a popular Youtube Channel offering regular classical guitar tutorials, and has gained fans worldwide for his weekly emails and articles at ClassicalGuitarShed.com.

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After more than a year as a member, I remain impressed with the Woodshed, song courses, Tuesday quotes, weekly lessons, and the CGS community. Without my membership, I think my enthusiasm for learning classical guitar would have faded long ago. Instead, I am enjoying the process as I make steady progress in my playing.

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