Do you ever feel stuck in the same old spot with your skills as a ukulele player? If so, you’re not the only one who’s experienced this. Here are five reasons why you might not be getting better as a ukulele player.

Reason #1: You Haven’t Set Any Goals

Where do you want to be as a ukulele player in a year, six months, one month, or even a week? What songs do you want to be able to play? How many chords do you want to be able to know?

Whenever I find myself banging my head up against a wall in frustration with my skills as a musician, it’s usually because I can’t answer these questions. I haven’t set any goals. Because of this, I have nothing to shoot for or strive for, so I tend to stay stuck in the same old place.

You have to set goals that are almost out of reach. If you set a goal that is attainable without much work or thought, you are stuck with something below your true talent and potential.

Steve Garvey

While it’s important to set goals, it’s important to have some gutsy goals too. Don’t play it safe.

Reason #2: I Don’t Have Time

The older I get I find the less free time I feel like I have to invest in my music. This is why it’s important I carve out time in my day to spend towards music. If I don’t fight for that time, it won’t find me.

This might mean cutting some other things out of your life. For example, how easy is it to waste an hour or two in the evening watching some TV? It might mean you wake up 15 minutes early in the morning to strum some chords.

It’s not so much about how long your practice but rather how consistently you practice. Even if you can only carve out 15 minutes a day, it makes a world of difference.

Reason #3: I Don’t Know What To Learn Next

When I start to get comfortable with what I’m learning, I can eventually get to the point where I’m not sure what to learn next. If you are a self-taught ukulele player, this will always be a challenge.

Here are some ideas:

• Explore different genres of music (e.g. try learning some pop song covers on the ukulele like “Hey, Soul Sister” by Train or “Trouble” by Never Shout Never)
• Learn some new ukulele chords and variations of chords you already know
• If you really want to kick your butt, try learning “My Guitar Gently Weeps” on ukulele
• Learn some music theory behind what you’re playing on the ukulele

These are just a few ideas. What do you when you find yourself in a rut? How to stay sharp and keep challenging yourself?