Posted on February 27, 2012 by Andy John

I think perhaps millions of people would like to know how to get what they want from their instrument but don’t aspire to be a skilled professional.

The good news is “yes“, but with certain caveats:

Many songs are written using only three chords so if you are learning guitar, ukulele, or banjo, you can play a song in a short time with some practice.  The harmonica is also fairly easy to get a recognizable rendition of “Yankee Doodle”.  Piano is easy to get a good sound out of with hardly any work.

Most people who are only looking for these things don’t need lessons.  The internet is full of how-to videos, and bookstores are full of song books.  The real question is whether learning a three chord song is going to keep you interested.  For most people, it is not enough.  Most people who buy a guitar would like to play a Bob Dylan song, a Green Day song, or maybe the newest Brantley Gilbert hit.  It requires a little effort to get good enough to jam with the song.   It takes time and effort to get good at an instrument but sometimes it’s fun just to play a simple song and let others take the solos.  It’s also fun to play other instruments just to be supportive.  I usually recommend to my guitar students that they play a little bass because there is ALWAYS a need for a bass player!