There’s a question I ask myself about every student who walks through my door: Do they see themselves as someone who owns a guitar… or as a guitarist?
It might sound like a small difference. It’s not. It’s actually the difference between the people who stick with this and the people wh give up.
After thirty years of teaching, I can tell you — talent isn’t what separates the ones who make it from the ones who don’t. Neither is time, money, or even natural ability. It’s identity. How you see yourself when you pick up that instrument changes everything about what happens next.
The Four Levels of Guitar Identity
There’s a progression I’ve watched hundreds of students go through, and it looks something like this:
At the bottom, someone says, “I own a guitar.” The instrument sits in a case, maybe under the bed, maybe in a closet. It comes out when someone mentions it. That’s about it.
A step up: “I play guitar.” This person picks it up now and then. Noodles around. Knows a few chords. But there’s no real commitment — it’s something they do, not something they are.
Then there’s “I’m a guitar player.” Now we’re getting somewhere. This person practices. They’re working on something specific. They have goals, even if they’re modest ones.
And at the top: “I’m a musician.” This is someone whose life includes music as a non-negotiable part of who they are. Practicing isn’t something they have to force — it’s just what they do, like eating or sleeping.
The higher you climb on that ladder, the less willpower you need. And here’s what’s interesting — I’ve watched students jump levels almost overnight. Not because they suddenly got more disciplined. Because something shifted in how they saw themselves.
Tom: The Compliment That Changed Everything
Tom from Bainbridge had been trying to learn guitar on his own for years. Years. And he had one simple goal that tells you everything about why identity matters: he wanted his wife to recognize something he was playing.
Think about that for a second. He wasn’t trying to play Madison Square Garden. He wasn’t chasing some fantasy. He just wanted to sit in his living room and play a song, and have his wife say, “Hey, I know that one.”
On his own, it never happened. He’d play, and it was just… noise. Pleasant noise, maybe. But nothing recognizable. Nothing that landed.
He started taking lessons with me, and in a short amount of time, it happened. His wife recognized what he was playing. And she actually liked it.
Tom told me that was the biggest compliment he’d ever gotten. His wife had never discouraged him — she’d always been supportive. But there’s a massive difference between someone tolerating your playing and someone genuinely enjoying it. That moment changed how Tom saw himself. He wasn’t a guy fumbling around on a guitar anymore. He was a guy who could play a song that made his wife smile.
That’s an identity shift. And it didn’t come from a motivational poster or a YouTube pep talk. It came from real, audible improvement that someone he loved could hear.
Dave: The Retirement Surprise
Dave from Chardon always wanted to play guitar. Always. But he never made the time. Sound familiar? There was always something — work, family, life. The guitar was going to happen “someday.”
Then he retired. And here’s the part that surprised him: he was busier than when he was working. Golf, grandkids, vacations — his calendar was packed. Retirement wasn’t the wide-open schedule he’d imagined.
But Dave did something most people don’t. He made room anyway. He decided that guitar wasn’t going to be another “someday” that never came. He started lessons, and he committed.
In three years, Dave was playing really well. Not just strumming a few chords — actually playing. He made real, undeniable progress because he finally stopped treating guitar as something he’d get around to and started treating it as something he does.
Dave eventually had to move south for health reasons. But he still plays. He still loves it. Because once you’ve made that identity shift — once you’re a guitar player, not just someone who wants to be one — it sticks. It travels with you.
Kim: When Guitar Becomes Your Anchor
Kim works in Munson but lives in Rome, Ohio. She’s been coming for a long time. And if you asked her why, she wouldn’t give you some big dramatic speech about becoming a rock star.
She’d tell you she loves it here. She loves music. She loves guitar. She loves the people she’s met through lessons. And honestly? Work is stressful. Life is stressful. Guitar is the thing she looks forward to every week. It’s fun. It’s hers. It’s the thing that has nothing to do with deadlines or obligations or anyone else’s expectations.
Kim isn’t chasing fame or perfection. She’s a musician because music is woven into her week, her identity, her sense of what makes life enjoyable. That’s the level most people never reach — not because they can’t, but because they never stick around long enough to feel it.
And here’s what’s worth noticing about Kim: nobody is making her drive from Rome, Ohio. Nobody is forcing her to keep coming back week after week, year after year. She does it because it feeds something in her that nothing else does. That’s what happens when guitar becomes part of who you are, not just something on your to-do list.
Brad: A Different Set of Priorities
I first taught Brad when he was young. He liked music, but other things were the priority. That’s not unusual — a lot of younger students are pulled in a dozen directions, and guitar is just one of many interests competing for their time and attention.
I didn’t see Brad for years after that. Life took him in a different direction, including military service and combat. He faced struggles that would have given most people a permanent excuse to set aside anything that wasn’t absolutely essential.
But when Brad came back to lessons, something had changed. Not his ability — his priorities. Music wasn’t just something he liked anymore. It was something he was going to do. Period. That shift — from “this is something I enjoy” to “this is something I’m committed to” — made all the difference.
Today, Brad is a good guitar player. Not becoming one. Is one. And his path there was harder than most people’s will ever be. But that’s what makes his story worth telling: the identity shift didn’t happen because circumstances got easier. It happened because he decided that music mattered enough to make room for it, no matter what else was going on.
The Decision Comes First
Here’s the part most people get wrong: they think they need to get good before they can call themselves a guitarist. They think the identity is something you earn after years of practice. It’s not. It’s a decision. And the decision is what changes everything.
When Dave decided guitar wasn’t going to be another “someday,” his behavior changed. He made room in a packed retirement schedule. When Brad decided music was a priority and not just a hobby, he showed up differently. When Kim decided this was her thing, she showed up ready to play every week without anyone asking her to.
The decision to see yourself as a guitarist — to own that identity — is what rewires your habits. You stop waiting for motivation and start showing up because that’s who you are. You don’t skip practice for the same reason you don’t skip brushing your teeth. It’s just part of the routine now.
But here’s where the right guidance makes the difference. That decision gets you in the door. It gets you picking up the guitar consistently. What it can’t do on its own is make sure that consistency produces real results. I’ve seen plenty of committed people hit a wall because they were practicing the wrong things, reinforcing bad habits, or just spinning their wheels because they’re overwhelmed with the amount of information available today.
That’s where working with someone who knows how to build skills systematically matters. Not to give you motivation — you’ve already got that once you’ve made the decision. But to make sure your effort actually goes somewhere. To hear what you’re doing wrong and fix it in real time. To know what comes next and why. When your commitment meets the right instruction, progress comes faster — and every bit of progress reinforces the identity that got you started in the first place.
Which Level Are You On?
Be honest with yourself. Where are you on that ladder right now?
Are you someone who owns a guitar? Someone who plays guitar? A guitar player? A musician?
There’s no wrong answer — but there is a next step, wherever you are. And if you’ve been stuck at one of those lower levels for a while, just know that it’s not because you lack talent or discipline. It might just be because you haven’t had the right experience yet — the kind that makes you feel like a real guitarist, not just someone going through the motions.
Tom, Dave, Kim, and Brad all started somewhere on that ladder. They all climbed. And every single one of them will tell you the same thing: the view from higher up is worth the effort.
About The Author
Brian Fish is a professional guitarist who has been dedicated to helping other guitar players in Northeast Ohio pursue their musical dreams since 1994. He’s passionate about guiding others on their musical journey! He is the Guitar Playing Transformation Specialist, instructor, mentor, trainer, and coach at Guitar Lessons Geauga.
Brian has also created the fantastic rhythm course, “Ultimate Rhythm Mastery,” which is available at MusicTheoryForGuitar.com.
If you live in Geauga County / Northeast Ohio, Guitar Lessons Geauga can help you become the player you’ve always wanted to be. Click the button below to request your FREE no-obligation trial lesson
