After 30 years of teaching, I can usually tell within the first lesson whether someone has been a dabbler.
They’ve “played” for a long time — sometimes over ten years — and they can barely play the basics. Their rhythm is shaky, and most of the time they don’t even realize it. They’ve picked up bits and pieces of knowledge from YouTube, apps, forums, friends — and they’ve put it all together in a way that actually hurts their progress. Things that should make sense don’t, because the foundation was never built in the right order.
And here’s the part that’s hardest to hear: most of them think they know way more than they do. They equate the length of time they’ve owned a guitar with experience. But time holding a guitar and usable skill are two completely different things. I’ve watched someone with ten years of “experience” get outplayed by a student who started from scratch six months ago — because that student learned the right things in the right order from day one.
That’s the difference between a dabbler and a player.
What Dabbling Actually Looks Like
Dabblers are always learning — or at least, that’s what it looks like from the outside.
They jump from YouTube video to YouTube video. They collect chord charts, tabs, PDFs, and 30-day challenges. They buy online courses but never finish them. They watch more content than they play. Their time with the guitar looks busy, but there’s no meaningful growth. Everything they play sounds the same, and they don’t know why.
The problem isn’t effort. Most dabblers work hard. The problem is that nobody has ever shown them what to focus on, in what order, and why. So they keep spinning — always looking for the next hack or shortcut that will finally make it click.
But it never does. Because random information doesn’t add up to real skill.
What Players Do Differently
Players aren’t perfect. But they’re consistent and they have direction.
They know the specific skills they need to improve. They follow a clear path instead of chasing random advice. They work on the songs they love and actually sound better each time. They don’t panic because they can’t solo like some YouTube prodigy. They don’t try to master everything at once.
They just keep going. Step by step. Day by day.
And here’s what separates them from dabblers more than anything else: they’ve stopped guessing. Someone showed them what to do, how to do it, and what comes next. That clarity is the difference between spinning your wheels for years and making real progress in weeks.
The Shift
When a dabbler finally gets the right guidance, things change fast. Within weeks, most of them start hearing the difference in their own playing. They learn how to create variations so everything doesn’t sound the same. Rhythms that were always shaky start to tighten up. Things that felt impossible start to feel natural.
Sometimes it takes a little longer — especially if the habits they built on their own are deeply ingrained and they fight me on the fixes. But once they buy in and trust the process, the progress shows up quickly.
And that’s the moment when a dabbler becomes a player. Not because they suddenly got more talented. Because they finally stopped guessing and started building.
Which One Are You?
Be honest with yourself. Are you collecting information or collecting real skills? Are you busy with the guitar or are you actually getting better?
If you’ve been stuck at the same level for months or years — if everything you play sounds the same — if you’ve got bits and pieces from a dozen sources but nothing that adds up to real ability — you’re not broken. You’re just missing direction.
You don’t need more videos. You don’t need another app. You need someone who can look at where you are, show you what’s actually holding you back, and give you a clear path forward.
Because dabblers stay busy. Players get better. And the difference isn’t talent — it’s knowing what to do next.
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 assisted people from around the globe in developing a solid sense of timing and enhancing their creativity through the fantastic rhythm course, “Ultimate Rhythm Mastery,” available at MusicTheoryForGuitar.com.
If you live in Geauga County / North East Ohio, Guitar Lessons Geauga can help you become the player you’ve always wanted to be.