Sure, playing the guitar is fun, relaxing, satisfying, and a great way to spend an evening with friends. But the truth is that, to be good with the guitar, like anything else, you have to spend some time practicing.
For some, the term “practice” conjures up visions of hard work and self-imposed incarceration. And it’s that mindset that drives many new guitar students to failure. But just by adjusting their perspective on practice to a more positive slant, most students can turn practice from a boring and numbing task into an exciting world of new discoveries.
One way to do this is to divide your practice time into segments. Spend a little time on each practice segment to compensate for boredom and / or exhaustion. A guitar student can divide practice time into three different segments. One for learning new material, one for reviewing previous material, and one for “scribble” time.
New material
As an aspiring guitarist, you should always be hungry to learn new things on the guitar. It can be a new scale, chord progression, riff, or song. Bringing new material into the guitar keeps things “fresh” and creates a level of anticipation every time you pick it up. However, there is “too much new information”. Sip new stuff, not sip. Give the smaller pieces time to digest before trying to cram too much into them. You’ll make a lot more progress on the guitar by allowing little bits of new information to slowly take root in your playing style than if you try to get rid of it all at once.
Review previous material
When you learn a new piece or concept on the guitar, it is often very clear in your mind when you first learn it. You can sit there and play over and over again without a problem. But then you come back the next day and you don’t remember a bit of it! It happens to everyone. That’s why spending a segment of your practice time reviewing past lessons or songs will be one of the most productive uses of your time.
“Doodle Time”
It can be amazing what happens when you just sit back and “scribble” on the guitar. Scribble time involves ditching all the rules, turning off the internal “editor” and just “playing” with whatever comes out of your hands.
Call this “recess” for the guitar. Nothing is right or wrong, no matter what you play. Let your mind run free and don’t “overthink” anything. Some of the best songs and musical pieces have been written as a result of the composer allowing himself to “float freely” on his instrument without worrying about where to land.
Whether you have 3 hours to practice or just 15 minutes, try dividing the amount of time allotted into these three segments and see how much more you improve on the guitar … and how much more fun you have!
Dedicated practice space
It would be great if we all had a separate room in the house that could be considered our “music” room. A place we could go and block out the world while getting lost on the tuning fork. Unfortunately, that is not always the case and the rest of the family may not do well. One solution is to try to agree on a dedicated space, somewhere in the house, that you can go to practice.
It can be a corner of an office or a bedroom, a spare room, a laundry room, a garage or a closet! Anywhere you can periodically take a few minutes and be alone without distractions.
“Do not bother”
Try to understand with family members that when you close the door to your practice area you should not be disturbed by anything other than an emergency. Turn off your cell phone, email, and TV. Create a calm atmosphere in which you can fully concentrate on playing the guitar.
Practice “Tools”
In addition to your guitar, it is also a good idea to keep a few other items nearby that you may need during practice. If you are taking lessons online, you obviously want to be near your computer. Make sure your guitar tuner is close by, as well as a metronome and some picks. It’s a good idea to start a notepad to jot down the lesson’s highlights and always have it close at hand. Try to keep all of these things close to your guitar “work station” so you don’t have to interrupt your practice time chasing after them.
It is also important to feel comfortable while practicing. Try to sit in a chair with no arms or “low profile” that does not obstruct the guitar. Wear the most relaxing clothing possible. You can accomplish more in practice time with sweatpants and a T-shirt, or your flannel “pajamas,” than with a rigid three-piece suit. I know what I do!
The key to good and productive practice is to spend your time on a variety of practice items, dedicate a space to practice without interruptions, and devote your mind to focused practice time. By doing this, you will be amazed at how much you can accomplish on the guitar, even with a limited amount of time to practice.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions!