Guitar Practice (Part I)
Everyone knows good guitar playing comes as a result of diligent practice. Why, then, do so many people spend countless hours practicing guitar with only minimal improvement? My experience tells me that most guitar players suffer from one (or more) of the following practicing problems: Insufficient discipline, inadequate attention and lack of a short term practice structure or plan. Let’s look at how to eliminate these pitfalls and make every guitar practice session productive and enjoyable.
Discipline
The very word makes most of us uncomfortable. It somehow seems to contradict creativity and expressiveness. In fact, the two are inseparable: discipline allows us to acquire the tools and construct the foundation from which we can create. Discipline is at the very core of our expansion, and therefore the finest gift that we can give our creative selves. That said, a conscious approach and some relevant skills are necessary for success.
Sometimes you feel too tired or simply too lazy to begin a serious practice session. Friends, family members and other interests provide an easy distraction. You can solve this by setting a pre-determined time and stick to it. Never mind if someone else doesn’t agree with your decision: you are the one who will look back years later in either satisfaction or disappointment. Remember that when you’re tempted to settle in for a night of television over one with your guitar. Also remember both your short-term playing goals and your long-term ones.
Your short-term goals should include some sort of performance commitment. If you are not ready to perform publicly, play for your friends or record yourself. Try to arrange to play with other musicians whenever possible. If you are taking guitar lessons, do your best to prepare your assigned music. (If your teacher doesn’t give you an assignment, ask for one.) Use deadlines as motivators!
Getting Started
Sit down with your guitar and do your best to focus for fifteen minutes. Set a timer on the days you have to push yourself to practice your guitar. At the end of fifteen minutes you’ll probably be hooked in and practice much longer, forgetting about time. In the unlikely event that you stop after fifteen minutes, you will be farther ahead than had you neglected to practice guitar at all. Keep in mind that fifteen minutes of intelligent practice can be valuable!
Attention
The first criteria for intelligent guitar practice is attention or focus. I realize that a lot of people like practicing in front of the television. But playing guitar isn’t just some rote mechanical exercise. Our culture supports multi-tasking to the point that many people have either lost or have never developed the ability to be fully present in any moment. What better experience to be committed to than one which is as personal, expressive and gratifying as playing music! Your practice sessions will certainly be more productive if you are totally present, and the quality of your performances will be much higher.
If you practice guitar without full attention, you are practicing (or ingraining) not paying attention. In other words, you are getting very good at being disconnected from your guitar playing. Is this really what you want?
How to Practice
Now that you have some ideas about how you want to approach your practice, it’s time to pick up your guitar! In the Guitar Practice Plan (Practice, Part 2) article, I describe a plan and give you tips for speeding up your progress.
To learn how to consistently create and implement efficient, productive, creative and rewarding practice sessions, read You & Your Guitar and record your ideas and experiences in the DAILY!
Go to Guitar Practice Plan (Guitar Practice, Part II) for a guitar practice plan and tips on daily practice. Check out A Guide to Efficient Practice for more tips and troubleshooting.
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