Do you have a wide variety of things that you practice. Or do you like to binge? (You know...the type of player who practices sweep picking for a kazillion hours a day but only know three chords)!
Having a balanced practice routine is essential if you want to become a versatile guitarist. If you just practice one or two things, sure you'll get great at those things...but you'll be weak in other key areas.
In this lesson you'll learn how to create a practice routine that is well-balanced and will help you work towards your ultimate vision of how you would like to play.
I generally categorise what I practice into one of seven areas:
Let's go through a few exercises?
Exercise One:
Think about the vision that you have for your playing for a few minutes.How would you like to play in ten years time. Make it exact!
Once you've done that, brainstorm as many things that you need to practice in order to play like your vision. What specific things do you need to learn, develop and practice? Write them down now.
Exercise Two:
Next to each of the things written down for Exercise One, write down a category next to it. For example, if you wrote "I need to be able to play faster" then write technique next to it. If you feel that something you wrote belongs to more than one category, then write down all the categories it could belong to.
Exercise Three:
Look at your answers for the previous two exercises. Once you've done that prioritise the categories shown below. For example, if you feel that technique is the most important thing you need to work on to reach your vision then put a 1 next to it.
Practice Area Priority Level (1-7)
[Note: 1 is the highest priority].
Technique
Repertoire (covers)
Composition
Improvisation
Ear Training
Theory
Music Reading
Now here's the important point. You should spend the most time practising your number one priority. I know it's pretty obvious, but you'd be amazed at how many people don't do this! I know a few guitar players who would like to be able to play incredibly fast, yet they don't do a lot of technical practice. Talk about setting yourself up to fail!
Exercise Four:
Decide how much time every day you will spend on each category. Write it down below.
Practice Area Time Invested Daily
Technique
Repertoire (covers)
Composition
Improvisation
Ear Training
Theory
Music Reading
All done? Great!
So what's the next step?
The next step is to decide on a specific activity for each practice area.Make sure to write them down.
Here are a couple of examples of what someone might put down...
Technique: I will invest 10 minutes a day on alternate picking exercise one. I will start with the metronome at 80 beats per minute (bpm) and increase it by 4 bpm daily (as long as I can play it perfectly).
Ear Training: I will invest 10 minutes daily a day on A minor pentatonic ear training exercise one.
Got the idea? You would have one specific activity for every practice area. If you have a lot of time to practice you could set more than one activity per practice area.
Give this method a try. I'll think you'll be more than happy with the results!
Craig Bassett (The Guitar Solutions Expert) is a professional guitarist, guitar tutor and author who lives in Auckland, New Zealand. To get a free high-quality lesson e-mailed to you once a month, please go to:
http://www.pentatonic-guitar-lessons.com
Do you ramble on endlessly with your improvisations? If so,... Read More
Songwriters dream of making their living by writing, and sometimes... Read More
A student once asked me; "How come sometimes the music... Read More
If you are just starting out learning guitar one of... Read More
It sounds like a side show, doesn't it? It does... Read More
Have you ever dreamed of performing a piece you created... Read More
Les Paul vintage Gibson guitars were first produced in 1952.... Read More
In 1982, Sony and Philips introduced the compact disc, a... Read More
We've all heard of them. Child prodigies who begin composing... Read More
In Northern Australia the Didjeridu is seen as a phallic... Read More
Finding a good teacher is not always easy, at any... Read More
Virtually all of you have probably heard of the RIAA's... Read More
Ever wonder what would happen if you mixed the progressive... Read More
Playing by ear is the ability to play a piece... Read More
So you want to be more creative when playing piano.... Read More
In what way do the kinds of music (rock, rap,... Read More
Most new guitar players and even some experienced ones have... Read More
Controlling the images of the mind through image projection has... Read More
If you're a fan of New Age piano, no doubt... Read More
Do you know what a didgeridoo is? There are so... Read More
For the Creative Artist -- Good Health Insurance is Truly... Read More
It is no secret that over the past couple decades... Read More
With the increased proliferation of online guitar and musical equipment... Read More
When I first began playing the piano and improvising, there... Read More
Introduced in 1982, the compact disc was intended to provide... Read More
Guitar amplifiers are a major part of your tone. Some... Read More
G-Units 50 Cent , was born 6th of July 1976... Read More
Is your heart in the music? If so, it won't... Read More
ABA form is like a musical sandwich. You have the... Read More
Imagine asking a beginning writer to write a short story... Read More
What exactly is a Gong?The gong is a musical instrument... Read More
Welcome to the wonderful world of music. As you begin... Read More
"Music isn't just learning notes and playing them, you learn... Read More
Mp3 music is audio that has been digitally encoded and... Read More
Three battles at the end of the 8 Mile movie... Read More
Chords. They're amazing. There's no doubt about it. Especially when... Read More
Gibson guitars have been around forever. It's funny, but although... Read More
"The difference between success and failure is information," notes Ritch... Read More
Everyone talks about the negative impact of the Internet on... Read More
There's a reason Apple Computer dominates the legal 99-cents-a-download digital... Read More
Buying a digital piano could be a very delicate attempt,... Read More
"How do I buy a violin, (or fiddle)?"That question has... Read More
Do you remember finger-painting as a child? How fun it... Read More
(1) The BMG Music Service offers the best deal you'll... Read More
The guitar is considered the friendliest musical instrument there is.... Read More
If you've been playing piano for some time, you may... Read More
OK, say you've got one thousand of your favorite MP3... Read More
You may have heard that bagpipes are a Scottish invention;... Read More
This article gives the essential basics for how to play... Read More
Anyone who has recorded vocals to tape knows there is... Read More
Controlling the images of the mind through image projection has... Read More
"The real communicating artists seek unique expression. They are not... Read More
On July 28, 2004, French Internet access providers and music... Read More
Most new guitar players and even some experienced ones have... Read More
Getting ready for any type of guitar performance can be... Read More
We all have so many critical voices in our heads.Telling... Read More
Bringing Bagpipe Tuition to Everyone, Everywhere.I have been teaching music... Read More
President Harry S. Truman, the man in the White House... Read More
The harp that once through Tara's halls the soul of... Read More
Kenny "Axil" Rose (Lead vocals), D.J. "Slash (Lead guitar), Joshua... Read More
P2P file sharing programs are free. Period. But there are... Read More
It sounds like a side show, doesn't it? It does... Read More
Buying a guitar is an important decision that my students... Read More
A New Breed of Aspiring Songwriters Is In The Making.... Read More
ABA form is like a musical sandwich. You have the... Read More
Guitar chords, (chords played specifically on a guitar,) differ only... Read More
Music & MP3 |