Practicing guitar is essential if you want to get the most out of your instrument. As many guitarists like to say, it’s not the guitar that makes the player, it’s the player that makes the guitar. No matter how expensive your instrument is, it will not make up for a lack of practice. To make your practice more effective, here are our top tips for practicing guitar.
1. Be Consistent
Consistency is key when it comes to playing guitar. Practicing guitar for hours one day and then never doing it again for several months is worse than devoting small amounts of time consistently. For most players, 10-30 minutes a day is great! But don’t be afraid to shoot for an hour if you’re up to it. So, be sure to set a regular time on your daily schedule to sit down and practice.
2. Have A Program
Having a program in place before you even start practicing is key. You wouldn’t go to the gym without an idea of the results you want for your body right? Well, you should think the same about your guitar-playing journey. For example, if you’d like to be a better blues player, search for courses and books related to the blues guitar. Have an idea of what you want to sound like, and mold your practice routine around that.
Also, don’t forget to practice the fundamentals of guitar. Be sure to play scales and chords on a regular basis. And don’t skimp on learning music theory.
3. Use a Metronome
I’m guilty as charged for not following this tip. Be sure to use a metronome whenever you practice! This will help you to play in time with the beat, which is essential if you are part of or plan to be in a band some day. The key with a metronome is to start slow and build up speed as you get better. This will help you to develop good habits in your playing as the faster you play, the more mistakes you’ll make that will be ingrained in your playing.
4. Track your progress
Just like when you hit the gym or aim for a higher score in your favorite video game, it is essential to track your progress. Try recording yourself to see how good you sound compared to a week ago. Or write down the number of times you played a scale without mistakes. Whatever it is, you want to have some measure of progress so you can be motivated by how far you’ve come and what you still need to work on.
5. Challenge Yourself
This is an all too common scenario. Imagine: You’ve mastered your first blues scale. So, you put on your favorite blues backing track and you sound awesome. The only thing is, now this is all you ever play and you haven’t learned any new scales or techniques in weeks. Don’t be this guy. Be sure to challenge yourself and push to try new things. It’s the only way you’ll ever go from amateur to pro.
Follow these tips and you should be well on your way to a great practice routine. Now that we’re done practicing, why not look at some ways we can keep our guitars in tip top shape as well?
Be sure to comment if you think we missed any good tips.