Practice? 10 Tips

We’re talking about practice. We’re talking about practice. Practice!

Yes, we’re actually talking about practice. Some guitarists see practicing as the ultimate hassle in their lives while others literally never put their guitars down. I do feel for all my students that don’t like to practice. I mean, I barely practice now, but there are a few differences between me and a 10 year old that doesn’t practice: 1) I still am playing the guitar for 20-30 hours a week to pay the bills, 2) And MOST importantly, I already put in thousands of practicing hours in my 18 years of playing. I already learned my scales, modes, fretboard knowledge, chords, inversions, soloing, etc. Still, I‘m not as good as I want to be and I want to get better, so I need to keep practicing when I can. If you want to get better at guitar it's a pretty simple concept, you have to spend as many hours with the guitar between your hands as possible. Let’s use my old geezer voice: here are some practicing thoughts I have garnered throughout the years as a student and a teacher.

1. Metronomes are the Most Boring Magic Ever

Playing a guitar riff out of time doesn’t count as playing a riff. Metronomes are boring and annoying but they establish an objective beat. Good rhythm is not an easy skill to master so you need whatever enhancements you can get

2. Practice with the Original 

I find it mind boggling when I ask a student, “Did you practice with the original?” and they are like, “No, I forgot.” Isn’t the whole reason for playing the guitar to sound like the music that motivated you to pick up the guitar in the first place? The original song is literally an engaging metronome. Play with the original! If it’s too hard, keep trying until it isn’t.

3. Mindless Guitar is Still Beneficial 

Playing guitar is ½ music knowledge and ½ fine motor abilities. Your fingers need to gain muscle memory and coordination for a very uncommon task (How often do you squeeze something with your thumb, index finger, and ring finger, but then avoid using your middle finger and pinky in normal life?). You can’t apply music knowledge without the fine motor coordination so practice that coordination whenever you can. Sit on the couch while watching the TV and watch a show as you pluck random single notes at your guitar. Only thing that matters is that your pick hand and left finger are on the same string.

4. Join a Band or Jam Group

Even if your band sucks, you’re gonna get better by playing with others and you’ll have a lot of fun! Chances are there will be a better musician than you to learn from.

5. Practice Songs You Can Already Play 

If Smoke on the Water is the only song you can play, keep playing it. It builds confidence and you’re gaining skills and etiquette that you probably don’t notice.

6. Try Songs Wayyyy Too Hard 

There’s a lot to learn from a song that is too hard for you to play. Once you get past the demoralizing feeling of not being good enough, you can chip away and notice things that aren’t so different from what you already know how to play. Usually hard songs are the same old typical guitar junk just really fast. It’s also great to have a reach goal in mind.

7. Record Yourself

Nothing is more eye opening than hearing your own playing played back to you. You hear things that you don’t notice while you’re playing. 

8. There is NO Such Things as “Nothing to Practice”

Hands down the most frustrating thing I frequently hear. There is SOOOO much guitar related content out there. Go look at tabs on Songsterr! Follow the chords on Ultimate guitar! Go on Youtube and watch one of the million song tutorials! Or even better, look back at an old paper I gave you and realize that you forgot how to play the C major scale!

9. You’re Teacher Knows When You’re Lying 

The meanest thing I do is ask students if they practiced because I already know the answer but I want to hear what they are gonna say. Trust me, I know when you practice and when you don’t. I know which guitars are collecting dust, which have been “forgotten” in the car for days, and which have worn out strings from constant playing. 

10. Accountability is Different than Shame

Yes, you are the only person that can make yourself better at guitar but don’t put too much pressure on your shoulders. I’ve seen too many people quit the guitar due to the shame of “not making progress”. Understand the responsibility of commitment but give yourself a break, learning guitar is not easy. 

Bonus Tip: Never Forget that the Guitar is AWESOME!

Sometimes it’s painfully hard and you want to bash your guitar against the wall. Don’t!!! The struggle is for something greater. Don’t forget… the guitar is fun! And the better you get, the more fun it gets! Stick with it!