When it comes to the topic of practice, ‘How to Practice’ is less talked about than ‘What to Practice’ and is therefore often overlooked. Below is a guide that addresses the ‘how’
and contains insights on how to practice so we can make the most of what we practice.
Let’s start with the most important aspect of practice: setting personal goals for yourself. Having short and long term goals will ultimately enable you to:
Define the material you practice
Organise your practice time more productively
Identify your strengths and develop your own playing style
Keep your practice on-going and consistent by using a practice routine.
In general, you will see better results practicing 15 minutes everyday rather than practicing for 1 hour twice a week.
When listening to ourselves play we tend to focus on what we label as the “negative” aspects of our playing.
This could encompass anything from hearing mistakes to simply aesthetic choice in our playing such as wrong notes, playing out of time, a melodic line not played cleanly etc.
While it is important to acknowlegdge these aspects (they will always be there), it is more important to be constructive and not destructive.
One part of our playing that tends to be overlooked are the positives.
Finding the good things we hear in our playing is equally as important (if not more) than the negatives.
The positives may be sometimes hard to find, but they are always there.
The fundamentals in music are, as you probably already guessed, very important. Revising these fundamentals becomes an ongoing
process that even professional musicians must do.
When we talk about the fundamentals, we are refereing to the theoretical concepts that make up music.
Practice ruts will come and go, but be patient with progress and persevere.
Let’s face it, certain things take time but it’s important to stick with it and enjoy the step-by-step process.
Practice Progress Scenario
The first time you introduce something new into your practice, chances are you
might say “Okay, that didn’t sound great”.
By the tenth time of practicing the
same thing you might say “Good, it still needs work but I can
hear progress”.
By the twentieth time of practicing the
same thing you might experience a shift in thought process and say “Great, I can hear it is definitely starting to come together now”.
By following this trajectory another 20 times might get you to the “Wow!” factor stage.
Especially in modern times, maintaining focus during practice sessions can be quite challenging.
Practicing in a focused state allows you to practice more effectively.
Here are some methods to help maintain focus during practice:
Practice in short periods: To help with maintaining focus, your overall practice should be made up of up to 3-5 minute practice periods followed by a break. Using a timer is a great way to keep time.
Avoid distractions: It is very easy to lose concentration during a practice session. One way you can free up your mind’s memory RAM is by writing things down.
An example is if you have a non practice related thought eg “I have that appointment tomorrow”.
write it down, that way you can stay focused during practice.
Take multiple breaks: If you feel that your attention is fading or wandering. take a break, go for a walk and return to your guitar later.
Music should always be fun and exciting although as we tend to forget the progress made it is easy to feel discouraged.
It is important to find ways to keep the guitar fun - create practice games, play music with others etc.
Every time you accomplish something new don’t forget to reward yourself. For example, the next time you master a riff you have worked on remember to treat yourself for your effort - a new guitar might be out of the question.
Lastly, when it comes to practicing everyone is different and therefore there can be no right or wrong approaches.
Ultimately, by following what excites you and knowing what works (as well as what doesn’t) on a personal level, is by far the most exciting, efficient, and
satisfying practice path to take.
