by Tom Hess
Myth:
Getting really good at guitar requires practicing 5+ hours a day just like other popular/great players have done.
Wrong!
Getting better at guitar is about how efficiently and effectively you practice – not just how much.
It’s true:
Even 20-30 minutes a day is enough to help you become a great guitarist much faster than you’d think...
Follow these simple steps to make your guitar practice much more effective and beneficial for helping you play exactly like you want to:
Step 1: Map Out Your Guitar Playing Goals
This step is the foundation for everything you achieve in your guitar playing, so take it seriously!
Sit down and think about your biggest musical goals in the near future and in the longer term.
Remember:
The more specifically you map out your goals, the more likely you are to achieve them. For help with this, find a good guitar teacher to take lessons with.
Step 2: Use A Guitar Practice Schedule
Using a guitar practice schedule keeps you on track towards your goals infinitely better than randomly sitting down to practice when you feel like it.
When determining how much time to spend on each your guitar playing practice items, base this on their priority in your overall musical goals.
Watch this video to learn more about how to develop effective guitar playing habits:
Step 3: Track Your Progress Consistently
Without tracking your progress, it can become difficult to see whether your practice approaches are really working or not.
Try this:
Spend some of your practice time recording yourself using your phone or a computer app. This way, you are able to hear the mistakes you make and fix them when you aren’t thinking in the moment and playing.
Track specifically which notes were missed, why and when this happened in the context of the practice item.
Over time, use this information to gauge your level of mastery with this particular exercise and determine which practice approaches are best.
Challenge yourself to see how long you can repeat the item before making a mistake. This can be a neat, little game to play that adds to the fun of your practice while helping you get better as well.
Measure how much progress you’ve made at the end of the week and the end of the month.
When you look back, you’ll feel amazed at how much you accomplished.
Need something new to practice that makes your guitar solos and licks sound amazing?
Learn how to use the technique I call “backslides” to play kickass guitar solos.