How much time should you be practicing?
It's probably more than you already are. [Beginner Lesson]
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Thank-you, Dave.
This article takes a look at the issues of practicing your guitar, and how much time do you think is enough to practice? Is the practice that you are doing honestly making a difference, or are you simply going through the motions of playing the things you know and not working on the things you don't know? Who is really to blame for you not getting better on your guitar?
Beginner Lesson
I have students who work on the lessons I give them each week, and I have students who just play their guitar and never work on the lessons I give to them each week.
Guess which students I am more inclined to help get better. Is it the self-motivating, resourceful, curious, interested students or is it the lazy, apathetic, disinterested student who only picks up his/her guitar once a week when they see me? The answer is pretty clear.
Lucky for me, most of my students fit in the category of self-motivation and interest because they do want to get better at practicing their guitar. (Notice, I said "practicing" their guitar, not playing).
These students find reasons to go over their lessons, review over previous lessons, ask questions about the parts of their lessons that they don't fully understand, and they care about the entire learning process.
I am a huge proponent of resourcefulness. When I see that a student has taken the time to research material, study it and write things down, this tells me that this student wants to know as much as they can possibly learn about being a good guitarist.
My job as a guitar instructor is to motivate, guide, encourage and support the direction every student wants to take in learning their guitar. I realized long ago that not every student learns at the same speed or level as everyone else. Some learn very quickly while others take a little longer. I look for the things that make sense to the student, and I help them better understand the things that aren't as clear to them.
When I see that a student has proven that he/she understands something, there is sometimes that "Light bulb/Ah-ha!" moment when it makes complete sense to them. When this occurs, I make sure that the student knows that from that moment forward, the rest of the learning process will be on them. This means practicing the part or piece over and over - not until they get it right, but until they can't get it wrong.
Practicing means unconditional commitment. It means prioritizing the time allotted to concentrate on the tasks at hand. It means knowing how to use a metronome and utilizing it while you practice so that you can better understand the concept of "mental meter". It means learning and memorizing the structure of a song by reading the chord progressions and directions on a "cheat" or "lead" sheet. It means memorizing that song and the entire structure as if you could tell someone the entire story word for word, of your favorite book or movie. It means practicing along with the actual song you are working on, over and over and over again, until you know every part, every chord, every change and every nuance of that song.
How much time does all of this take?
This question is difficult to answer because not everyone requires the same amount of time to practice. I tell my students that they should find a way to practice at least one hour every day. This means uninterrupted, completely committed, no distractions and unconditional motivation. For some, that's easier said than done. For others, they find a way to make it happen without any excuses.
It's difficult to imagine such an endeavor, especially if you are not a professional musician or music instructor. Most people who take music lessons aren't working musicians. Most of them have actual jobs and lives that take priority over their lessons. Some just take lessons because they enjoy them and they like to learn new things. Some have genuine reasons for wanting to get better.
Learning how to play any instrument is a very personal endeavor. It means shutting out the rest of the world so you can concentrate and experience and enjoy those "ah-ha" moments.
Oh, and one more thing…
Unless you are going out to play a gig, never keep your guitar in its case. Always keep your guitar out on a stand where you can see it every time you walk past it. Chances are, you might actually pick it up and practice.