Yes. You do have to practice your guitar every day.
You're only as good as the last time you put in the effort.
I have been asked by nearly every student I have ever taught, one famous question…
"How much should I practice?" Open-ended questions like this need an honest answer. Let's talk about how much you should actually practice your guitar, opposed to how much you are actually doing it.
Think of something that you are good at doing. Do you like to cook? Maybe you like to paint or take photographs. Maybe you have discovered that you love the art of writing. What is something you know how to do so well, that you excel at it over everyone else you know? Okay, now - how long did it take for you to get to that level? How many years did it take you to learn how to cook that perfect four-course meal so that you could finally feel confident in inviting friends over for dinner? It didn't happen overnight, did it?
My point - no matter what you do in life, if you wish to get better at it, excel at it, etc., you must practice as much as you can. I am the absolute first person to admit that I have a long, long way to go to truly be considered an honest to goodness, bona fide writer. In order for me to grow and maintain my audience, every article I type out, has got to be as interesting or more interesting than the last thing I wrote. It is a constant endeavor for me to try to figure out the next best, interesting article that is going to keep my subscribers happy with what they are reading. This to me, is as much an art form as learning how to play the guitar, cook a meal, paint a portrait or weave a basket.
Here's the difference in the way that I am approaching this newfound outlet for creative writing. I know how many years it took me to become a good musician and instructor. I'm good at what I do because I put in the time.
When I was a kid, learning the guitar, taking lessons at the local music store down the street, I most certainly did not practice nearly as much as I was supposed to. I was 13 years old. Hell, I had school and an afternoon paper route. I had chores on the weekends and hanging out with my friends. Practicing the guitar, like I should, was something I would easily dismiss as "Something I'll get to later. I wanna watch the rest of the TV show first." I had other things to do besides practicing my guitar lesson for an hour every night.
When my guitar teacher, Tony, asked me if I practiced the lesson he gave to me, I had to make up excuses as to why I didn't practice nearly as much as I was supposed to. It made me feel bad that I was lying to him. Then I realized that Tony didn't actually care how much or how little I practiced that week. He already knew without asking whether or not I practiced. He only asked because he needed to know where to pick up where we left off from the last lesson. He was not invested in how well I practiced or whether or not I took my lessons seriously. He was only doing his job as a teacher.
Well, then why am I taking lessons if I'm not being held accountable? I had to rethink my entire motivation as to why I wanted to take guitar lessons in the first place. My parents certainly couldn't afford the lessons, but they paid for them anyway. I was cheating myself by not practicing as much as I should. Then I began to realize that I was also cheating my parents and I was cheating Tony. This was unacceptable.
By my second year of lessons, my parents could no longer afford to pay for lessons. If I wanted to continue taking them, I had to pay for them myself. This was 1977. I was only taking half-hour lessons once a week. I think it was $10 for each lesson. I had a paper route, so I had the money. I think that this was when I began to understand that if I was paying for the lessons myself, then I needed to get the most that I could, out of them.
I remember after getting my first tape recorder, I recorded everything. I recorded myself playing the guitar. I would record both sides of a cassette in one sitting. These were 90-minute tapes. I was doing this every night. I immediately began to notice how much better my guitar playing was becoming. I could change chords faster and they sounded much better. I was actually practicing upwards of around ten to fifteen hours a week. I remember sitting on the end of my bed practicing the entire “Frampton Comes Alive!” album, hundreds of times. Playing along with full-length albums was me truly putting in the time; and I loved it.
As a musician, you know and you can feel when you are not at the top of your game. Your hands and fingers get sore more quickly, and you absolutely notice lapses in your technique. Maybe nobody else hears it, but I do. I know when I'm off. I know that because I didn't practice the day before, I can feel it in my hands today. I hate the feeling of being less than where I'm supposed to be. I always want to be "gig ready". I want to be at that level at all times.
What is "gig ready"?
When you play in bands, you never, ever want to be the weakest link in the chain in your band. This means constant rehearsals and wood-shedding. You cannot fake this. When you and your band are getting ready to do a show this weekend, You want it so no matter what you do, you will still sound good. You want to be at that level where you simply cannot screw up. This level cannot be achieved magically by wishing for it.
I know that my students have jobs and they have lives. Honestly, the majority of them have no real designs on becoming working musicians. Taking guitar lessons is a way for them to express creativity. For some, it's a therapy. You can't imagine how many students I've had over the years who only take lessons with me because they need someone to talk to, and I'm cheaper than a therapist. It would be foolish of me to think that being a couch, a teacher, an instructor is only about the lessons. Sometimes, people just need someone to talk to. And I’m absolutely okay with that.
I have had a few students go on to start bands and play gigs. I even had a few of them go into teaching guitar lessons. I had one student who ended up becoming a session musician in New England. Then he moved to L.A. I even had a few students go into songwriting and recording. Honestly, the number of students who actually ventured into the music world on a more professional level is much smaller than the hundreds of students who just want to learn how to play their favorite songs to impress their friends. I understand. I get it.
Here's the thing…
I can't practice for you. If you want to achieve your goals, you have to commit to them. There is no other way. You must practice everyday, no excuses. How much you practice is determined by how badly you want to get better. If you go even one day without picking up your guitar, you will feel it. Do yourself a favor and make a promise to grab that guitar at least once every single day and sit for ten or fifteen minutes and just play. You're only as good as the last time you put in the effort.