9 Tips for a Productive Guitar Practice

Virtually every guitarist out there, famous or not, has experienced at some point the feeling that he needs to progress or that he is stuck in some routine. However, whenever he thinks about practicing, something always comes up. Constantly letting yourself be distracted by other things doesn’t help with overcoming the feeling of not reaching the level that you desire.

Guitar players should realize that the study of music never truly ends, and to master it, discipline is needed. Discipline and consistency. Avoiding practice because it can make you realize that you don’t handle a certain section very well, for example, isn’t good. You must always strive for challenges.

Here are 9 tips for a productive guitar practice

Make the Time

Most people do have a special talent for postponing things, but if you care more about your other talent – playing the guitar – then you should really start making the time for it. To achieve that, it is best that you compose a schedule that you can follow easily. After you get used to it, it will come naturally and even become a routine.

Set The Location

Sometimes the place where you choose to practice can be even more important than what you choose to practice. It is essential that you find a place where there are few to no distractions at all: that means no conversation, TV or computer. Also, your phone shouldn’t be standing anywhere near you. An alternative to all of this – if you don’t have a quite room for example – is to play through your set of headphones.

Practice Songs That You Love

At least at first, until you get used to this kind of discipline. You can’t expect to do something regularly if you are not having, at least, a bit of fun while doing it. It is vital that you don’t stop experimenting with genres and artists until you find the ones that you like.

Always Keep Your Purpose In Mind

Knowing what you need or want to improve is vital in the process of progress. Whether it is the breathing, timing or learning new songs, it is imperative to set some goals – short, medium, or long. This way, you will be able to monitor your progress better and perhaps even reward yourself when it happens.

Drum Machine App

Sometimes, having the sound of a drummer that is backing you up can be the thing that can take your practice to another level. Now, there are apps that help you with your time skills, and as you might now, these skills are the ones that produce that fluent and solid sound that every guitar player longs for.

Warm Up

Like in any practice, warming up – or tuning up, in this case – is crucial. Having your dose of rudiments and scales are a must-have when it comes to warming up and stretching. Also, they set the foundation of a good guitar playing technique. Although you might feel tempted to skip them, or finish with them very quickly, you must hang in there till the end.

Stand and Practice

For this to work, you should strive to practice while standing about 30% of the time. “But why is that necessary?” you might ask. Because it is more challenging by making it more difficult for your hands. Standing up means that your hands no longer have a support, and you deprive them of a comfortable position in which they can reach the fretboard.

Pay Attention to Every Section

Although you probably enjoy playing a song from the beginning until the end, that is not a very productive way of overcoming your flaws. Every guitar player has his rough spots, and they need to be played again and again until they start sounding properly. Whether you need to play them at a slower tempo or simply go over 100 times, you must insist on them until they sound right. If it becomes a bit stressful at some point, taking a break and playing something else is a good idea too.

Have Everything Ready for You

Picks, leather guitar strap, capos, any other toy/accessories, should all be ready to go by the time you begin practicing. This way, you won’t interrupt your practice, and you won’t avoid playing a certain song because you don’t have the accessory needed.

What other tips for a great practice do you know? Did you find these useful? Let us know in a comment below.

Author: Danica L, marketing manager for Levys Leather Straps