Playing guitar looks pretty easy at a rock concert or on a DVD... the truth is, like everything else in life that's worthwhile achieving you have to work at it. With guitar playing five minutes thought is much better than five hours haphazard practice! The important thing is to have a checklist of things you want to achieve with your guitar playing, I've included three of the most important things to consider. Tip 1 -- Set Goals Start by defining your target... * What songs do you want to play? * Who is your favorite guitar player? * What style of music do you want to play? * Do you want to be a member of a band or play solo? etc ... By being specific about your musical goals, you will move towards these goals much quicker than if you only had some vague intention of become a guitar player. Let's take these general goals and make them even more focused. (a) What songs do you want to play? -- * Write down the titles of five songs you want to play. * Do you want to play the rhythm guitar or lead guitar parts? * What is your time frame for learning each song? etc ... (b) Who is your favorite guitar player? -- * Write down the name of your favorite guitarist. * Listen carefully to some recordings of this guitarist, even the very best guitarists start to repeat themselves after about twenty minutes, what you are listening for is certain "trademark" techniques your favorite player uses e.g., hammer-on's, slides, bends, power chords etc., these will be the specific techniques to work on. Tip 2 -- Practice Sessions Now that you know what it is that you want to achieve, we need to set up a practice program that will guarantee the desired results. * Is your practice material organized? * Remove all distractions from your practice room! * What is the best time to practice for you? * Do you have good full spectrum lighting? * Do you have a music stand? etc ... OK, let's drill down deeper and be more specific with these practice headings (a) Is your practice material organized? * Is your guitar on a guitar stand, tuned and ready for action? * Are all of your practice, CD's, music books, DVD etc., within easy reach? * Do you have a list of what today's practice session objective? (b) Remove all distractions from your practice room! * Is your mobile phone switched off? * Identify and eliminate sounds (TV, radio, fridge motor etc.,) that are distracting you. * Be certain to only have one project (the project you have decided to work on this particular session) on your music stand at all times. etc ... Tip 3 -- Data or motor skills Determine if your need to work on data skills (new concepts, theoretical information etc.,) of motor skills (physical repetition of material already learnt). Again, notice how we are being very specific about even the type of practice session.It's no use spending all week working on motor skill training if we really need to clarify some data skills! Remember, to keep your eye on your musical target at all times. If you have a system of learning and review your checklist every weekly to be certain you are "on-track" you will notice a constant improvement in your guitar playing.
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