subject: Playing the electric guitar - Learn the use of good practice habits [print this page] Just as with every turf on earth, it also applies in the art of playing the electric guitar. If you want to make a head way in your lessons with the electric guitar, you've got to strike the appropriate balance in your practice sessions. Failure to adhere to proper practice habits will leave you wondering what you've been doing with your time. In the end, it will be chalked up to frivolous wastage.
In writing this piece, I have assumed that you are making use of a reputable tutor in your bid to be a prestigious electric guitarist, or, alternatively, you are making use of one of the best online tutors for your guitar lessons.
Your goal while learning to play the electric guitar should be made clear: the aim is to become a good player. It should never be compromised. Therefore, I have summed up your aim in two words: consistency and effectiveness. In essence, you are going to practice regularly and consistently to be good, and you will also make sure you are not practicing amiss i.e. you are achieving your goals in the given time frame.
It might have been easier in the earlier times when we were not so weighed down with many things fighting for our attention, but it would be a test of your willingness to learn in how much time you sacrifice to learn. It has been suggested that you practice for at least thirty minutes daily for as long as five days each week. Personally, I would suggest more, but if you can't squeeze out more, you might as well make do with the time frame. I know that you might be occasionally tempted to want to cram up a whole pile of practice at one time, for instance learning for hours in a single day, but it has been proven less effective than stretching this over a longer time period. To help you make this easier, here are a few pre-practice tips:
Keep and open mind; release all tension and worry. Anxiety should be forgotten.
Make sure your goals are deeply etched on your mind.
Maintain rigid concentration all through.
Do not plunge into the practice headlong; always make a little time for "warm up"
Your new session should be a continuation of your previous practice session. Hence, if you were working on something in the past session, it would be nice if you could just continue with that before moving onto another challenge. In essence, create a form of continuity in your practice.
At the end of every session, you might want to play a couple of notes that make you really happy. For me, a couple of mellow notes on the order of "Clementine" usually do the trick.
Remember the old saying about practice. It is always invariably true. As a beginner or learner, you can only achieve your learning goals by diligently applying the skills of practice to mop up guitar training fast. In the end, you will have a sense of fulfillment and direction.
Playing the electric guitar - Learn the use of good practice habits
