| If you really want to learn to play guitar | | | | screaming fans. |
| well you must do one simple thing before | | | | |
| anything else. You must learn how learning | | | | 6. Tune the guitar before each practice. |
| takes place between your muscles and brain. | | | | |
| If you understand the process that your brain | | | | 7. Determine your optimum practice speeds. |
| must go through to train your muscles your | | | | |
| practice sessions will produce predictably | | | | For each part of a scale, exercise or song |
| effective results. | | | | find the fastest metronome speed that you can |
| | | | play without making mistakes. Practice it for |
| You have probably heard the term muscle | | | | a day at 25% to 30% of that maximum tempo. |
| memory. This is the process of your brain | | | | Follow this with a day at 50% of maximum then |
| learning and storing a set of precise | | | | another day at 75%. On day four practice at |
| instructions for each group of muscles needed | | | | your old maximum speed. You may be pleasantly |
| for every small task you want your fingers to | | | | surprised to find that you have a new, faster |
| perform on the guitar. When muscle memory is | | | | maximum speed. Be forewarned, however, that |
| solidly established it becomes a naturally | | | | this routine might seem ridiculously slow |
| effortless and an almost unconscious act to | | | | but, hang in there because it really will pay |
| play the guitar well. | | | | off. |
| | | | |
| These tasks need to be practiced at speeds | | | | 8. Do not try to learn too many different |
| that are slow enough so that you can | | | | things at each practice session. |
| consistently perform them perfectly. If you | | | | |
| practice the guitar at a tempo that produces | | | | Practice only small sections of an exercise |
| lots of mistakes you end up teaching your | | | | or song at a time. Working on an entire new |
| muscles how to play the exercise with the | | | | song, all in one setting, makes it more |
| mistakes included. Unfortunately muscles | | | | difficult for your brain to cement solid |
| cannot distinguish between playing with | | | | muscle memories. Just like a newborn baby |
| mistakes and playing without them. | | | | can't handle an entire meal of solid food we |
| | | | need to practice only a few, small musical |
| Here are 12 tips for having practice sessions | | | | spoonfuls at a time. |
| that will support the development of good | | | | |
| muscle memory: | | | | 9. Work on the problem parts not just what |
| | | | you already know. |
| 1. Prepare your whole body for the practice | | | | |
| session. | | | | This may sound extremely obvious but there is |
| | | | a tendency for new guitarists to play the |
| Practice while relaxed. Just like an airplane | | | | easy parts over and over while continuing to |
| pilot checks over the plane prior to take off | | | | stumble over the problem spots. |
| you should check your body for any tension, | | | | |
| stiffness, tightness, pain or any discomfort. | | | | 10. Spend the first ten minutes warming up, |
| Tight muscles can become tighter during | | | | then split the remaining time equally between |
| practice which can seriously limit the full | | | | new exercises and new songs. |
| range of motion needed to master the guitar. | | | | |
| Even tension in the shoulders can travel to | | | | 11. Set aside some time to just goof around |
| the arms and then eventually to the fingers. | | | | with the guitar. Make sure to inject a |
| Stretch and warm your entire body before | | | | healthy dose of fun in each practice session. |
| playing in order to stay loose. Begin | | | | If you have been working on blues scales then |
| practicing with slow, easy exercises to | | | | why not put on some jam tracks or even your |
| prepare your hands for more demanding new | | | | favorite blues CD and try to improvise a |
| material. | | | | solo. Select a favorite song to work on at |
| | | | the end of each practice session. |
| 2. Practice in a quiet, comfortable place | | | | |
| where you are unlikely to be disturbed. | | | | 12. If you plan to perform in front of people |
| | | | perfect your songs in private then practice |
| 3. Commit to a specific time each day for | | | | playing in front of sympathetic friends and |
| practice. | | | | family members. Create a practice environment |
| | | | that is as close to the conditions of your |
| Begin each day with a firm commitment to a | | | | upcoming performance as possible. If you will |
| practice plan that includes the specific | | | | perform standing up then practice that way. |
| details of when, where and what to play. | | | | Tell your friendly practice audiences to feel |
| | | | free to talk and laugh it up during your |
| 4. Keep your practice sessions short, | | | | practice. This will help you learn to become |
| frequent and very specific. | | | | comfortable in a distracting concert |
| | | | environment. Consider recording your practice |
| It is more effective to practice 20 minutes | | | | sessions with a simple home video camera on a |
| everyday than to practice two or three hours | | | | tripod. |
| once a week. | | | | |
| | | | Opening night jitters can throw off your game |
| 5. Always practice with a metronome. | | | | no matter how well you know the material. If |
| | | | you have repeatedly practiced playing in |
| Let me repeat that. Always practice with a | | | | simulated concert environments then the real |
| metronome. It is surprising how often even | | | | deal can be a breeze. |
| good guitarists break this rule. Training | | | | |
| yourself to play at a consistent tempo will | | | | The bottom line: to play the guitar well it |
| make your music sound professional. This is | | | | is essential to design practice sessions that |
| valuable whether you plan to play just for | | | | support the natural development of solid |
| friends at a party or in a stadium full of | | | | muscle memories. |