art of practice

 

How to practice guitar ( the art of practice)

by Eddie Oropezza

Guitar instructor at the Music Factory School of Music

            Practice, practice, practice. We hear this all the time but do we really understand what it means and how to do it correctly? As a teacher I get these questions all the time: “how long should I practice, how many times a week should I practice, what do I practice, and how do I practice?” (yes, there is a right and wrong way to practice)

The answer is always different depending on the student and what they are trying to accomplish. For beginners, it is important during the first year of learning that you are consistent with your practice. This means being able to set aside at least 20-30 minutes 3-4 times a week. Now, it is understandable that these expectations can’t always be met because life does not always permit us to practice as much as we want or need to. Or if a student is younger, it might be hard to get them on a consistent practice schedule. A good way to remedy this problem is to spread out your 30 minute practice session throughout the day.

            Example: Say before you leave for work or school you’ve got about 10 minutes to spare, pick up that guitar and run through some chords or scales! Later after school or work and after winding down a bit, pick up the guitar again and review what you played earlier and maybe learn something new like one new chord or a different place on the neck to play a certain scale. After all your chores and homework, or business work is done, set aside another 10 minutes before you go to bed to just jam out or play a tune you may have been working on. Before you know it you’ve knocked out 30 mins of practicing throughout the day! Consistency is key!

            For intermediate and advanced players, the same concept can be applied. Though when you get to the intermediate and advanced levels, your practice time might increase. This is a good thing but, a more focused practice is hard to maintain. Guitar players are notorious for sitting and “noodling” for hours and then saying “Ok, good practice session.” This is a bad route to go if you expect to progress in as minimal time as possible. Instead write out a practice plan and try to follow it as best as possible, that way you get the most out of your practice time.

Example: Say you have an hour to practice. Try dividing up the things you are working on into 15 min intervals. 1) Warm up and dexterity exercises 2) Note reading/sight reading 3) Rhythm and Chords 4) Scales and improvisation.

The approach to practicing is different for everybody, so try and tailor a practice regime that suits you and the goals you are trying to accomplish. If you’re ever at a loss of what to practice, ask your teacher! Remember consistency is key!!


To contact Eddie at The Music Factory                                                             info@themusicfactoryoc.com