Music Information

Guitar Players...Get a Balanced Guitar Practice Diet


Do you have a wide variety of things that you practice. Or do you like to binge? (You know...the type of player who practices sweep picking for a kazillion hours a day but only know three chords)!

Having a balanced practice routine is essential if you want to become a versatile guitarist. If you just practice one or two things, sure you'll get great at those things...but you'll be weak in other key areas.

In this lesson you'll learn how to create a practice routine that is well-balanced and will help you work towards your ultimate vision of how you would like to play.

I generally categorise what I practice into one of seven areas:

  • Technique.
  • Repertoire (Covers).
  • Composition.
  • Improvisation.
  • Ear Training.
  • Theory.
  • Music Reading.

Everything that you practice will fit into one or more of the above areas. For example, if you are learning a very challenging cover tune by transcribing it off the CD you are essentially working on your technique, repertoire and ear training at the same time. If you also write down the song in standard notation, you will also be developing your music reading skills.

Now?do you have to practice things in all seven areas? I believe that you don't have to if your vision doesn't require it. For example, if someone wants to become an awesome classical guitarist and has no desire to improvise, then I believe that they don't need to practice things relating to improvisation. We all have limited time available for practice, so it's a waste of time working on things that don't specifically help you reach your goals.

Let's go through a few exercises?

Exercise One:

Think about the vision that you have for your playing for a few minutes.How would you like to play in ten years time. Make it exact!

Once you've done that, brainstorm as many things that you need to practice in order to play like your vision. What specific things do you need to learn, develop and practice? Write them down now.

Exercise Two:

Next to each of the things written down for Exercise One, write down a category next to it. For example, if you wrote "I need to be able to play faster" then write technique next to it. If you feel that something you wrote belongs to more than one category, then write down all the categories it could belong to.

Exercise Three:

Look at your answers for the previous two exercises. Once you've done that prioritise the categories shown below. For example, if you feel that technique is the most important thing you need to work on to reach your vision then put a 1 next to it.

Practice Area Priority Level (1-7)
[Note: 1 is the highest priority].

Technique
Repertoire (covers)
Composition
Improvisation
Ear Training
Theory
Music Reading

Now here's the important point. You should spend the most time practising your number one priority. I know it's pretty obvious, but you'd be amazed at how many people don't do this! I know a few guitar players who would like to be able to play incredibly fast, yet they don't do a lot of technical practice. Talk about setting yourself up to fail!

Exercise Four:

Decide how much time every day you will spend on each category. Write it down below.

Practice Area Time Invested Daily

Technique
Repertoire (covers)
Composition
Improvisation
Ear Training
Theory
Music Reading

All done? Great!

So what's the next step?

The next step is to decide on a specific activity for each practice area.Make sure to write them down.

Here are a couple of examples of what someone might put down...

Technique: I will invest 10 minutes a day on alternate picking exercise one. I will start with the metronome at 80 beats per minute (bpm) and increase it by 4 bpm daily (as long as I can play it perfectly).

Ear Training: I will invest 10 minutes daily a day on A minor pentatonic ear training exercise one.

Got the idea? You would have one specific activity for every practice area. If you have a lot of time to practice you could set more than one activity per practice area.

Give this method a try. I'll think you'll be more than happy with the results!

Craig Bassett (The Guitar Solutions Expert) is a professional guitarist, guitar tutor and author who lives in Auckland, New Zealand. To get a free high-quality lesson e-mailed to you once a month, please go to:

http://www.pentatonic-guitar-lessons.com

  


MORE RESOURCES:

Music Center parking loss creates traffic bottleneck for patrons
Los Angeles Times, CA - 3 hours ago
A no-show actor, singer or soloist at a Music Center performance could throw things into disarray. Ditto for a missing parking lot. ...


Times Online

Music video highlights: NLCS Game 2
MLB.com - 1 hour ago
MLB.com/Entertainment is all over Rocktober, with daily videos featuring the best baseball highlights of October set to music by stars including Santana, ...
Phillies foil Ramírez, LA Boston Globe
These Dodgers, with Manny and Lowe, not dead yet Ken Davidoff Newsday
all 1,057 news articles


Tim Robbins discusses music venture
The Press Association - 3 hours ago
He's an award-winning actor, writer and director, and Tim Robbins has revealed he's expanding his talent into music. "I've just finished recording an album ...
Today, Tonight, Tomorrow FayObserver.com
City of Ember Variety
all 438 news articles


PC World

Wal-Mart Reverses Decision To Shutdown Digital Music DRM Servers
InformationWeek, NY - Oct 10, 2008
Wal-Mart's original plans would have made its DRM-protected tracks difficult to play on a PC, unless the music was first burned to a CD. ...
Wal-Mart's DRM Nightmare Just Won't End Wired News
Wal-Mart reversal teaches us you guys have might CNET News
Wal-Mart Backs Down on DRM Decision PC World
CRN - CrunchGear
all 31 news articles


Gospel music festival coming to Utah in 2009
Salt Lake Tribune, United States - 16 hours ago
AP LOGAN - The state tourism board has agreed to spend more than $10000 to promote a gospel music festival. The Utah Board of Tourism Development will spend ...


Pizarro: San Jose's Music in the Other Park series won't be coming ...
San Jose Mercury News,  USA - 15 hours ago
By Sal Pizarro The San Jose Downtown Association is rethinking its summer music series in St. James Park, and that may turn out to be a very good thing. ...


Washington Post

MTV tunes out music videos
Newsday, NY - Oct 10, 2008
The labels seem to be trying a similar strategy with their music video premieres. With MTV so uninterested in videos that it is even phasing out "TRL," the ...
Video: Sneak Peak: Britney Opens Up in New Documentary AssociatedPress
Britney Spears looks at her past with regret Oneindia
Britney Spears 'Womanizer' Video (See It Here!) TheImproper.com
Hartford Courant - News10.net
all 709 news articles


Canada.com

YouTube introduces music downloads
NME.com, UK - Oct 9, 2008
Video sharing website YouTube bosses have introduced a new feature that allows users to download music via the site. Through the new program users are able ...
YouTube to help sell music College News
YouTube adds "click-to-buy" for music, video games Computerworld
YouTube flips switch on new sales channel The Associated Press
Reuters - Seattle Post Intelligencer
all 471 news articles


Daily Monitor

From comedy, Aloysius Matovu Jr takes the gospel music way
Daily Monitor, Uganda - 54 minutes ago
But trust Aloysius Matovu Junior, he is out to make his mark not only on the gospel music scene, but also on the entire music industry. ...


Mint 220 Wireless Digital Music Station: Made For America
Hartford Courant, United States - 2 hours ago
Just what this country needs to bring it together: a bipartisan music system that will not turn its back on a single iPod yet still address the nation's ...

music - Google News

Article List | Index | Site Map
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved.