If you want to succeed at learning guitar, you have to practice as much as you can. However, no matter how much you practice, you might not be getting the full benefit of the time you are putting in. Most beginners understand that practice is the key to learning how to play the guitar like an expert. The more practice you put in the better you will be, but there are ways in which you can make that practice more effective. Here are ten ways to get the best out of the time you spend trying to turn yourself into an Eric Clapton or Peter Green.
1. Decide how you are going to learn and stick to it. If you have a guitar learning book, then use it and follow it exactly. If you are attending lessons, then do exactly as you are taught. Once you have made your mind up HOW you are going to learn, then follow the procedures exactly.
2. Know and plan for what you are going to do each session. You are going to have to devote a fair bit of your time to practice, so you don't want to waste any of that learning time wondering what to do next. Write down your program for each session and work through it until you have completed it. It might be as simple as following Lesson 2 in the book, but decide beforehand and then do it all.
3. Warm up before you start. Athletes warm up their muscles to prevent themselves tying up when the serious stuff begins. Guitarists should do the same, and the professionals always warm up before going on stage. Grab a tennis ball and give it a few squeezes, or simply open and close your fist several times to get the blood flowing. Play a few quick scales over the fret, and you will warm up your muscles and get yourself ready to start playing.
4. Never miss a practice session. It might occasionally be tempting to leave today's session till tomorrow, but resist that. It is very, very important that you get the practice ethos instilled into your brain. You will never be a good guitarist without practice, and neither Jimi Hendrix nor Peter Green got that good by skipping their practice sessions.
5. If you are using a guitar learning book, make sure you use one that provides a CD or DVD that lets you hear how the lesson should sound. If you don't have that, how do you know that you are playing that chord right, or that note is the right one? Not only will the CD let you hear what you should be playing, but it will also likely give you some backing tracks to play along with. That kind of tuition is invaluable.
6. Set yourself a goal in each lesson. If the lesson doesn't give you a goal, then set your own. Make yourself learn at least two or three new chords each lesson and have them perfected by the next lesson. Try to teach yourself tablature by being able to play one more tab sequence each lesson, or between lessons. It doesn't matter what your goal is, the important thing is to set one and meet it.
7. Take a rest when you think you need one. Don't kill yourself by trying to keep to a schedule, so give yourself plenty time to finish a lesson or practice session. Stop for a cup or take a stroll round the yard, then get back to it. Get some fresh air into your lungs, take a walk outside, go ride your crotch rocket and then get going again till you have finished today's tasks.
8. If you have a friend who is also learning guitar, get together twice a week or so and practice together. This will provide you both with a break in your normal practice routine, which is important if you are not to get stuck in a rut. Many people learning guitar lose it after a while due to a lack of variety and time to themselves. Don't let that be you.
9. Don't try to be Jimi or Eric. You are you, and if you try to play at breakneck speed you will fail. Take it easy and don't try to be what you are not - yet! Get a metronome and play to that. It is important that you learn at a proper pace and concentrate on being accurate with your fingering and getting the notes spot on. Speed is unimportant and will come as you get more experienced.
10. Finally, enjoy yourself. Take time off your practice now and again to play your own tunes and just be yourself. There's no point in learning guitar if you can't have a good time now and again. Just pick up the guitar and play what you want to, and perhaps even sing a few songs as you play. There's nothing that says all your practice has to be serious and done by the book.
Probably every guitarist has their own ten guitar learning tips, but most of them will include most of those above. Were I to give my opinion on which of these was the most important, it would definitely be the last. Tip Number 10 is by far the most important. Enjoy yourself!
