How to practice guitar video lesson

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There are good and there are bad ways to practice - there are efficient and unefficient ways. Unfortunately, there is no one way of practicing - since music is about personal preference it would be a shame if everyone practiced the same way.

There are however some general guidelines which apply no matter what you want to achieve. Since practicing is the path to your goal - it is the most important subject we will touch upon.

...how to start enjoying guitar practicing

First - one advice that goes above everything else: Make sure to have a practice routine that's e-n-j-o-y-a-b-l-e for you. Doesn't matter how correct your practice sessions are - if you only pick up the guitar once a week nothing will happen. Make sure to mix in as many enjoyable parts as possible in your routine - so that you will want to practice and play as often as possible. Please do me a favor and remember this advice for the rest of your life - I believe it is adoptable to anything you want to learn.

Here is a development illustration for one of my typical "success" students.

1. Interest is born - maybe triggered by witnessing a guitar "phenomenon".

2. Guitar is played regularly - even though progress is slow, interest is maintained thanks to positive feedback (important!).

3. First treshold experience - the student realizes only they can determine the rate of progress. This triggers the student to get even more serious.

4. The student is considered "talented" by nearby environment which will lead to further motivation. This is the stage where the students starts practicing 5 hours a day.

5. If the circumstances remain the same - the student is likely to reach his/her technical goals - provided practicing is done correctly, metronome is used etc.

In order to have a productive practice schedule it's essential to understand the mechanisms behind serious practicing. I have said it before and I will say it again:

Anyone can be motivated to practice all day long, but few can find the motivation to practice every day.

And there my friend, is the secret of success. Be motivated every day - even if people tell you that you are "talentless", or if you fear your chances are small. If your motivation is there - so are your chances.

How to practice - set up a schedule

Structure your practice routine in the same way as I did in this lesson's video. The guitarist styles you like, will determine which techniques to include in your routine. As an example we will look at "Paul Gilbert style practicing" and "Marty Friedman style practicing".

Use the following as a guideline on how to divide your practicing time:

1/3 Techniques and scales (efficient practicing by combing both - see video)

1/3 Jamming, practical use of the licks/riffs you have been practicing, use the provided backing track (this is especially important if you are not playing in a band)

1/3 Learn new material - songs, solos etc (especially important if you run out if inspiration!)

How much time per day should one practice? Well, how fast do you want to get good? You determine the rate of your progress!

Having said this - I also want to make clear that practicing several hours a day can result in injuries. Be vigilant and stop immediately if you feel pain.

Good luck!

Scales suitable for jamming to this lesson's backing track - E minor/aeolian:

	"How to practice" backing track (E minor) (Howard Owen - 10kmiles)

	Backing track slow

	TAB

Related lesson:
How to use a metronome

Lesson Questions, Feedback & Comments

RIP Dime	14th November 2006
Member	That's a good way to organize practicing, can't wait for the second part!

Red Tie	14th November 2006
Member	Thanks Kris!! This is just what i wanted/needed

RIP Dime	20th November 2006
Member	Awesome backing btw

Red Tie	20th November 2006
Member	"Be vigilant and stop emmediately if you feel pain." Shouldn't it be I instead of E? Heh.

Kristofer Dahl	20th November 2006
GMC Founder & Rocker	Red Tie: Absolutely - fixed now! (Swedish guy apologises - and man that word is also a tricky one!)

Nakzo	18th March 2007
Member	today i been practing about 12 hours, and my hand start to hurts, but i didn't care about it, but when i read "Be vigilant and stop emmediately if you feel pain." i stop inmmeditaly . now i think that 12 hours a day is execive (i don't have life xD)

Kristofer Dahl	20th March 2007
GMC Founder & Rocker	Nakzo: Well 12 hours a day is excellent but if you practice technique 12 hours a day you run a risk of injury. With that kind of routing I would spend a whole bunch of hours figuring out solos, riffs, trying to write songs (it needs to be practicied too!). Kris

sillyman	28th April 2007
Member	ive bin hearing about dampening/muting in one of the practise videos , speedpicking videos, sweeping videos and guitar forums but i'm not quite clear on how to do it and what techniques to do it with like when and when not to do it

redleader	30th May 2007
Member	Kris, I have a question about the pull-offs you demonstrate in the first lesson above. When you are pulling off from 11th to 9th fret on the G string and then pulling off fomr 10th to 9th fret on the D string, do you bar both the G and D strings with the index finger so that you can go faster or do you fret the G string with the index finger and the pick it up completely and moving up to fret the D string? I've tried to watch when people perform to see if they bar strings when they do fast pulloffs, but I can never tell. And if so, is this common practice for the purpose of speed?

redleader	30th May 2007
Member	Kris... Yet another question. YOu don't show it here, but do you show it on another lesson how the hand should be positioned around the neck? For instance, where is the thumb? Does it push against the back of the neck (so that there is ample clear space all around the neck between your hand/fingers and the neck?) Or do you grip it tight (as if you are holding onto the neck like a baseball bat?) Thanks!1

skennington	24th December 2007
Moderator	Man Kris, Like said befor, I really like the backing as well! Been working on the minor pentatonic scale but I'm diggin this one!

Carlos Carrillo	25th February 2008
Instructor	hey kris!!!great lesson!!!!i want more!!!!