The Art of Practice
Free Guitar Lesson

Let's begin this free guitar lesson understanding
the big difference between playing and practicing
Practice and Play

• PLAYING is doing what you always do because it is easier, it
sounds good and you do want to be able to impress yourself
• PRACTICING is learning new material and
refining other stuff you have already learned
• Playing is important but Practicing is something different
What you practice should come out in your playing quickly
• If the reason we practice is to get better, then the way we practice
should be designed with this in mind. You MUST have a game plan

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Setting Goals
Practice have to be done with specific goals in mind. Make sure
you know which goals you are trying to reach, short and long term

List Your Goals
Set simple goals and focus your practice in that direction
Refine Those Goals
Replace every generalization with a specific
do-able task, something more measurable
Focus On That and Concentrate
Convince yourself that you can do it and you are on your
way to reach them. Keep a positive mental attitude always

Important
 Set realistic goals. There is no way you can design a single practice
session for all of your needs, it is impossible. Don't hold yourself
up to impossible high goals, it will frustrate yourself until you set
a list of realistic goals. To learn more, go to Free Guitar Lessons

Now you need a STRATEGY to layout exactly how you are going to do this

How To Practice

Warming Up and Stretching
They are essential to maximize your practice and playing time
Start sessions with a few stretches. This will help to avoid injury
Work On Getting The Passage Into Your Head
Some of the most constructive practice can
be achieved without even touching a guitar
Work With Metronome
If you want to get the most out of playing, play it extremely slow using a metronome
and crosspick everything. Be patient with yourself and trust the process. Aim directed movement can only be accomplished by slow practice...the speed comes on its own
Break Everything Into Time Frames
If you are learning a piece and you have any trouble with a single part,
pick out the problem area and play ONLY that part until you get it done
Practice Time
15 minutes is really a long time to work on a single subject. Take 3 minute breaks, they give your fingers and brain a little rest. Several short sessions each day are much better
Practice Every Day
Just like going to the gym. Take a day off from guitar every week. This will fresh you up

Remember To Breathe
A lot of people hold their breath when playing difficult parts
Measure Your Progress
Keep a record of your practice sessions. When and how long you have practiced; and
what specifically you have practiced. You will clearly see how much you are progressing
Enjoy
Always play something that you enjoy. This will keep your interest in
doing the same thing the next day. Find more of the music you like
Technique
It is not necessary to be able to play every guitar technique or guitar style
The only time one needs to learn lots of them is when your goals REQUIRE it
Don't Practice Things You Are Not Going To Use
We often make the mistake of practicing exercises that have nothing to do with music
We tend to work on difficult things that will never find its way into a song or guitar solo
Discover Your Discomfort
Many guitarists are masochists! - Why? - Free Guitar Lesson

Good Practice Schedule
1. WARM UP
2. GUITAR TECHNIQUE
3. SCALES AND ARPEGGIOS
4. CHORDS AND VOICINGS
5. THEORY AND READING
6. RHYTHM AND TIMING
7. PRACTICED MATERIAL
8. NEW MATERIAL
9. OPEN PRACTICE
(15 minutes each subject)

Don't compare yourself to others. What matters is reaching YOUR goals, not someone else's goals. Compare yourself only in relation to where you are in your strategy

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Discipline yourself. Nobody is there to make sure you are practicing the way
you need to, when you need to and how often you need to...Never Give Up!
NEVER SAY I CAN'T...BELIEVE IN YOURSELF...TAKE GUITAR LESSONS NOW!


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