“Practice makes perfect”, or so the old adage goes, and when it comes to playing the guitar (not an easy instrument to learn well) this is never more the case. When we are learning a new skill, the fact that we should practice as much as possible seems like common sense.

If you are getting it wrong at the beginning, then the more you practice, the more you practice the wrong way of doing things. If you are not practicing correctly, however, you can hinder your progression more than you can help it. By doing things incorrectly at the beginning, you will continue to do so.

To give an example, look at the way that you hold your hands – if your hands are in a poor or incorrect position to begin with, then the more you continue in that vein then the more reinforced and powerful that position becomes. After a while, you will find it very difficult to change. The poor hand position is a good example to use, because when it comes to playing the guitar, it is a very common problem. In some cases it can even lead to injury.

As you can imagine, the overall importance of rhythm in music is never to be underestimated, and if you get it wrong from the beginning, it can affect all other aspects of your progression. The way that you practice rhythm is also important, and is another common problem amongst students. It doesn’t really matter whether you read music or not, but the ability to count the beats within any given piece of music is integral to your learning to play properly.

In order to play with other musicians, you need to be able to keep time with the music. Obvious you would have thought, but I am constantly amazed at how few people can do this properly. It really comes to the fore when they play with other musicians in a jam session, for example.

Take a look at your practice schedule now, and the way that you practice. Ask yourself whether your hands are in the right position, and if you are able to count the beats within the music. If the answer is no, then you really need to examine the way that you practice before the ‘bad habits’ become so ingrained that they are almost impossible to change.

Also worth considering is the speed at which you play. For the slower-paced musician, make sure that you are not sacrificing rhythm for the ability to play at that speed – this is another common problem.

A good tip which many people find incredibly helpful is to use a simple device to help you keep the tempo, such as a drum machine or a metronome. If you find that you are playing too slowly, then keep practicing, and slowly build up the speed until you can keep pace with the tempo. Remember the things we spoke about earlier – don’t sacrifice your good hand position in order to make the time!

Hand position, rhythm and speed or tempo – now you have some ideas of where your priorities should be when it comes to practicing guitar. Once you have mastered these, not only will you find your standard will improve considerably, but also your guitar practice much easier.

Commitment, determination and lot of practice – all of these are necessary to play the guitar to a high standard. Be wary of those who tell you you can play like an expert in just a few days. Practice correctly, and practice often, that is how you will get the best out of your guitar.

Copyright 2009 Liam Gibson (Stage Guitarist)

If you are learning to play the guitar, or you are a seasoned player, then you will understand how integral to you becoming a better player the practice actually is. The realization of the importance of guitar practice comes to every student as they begin to play.

We are busier than ever these days, and guitar practice often gets shunted off to one side In favor of other pursuits. Kids too, find it difficult to fit in practice time around school and their other extra-curricular activities. Fitting practice schedules into everyday routines can be an increasingly difficult task

In order to improve as a player, you need to make guitar practice a priority. This might sound a little over-simplified, but it really is the bottom line. A lot of people argue that making it a priority is an impossible task because of the amount of chores that need to be completed in our busy and hectic lifestyles.

Consider playing the guitar against all of the other things that you feel are ‘priorities’ in your life, and ask yourself how important it is to you that you practice in order to become a better player. The first step to prioritizing your guitar practice is to ask yourself how important it is to you. Just by completing this relatively simple step you may find that there are things on your list of ‘priorities’ that don’t mean as much to you as your guitar practice, and yet you sacrifice the playing of a wonderful instrument in order to do them.

When we prioritize something in our lives, the level of commitment that we are able to give to it often depends on the goals that we associate with it. The priority of this in your lifestyle becomes even more pronounced. For example, you may think that it is one of your priorities to get a bigger house. In your mind’s eye, you will have a specific goal in mind – a bigger living space – and therefore you are more driven to achieve that goal.

Playing the guitar is no different. Consider the level you are currently playing at, and then think of the standard that you would ideally like to be able to play. When you have a specific goal in mind, then it becomes a lot easier to lever your guitar practice into your everyday schedule. To define it even further, think of the feeling you get when you achieve a goal that you set yourself – keep this in mind when you set yourself your goals for playing the guitar.

The bottom line is, quite simply, that when you practice regularly, the standard of your playing will rise massively. Bearing in mind the goals that you have, ask yourself once more how much of a priority in your life this really is.

Playing the guitar playing properly to a decent standard requires a high level of determination and commitment, and the guitar really is one of the most difficult instruments to learn to play well. When you practice, it should be seen as a necessity – like school or work. All of the best guitarists in the world made practice their number one priority.

It really is a great challenge – but it is also supposed to be enjoyable. If you look upon your guitar practice as recreation instead of a chore, you’ll find it’s much easier to allocate appropriate time to it. One of the most important aspects of learning to play the guitar is that is has to be fun!

Copyright (c) Liam Gibson (Stage Guitarist)