Having a correct practice session is the most crucial thing in achieving your full potential as a guitar player. Nothing is more unproductive than practicing the guitar wrong. This guide will provide you the vital knowledge for practicing the guitar in order to reach your dreams as a guitarist.
Many guitarists never reach their potential because they don’t have discipline in their practice sessions. There is a big difference between playing the guitar and practicing the guitar. A correct practice session is part performing, and part training.
The Main Reason You’re Not Growing As A Guitar Player And Remaining The Same Everyday
When you see master blues guitar players live or on videos, they perform in such an effortless way. It’s easy to say that they have just put in thousands of hours practicing the guitar. But what if I tell you that’s just less than half the truth. The most important reason they became a master blues guitarist, is the way they practiced the guitar.
Not improving even though you put lots of time into the guitar is very frustrating. The first reason this happens comes in most cases from not knowing the difference between performing and training during practice. Both performing and training are crucial areas of practicing that you’ll need to work on. On the other hand, they are two very different aspects of improving as a guitarist. You have to find the right balance between them. Knowing the difference, and applying them during a practice session, is the first step in creating a correct practice session.
Let’s investigate the difference and the way you have the practice both concepts:
What?
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When you are performing, you’re actually just playing the guitar without thinking. Let the music speak, let everything flow, follow your ear and have fun is what this is all about.
Everything you’ve learned in the training part of the practice session is put to the test.
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The training part is all about creating muscle memory by programming the fingers, the ears and the brain to work together.
It’s about really focussing and concentrating. You can’t allow yourself to make mistakes otherwise you compile wrong things into your muscle memory. Practicing slowly and building up the speed is what happens here. Being strict with yourself is key to this part of practicing the guitar.
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Why?
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Allow yourself to make mistakes. This way you will realise what areas to work on. In other words, your will notice your shortcomings.
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You practice to improve your overall level. Make everything tight so you can play without making mistakes.
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How? When?
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You can only perform something you’ve learned so it’s a good time to just play right after the training session to apply what you’ve learned.
It’s also a good time to just play the guitar during a break from your training.
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Choose a certain exercise to work on and only increase the speed if you’re able to play the exercise at least 3 times in a row. Decrease the speed when you make too many mistakes.
As mentioned before, concentration is key so it’s important to take breaks. Also practice in short intervals of several minutes to gain maximum focus.
When you lack energy for your practice session, start with the shortest and easiest exercise that’s planned for that day.
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Both performing and training with the guitar are very different and won’t work without the other. Only focusing on performing (just playing the guitar) will hinder your development because you’re not learning new things. Only training (learning new techniques) won’t provide the necessary skills to apply to music. It’s up to you to find the right balance between them.
Without All Pieces Of The Puzzle Your Practice Sessions Are Useless
Getting the right balance between playing and practicing the guitar is only one piece of the puzzle to tune your guitar practice sessions. It’s useless to try and form a complete picture without all pieces of the puzzle, so make sure to gain knowledge over how to create the best blues guitar practice routine. Not getting everything into place will ruin your overall development and will strangle you as a guitar player. You can put as many hours into practicing; it won’t help you at all in becoming a better guitarist if you practice wrong.
The goal of practicing the guitar isn’t to just checkoff an item from your todo list. You’re trying to become a better guitarist not just go through the motions. Don’t fall into the habit of simply practicing the guitar because it’s what you’re supposed to do. Focusing your practice sessions on performing and training is the best way to stay motivated.
Once you have the right practice routine, it’s time to put it to the test and develop your guitar techniques the fastest way possible. You don’t have to look any further to get the best blues guitar picking exercises. My unique guide will help you grow to a more advanced level of a blues guitarist and finally achieve that freedom of expression with the guitar.
About the author
Antony Reynaert has built a unique view in learning blues guitar. With his experience as a guitarist and a guitar trainer, he worked out the best and fastest methods in becoming the blues guitarist that everyone wishes to be. His website The Best Blues Lessons Online provides tons of free resources, articles, videos and lots more.