Tag Archive for: practice

How to build an effective guitar practice routine

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Whatever your level of experience with guitar is, practice is crucial to level up your skills, or just to stay in shape. Just like having a fitness routine, having a guitar practice routine is a good habit, and will ensure that your guitar skills stick around. 

Here’s how to build an effective practice routine: 

 

Define your goals 

 Do you want to master the guitar solo for “Thunderstruck”? Are you trying to learn a setlist of songs you can perform at an open mic or gig? Having concrete goals can help give you a reason to practice. 

Try writing down a list of short-term five goals you’d like to achieve in guitar, like playing an entire song fingerstyle or learning how to read tabs, and long term goals, like playing in public and starting a band. Put it somewhere you can see it to help motivate you to practice. 

 

Break it down 

An easy way to make a practice routine feel less daunting is to break it down into small sections. You can set a timer on your phone for each section if you’d like to. 

 

Here’s a sample practice breakdown:

 

Warm-up (five to ten minutes) 

Start with some basic scales or chord changes to warm up your fingers. 

 

Technical Exercises (15-20 minutes):

Play through scales, arpeggios and riffs. You can use a metronome to help with your timing. 

 

Repertoire Practice (15-20 minutes):
Practice learning new songs. If you have an issue with a part of the song, break them into smaller parts and play through them slowly, gradually bringing them back up to speed. 

 

Creative or Improvisation Time (five to ten minutes):
Let your brain be creative and work on riffs or songs of your own. 

 

Review (five minutes): 

Review what you’ve practiced and make a note of what you’d like to improve on or try next time. 

 

Tips: 

 

Be consistent 

Even if you only have 20 to 30 minutes a day for practice, it can really add up. Check out these methods of making time to practice. 

 

Work on what needs improvement

Overcoming a challenging portion of a song or finally nailing that tough riff will give you confidence in your guitar ability. 

 

Incorporate Fret Zealot courses

Fret Zealot has hundreds of guitar courses – everything from song lessons, to strumming patterns, to player studies. Learning something new is a great way to practice. 

 

Record yourself 

You can use the record app on your phone to record your session and hear how you’re sounding. Hearing improvement in your playing is the best feeling! 

 

Keep it fun 

Learn what you’re interested in playing, whether it’s classical pieces or the latest trending song on TikTok. 

How to find time to practice guitar each day

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Picture this – you get home from work, plan to practice guitar for a good amount of time – but then, the laundry needs to be flipped over, the dishes need washing, you have to walk the dog – and by the time you’re finished, it’s time for bed. How often does this happen to you?

Finding time to practice during busy days is tough, but with a few easy strategies, you can work in more time to play – and improve your skills!

Here’s what you can do: 

Set reminders for yourself.     

 Leave a sticky note on the fridge or bathroom mirror to remind you to make some time for guitar! Having a visible reminder will help you think about practicing, even when it’s a little chaotic at home. You can even set an alarm on your phone to alert you when it’s time to step away for a guitar break. 

Practice for a shorter time. 

                                                                You don’t need to devote hours every day to your instrument to get better. Just like physical exercise, any amount of time spent practicing in a day is better than none! If you can find 20 minutes a day to practice, that’s 121 hours per year!

Consistency is key. Try waking up 20 minutes earlier if you’re productive in the mornings, or go to bed 20 minutes later if you’re a night owl. (Don’t forget to use headphones if you live with other people!) 

 

 Inspire yourself

 Which bands or artists inspire you to play guitar? Listen to a playlist of their songs on your way home or during work to remind yourself why you wanted to pick up a guitar in the first place. And don’t forget – everyone starts somewhere! The best guitarists in the world once had to practice the basics too.

Utilize commercial breaks! 

If you watch TV, you can use the commercial breaks as practice opportunities! Run through some scales or a new riff while you’re waiting for your show to return. It’s easier to stay focused for a few minutes at a time than a longer chunk of time. 

Try a Fret Zealot course! 

Fret Zealot has a huge library of guitar courses, from a Beginner’s Guitar Gym to a Rock and Blues Lead Guitar course. You can study the techniques of greats like Angus Young and Jimi Hendrix or take it easy with a Musical Meditations Course. All of our courses can be taken at your own pace! Check out the full list of available courses here.

 Make it fun! 

Don’t forget – playing guitar should be fun! You can keep practicing from feeling like a chore by learning songs you want to play – new songs on the radio, favorites from years past, or even songs that you’ve never heard before for a new challenge! 

You can find over 3,000 courses and song lessons in the Fret Zealot app, as well as over 80,000 song tracks, every chord and scale, 60 alternative tunings, and so much more!