Effective musical practice

In these modern times, people don´t have much free time left. But you can make good progress as a musician with 20-30 minutes practice a day. With your daily, individuall practice you can easily become a better musician.

It´s important not "just" to practice, it´s better to practice "good". You can practice every day and make only slow progress if you just play around. You will make the biggest progress when you conisider the following points:

Individual Training Schedule

1. Set practice times
2. Warm up
3. Work on your flaws
4. Judge your progress
5. Set yourself some goals
6. Use a metronome

1. Set practice times

You know your day or week schedule yourself the best. Set yourself times like "Every evening after dinner 20 minutes practice time". Regular practice is better then a long practice time with days between it.
Every day practice is the best. If you don´t have much time on a day, make warm-up and finger practice exercises instad of don´t practice at all.

2. Warm up

Singing or playing an instrument is a physical activity and therefore you need to warm up. Don´t play difficult exercises when you justed start to play. If you do so, you wouldn´t play on the best level you can and that would be a waste of time and energy. Warm ups could look like a waste of time, like to easy, but they can be very productive.

Start with easy exercises. Sure, to play "just" scales, Arpeggios etc. seems very easy. But to play them at your best level will help you to progress.

Warm-up Exercise 1 - Picking techniqes

An important exercise are the up- and downstrokes. Play 4 notes a string and walk down from the low to the high E string and back. Then move on one fret...

Warm-up Exercise 2 - Arpeggios

Play some easy Arpeggios

Warm-Up Exercise 3 - Pentatonic Pattern.

Choose a key and play the 1st Pentatonic Pattern up and down the strings.

3. Work on your flaws

When you´re warmed up, try the more difficult exercises.

A few tips for the right practice:
Don´t play wrong!
Don´t play wrong notes.
Don´t leave out notes or play a wrong rhythm.
If an exercise is too complicated play it slower until you can play it right.

Start with easy exercises or songs
Move on with more difficult ones.
If it´s too difficult slow it down until you can play it right.
THEN you can begin to play it faster.

4. Judge your progress

Some examples:
Can you play your licks fluently enough?
Are your up- and downstrokes fast and effective?
Do you know the Pentatonic Pattern by heart, can you move them into other keys?
...

5. Set yourself some goals

What are goals for a musician?

Long Term Goals
Play difficult songs and licks.
Improve your techniques.
Found a band or find new band members
...

Middle Term Goals
These middle term goals lead to your short and long term goals.
Am I good enough for a band?
Can I play my songs from the heart?
How can I improve my playing?
...

Short term goals
The short time goals lead to your middle and long term goals.
Short term goals are for example your daily practices.

Focus on your goals and set yourself some goals to become a better musician. To become a better guitar player, you need to know where you can improve and what you can do to improve as a musician. Concentrate on what you can achieve and what helps you getting there.

If you realize what you need to become a better musician you will have fun with your instrument for a long time instad of being bored because you´re making the same mistakes over and over or if you don´t make any progress.

6. Use a metronome

One of the easiest und most important gadgets for guitar players is a metronome. You will get one in small electric tuners for a few Dollars on ebay. A metronome helps you practicing to a steady and clean rhythm. Start with a slow 4/4 rhythm and play your finger exercises, scales or Pentatonic patterns. You´ll see how fast you´ll make progress.

And don´t forget: Have fun practicing!
To tantalize yourself with finger practice can be boring but sometimes necassary to make progress. But to do that for days or weeks can kill the fun playing your instrument. When that happens, stop these hard exercises, make a jam session with your friends, play with Backing Tracks etc.

Here you can download a practice schedule plan.
Now you can write down your goals, short and long term goals etc.

Downloads

PDF: Practice Schedule