Do you need to practice for hours and hours to improve at guitar? In this lesson I explore how the quality of your practice is far more important than the amount of time you practice. Although I already have a number of articles on how to practice, I thought it was important to discuss the quality of your practice time and how you don’t need to practice for hours and hours to make progress. Here’s the YouTube link if you’d like to watch it there and feel free to support these free lessons.
Video & Lesson Outline
- 00:00 Intro
- 1:26 General Answer and Advice
- 4:27 Proper Knowledge and Technique
- 6:52 Appropriate Materials for Maintenance and Improvement
- 8:53 Intention to Improve
- 9:52 Maximum Concentration and Accuracy
- 13:16 Relaxation + Ergonomics + Musical Knowledge and Appreciation
- 16:15 How much time is enough?
Helpful Links
Hi Bradford,
Since a few weeks i am following you and started practicing again after not playing for 25 years.
Now I practice some stuff from you book and pieces I used to play years and years ago. I face the problem that: i can play e.g etudes in a pretty way but slowly of faster and making mistakes now and then.
What to do: leave it like that and go on to the next piece or keep practicing until it’s perfect (which can be rather frustrating)
Hi Paul, what is your technique routine like? I would aim for total accuracy in short technique exercises first and then expand them gradually to increase the length for which you play accurately. I would start there before bringing that idea to repertoire. When you do you can start trying to practice one phrase or musical idea at a time and see how that goes. This will allow you to not worry about small mistakes in repertoire at the moment but still be working on the issue and enjoying playing.
Very helpful lesson, thank you! I’ve been noting what I work on in a journal and how long I practice, but need to focus on more technique exercises, quality playing, and relaxation, as well.
Practice journals are a great idea, they really help you ‘see’ what you having been actually doing with your practice.