Avoiding Guitar Lesson Ruts
Post by: Chris Taylor
Having a strategy and a regular routine when it comes to guitar practice is a crucial part of our ability to grow as musicians and get the most out of your guitar lessons. Without a somewhat structured routine, it’s easy for even the most disciplined players to fall into ruts and slowly level off in pursuit of continued musical development. Every guitar player is different with unique interests and goals, so with all the various areas of musical development to choose from in practice time, customizing a routine to suit your specific style and goals can be extremely easy and fun. A good guitar teacher is usually the best help to identify what to practice and for how long.
When I began learning guitar, this is the kind of practice guide I needed, but I didn’t know it yet. For the most part, I taught myself how to play. I had to figure out the nuts and bolts of the instrument without the help of private guitar lessons. I wished I had someone to help make it simple to create and plan a practice routine. It wasn’t until later that I learned that having a quality, daily routine dramatically accelerates your playing proficiency.
Below is a list of activities and exercises you could potentially do in a practice session or guitar lesson.
● Sight reading
● Warm up exercises
● Improvisation
● Music theory
● Scales
● Composition
● Ear training
● Learning songs
● Transcriptions
The point is not to try and do them all, but rather to focus on the concepts that are most important to your musical goals. Whether it's learning songs, a new scale shape, or music theory, make sure to do something that challenges you so you can expand your knowledge. For more great ideas about practice and developing routines, check out this great article on guitargearfinder.com.