Practicing The Guitar - Are You Kidding Yourself?

By: Sandy Knoll

Practicing the guitar is no different than doing anything else
to improve other aspects of you life. For example, if you're an
athlete do you improve your endurance by driving you car? No,
you do it by running or some other form of exercise that builds
muscle and cardio vascular endurance.

So it is with the guitar. Be sure that when you sit down to
practice that you practice. Avoid the temptation to kid yourself
by saying that you were practicing by just holding your guitar
of by just playing some familiar tune or chord.

If you really want to improve your level of skill, play some
new, challenging selections. Or, use your time to work on some
exercises your instructor has given you, even if its working on
basic guitar scales and chords. This will truly build your skill
when it's time to learn a new tune.

When practicing, avoid distractions such as TV, phone, food and
friends. Select a place and time to practice when you won't be
disturbed. Ask your family or friends to respect this time and
to not disturb you until you have finished.

Be sure that what you are working on is correct. If you have an
instructor, ask him or her to critique your practice techniques.
If you don't use an instructor, be sure to read any reference
materials you have to be sure that what you are practicing is
being done right. Practice may make perfect, but perfect
practice definitely makes perfect.

Before each practice session, spend a few minutes to decide what
you want and need to work on. If you have a plan and work your
plan, you stand a much better chance of improving your skills
quickly. Just sitting down and making some sounds because you're
not sure what to do is just a waste of time.

Remember, you want to learn to play the guitar. So, work on the
things that will get you to that point quickly. And, even if you
are an accomplished guitar player, you can still improve. That
improvement can only come by using good practicing techniques.

About the author:
Sandy Knoll, the author, loves all kinds of music but has a
particular affinity for the guitar. Her website,
http://www.flyguitar.com is a source for great information on
guitars. Please visit her site at http://www.flyguitar.com often
for great information.