This isn’t the only place that you will hear that practice makes perfect. I know that it’s redundant and overly stated, but practice really is the only way to get any better at the guitar. Some sites will advocate quick and easy methods of learning the guitar. Those are crap. Some sites advocates specific gear to help you along. Those are crap. I’ve always understood that a truly talented musician will sound good whether they play on a cheap guitar from the Thrifty Nickel or if they play a Gibson Les Paul.
I think it necessary to lay down this very important tenet of being an accomplished guitarist. But even practice may not get you to where you want to be, depending on your goals and how much you practice. While it would be nice to say that playing 30 minutes a day will make you the next Steve Vai or Andres Segovia, that is in every way false. In fact, when Steve Vai was a guitar student, many times he literally played ten hours a day. I’m not suggesting that kind of rigidity, but if you want to be the next Steve Vai, that may be the only route.
Practicing is a lot more complicated than just playing the guitar. I mean, if you want to play just for the fun of it, then sure, playing your favorite songs and such is fine for practice. If, however, you want to make yourself the best possible musician that you can be, you must develop a practice routine, much like a weightlifting routine. It must be consistent, yet varied, in order to achieve the best possible results. Well, how do you do that?
Draw up a practice schedule. I’ve read certain guitar experts say that you should only practice for an hour, and then stop, because your hands and brain cannot take that much stimulation. I have found the opposite to be true. The longer I practice, the more my hands and brain connect, bringing me faster results. Regardless, you must find what works for you. Set aside some time to practice, although I would suggest at least one hour per day. It generally takes 20 to 30 minutes just to get the fingers warmed up. If you only practice for only 30 minutes more, you probably won’t accomplish much. After you have the time allotted, determine what are your strengths and weaknesses. If you need work on legato, appoint roughly a third of your “workout” to legato. If you need work on arpeggios, appoint the appropriate time. As a side note, scales, while very effective tools, can really only get you so far in your abilities. Don’t spend too much time on them unless you are an absolute beginner. Perhaps your practice schedule will include songs. Whatever the schedule looks like, make sure to follow it religiously for about a month, whether you have mastered it or not. After that month is up, switch the routine around, focusing on another aspect of your playing. With some things, more is not better; but with guitar, you can never go wrong with more, as long as it is variated enough to stimulate growth in your playing and dexterity in your hands.
When you practice, practice like if you were in front of an audience. In fact, sometimes I practice like I were playing for a panel of judges. When you practice, make sure to be as precise as possible. Sometimes, it may even be beneficial to play a practice session without any mistakes. In other words, make the oath to yourself that x particular practice session, you will not make a mistake. If you do, you will set the guitar down for the rest of the day. Although it sounds counterintuitive, it teaches you really quickly to keep from making mistakes. Even if it takes you thirty seconds just to play one note, make sure not to mess it up. Of course, you can’t practice like this all the time. Just do so every once in a while, when you feel comfortable with the material you have been practicing.
Finally, make sure to take rest days sometimes. Although you may lose a little edge, you will be able to regain it very quickly. You may also find that you will have a renewed vigor for the guitar, enabling you to practice your heart out.
Keep in mind that perfect practice makes precise.
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