In the last survey, quite a few people requested help with finding time to practice and tips on how to practice. Here are a few ideas that you may find helpful.
1. Make Time To Practice.
We each have the same 24 hours a day. Only God is omnipresent so we need to be making choices of how to spent this gift of time we each have.
It’s a good idea to think about where you could cut back to open up a half an hour, or more, to spending on playing. I have a good friend who decided to cut out 2 hours of TV in the evenings. I also know a number of famlies that use their family devotional time for a perfect opportunity to add worship songs played on the guitar.
2. Make It Easy To Practice.
Set up a ‘practice area.’ Get a music stand to hold your music, a chair without arms and a convenient place for your guitar. I used to recommend leaving your guitar on a guitar stand, but in earthquake areas like California that wasn’t the best idea. A nearby case can keep it more protected. (I keep my good instrument in a case but still leave out an inexpensive one on a guitar stand just because it’s so convenient to get to.)
3.. Start With Prayer.
Our minds can be full of distractions. It’s good to get them quieted and focused on the task at thand, plus, as a Christian we can ask for resources beyond our own for help in all areas of our lives. This definitely includes help with learning to play the guitar.
For more ideas check out – How to Practice the Guitar
If you have some more tips on practicing, just add them to the comments.
My favorite practice technique is the metronome. I start out with one measure (if flat or finger picking) or the measures of music that make up a phrase (if I am strumming). I then set the metronome to the lowest possible setting. My goal then is to play that piece and only that piece 5 times without making any mistakes. If and only if I have accomplished that, then I advance the metronome by five bpms and repeat the process until I have that up to speed. I then proceed to the next measure or phrase and repeat the process. Then I combine the two, and repeat the process.
At the lower settings, is the best time to work out things like good tone, etc. so when you increase the speed, those things remain with you. This technique works well if the music is difficult to master or has difficult sections. If you practice the whole song this way, you won’t be as tempted to slow down for the difficult parts. It also helps with memorizing the music and the sense that you know it.
For those starting guitar, practice without making practice a chore. Make it a special worship time. Even though your practicing, your playing to the Creator–and any music directed to Him is beautiful.
Don’t let your practicing become painful. Get to the point where you want to play your guitar without letting it collect dust in a distant corner. Have fun, worship God, and you will be successful!
Only perfect practice makes perfect
Hi, Jean. I would like to know if the thumbs on both hands should be kept straight at the first knuckle, and bend only at the hand. I have seen Segovia play on videos, and he kept his right thumb basically fully extended for the bass notes, moving it only at the hand.
For the left thumb, I have found that I can keep it fully extended and straight at the knuckle, and this works good for placing it behind my 2nd finger on the back of the neck. However, when I bend it at the knuckle, it may be a little more comfortable particularly higher up the neck. Of course, if this is bad technique, I’ll stop. What is your opinion on thumbs?
Paul, I do play with my thumbs being straight. Although it’s straight I play on the side of the left hand thumb, not the flat side of the thumb opposite the nail. Everyone’s hand it just a little different you want to play in a way that does not put stress or extra tension in your hands.
God Bless, Jean
So do you bend the knuckle of the thumbs? On talking about the knuckle near the thumb nail.
I’m asking about bending at the first knuckle because if I don’t then my wrist needs to bend more instead. This is only an issue in the higher positions. I understand that stress increases with the amount of wrist bending used.
No. I keep them pretty straight.
Bending your wrist too much is not a good idea. If you elevate the guitar more, that should help so you don’t need to bend your wrist. Blessings, Jean