Discipline is very important when you are practicing the guitar. one of the hardest things I have even done in my life was learning to play the guitar but it was also the most rewarding. It is easy to understand why I became proficient at playing guitar. I practiced a lot from the time I was 16 everyday in my bedroom until now. When I practice, improving my fundamentals like changing chords, improving my repertoire of songs and running up and down scales is where I spend the most of my time.
When I was in a good mood or I really wanted to play, was when it was easy for me to find time to practice. There time when I could spend hours simply changing from a D chord to a G chord because it sounded so cool. But on other days it was my discipline and desire to play and improve that made me practice and develop as a player.
Practicing regularly and practicing well are the two main factors when it come to the discpline of playing guitar. It is important to address both of these issues.
Practicing regularly is the most obvious and easy to do. You must play guitar everyday. You don’t need attention draining three or four hour long sessions. 30 minutes will generally be fine if you are focused during that time. Doing regular, small amounts of practice is far better than going all out for hours once a week. I know that in a busy life it can be hard to make the time to practice but honestly 30 minutes a day is achievable for anyone. There is no set time that is best to practice but I prefer to do it in the evening simply because I find playing the guitar is a relaxing way to wind down after a stressful day.
Poor practice habits are the most difficult and most common problem to address. This is something that affects even the most experienced player. There are several causes and solutions to the problem.
- Playing the same thing over and over every time you play. It is important to play something perfectly before you move on. BUT, once you know how to play something you need to move on and keep challenging yourself.
- The opposite is also a problem: moving on too quickly. Practice a certain piece till you can play that piece well before you move on the to next thing. An excellent habit for any musician to have is playing perfectly and accurately.
- Not focusing on developing all parts of your musicianship when you are practicing. I prefer to split my practicing into parts. For example I might spend 5 minutes practicing new scales or chords, 10 minutes working on writing new music for myself and maybe 15 minutes learning a new song or part of a song.
- Playing things too fast when you first try and learn them. This can cause you to become disillusioned with your playing when you are trying to learn a new song. Most guitarists, including myself try playing a song at a slow speed before trying it a fast pace.
When playing guitar, in order to get good, practicing properly and regularly is the best way. This requires discipline. Discipline to stay focused and on track while practicing as well as discipline to practice regularly. Remaining disciplined in your practice will ensure you become and excellent player.
Tags: beginning guitar, learning to play guitar, playing guitar, practicing the guitar, starting to play guitar