Guitar Practiced Perfectly – Does Anyone Really Do It?

What Does Guitar Practiced Perfectly Really Mean?

We are always looking for ways to take improve our guitar playing skills. The obvious way to improve as a guitar player is to play a lot more, but does playing more actually increase our musicality and ability to play in a more meaningful way?

Guitar Practiced Perfectly

The place to start considering how you can improve your guitar playing is your practice routine. We all know what it is like to finally snap and mutter something like “I’m going to practice eight hours a day every day” only to find that we then trail off into another round of not meeting our own expectations.

Why do so many of us fail when it comes to practice? What are the reasons behind not being able to sit down and do the woodshedding? Is this the real difference between good and not so good guitar players. Is guitar practice the defining reason between the great and the also rans? In a way it comes down to a central question of how to learn to play guitar.

Some Reasons Why We Fail At Practicing Guitar

• Not being able focus, sit down and play. This is actually a huge one. A lot of people have a fantasy about being a great guitar player, however, when it comes down to it, the reality of actually doing the work to improve is much harder than the simple day dream.
• Not mapping out a route map. If you are looking to do anything it’s always better to have a plan, so why should it be any different with instrumental practice? Musicians are very good at thinking everything will just fall into place and that structure is something for the drones of this world. Well in some cases this could be true, but for the majority of people, a thought through practice routine with short, medium and long term goals will ramp up productivity massively. If you know what you are trying to achieve then you will be able to chart your progress. How many times have you felt frustrated and lost when it comes to making progress with your guitar playing? If this rings true with you then read this paragraph again and consider your approach.

Setting Proper Practice Goals & The Importance Of Morale

So many of also make a huge mistake in the goals we set. We don’t see that the longest journey starts with a single step. No, we want to leap all the way up the path and find a short cut. The reality of getting better at anything is constant and consistent practice that has small short term goals which we can measure and actually reach. This also has a huge benefit when it comes to morale. Keeping your morale high as a musician can be challenging at times as it is, in essence very much a solitary journey. By setting short term goals that are realistic and attainable gives you the best chance to feel rewarded as an individual who is doing a discipline that is at times hard to measure.

Is There Anything Else That Can Be Done?

If you have a guitar teacher who is supportive, inspiring, talented as a player, a good communicator and of course knows how to actually teach guitar then so much the better. Part of this act of going to a teacher, listening to their words, following their actions and crucially paying money for a lesson is a great motivator. Without doubt, there are some people who can do well just from video lessons alone, however, the act of paying money for guitar tuition means that your guitar practice routines should be much more focused and you have a timetable to do the work.

Accepting That We Are All Different And Learn At Our Own Pace

Thankfully we are not all clones, although we are all probably a lot more similar than we would like to think. Accepting that we are all individuals and that we all play guitar or indeed any instrument at our own pace and in our own way is a must. The question of the guitar practiced perfectly is really a misnomer as what works for one person will not work for another. That being said, we can all agree that if we have a practice schedule that is thought through and makes sense regarding all the elements of playing the guitar: arpeggios, scales, chords, musical pieces is a beneficial thing.

What The Guitar & Music Institute Has Created To Aid Your Guitar Practice

We have thought long and hard about this at GMI – Guitar & Music Institute. What we have come up with is a guitar practice notebook. Now there are plenty of guitar practice diaries out there we know so what makes our one any different? Our guitar book publications are updated by the people who use them and that includes us. If you are a guitar teacher or a guitar student then we would urge you to consider checking out our “Guitar Practice Notebook.

This book contains weekly lesson feedback sheets for a whole year and each week contains two pages. Within each week you have comment sections for scales/arpeggios/chords, pieces etc. We also include blank chord pages and music and guitar tablature for your guitar teacher or your own workings. There is also an area for your own or your teachers mark or grade for the weeks work which you can then transfer to the back of the book. In this way you will be able to see at a glance how you are performing over a period of time.

We have also included basic information such as guitar chords, guitar arpeggios and guitar scales at the back all in open position. Finally, we also added information on the cycle of fourths/fifths for you to learn as we feel it is that important.

We Will Update The Guitar Practice Notebook From Feedback

This new publication is offered at a very low cost as we want to get it out there to as many people as we can. The book will not just sit there in its current form. Guitar student and teacher feedback will help us evolve this book into the best guitar practice diary out there.

We will update this guitar publication at regular intervals based on the information and feedback that we receive from you our readers.

Where Is This Guitar Practice Notebook Available From?

The Guitar Practice Notebook is available from Amazon and all good online guitar and music book retailers. The link is just below. All you need to do is click it and it will take you to an Amazon store, just make sure you are in the right Amazon store for you country.

We hope you click the box and get your copy as anyone who knows what they are talking about will tell you that the guitar practiced perfectly is all about small steps, knowing where you are going, what you have done and measurable goals.

You can purchase many of our publications in PDF format and other products such as transcriptions and backing tracks directly from our guitar store.