I remember when I first started playing the guitar, it seemed like there were millions of things one could choose from to practice and it sure was overwhelming to say the least.
I was always thinking: "Have I practiced this subject enough today?" or "Am I focusing too much on this subject?" and stuff like that because I had not had a proper practice plan to follow each day.
After experimenting with multiple practice plans over the years, I narrowed it down to five main subjects you need to practice each and every day.
They are Rhythm Exercises, Music Theory, Technique Exercises, Ear Training and Song Vocabulary.
Let us look at each one of them a bit closer.
Rhythm Exercises Rhythm is the basis of music.
Music is not music without rhythm.
It is just random notes played together.
You can think of rhythm as the official of the music world who regulates the appearance of those notes.
Therefore having a good sense of rhythm facilitates the learning process tremendously.
Be sure to practice rhythm exercises daily with the metronome.
Do at least five different exercises a day.
You will see fast progress in your playing if do them regularly.
If you want to get the most out of them, apply those exercises to scale and chord practicing also.
Music Theory In order to fully understand music, you need a proper music theory training.
Fortunately nowadays you can get it even from the comfort of your own home, if you put the time in.
There are numerous of great website that are packed with good information.
You just have to have patience and perseverance to learn and apply music theory concepts properly.
Repetition is the key here.
One of the best ways to learn music theory is song writing.
Try to write a riff, a chord progression or a passage that incorporates the concept you have just learned.
Try to learn at least one new music theory concept a day.
Technique Exercises Technique is an important subject but it is often overrated.
Most of the guitar players focus too much on technique exercises and their musicality suffers as a result.
I am not saying that you should not do technique exercises.
They do have an important role in learning to play the guitar.
I am only asking not to focus solely on them.
The sole purpose of technique exercises is to strengthen the muscles so that they can execute the licks and riffs properly.
They are not be all and end all when it comes to being a good guitarist.
Do these exercises daily but do them in moderation.
Ear Training If you want to be a great improviser or want to be able to write great songs fast, you need to have well-trained ears.
Training your ears daily improves your musicality and you start to understand music better.
You will be more creative as a result.
Unfortunately ear training is often overlooked by most musicians because it involves singing and many see that as no-no.
I have had hundreds of students with different playing abilities and EVERYONE of them was able to sing the exercises perfectly after a couple of tries.
It is a myth that most people can not sing.
Everyone with healthy hearing can learn to sing.
Train your ears daily for maximum of 15 minutes a day to avoid straining the ears and see the results for yourself.
Song Vocabulary The process of learning a song includes all of the subjects mentioned above and therefore is an excellent way to apply what you have learned.
In order to be a well-rounded guitarist, you need to have a large song vocabulary from which you can pick a riff or a lick that fits any given situation.
Learning as many songs as possible from many different genres guarantees originality in your playing.
What many fear is that if they learn other people's songs, they will end up sounding like them.
That might be true if you are only learning songs from one or two different bands in the same genre of music.
In order to avoid that, be open minded and listen to different genres of music.
Learn at least one song every week.
I was always thinking: "Have I practiced this subject enough today?" or "Am I focusing too much on this subject?" and stuff like that because I had not had a proper practice plan to follow each day.
After experimenting with multiple practice plans over the years, I narrowed it down to five main subjects you need to practice each and every day.
They are Rhythm Exercises, Music Theory, Technique Exercises, Ear Training and Song Vocabulary.
Let us look at each one of them a bit closer.
Rhythm Exercises Rhythm is the basis of music.
Music is not music without rhythm.
It is just random notes played together.
You can think of rhythm as the official of the music world who regulates the appearance of those notes.
Therefore having a good sense of rhythm facilitates the learning process tremendously.
Be sure to practice rhythm exercises daily with the metronome.
Do at least five different exercises a day.
You will see fast progress in your playing if do them regularly.
If you want to get the most out of them, apply those exercises to scale and chord practicing also.
Music Theory In order to fully understand music, you need a proper music theory training.
Fortunately nowadays you can get it even from the comfort of your own home, if you put the time in.
There are numerous of great website that are packed with good information.
You just have to have patience and perseverance to learn and apply music theory concepts properly.
Repetition is the key here.
One of the best ways to learn music theory is song writing.
Try to write a riff, a chord progression or a passage that incorporates the concept you have just learned.
Try to learn at least one new music theory concept a day.
Technique Exercises Technique is an important subject but it is often overrated.
Most of the guitar players focus too much on technique exercises and their musicality suffers as a result.
I am not saying that you should not do technique exercises.
They do have an important role in learning to play the guitar.
I am only asking not to focus solely on them.
The sole purpose of technique exercises is to strengthen the muscles so that they can execute the licks and riffs properly.
They are not be all and end all when it comes to being a good guitarist.
Do these exercises daily but do them in moderation.
Ear Training If you want to be a great improviser or want to be able to write great songs fast, you need to have well-trained ears.
Training your ears daily improves your musicality and you start to understand music better.
You will be more creative as a result.
Unfortunately ear training is often overlooked by most musicians because it involves singing and many see that as no-no.
I have had hundreds of students with different playing abilities and EVERYONE of them was able to sing the exercises perfectly after a couple of tries.
It is a myth that most people can not sing.
Everyone with healthy hearing can learn to sing.
Train your ears daily for maximum of 15 minutes a day to avoid straining the ears and see the results for yourself.
Song Vocabulary The process of learning a song includes all of the subjects mentioned above and therefore is an excellent way to apply what you have learned.
In order to be a well-rounded guitarist, you need to have a large song vocabulary from which you can pick a riff or a lick that fits any given situation.
Learning as many songs as possible from many different genres guarantees originality in your playing.
What many fear is that if they learn other people's songs, they will end up sounding like them.
That might be true if you are only learning songs from one or two different bands in the same genre of music.
In order to avoid that, be open minded and listen to different genres of music.
Learn at least one song every week.