The importance of goals: Perfect Practice

Has this ever happened to you?

You and a friend play guitar, and you notice that no matter how much you practice and how hard you try---they just seem to improve faster than you with little or no effort?

It's happened to me before in the past. And for awhile I was convinced that these people just had more natural 'talent' than I did, and that was that.

That was until I actually asked my instructor and brought this to him, and he explained a few secrets that are often overlooked.

Whenever you practice, try to have a clear idea as to where you are going and what you plan to accomplish. Also, know the difference between simply playing the instrument, horizontal practicing, and vertical practicing.

Playing the instrument: You just want to jam out for awhile or maybe noodle with a few musical ideas.

Horizontal practicing: This is where you learn new songs, invent new licks, and widen your musical vocabulary within a certain technical range.

Vertical practicing: this is where you augment your technical range and improve your control over the instrument.


A lot of times people say they are practicing, when they really are only doing a lot of the first, some of the second, and a tiny bit of the third. This is why the improvement seen is so marginal.

So, the next time you practice, just try to set aside...30-45 minutes tops, and divide each factor into the time.

Example:

Playing the instrument: To warm up you run through a blues progression, play a solo, jam around with improvised chord progressions, etc. for 10 minutes. Why? Develops your ear, helps you to assess musically where you are at and what you are capable of.

Horizontal Practice: Work on one or two songs you know for about 7-8 minutes, and spend 3 minutes inventing little motifs you can use when improvising.

Vertical practice: Spend the remaining twenty five minutes slogging away with the metronome. Play through an A minor scale as fast as you possibly can--identify the exact spots where the speed becomes too much ((example: you have trouble moving fingers 3 and 4 independently, your right wrist has trouble picking that fast, etc.)) and isolate ONLY that problem area. Don't play the entire scale over and over again---play things that FORCE you to do what you are weak at---play lines that put you at a 'disadvantage.' Run strict arpeggios, and again, repeat just the parts you have trouble with--not the whole thing. Spend about half the time on speed/technique, and the other half on intonation and vibrato. A good excercise for this is to simply bend a note THEN pick it to see how close you are to the correct pitch. You'd be surprised at how fast your intonation grows doing this simple excercise.

No more than 45 minutes! But focus 100% on what you are doing for those 45 minutes.

Try it!

You may find that not only do you have to practice less, but you'll grow as a player at a high rate.


I just remember how much my instructor helped me and my playing whenever he told me this, so I just wanted to share. Let me know how it works--if it does at all!!--for you.

Absolutely - identifying goals and focussing are vital to effective use of practice time. 30 minutes committed practice Vs 2 hours noodling - there's no comparison.

The only cautionary note I'd add is that you must also find time to enjoy it. I took the last of my exams a while back, and was practicing with maximum focus for months at 8 hours a day in addition to playing gigs / teaching etc...

I got so sick of it that I now have barely played for 3 months. I know I will again, and the improvement I made over the year even after playing for 22 years was huge... BUT it's easy to lose sight of why we all do this in the first place...

Originally Posted by: renAbsolutely - identifying goals and focussing are vital to effective use of practice time. 30 minutes committed practice Vs 2 hours noodling - there's no comparison.

The only cautionary note I'd add is that you must also find time to enjoy it. I took the last of my exams a while back, and was practicing with maximum focus for months at 8 hours a day in addition to playing gigs / teaching etc...

I got so sick of it that I now have barely played for 3 months. I know I will again, and the improvement I made over the year even after playing for 22 years was huge... BUT it's easy to lose sight of why we all do this in the first place...

Oh definitely. That's why I put the 'playing the instrument' part at the beginning of the practice session. Kind of a chance to just hear how you sound, where you're at, and a chance to just rock it for a few minutes.

And I'm fond of the mantra 'you woodshed for hours upon hours upon hours to do something that should last 20-30 seconds tops--what you're going to get is music that shouldn't be more than 20-30 seconds long.'

Always good to make time for the more 'fun' aspects of so-called practice. If you just donate about 15-20 minutes a day to speed, it will come---so there's no rush. Spend most of the time on more important things that will help foster a love to the instrument--not an unwanted commitment.

Trust me, such is important where I'm at, so I know where you're coming from. If you don't have fun, the woodshedding literally eats your soul.

How about learning songs you dont have the ability to play yet?

what category does that fall under?

Also whats this 45 minutes business?

I usually practice like 6 hours a day and sometimes to 10 max, granted its not all productive all the time but still its been working

ive know i need to do his for ages, but i just cant get myself to do it :(
ahh well. it think i need some inspiration.

actually what i need is more guitarest friends, who i can watch and play with etc. i think ijust tend to hit blocks. i think i have been at the same level for ages now, ever since lessons ended. i might just take grades to force myself to have to practice for them.

I don't know if this will inspire, but the first step is to write something down... I suggest my students practice in 2 hour chunks:

15 minutes warming up - alternate picking spider patterns in different fingerings, some legato patterns and some sweep sequences. The time can come down in summer, when you're not so cold in the first place...

scales for 15 mins - alternate picking / economy picking and learning new ones if necessary.. partially as a picking / co-ordination exercise.

chords for 15 mins - scribble a progression down with lots of altered 9th / 7th / 11th / diminished / whatevers to get your hands tied up! Whatever stage you're at, just try to push yourself and take on the changes you'd try to avoid...

'technique' - 30 mins - I alternate between focal points here. At the moment I'm doing alot more tapping, so am practicing 8 fingered stuff, but it varies, and it's whatever works for you...

Freedom - 45 minutes - I split this between practicing anything I'll be performing that needs a polish, or learning a track of someone else's I like, maybe doing some recording... maybe playing along with backing tracks.

A decent piece of advice is to make sure you practice the things you can't already do. Switching off and noodling in an Am pentatonic box might be fun, but you need to push if you want to move beyond it.... (not to say switching off and noodling in Am isn't fun though... ;) )

And spider, the grades are good for structuring your practice and expanding your knowledge. Grade 8 guitar assumes a grade 5 theory level so it does give you alot. You have to apply it though - The tools are no good if you don't use them...

Also, just to add that if you are looking at the grades, The RGT grades look to be far harder than the Trinity and 'Rock School' equivolents, so RGT is probably the way to go for a comprehensive syllabus...

i think i just gotta buckel down do it really. at the moment i am at uni and i live in a student house, none of the people in my house play guitar so your practice sessions gets very easily disrupted.

Originally Posted by: Poontang_clanHow about learning songs you dont have the ability to play yet?

what category does that fall under?

Also whats this 45 minutes business?

I usually practice like 6 hours a day and sometimes to 10 max, granted its not all productive all the time but still its been working

It falls under both horizontal AND vertical growth. All the parts of the song you can play just fine you practice in horizontal growth, all the technically difficult parts you should practice during the vertical growth---using this method of course.


And you don't have to practice For JUST 45 minutes---It was more a post concerning making the MOST of whatever time you have. If you are just noodling for 6 hours, you are wasting time when you could be getting better. Not to say you shouldn't take breaks, do other stuff, etc, during the day or anything.

Originally Posted by: renI don't know if this will inspire, but the first step is to write something down... I suggest my students practice in 2 hour chunks:

15 minutes warming up - alternate picking spider patterns in different fingerings, some legato patterns and some sweep sequences. The time can come down in summer, when you're not so cold in the first place...

scales for 15 mins - alternate picking / economy picking and learning new ones if necessary.. partially as a picking / co-ordination exercise.

chords for 15 mins - scribble a progression down with lots of altered 9th / 7th / 11th / diminished / whatevers to get your hands tied up! Whatever stage you're at, just try to push yourself and take on the changes you'd try to avoid...

'technique' - 30 mins - I alternate between focal points here. At the moment I'm doing alot more tapping, so am practicing 8 fingered stuff, but it varies, and it's whatever works for you...

Freedom - 45 minutes - I split this between practicing anything I'll be performing that needs a polish, or learning a track of someone else's I like, maybe doing some recording... maybe playing along with backing tracks.

A decent piece of advice is to make sure you practice the things you can't already do. Switching off and noodling in an Am pentatonic box might be fun, but you need to push if you want to move beyond it.... (not to say switching off and noodling in Am isn't fun though... ;) )

And spider, the grades are good for structuring your practice and expanding your knowledge. Grade 8 guitar assumes a grade 5 theory level so it does give you alot. You have to apply it though - The tools are no good if you don't use them...

Also, just to add that if you are looking at the grades, The RGT grades look to be far harder than the Trinity and 'Rock School' equivolents, so RGT is probably the way to go for a comprehensive syllabus...

Good post. Always good for a practice regimen to be focused.

Originally Posted by: Poontang_clan
I usually practice like 6 hours a day and sometimes to 10 max, granted its not all productive all the time but still its been working

what...you grow in the weed in the backyard for a livin'???

I tried adding to your rep, platonic. But you don't have scales for some reason.

He'll be back after a short time-out.

haha Yea 45 five minute stuff? I def. don't play that short a day but then I started thinking I am about 5-8 hours a day and I go from what ever I am feeling I have a great loop pedal and that lets me work on great soloing from sweeping an arpeggio scale to perfecting the free bird solo I am detirmined to be one of the best and I know I have a long way to go so playing anything less then 5 hours a day I think my dream won't come true.

Originally Posted by: UmphreyMcGuitar...I have a long way to go so playing anything less then 5 hours a day I think my dream won't come true.

Be careful... tendonitis will ruin your fun if you're unlucky enough to acquire it, as many have. You don't need to play for 8 hours a day to be great, and if you don't actually focus, you're wasting a lot of time. I've never suggested that anyone practice for more than 3 hours a day (with me having written a structured 3 hour program). I was doing long days for a while before exams, but mostly on the composition element - even then I burned myself out...

Just make sure you're enjoying it...

Originally Posted by: UmphreyMcGuitarhaha Yea 45 five minute stuff? I def. don't play that short a day but then I started thinking I am about 5-8 hours a day and I go from what ever I am feeling I have a great loop pedal and that lets me work on great soloing from sweeping an arpeggio scale to perfecting the free bird solo I am detirmined to be one of the best and I know I have a long way to go so playing anything less then 5 hours a day I think my dream won't come true.

I admire your determination! Hope you make it to becoming one of the very best.

Originally Posted by: AkiraI did 7 hours a day and got tendonitis.

You don't need long practice sessions to be a great player.

Okay, not to sound a like a complete smart a*s, what does it take, seriously, to become a great player? I have no idea. Admittedly, I am becoming a bit frustrated here. It's been 18 months and although I see some areas of improvement, I see more areas of lagging behind in my progress.

Feels like I am unable to focus as I should on practice and training. Almost like I need someone to outline a practice schedule for me that I can actually follow. Ideas?

Originally Posted by: AkiraFor me, being a great player involves just letting go of the whole notion of "I want to be the best guitar player in the world" and just playing.

I don't want to be a great guitarist anymore, I want to be a great musician.

10,000 points for the perfect answer to an overly-simple and silly question!~~

:D :D

I normaly practice from 1 to 2 hours a day. I cant fathem playing for 4,5,7, or 10 hours. Guess my hand, wrist, and fingers fatigue to quickly at the moment to even think of it. Got to say very good post . I learned alot. I normaly switch up alot during practice / noodeling? I'll work on a lesson for a bit then go back to a song I like. Anyways... thanks for the info yall I will defenatly try to impliment these sugestions into my practice... Well except the 10 hour thing. Wife would devorce me...lol

Originally Posted by: hunter6010,000 points for the perfect answer to an overly-simple and silly question!~~

:D :D

I second that 10,000, That's 20,000 points and enough for a Brand New Car!!!!!
Keeping things simple, clean and on time, make your playing worth listening to. So many players spend countless hours trying to master sweeps, four finger tapping techniques, etc......... Which are used in only a portion of most songs (unless you're Steve Vai or something). Some of the best solos recorded come from simple Pentatonic scale improv's with some Hammer-on Pull-off techniques thrown in between bends. These solos are so successful because they allow the emotion from the notes to be heard instead of just a flurry of fast notes played over and over again.

Originally Posted by: hunter60Okay, not to sound a like a complete smart a*s, what does it take, seriously, to become a great player? I have no idea. Admittedly, I am becoming a bit frustrated here. It's been 18 months and although I see some areas of improvement, I see more areas of lagging behind in my progress.

Feels like I am unable to focus as I should on practice and training. Almost like I need someone to outline a practice schedule for me that I can actually follow. Ideas?[/QUOTE]

If you'd like, I'd be happy to have a stab at a practice schedule for you like I do for some of my guys. It won't be very complicated - I'd just need to know how long you can devote to it, and what you already know - email me if you'd like to try it Nick. The one I've posted further up this thread gives an indication.

[QUOTE=Akira]I don't want to be a great guitarist anymore, I want to be a great musician.

Amen... Being a great guitarist is just time and tabs. Being a great musician means so much more IMO...