Daily Practice Routine -- Advice Needed

Dear Experts and Professional Amateurs,

I am trying to build basic techniques and skills: What are awesome ideas for establishing effective daily practice sessions?

How should I begin each session and spend the most time?

How much time should I allow for scales, chords, modes, arpeggios, playing to sound tracks, learning songs, etc?

**Most specifically, what are “best practices" to use for daily practice sessions?

**What should I choose to practice if the most I have is 30 minutes to practice during the day?

Thank you, in advance, for thoughtful comments or creative ideas. I am eager to maximize my practice time. -- Steve

It depends on what you want to achieve with the instrument. Guitar is very versatile, you can go in several directions with it. Meaning that each different direction is going to have a different practice routine.

This guitarist, Rusty Cooley...:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Eo1bXom2I

...Is going to have quite a different practice routine than this guitarist:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98y0Q7nLGWk&feature=related

Or this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rylMKcXWiIA&feature=related

So perhaps let us know what you want to achieve and we can try to point you in that direction.

Thank you for those You-Tubes examples!

I wish to play for my girlfriend and myself. However, I wish to play at a picnics and birthday parties, too.

I think I am going to want to play ‘by ear’ because I intend to play along with my stereo, iPod, or whatever.

As for styles, I want to play along to the music of Yes, John Mayer, The Black Crowes, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Journey, and Simon and Garfunkel -- to give you an idea.

British rock and Blues-rock is my interest, but I want to play jazz chords, as well.

I appreciate you time and energy!

Steve in Akron, OH
39

Ok, so probably a good place to start is to learn a handful of songs. Essentially, whatever you practice, is what your going to get :p

So if your looking to entertain small groups of people with simply your singing and guitar (assuming your wanting to sing and play) than thats what you need to practice. Learn some songs through tabs, and just start playing and singing along with the albums.

Eventually, you'll get to a point where you will start writing your own stuff.

As for theory, this website is a good place to start.

Take this with a grain of salt,
30 minutes a day x 7 days a week.

Day one and day two probably work on things like scales. Learning the intervals of the major and minor scales. If you're not aware yet, you will notice that a C major scale is the same pattern (intervals) as a E major scale. You're just starting on a different note. Same theory applies to ALL the scales. If you learn the pattern of a given scale major, minor harmonic minor etc etc, then you can play that scale it in any key, just start on a different root note.

Perhaps on day 3 and 4, you might want to focus on chord progressions. Try to understand how chords and chord progressions relate to scales.

And on day 5 and 6 you might do a "put it all together" type thing where you work at trying to come up with something musical between chords and scales and let all that information soak in. Experiment a bit.

Day 7 you might start trying to learn the songs you're aiming at playing.


Hope this helps give you some creative ideas!

Splitting it up over the week is a new concept to me. I will try that.

I will employ both suggestions.

Your time (and typing) is noted and duly appreciated.

I appreciate you guys! Thanks!

Steve
39
Akron, OH

Sure no problem. I hope it helps... I tried to be creative with only 30 minutes a day and how you could get max efficiency out of it.

As a side note... Not sure I could stick to that schedule. So, if doesn't work for you, you'd not be alone. :p