| Is there a best way to practice on your | | | | effective practice sessions. If effective |
| guitar? Of course you have to make your | | | | guitar practice is to work through a long |
| practice sessions effective but could there | | | | list of things to improve in your playing and |
| be a way to practice that is more effective | | | | to practice ten hours a day without |
| than other ways?There are many principles | | | | interruption I guess you can practice too |
| involved in an effective practice session and | | | | effectively.This will mean that you practice |
| I think some of these are:1. A motivation | | | | in such a way that you will get fed up with |
| founded on a love and passion for the music | | | | guitar playing and maybe you will even hurt |
| you can produce on the guitar.2. An | | | | your muscles and develop an aversion towards |
| acceptance of the fact that you must practice | | | | guitar playing for the rest of your life.What |
| on that technical level you have reached.3. A | | | | is real effectiveness when you practice on |
| working knowledge of muscle tensions and how | | | | your guitar?Real effectiveness is better |
| to minimize them when you play and how to | | | | measured by how well your practicing methods |
| work on reducing them when you don't | | | | and results are pointing towards you goals. |
| play.What shall we do until we find the most | | | | Without goals you cannot measure |
| effective way to practice on the guitar?When | | | | effectiveness. The roads to Anywhere are many |
| I was studying music at an academic level I | | | | so to find out if you are on the right road |
| many times had the question messing around in | | | | you have to decide your destination.If your |
| my mind about the ultimate method for | | | | goal is to have fun with your guitar then you |
| practicing on my guitar and other instruments | | | | have a very effective practicing session if |
| I played.A well renowned jazz tenor | | | | you have fun with your guitar. If that is |
| saxophonist who was my teacher in jazz | | | | what you want then it is a worthy goal. I |
| improvisation discussed this issue with me as | | | | guess you could come upp with more specific |
| I asked him and he gave me the most | | | | goals with deadlines so you can measure them |
| intelligent answer I ever heard before or | | | | better. But it is up to you to decide your |
| after. He said with a smile, "until you find | | | | own goals, otherwise the goals will not be |
| out the best way to practice, practice | | | | effective.I hope these words on practicing |
| anyway!"How effective can a practice session | | | | guitar playing will give you some comfort and |
| be?My humble opinion after much practicing | | | | also help you realizing that when human |
| and playing guitar and piano and other | | | | beings like you and me are involved we cannot |
| instruments and also teaching piano and | | | | definitely say how we ought to play to be |
| guitar is that you have to take many things | | | | effective.Human beings are funny things that |
| into consideration like the time available, | | | | sometimes behave like as if they were |
| your motivation level, how concentrated you | | | | identical, but nevertheless they are unique. |
| can expect yourself to be and more.As real | | | | This also applies to guitar players like you |
| growth often is a slow gradual process you | | | | and me. We are different in many ways but I |
| will not very often be able to measure the | | | | guess we want our guitar playing to |
| effectiveness of a practice session by how | | | | contribute to our happiness and joy so have |
| much you have learnt so you have to find | | | | fun and..."until you find out the best way to |
| other ways to find out if you are | | | | practice, practice anyway!"!Peter Edvinsson |
| effective.Can you practice too much or too | | | | is a musician, composer and music teacher. |
| effectively?It depends on how we define | | | | |