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