You can discover specific techniques that you can practice to improve your skills and become a better guitarist. Practicing technique may not be the most enjoyable activity, but if you want to enhance your playing, it needs to be done.
The correct way to practice technique is to incorporate a variety of technical exercises into your daily practice sessions. Don’t allocate a large amount of time to them, but make sure to set aside some time to focus on these exercises.
It’s also important to consider when you should include these exercises in your practice session for maximum impact. I recommend starting with about 3-5 minutes at the beginning as a warm-up exercise before diving into your main practice. Then, dedicate another 5-8 minutes towards the end of your session to continue working on them.
By this point, you should be properly warmed up and can further improve your motor skills, also known as muscle memory. Always practice new techniques slowly to ensure you can master them without making mistakes. It’s also helpful to use a metronome for timing and precision.
You may have noticed that I mentioned the exercises should be the second-to-last thing you practice. This is crucial. As mentioned earlier, technical exercises may not be the most exciting, so you don’t want to end your session with them. Your mind tends to remember how you felt at the end of a practice session, so it’s better to conclude with something enjoyable that you love playing. This way, your brain will associate guitar practice with fun rather than a chore, and you’ll look forward to doing it again, which is the ultimate goal.
The more you practice, the better you will become. The better you become, the more enjoyable playing guitar will be. The more enjoyable it is, the more you’ll want to play. And the more you play, the more you will improve. Do you see the cycle? Make sure this cycle works for you and not against you by practicing different aspects in the right order and consistently every day.
Manuel Marino is a seasoned Senior Producer, Music Composer, and Artist with over a decade of experience. He specializes in branded entertainment across various mediums, including video games, films, and advertising campaigns. With 20+ years as a game music composer, Manuel has worked on numerous platforms, creating diverse orchestral soundtracks. HIRE ME