Simple Tips to Guitar Practice Success

While we all know that we need to set aside some time each day to truly become proficient at learning how to play the guitar, our busy schedules or lack of ambition tends to get in the way of guitar playing success. Although many tend to fail simply because they don’t have the drive to succeed, many have failed simply because they have been practicing using the wrong guitar playing technique. Here are some simple tips that most guitar players make and how you can avoid these mistakes so you can achieve guitar practice success.

First, guitar players who are just learning most commonly hold their hands in the wrong position. While it may be easy to break a bad habit if it is caught early enough, months of practicing with the wrong hand position can become like a bad habit that is very difficult to break. A poor position of either your left or right hand during guitar practice can create tension when can them make certain techniques much harder to execute. Consistently utilizing poor hand position can also increase your chance of developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, an injury that is quite common among musicians. This injury can be quite debilitating and can possibly bring your guitar playing time to a screeching halt. In order to avoid possible injury, make sure to practice using a “cupped” hand instead of a flat one so as to promote a good relaxed position.

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Second, another quite common problem is rhythm. While some may just have the talent for picking up the rhythm of the music, other may struggle with it, making guitar practice sound more like noise than any form of music. In order to succeed, you will want to learn how to count the number of beats that exist in a given measure of music if you have any hope of playing the piece correctly.  If you can’t keep time, your listeners will have no clue what you are playing, and you have very little chance of playing along with other musicians who may just want to “jam”.

Third, another problem that plagues students in guitar practice is speed. While you may assume that you need to play the song fast in order to play it correctly, playing too fast can prevent you from becoming proficient in rhythm and timing. In order to practice correctly, you will need to slow down, especially if it is a fast lick or strumming pattern. If you play too fast you will not be able to interpret the timing correctly, resulting in guitar practice that sounds more like noise than music. In order to cure your need to play fast, consider using a metronome or drum machine to assist in setting a tempo. As you improve start practicing short “speed bursts” one at a time and continue to increase your speed until you are able to play the whole, lick, riff or measure at the right tempo. Just remember to not sacrifice your hand position, rhythm or articulation for speed. If done correctly you will be playing the songs you love at the right tempo in no time.

Lastly, another problem students have with guitar practice is having the knowledge of what finger position to use when playing notes on the guitar fretboard. While you may think that the easiest way to approach your guitar practice is to jump in with both feet and attempt to play, this approach can result in you becoming quite confused in a short amount of time. Playing the guitar can most commonly be referred to an instrument that is both upside down and backwards. This means that the guitar is played both horizontally and vertically as opposed to other instruments like the piano which are linear instruments. In order to avoid getting confused, remember that down is up and up is down when referring to direction and how it relates to the pitch of the string. 

These are just a few of the most important tips to follow when it comes to achieving guitar practice success. Remember to use the right hand position, take it slow, and practice frequently and you will be on your way to obtaining the skills needed to be the experienced guitar player you have always dreamed of being. 

To discover detailed instructions on how toquickly master impressive skills, such as picking strumming styles, percussive strum, deadening, staccato strum, tricked out scales, hammer-ons, pull offs, transposing keys, vibrato, palm muting and much more, check out Jamorama - Learn Guitar

by Liam Gibson