Getting the most from your practice

It can be hard to find time to practice for hours a day.  However, less can sometimes be more. The key to improvement is consistency

Rather than cramming 2 in hours on a Saturday, try 20 to 30 minutes 4-5 days a week. That way you will retain what you have practiced from the previous day and will be able to monitor your improvement.

Below are some tips to help you get the most out of your practice sessions.

Fail to plan, plan to fail

We are all creatures of habit. If you know when you are going to practice over the week you are more likely to stick to it. Find a time of day that is best for you. I am more constructive in the morning. I give my self a time slot for the week and everyday I get up, make myself a coffee and get my practice in. Those that fail to plan, plan to fail.

Making sure you have small goals.

If you are practicing a challenging sequence of chords, rather than stumbling through the progression, split it down and practice 1 chord at a time.  Then practice the transition from the first chord to the second. Do it slow and repeat with any other chords. This could mean working on a 2 bar sequence over the course of a week. The chord changes will get cleaner overtime if you are consistent. This might feel like you are not getting anywhere fast, but trust me, over time this makes a huge difference in your playing.

 How to achieve your goals – Putting pen to paper.

Writing your goal(s) for the practice session/week will make your practice more constructive.  Write down when you are going to practice and what it is you need to work on. For instance if you are trying to learn a hard chord sequence your goals could be,

·      Practice going from the G-D chord (slow) - 5mins

·      Practice going from A-Em chord (slow) – 5 mins

·      Practice going from G-D-A-Em (slow) – 10 mins

The above could last for one session or two weeks.  Obviously there is going be some noodling (technical term) and the times wont be exact. However if you have a plan you will get more out of each practice session and you will be able to monitor your progress.

Good luck and Keep practicing

Mike