Article Avenue - free articles and downloads - Developing A Good Guitar Practice Routine

by Jerry Lunsford

Developing a good practice routine is essential to becoming a better guitarist. Many whose progress is either slow or non existent may be linked to their practice routine, or lack of one. While practice can make perfect, it's better to say that practicing perfectly will make you perfect. I want to introduce you to a daily routine that will speed up your progress.

You will need four things:

1. Metronome
2. Book of scales
3. Easy level songbook (of your style of music)
4. A notebook

The metronome gives off intermittent beeps at different intervals depending on what tempo it is set at. If you set it at 60 beats per minute, it will beep 60 times in one minute. It can also be set to different notes such as single or whole notes, eighth notes, triplets....etc. It will help you to develop a perfect tempo.

A book of scales or at least learn the fingerings of the scales in the style of music you wish to play. For me it's blues and flamenco. So for the blues I would practice the minor pentatonic and blues scales up and down the neck. This is just not overall good practice, but it will also prepare you for when you want to begin to improvise your own music. So when your good you'll be ready. That's why I say, make it in the scales of the music of your choice.

I suggest a easy level song or instruction book for two reasons. One. It gets boring spending all your time practicing. And two, you'll want to see the benefits of your practice routine. As for the easy level, the songs are easy to finish, easy to perfect and will also help give you a sense of accomplishment rather then to choose a more advanced music book where you may become frustrated at your progression.

A notebook is essential in documenting your practice routine. With it you will log what scale, song or some form of practice you are working on and at what tempo. Also, outline where you are having problems which will allow for you to focus on trouble spots rather then spend time on things that you are proficient at. Now lets put all this together into a daily practice routine in the order in which they should be performed.

To help you become familiar with the fretboard and to get your hand used to fretting in different positions, I suggest you start with the chromatic scale. The chromatic scale basically covers the entire fretboard going up and down the strings in order. Set your metronome at 60 bpm. Put your 1st finger on the 1st string on the 1st fret. Pick the note then 2nd finger 2nd fret picking that note then 3rd, then 4th. Then move your 1st finger to the 2nd fret, pick that note and your 2nd finger will then be on the 3d fret. Continue doing this until your 1st finger is on the 12th fret. Then start moving back up to the 1st fret. Then do the same with all other strings. If you do well at 60 bpm move up to 70, then 80 and so forth. But only move up to a higher BPM if you are doing good without error. Record the results in your notebook so you will know what to do for your next practice session.

For instance. If you had various problems such as missing notes or not fretting the note properly where it rings out clearly. Or maybe difficulty with the 5th and 6th strings or 11th and 12th frets. You would document this stating exactly what the problems were so you could focus your next practice routine on those areas. Then you would log at what BPM you had the metronome set at for that practice. In this case it would be 60. Because of the difficulty you had you would stay at 60 until you could do the entire chromatic scale without any mistakes. Now lets work on scales.

When first starting with scales learn the fingerings of each pattern of the scale. For instance. To practice the first pattern of the minor pentatonic scale you would do the following. Set your metronome at 60 bpm. Put your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the 6th string. Play the note, then use your 4th finger on the 4th fret of the 6th string. Then 1st finger, 1st fret 5th string. Then 3rd finger, 3rd fret, 5th string. Continue this until your 4th finger lands on the 4th fret, 1st string. At this point play that note again then head back the way you came until you end up with your 1st finger back on the 1st fret, 6th string. Do this over several times at 60 bpm until you perfect it.

Then take the next pattern of the scale staying in the same position and do the same thing with that pattern as you did with the one before. Go through all scale patterns several times or until you perfect them. Document the results in your notebook. If you had some difficulties, state what those difficulties were and for your next practice routine you would focus on those difficult areas. But once you successfully perfect all scale patterns in the first position at 60 bpm move your 1st finger down to the 4th fret and do the same in this position as you did at the first. Do this all the way down to the 12th fret. Then start over at the first fret moving your bpm to at least 70 or 80 whichever you can handle. These scale exercises will develop the fingerings for the type of music you will play. Now get out your songbook.

If you are a beginner and like the blues you should have a blues beginner level instruction manual or an easy blues songbook. The instruction manual is what I suggest for the beginner, as it has various exercises with introductions to music theory. Again. Go through the book documenting in your notebook your successes and failures. When you get to a song, go through that song working one measure at a time until you can play through the entire song at tempo and without stopping. Even as you progress through the book come back to those songs you first learned and play through them at least once. This will not only help you to perfect the song but will also help you to perfect your technique. Perfect everything that you do. Once you have completed all of these exercises which should take no more then 15 to 20 minutes, you will have in your hands a good practice routine.

In closing, to get the most from your practice time be consistent with the manner in which you practice. If you find the perfect way to fret a note, do it that way from now on. If moving your hand a certain way produces good results, practice that movement over and over again. And do not move forward with any concept or exercise until you have adequately learned it. Otherwise, as you advance, you will not have learned some basic principal that will be necessary for you to move forward. You'll continue to be stuck in a beginner's level until you do learn it. But if you continue with a serious practice routine, you will in no time develop your skills beyond the typical guitarist. One last bit of advice. Enjoy what you're doing, and have fun with it!

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Article By The Self-Taught Guitarist - A website dedicated to the self-taught guitarist. With guitar tips, articles, helps, free lessons, and suggested gear to help you to succeed in teaching yourself to play the guitar. TheSelfTaughtGuitarist.com