Make a To Do List, Set Some Goals and Focus

How to start making progress again.

It happens to the best of us. We're learning songs, working on technique, feel like we're getting somewhere, and then we hit the proverbial brick wall! We seem to be getting worse instead of better, our motivation's taken a serious hit, and we're starting to wonder if this is as good as we'll ever be able to play. I see and hear this from my students all the time, and experience it myself too.

First things first, take a break.

It sounds wrong, but sometimes the best thing you can do is walk away.  Take a few days or even a week or so and just do something else. My feeling is that we still practice in our subconscious mind, and taking a break is the same as going on vacation and not thinking about work. I've quit playing and working on a song and actually been able to play it better after leaving it alone for a while.

Make a to do list.

Record yourself, listen to how you sound, and make a to do list of things to work on. We're all our own worst critics, so be critical and write out exactly what was good and what needed improvement.

Set some goals for yourself.

After you've listened and critiqued yourself, set a deadline. Decide you'll master what you're working on, and hold yourself accountable. Be realistic and reasonable, but be hard on yourself as well. With a specific time frame in mind, your motivation will definitely improve.

Focus.

Now that you have the to do list and goals in place, work on being in focus. It's way too easy to get distracted, let your mind wander, and play things that are easier and more comfortable. Set a timer and use that as a way to give the song your undivided attention. Work on difficult passages, smooth out the rough parts, and again, record yourself. It's hard to hear progress from day to day, so a recording is a good way to judge where you are and where you still need to be.

Making Time to Practice

How Long Should You Practice, and How do You Find Time?

Beginning students, especially adults, seem to have a lot of trouble finding time to practice. The list of excuses is very long, and I believe I've heard almost all of them by now. Here are some tips to getting yourself into a practice routine.

• Make the time. Yes, that's right, make the time.  Like any other skill, playing guitar takes time, concentration, and commitment. A set time of the day is best, so schedule it like any other important appointment. 
• You're too busy, really? I hear that more and more. Here's a hint: turn off the TV, close Facebook, put the computer to sleep and pick up your guitar. Just like exercise, practicing guitar will become a habit if you do it at a set time each day. 
• Any time spent practicing is better than none. We all need to practice more, me included. The question I get from parents all the time is "how much time should he/she be practicing?" The general answer is 15 minutes or more, the practical answer is as much as possible. You don't have to spend hours, but playing every day is a lot better than 3 hours one day and then none the rest of the week.
• Find a comfortable space to practice in. If at all possible, find a place where you can practice that's quiet, away from any distractions, and preferably set up as a guitar practice space. Having your guitar on a stand is a good idea, since it's harder to ignore it when it's right there in front of you. Invest in a decent music stand so you don't have to waste valuable time locating your music, finding a place to put it, and then finally getting started on your daily practice.

So make time for playing your guitar every day, or at least 5 days out of the 7. If you're an adult student, one of the reasons you decided to learn guitar is most likely as a way to relax and enjoy yourself. Make practicing fun, and devote some time to your playing. Even though guitar can be overwhelming in the beginning, the more you practice the easier it will become. Taking private, one on one lessons is a great way to not put pressure on yourself. Have your guitar teacher map out a plan for you and you'll have no one to compete against, no set timetable, and no pressure.

Building Left Hand Strength and Independence

In order to play for a considerable length of time, your left hand needs to be strong.

Here are a few left hand exercises to help you gain strength and independence in your left hand:

1. Hold down the 1st string, (the skinny one closest to your leg) at the 1st fret and then pick the string.
2. Without taking the 1st finger off of the 1st fret, play the 4th fret with your 4th (pinky) finger. Don't avoid using the pinky, yes it's weak, and yes many people work around it. If you're going to play barre chords and complicated solos, you'll be glad you took the time to strengthen it.
3. Without taking the 1st finger off the 1st fret, play the 3rd fret with your 3rd finger.
4. Without taking the 1st finger off the 1st fret, play the 4th fret with your 4th finger.
5. 1st finger, first fret.
6. Without taking the 1st finger off the 1st fret, play the 4th fret with your 4th finger.
7. Without taking the 1st finger off the 1st fret, play the 2nd fret with your 2nd finger.
8. Without taking the 1st finger off the 1st fret, play the 4th fret with your 4th finger.t

The left hand fingering should be 1, 4, 3, 4, 1, 4, 2, 4. Leaving the 1st finger down through the whole exercise is what makes the strengthening and independence take place. In addition, this exercise promotes the idea of position playing, which is using one finger per fret in a section of the guitar fingerboard.

Do this exercise 2 or 3 times on each string every time you practice, and you'll notice results in a short time. It will make it easier to reach notes and hold them down without buzzing.

How to Keep Getting Better on Guitar

Making steady progress.

Everyone wants to make steady progress on the guitar, but be prepared for times when it doesn't seem to get any better. We all reach plateaus, and sometimes it can be very frustrating. A plateau is just a temporary setback, so try to accept it as that. When I was first learning guitar and later banjo, I remember sitting there wondering if I just ran out of talent or skill, and that was as good a player as I was capable of being. Over the years many students have told me "I think I'm getting worse instead of better." Here are some ways to help you get off the plateau and back to making progress.

Work out the details.

Whether you're a beginning guitar player, an intermediate player, or even a guitar teacher, there are times when it's easier to play what you know and not work on the hard parts! I'm as guilty as anyone, with a list of songs that I've never finished for whatever reason. Sometimes it's a physical problem, sometimes it's mental, and be honest with yourself, sometimes you just don't like the song well enough to finish it.

Physical problems.

I've had students who will complain about not being able to execute a particular fingering, complaining that either their fingers aren't long enough or that the pinky doesn't work. Before giving up, you can try using different fingerings or playing the passage on a different part of the fingerboard. The nice thing about the stringed instruments is that you can play the same note in different places. Maybe you can find the same notes higher up the neck where the frets are closer together. Most students don't take the time to strengthen the pinky, they just chalk it up as not being able to get it to work. Practice some stretching and strengthening exercises and you just might be surprised at the difference.

Mental problems, or, don't think.

Self-fulfilling prophecy time. Here comes that part I can't play. I always screw this part up. I can never get this part to sound right. Sound familiar? Almost any one of those problems can be solved by not over thinking the problem, thereby building self confidence. Guitar is a lot like sports. While talent is important to some extent, the ability to play the part perfectly has a lot more to do with how you perceive it. Get rid of those negative thoughts. If you think the part doesn't sound right, listen to recordings, get your teacher to help you make it sound right, then move along. I have students who can play passage perfectly, but they still come in convinced it "just doesn't sound right when I play it."

Memorizing Difficult Passages

What's keeping you from playing the song perfectly?

Beginning guitar students often hit a plateau where they wonder if they'll ever get any better. This usually happens after a couple months, when they realize what they've gotten themselves into. A mental block forms, and pretty soon they've convinced themselves that "that part doesn't sound right." Sometimes that's true, but a lot of times it's their perception of what it's supposed to sound like.

How to get over it and get on with it.

• Listen to a recording of the song. By listening to a correct version of the piece, you start to understand exactly what it should sound like. The best time to do that is when you're not trying to play the song. I had a banjo song that I learned wrong, and the way I corrected it was to listen to the recording over and over until I knew what it was supposed to sound like.

•  Slow down. I know, it sounds better fast. I also know if you can't play it slow you can't play it fast. Slow, deliberate practice is how you get over the hump and polish up the song.

• Have your guitar teacher play it with you. Learn the phrasing, the correct fingering and the correct dynamics. Practice the trouble part, then the parts before and after it, then build up speed.

• Be patient. Too many beginners try to do too much too soon, and then can't understand why they're not making enough progress. Take the advice above and you'll find that your progress will be slow but steady.

If you have any questions, comments or subjects you'd like to have me address, leave a comment and I'll be happy to help.

Bob Lucas
www.blguitars.net 

How Much Should I Be Practicing?

To make steady progress everyone needs to commit to practicing. The single most important thing is to DO SOMETHING EVERY DAY! If you can only practice for 10 minutes, do it. We recommend no less than 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, but we also realize that sometimes that’s just not possible.  The more days you miss the easier it becomes to not practice. Pretty soon you’ve convinced yourself that you just don’t have the time to put into learning to play. Try to set a specific time to practice each day, and if you’re on a tight schedule practice what will benefit you the most. Each practice session should consist of warmup exercises, picking techniques, working on songs and making practice enjoyable. See if you can play that difficult part 5 times in a row without a mistake, the whole song twice without a mistake, you get the idea. Remember to practice slowly so that you’re not practicing mistakes. Play through the whole song or exercise, then go to the trouble spots and work on those. Not sure what you should practice? Ask your instructor.