How to Practise

by John Davison

www.pontefractguitarlessons.co.uk

Practise makes perfect.

While this popular saying is true in most situations, in Guitar playing we need to adapt it slightly.

Practising the right thing makes perfect.

So what’s the right thing? This bit is easy. Exactly what is printed in any of your Guitar books/professional materials from a Guitar Tutor. It sounds simple. In essence it is. This is where you have to be strict with yourself. If you’re instructed to use your little finger – use it! If some is shown using alternate picking – alternate pick it!

Practising Chords

• 1. Play the full chord exactly as written
• 2. Play each string individually to make sure everything sounds clean
• 3. Change between chords WITHOUT taking your fingers off the fretboard
• 4. Once you become comfortable with particular changes work on ones you’re not so good at
• 5. Use a metronome in 4/4 time. 4 beats on one chord then change to the next for 4 beats, keep it going!
• 6. Make your own chord progressions using the Key Signature sheet

Practising Strumming

• 1. Hold your pick properly. Don’t try to crush it and don’t have too much stuck out
• 2. Keep your wrist nice and relaxed
• 3. Get into tapping your foot and keeping your strumming in time
• 4. Practise with a metronome (Keep that foot tapping though!)
• 5. On the faster strumming patterns keep a constant motion going (up/down/up/down) and vary when you hit the strings
• 6. Don’t TWANG the strings, just scratch the pick over the strings

Practising Scales

• 1. Slowly! No! Slower than that!
• 2. Ok, now slow it down just a bit more
• 3. Concentrate on getting your fingers as close to the frets as possible
• 4. Keep each note the same duration
• 5. Are you practising a scale or a position? Remember there are many scales within 1 position
• 6. Metronome time! Start new scales slowly around 80bpm is ok once you know the scale

Practising Lead Playing

• 1. Legato, Bends, Slides, Vibrato, Staccato……. The fundamentals
• 2. Work on 1 technique at a time
• 3. Use a backing track in a Key Signature you are familiar with
• 4. Dynamics, Speed, Phrasing & Repetition
• 5. Advanced techniques
• 6. Using all 5 positions of the Major/Minor and Pentatonic Scales
• 7. One string solos
• 8. Distorted, Overdriven, Delay, Chorus – all are Cool but try playing clean solos too!