Accelerate Your Guitar Playing
By Mike Hayes 
First, define your objectives
and determine your approach. These objectives may change as you progress, but a
goal is important before starting to play the guitar.
Begin by forming good study
habits. Part of your study will be physical performance and part will be
mentally engaged in the study of theory, listening to recordings, tapes and the
radio, watching television, Internet and watching live performances. You will
be talking to other guitarists, students and professionals, studying in classes
and with private teachers and of course via online guitar courses, guitar
training software etc. You will also be improvising. All of these activities
will give you valuable information and experience, increase your skill, broaden
your scope and develop your insights. Keep an open mind and learn something
from everyone you meet ...even if it is not what to do!
The following suggestions
should help you in your study and practice:
Never practice or study when
you are tired or worried. Relax a bit before you begin. If possible study in a
quiet place where you can be undisturbed. Have a music stand adjusted to your
eye level when you practice, and make sure that you always have good light.
Form the habit of studying in a regular place and at a regular time.
Several short study practice
periods on successive days are usually better than one lengthy period of study.
A little study every day is better than spasmodic, inconsistent study. Use
various ways of making yourself think about what you are studying. If you are
looking at a printed page of notes, try to imagine them on a guitar finger
board and vice versa.
Form the habit of mentally
reviewing every page of music you study before going on to the next one. See
how much of it you can recall and try to remember it. When you have learned
something make use of it as soon as you can. The sooner and
more often, the better. If you have learned fingerings for a few new
chords so that you can play them even slowly, make up an exercise or song that
involves these chords and has you shifting from one chord to another often. It
is not enough to learn about something. Unless you utilize this information it
does not become a part of you.
When you have completed a
reasonable amount of material, take time to summa
Self Study
To correct poor study
conditions, consider thoughtfully each of the questions below and write
specific answers to each one. Then decide what you can do to correct each of
the things wrong with your study conditions. Make notes of these and correct
them.
1. What can you see on your
desk, music stand, or through your window that distracts you?
2. What music, talking or other
noises are disturbing your practice and study?
3. What is wrong with your
position or posture when you practice or study?
4. Are you sure your lighting
is adequate? What is wrong with it?
5. Is your work space large
enough and arranged well?
6. What materials do you lack
for effect study?
7. What time of day is most
difficult to practice or study? Why?
8. What worries or special
interests divert you from studying?
Effective methods of practicing
or studying, of themselves, will not suffice. Careful planning also is
essential. Lay out your work systematically before you begin. Each individual's
time, facilities and desires are personal matters. Just be sure to adopt some
plan and stick to it as conscientiously as possible.
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Mike Hayes is a guitar
teacher, author, performing musician and session guitarist with over 30 years
of professional experience. Find out more about how to learn guitar fast with
his popular free ecourse, available at: => http://www.GuitarCoaching.com |