Practice Lessons

What does practice mean? Is it the monotonous repetition of certain exercises and chords and scales? Is it the same thing day in and day out? If there's one thing on which we can all agree it's that there is a difference between practice and play.

A Question of Balance By David Hodge Everyone has his or her own idea as to what constitutes "practice." But if there's one thing on which we can all agree it's that there is a difference between "practice" and "play." If the reason we practice is to get better, then the way we practice should be designed with this in mind. Let's take a look at why and how we practice and see what we can do.

Recharging Your Batteries By David Hodge For every hour of practice that you somehow manage to squeeze into your already crazy schedule, Carlos Santana gets to play two or three (or four or five or six) a night. And he (already) is what, thirty to forty years of experience up on you? No wonder it’s so easy to get discouraged. Might as well quit now if you can’t be the best.

Rehearse and Rehash By Dan Lasley Some recent emails have given me the idea to review the importance of rehearsing as a band, and how to get the most from your practice time. These are some general suggestions for you to adapt to your own band's abilities and temperament.

Getting The Most Out of Your Practice By Jimmy Hudson Never use tablature as a crutch again. Follow Jimmy Hudson's advice about properly practicing, along with a practice schedule that is used in most music schools.

The Art of Practice By Logan L. Gabriel Ever since you have started your instrument you have no doubt heard everyone say practice, practice, practice. Well, what does that mean? Is practice the monotonous repetition of certain exercises and chords and scales? Is it the same thing day in and day out? My answer is hardly not. Practice, like your instrument needs to be practiced.

Guitar Practice Organization and Procedure By Jamie Andreas When we think about what makes a good guitarist/musician, we think about dexterity, good ear skills, or even a comprehensive grasp of theory. How about simply being organized? Jamie Andreas points out how organizing is essential to the guitarist. This is a great read for all guitarists regardless of skill level.

How to Practice By Len Collins Practice means progress, simple really. People ask, How long should I practice for each day? The answer: You should be playing guitar non-stop all day.

How To Turn a Christmas Gift Into a Success By Len Collins Len brings us a wonderful Christmas gift with his article about what to do with that guitar now that you have it. This is a very inspirational piece which should give you all sorts of resolutions for the upcoming year.

How To Become A Better Musician By Creating A Balanced Practice Schedule By Mike Walsh We at Guitar Noise are proud to present Mike Walsh's first piece for us - an overview of the ways a balanced practice regimen can get you on track for improving your playing.

A Guide To Developing A Practice Session By Jon Doucette There's much more to this piece than it's title! Jon, who goes by his nickname Kido on the Forum pages, was kind enough to include a detailed explanation of the use of tetrachords and interval study that he uses in his practice routine. I think you'll find a lot of good material in here no matter what your level of play!

The Metronome - A Love/Hate Relationship By Logan L. Gabriel Logan Gabriel reintroduces us to the metronome - friend and foe of all guitarists. Logan has some wonderful advice on how to make the most of using this essential piece of equipment and make the most of our practicing.

The Art Of Practicing - How To See Real Results By Chris Standring Chris Standring of playjazzguitar.com makes his Guitar Noise debut with a wonderful piece about how to get more out of your practice. He provides a very detailed, step-by-step process that will help you to see results in your playing.

How The Pros Practice By Rob Gravelle There are a number of differences between professional and amateur musicians and Rob Gravelle gives us some tips from the pros about practicing. You'll find some great advice here no matter what level you currently play at.

Improving Your Chord Changes By Graham Merry Getting better at making chord changes is an early goal for every guitarist. Graham discusses how using the art of visualization can help you develop smooth chord changes, both in learning new chords and in practicing the ones you already know.

The 80/20 Law - Maximum Results With Minimum Time By Tom Hess Have you ever noticed how some players, who practice less, seem to make more progress than others who practice more? In his latest article, Tom tells how Pareto's Principle, also known as The 80/20 Rule applies to guitar players and how you can use it to get better in a short time.

Maximizing Practice Efficiency By Mike Philippov First time contributor Mike Philippov, another student of GN mainstay, Tom Hess, brings us a very detailed look into the nature of practicing. You will find a lot of insight, inspiration and practical advice here.

The Metronome - Meet Your New Best Friend! By Rob Gravelle Everyone wants to get their playing tight and solid, rhythm-wise. Rob Gravelle returns to the pages of Guitar Noise with some great tips for working with your metronome instead of having a frustrating time with it.

Bassist Victor Bailey on Making Good Music By Helena Bouchez Guitar Noise welcomes writer / bassist Helena Bouchez to our pages with the first of a series of discussions with prominent bass players. Here, renowned bassist Victor Bailey (Weather Report) muses on how to go about making good music.

Making Practice A Success - Part 1 By Tom Hess Far too often, our practice habits don't help us to improve. Tom Hess explores a vital way of approaching your practice sessions, and it should help you improve your playing very quickly.

Organizing Practice for Better Results By Tom Mariotti In his first of hopefully many pieces for Guitar Noise, Tom Mariotti looks at how to go about organizing your practice sessions in order to get the most out of the time you put into them.

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