Struggle knowing what to do

General Music Discussion
#1

Hey,
I play the guitar a fair amount and feel I’m at a mostly comfortable level in terms of playing ability. I struggle a lot with knowing what to practice to get better technically, so what I’ve been looking for for some time is a solid practice routine. Is there anybody that can help me out?
Kind regards, Elliot

#2

I’d review the Dr. Noa episode here to guide structure of practice and fill with things you want to learn

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#3

I recommend focusing on music that you want to play but can’t yet. Get better at things that you care about and do it in the context of making music, rather than playing exercises.

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#4

Charlie Parker Omnibook

#5

Frank Gambale’s Chop Builder has been very helpful for focusing on technique/speed/endurance. It’s intuitive while being pretty exhaustive. Also a good mental workout as you add on sections.

#6

One thing that really helped me was separating practice into different categories instead of trying to improve everything at once. I usually spend a few minutes on a warm-up, then work on one technical skill like alternate picking, legato or chord changes, and finish by learning songs or solos I actually enjoy. That keeps practice from feeling repetitive and gives me something tangible to apply the technique to. I also record myself every couple of weeks. It’s surprising how much you notice when you listen back, especially timing and dynamics. Another thing is to practice slowly with a metronome and only increase the tempo when you can play cleanly. It feels slower in the beginning, but I found it leads to much more consistent progress than constantly pushing for speed. Having one or two clear goals for each week also makes it much easier to stay motivated.

#7

Nope. This is a really bad idea.

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#8

I don’t have a concrete answer but here are some pointers on how, why and what to practice:

  1. Timebox your practice. “Just” one hour of focused practice can make a huge difference as one’s brain can only take so much information at once anyway.

  2. Record yourself and make it public if possible.

3.What do you mean by feeling “comfortable”? Is it that you can play even the most complex stuff or that you simply can play well enough for the style you like, even if it’s not too challenging? There’s no wrong answer here and defining what you want to achieve as a musician will probably give you all the answers you are looking for.

4.Learn how to sing. I’d argue singing is a fundamental skill for any musician and the typical excuse of not liking my own voice is not an excuse.

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