Good Practice, Bad Practice

The problem with practicing is that you have to do it regularly. Better to do a little every night than do two hours once a week or so.

The other problem is that there is good practicing, and bad practicing.

Bad Practicing is getting out the guitar and playing a medley of the tunes you know best; all four of them.

While it’s good from the point of view of keeping your muscle memory up (so at least a year from now you might still be able to play them) you aren’t really learning anything.

Good Practicing is taking a song you don’t know, or a riff you haven’t mastered, breaking it down into manageable bits, then starting out slow and l-e-a-r-n-i-n-g how to play it. This requires both patience, and the application of some brian power.

It’s the only way to get any better.


Damn, it’s hard to keep up with though.