Guitar Practice Essentials ~nadeauguitars.com~ Here are a few suggestions to help you get the most out of your practice time and lessons.
1. Staying in tune. If you don’t have one already, purchase a guitar tuner. You can find them for as little as $15. Read the instructions carefully and learn how to use it. If you need help with this, bring it in and I will teach you.
FREE guitar tuner software: Download this software, plug your guitar or mic into your PC (you'll need a 1/4" to 1/8"(miniplug) adaptor for electric guitar, or just use your PC microphone) here is the link: http://bigrockeng.com/apgt.html#Tune It's written for Win95/98/NT.. But if you're on XP you can still use it. When you get an error message after you try to install it, just click "Ignore." That's what I did and it installed just fine. The software works fine, just make sure you have it set to STANDARD tuning (It can do MANY type of tunings.) Also- you have to keep picking the string each time you adjust the tuning.
2. Keeping proper time is VERY important in making music. Buy a metronome. And it doesn’t have to be one of those fancy wooden models the piano players use. A compact digital metronome costs about as much as a cheap guitar tuner. Some guitar tuners even have a metronome built right in. Or, you could have your mom tap on a cup with a spoon for a half-hour. But she might get a little tired of that.
Another great alternative is to download FREE metronome software that will keep time for you right on your computer. It is totally adjustable and has realistic drum sounds! Here is the link: http://www.download.com/Weird-Metronome/3003-2133_4-10153027.html?tag=tab_rev You'll need to sit near your computer to use it. You will also need speakers hooked up or headphones to hear it.
3. Learn your Fretboard! Advanced students should eventually memorize all the notes on the entire fretboard. Learn them a few frets at a time.
Download the FRETBOARD WARRIOR- full version. It's a cool FREE software game that will measure your skills.
4. Practice 30 minutes every day.
This is the most important thing you can do to get better on your instrument. The effect of practice is cumulative. It builds over time. It’s not like cramming the night before a big test. Your skills build up the more you practice consistently. Don’t wait until the night before your lesson to try to get all your practicing in. It doesn’t work that way. I can usually tell if you haven’t practiced. So be honest with yourself.
Find a quiet place to practice where you won’t be distracted- by the TV, little brother, etc. You need to FOCUS.
Take a little time to review the things you already know how to play, but spend most of your practice time working on the things that you DON’T KNOW already. This is the ONLY way to make progress. You can’t get any better if you spend a half hour every day playing only “Ode to Joy.” Though you will eventually play “Ode to Joy” really, really well, it will be the only thing you can play well.
How can you tell what things you need to work on? The songs that give you the most difficulty are the ones you need to practice more. This is where many students go wrong. They say “Oh, that song is too difficult. So I will practice this other song that I already know.” WRONG. It is the difficult song that needs your attention. Work on it one measure at a time until you get it right.
Use your metronome to make sure your timing is correct. Set it at a slow tempo and don’t go faster until you can play the song cleanly and consistently (at least a few times) without any mistakes. Then you may increase the tempo a little.
