I've been playing guitar for close to 30 years but I just started playing piano about 1.5 years ago and I came up with this way to learn. I started it with piano but I have also applied it to guitar and I feel it works well at any level. Here's how it works:
Step 1: Set a minimum amount of time to play, this can be any amount you can handle but I wouldn't go under 20min per day, 1 hour a day works great when you're starting out though.
Step 2: Play 5 days a week minimum, play more if you can but don't go under 5, this is the most important step.
Step 3: Have things lined up to practice. I keep a list of songs I want to learn on my phone and a list of lesson articles in my bookmarks or I go to the next Lesson or Etude from The Syn Gates School. Or just play the songs you know, play them with backing tracks, or solo over backing tracks, play what you want and have fun. This is important too, if you don't have anything to practice you are less likely to practice so if you miss this step you'll also miss step 2.
Step 4: Be goal oriented in that if you play 5 days you achieve your goal for the week, pat yourself on the back, crack open a beer and spark a J. Do not be focused on getting better, if you play enough you will get better but you won't get better if you don't play enough.
Step 5: This is optional but if I follow this schedule for a year I buy some new gear, a new guitar or amp, or whatever. I also say if you miss a day or week here or there because you go out of town or your grandma dies in a freak jet ski accident, take some time to get over it but get back to playing as soon as you can, Grannie would have wanted it that way.
Step 1: Set a minimum amount of time to play, this can be any amount you can handle but I wouldn't go under 20min per day, 1 hour a day works great when you're starting out though.
Step 2: Play 5 days a week minimum, play more if you can but don't go under 5, this is the most important step.
Step 3: Have things lined up to practice. I keep a list of songs I want to learn on my phone and a list of lesson articles in my bookmarks or I go to the next Lesson or Etude from The Syn Gates School. Or just play the songs you know, play them with backing tracks, or solo over backing tracks, play what you want and have fun. This is important too, if you don't have anything to practice you are less likely to practice so if you miss this step you'll also miss step 2.
Step 4: Be goal oriented in that if you play 5 days you achieve your goal for the week, pat yourself on the back, crack open a beer and spark a J. Do not be focused on getting better, if you play enough you will get better but you won't get better if you don't play enough.
Step 5: This is optional but if I follow this schedule for a year I buy some new gear, a new guitar or amp, or whatever. I also say if you miss a day or week here or there because you go out of town or your grandma dies in a freak jet ski accident, take some time to get over it but get back to playing as soon as you can, Grannie would have wanted it that way.
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