How Much Do I Need To Practice?
I get asked this question a LOT. And to be honest, sometimes it bugs me…
Why?
It seems to me that they are implying that guitar practice is something negative. Like a chore. And that can be a problem. Because unless practice is something that you look forward to, then learning guitar will always be an uphill battle. The best players that I know love practicing guitar. And they have spent countless hours doing it. And that's why they are so good!
So I guess one answer to this question might be "As much as humanly possible". But this answer doesn't give you the reality which is…
It Is Impossible To Answer
The truth is this question is impossible to answer. It depends on factors like…
- Your musical goals. Someone who wants to reach a virtuoso-level of playing would need to do a LOT more practice than someone who only wants to learn a few "campfire-songs".
- How long you want it to take. If you want to reach your musical goals quickly you will need to practice more than if you are happy for it to take a long time.
- Your practice quality. If you don't know how to practice effectively, then you would be better off NOT practicing. You will be programming excessive muscle tension into your muscle memory. If you do know how to practice effectively, then you can probably reach your musical goals with less practice.
- Your past musical background. If you have learnt another instrument in the past, then you will probably progress faster on guitar with less practice.
- Natural Aptitude. Some people seem to naturally have a high degree of "physical intelligence". They are more "in touch" with the physical sensations of their hands and fingers. And this allows them to progress at a faster rate. These are the people that you love to hate.
My Hard-Ass Rule For Guitar Practice
If you decide to use my Melbourne guitar tuition services, then I'll need you to do a minimum of 45 minutes practice daily. If you can do more, that's fantastic. But anything less than 45 minutes is totally unacceptable. (I'm a hard-ass, I admit it). But here some reasons that I insist on this minimum…
- I only want to teach people who are serious about improving their guitar playing. If you are unwilling to do at least 45-minutes practice a day, then you just aren't serious about getting good. If you think you can get good without practicing then you also probably believe in Santa Clause and the Tooth-Fairy. And that's cool. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. I just won't teach you.
- I don't want you to waste your money. It seems crazy to me that someone would pay their hard-earned money to get lessons and not practice. I would feel bad taking your money if I knew you weren't practicing.
- I want you to succeed. I care about your progress and want you to improve your guitar playing. And the 45-minutes minimum helps you to make steady progress. (There are plenty of guitar teachers who will keep on taking your money even if you don't improve. But I'm not one of them. If you don't keep on practicing, then I won't keep on teaching you. It's that simple).
- It's an achievable amount of practice for almost anyone. Even if you work a 9-to-5 job, then 45 minutes a day is more than achievable. And if you honestly say that it's not, then please read reason 1 again.