How Much Should You Practice?

I get asked this question a lot. I think, as usual, that the answer to this depends on the individual.

If, like me, you find yourself uncontrollably in the grip of the guitar, and find it difficult to put it down once you’ve picked it up, then I’d say you need to be measured and deliberate in how you spend your practice time. It’s actually possible to be playing the guitar without actually moving yourself forward in any particular direction (other than perhaps warming up the fingers). What I mean by that is, unless you’re pushing forward, and attempting to play something that is currently beyond your ability, then you are probably regurgitating. Playing something over and over again that you can already do has limited value, but I’m not suggesting it has none.

It’s actually possible to be quite organised in your practice. I think that having a series of time oriented goals is a good thing. If you’re just starting out with playing chord shapes, then it might be a good idea to learn how to swap a simple E to A Major chord once every four beats with a metronome set to 60 beats per minute (BPM). The following day, you could step up the BPM to 65 or 70.

These tasks that you set for yourself, (or your tutor sets for you), will of course change as you progress.

People who need more guidance

If you are the parent of a child who is having guitar lessons, if they are young enough to accept your suggestions and follow them, then I would insist on a bare minimum of 10 to 15 minutes every single day. Little and often is better than doing it all on the night before the lesson, (or just before you come to the lesson).

Progress is guaranteed if the work that has been set by your tutor has been done.