Guitar Practice Insights
Get the most out of practicing guitar during the summer months
Many people that feel like it’s impossible to find the time to continue practicing guitar during the summer at the same level they were during the winter. For guitarists, the winter can be a time where it’s easy to grab a guitar and hang out inside practicing for hours. When the summer rolls around however, we all find ourselves doing other activities and it may feel like the guitar is taking a backseat to everything else.
Some of us stop working as hard, slow down on practicing, and maybe even just stop playing altogether. The following tips are meant to provide inspiration and ideas for you to keep up your practice routine throughout the summer so that you don’t get left behind in the fall.
Play or practice outside
This may seem like a no-brainer but practicing outside really does help with inspiration and motivation when the weather is nice. It’s a lot easier to pick up your guitar and play in the sun than it is in a hot room inside when you don’t want to be there!
Take your guitar on vacation
This can be a great time to test your skills out as a guitarist. Print out some lyric sheets for your favorite songs and get your friends and family to sing along with you.
Keep the guitar in plain sight
You are much more likely to pick up the guitar for a few minutes if it’s sitting out on a stand than if you must dig it out of a case.
Make a summer playlist
Make a playlist of all the songs that remind you of the summer so you can learn and play along with them.
Play with friends
Other guitarists and musicians can be great motivators for practicing the guitar and can be a lot of fun to spend time with jamming throughout the summer. This is a good thing to get in the habit of doing any time of the year so why not start now?
Make a list of what you know
Sit down and think about all the things you know right now. Include songs, scales, solos, etc. Make sure to periodically go over this so that you don’t forget anything. If you find yourself becoming rusty on any of the items, make a note so that you can focus your attention on it when you practice.
Be constant in your training
Many people don’t think of this but if you keep up a consistent pace all year round with how you learn, train, and practice on the guitar, you are going to take so much more in and feel less stressed about practicing.
Spend more time practicing
If you can manage to do this, you will be far ahead of most other guitarists. More people stop playing guitar during the summer than any other time of year, and the odds are that once you stop playing for any period that you won’t pick it back up again. Consistently practice, even if it’s just a few minutes a day.
We hope some of these tips will help you stay motivated and inspired to play throughout the summer and even continue with your guitar lessons. You shouldn’t stop learning just because summer is here.