Guitar Lessons in Philadelphia
How to practice playing the guitar
Guitar players aren’t born with technique. It is developed over time through repetition and muscle memory. Practicing guitar is equal parts technique (training your fingers to do what you want them to do) and theory (learning where your fingers can go and why).
Guitar practice requires:
Consistency
You can achieve more progress playing for one hour every day than playing for the entire afternoon once a week. What you focus on during your practice time can vary throughout your development as a musician.
Commitment
As with learning any other craft, it’s easy to get frustrated at the beginning when progress doesn’t seem to happen fast enough. Be patient and commit to practicing regularly.
Creativity
Whether you’re practicing in the dark, upside down, or setting goals for how many times you can transition between chords seamlessly, getting creative with your practice can make it more fun and take your ability to new heights.
Collaboration
A guitar is often paired with other musical instruments, and practice is no exception. By collaborating with other musicians in your practice, you’ll not only learn how to approach guitar music with a band, but you’ll also get to see how other people approach their craft up close.
Learning to master the guitar takes years of practice and dedication. It requires patience, time, and a love of music. Don’t rush yourself, learn at your own pace, and know that the longer you spend understanding how the instrument works, the more you’re discovering about how to master it.
When you’re starting out, it’s natural to want to play your favorite songs and artists. After all, these are the people who inspired you to pick up the guitar in the first place. But if you want to become an artist, a musician with your own unique voice and style, learning those riffs and solos will only take you so far. It’s a great way to develop technique and gain an understanding of how and why your heroes play the way they do, but a true artist doesn’t merely copy influences, he or she finds a way to expand and transcend them.
Technique
Practicing guitar technique will make it easier to take the ideas in your head and heart and get them out into the world for others to hear, but it’s the ideas themselves that matter most. You could strap on a guitar for the very first time, not knowing a single note, and if you have the conviction to write and play a song, you’re already an artist.
The best way to get motivated to practice is to first, take lessons. Taking guitar lessons will not only teach you how to play, but it will also teach you how to practice and what you should be practicing. A great guitar instructor will lead you to your goals and pave the way to greatness if you put in the work.