How to Practice Guitar Effectively

How Long to Practice

Practise every day for at least 20 minutes. Regular daily practice is far better than trying to play for several hours once or twice a week. The more often you play, the better you will become. The secret to becoming a good player is to keep practising each technique a little at a time until it becomes completely natural.

Start playing everything slowly before going on to the next section. Make sure you can play each piece of music correctly and evenly before going on. Go back to anything you did not understand and try it again. If something seems to slow down, return to it and play it at the correct speed before going on to the tunes on the following pages.

Where and When to Practice

Practise in a quiet place where you will not be overheard — this will make you feel more confident. Nothing is worse than having someone listen while you are learning to play. Be patient. Make sure you can play each piece smoothly at the right speed before going on to something new.

Even if you are at a stage where your playing does not seem to be improving, keep going. Start playing everything slowly. If anything seems too difficult, do not be discouraged. If your playing does not seem to be improving, your playing will gradually get better and better all the time, even if it is a simple tune or a couple of chords.

The 5 Rules of Effective Practice

1. Flex your fingers first. Warm up your left-hand fingers to make them ready to play the notes and make the chord changes you need. This loosens them up and prevents injury.
2. Check your tuning and re-tune your guitar if necessary. Practising on an out-of-tune guitar trains your ear incorrectly.
3. For a few minutes, practise using all your left-hand fingers at the 4th (little) finger fret positions. This will strengthen your 4th finger ready for playing when you need it.
4. Practise something new, or something you do not play well. Slow you down in a tune, then relax your hand and play the notes or chord changes slowly until you can play them without hesitating.
5. Finally, play music you already know. Even when you are playing for fun, practise them correctly. Even when you are playing something you do not play well, practise them separately until you can play them without any mistakes or bad habits.

Building Your Practice Routine

A good practice session follows a clear order: warm up first, then work on technique, then tackle something new or difficult, and finish by playing something you enjoy and know well. This structure keeps sessions productive and ends on a positive note.

Plan your practice to make the best use of your time. Do not try to do too much at once. If anything seems awkward, practise it a little every day and it will gradually become easier. As long as you practise regularly and correctly it will soon become easier.

Chord Changes in Time

A stroke (/) after a chord name means the chord is to be repeated. Play the chord once for each stroke. Speed up gradually when you can change chords without pausing. Make sure you play each note at the right place and each chord at the correct number of times — even if you miss a chord, keep going and catch up on the next one. Never stop playing to fix the melody or even the whole tune, then sing or hum with the chord backing in your head.