by René Kerkdyk

We all have good times and bad times when it comes to guitar practice. But consistency of practice is more important than you might guess. Someone practicing 20 minutes daily progresses much faster that another person that practices for an hour every three days although they invest the same time. The reasons for that lie in the way our brain learns and in the waning ability to concentrate for long periods of time. But that is not the point of this article. Instead lets look at three painless ways to get some practice down even when you don’t feel like it.

Solution #1: Start simple!

Play something you already can play really well for two minutes. Seeing that you already have mastered this will strengthen your motivation to go on. And once you start practicing it’s much easier to continue. Either go for another two minutes with something you can play already or if you feel like it go to an exercise or song you are still learning.  

Solution #2: Play with a drone track!

Go to Youtube search for drone backing track and let it play in the background. Now you should play the role of an explorer of your guitar. Start to play random notes on your guitar and examine them. Do you like this note in relation to the backing track? If so, good. And if not try to find a way to make it so. Perhaps play the note in a certain rhythm or move it up or down a bit. Your goal is not to play fast or even to play good notes, but just to explore the sounds in relation to the backing track.

Solution #3: Invest in yourself!

Sometimes it can be helpful to commit yourself to something holding you accountable. That could be a new guitar pedal. Or you could find a teacher. The best thing about a teacher (apart from his knowledge) is that you feel more accountable to practice if you invest in yourself. That feeling – even if external at first – can get you to get a lot more done.  

Remember starting is the hardest part. Once you get rolling it is easier to keep going.

Have fun with your guitar!

About the author: René Kerkdyk is the owner of the only guitar school in Hildesheim , Germany. He teaches with passion and helps people to realize their guitar playing dreams.