www.1001TopWords.com |
Guitar Practice - Make It Your Priority!
Every student realizes that guitar practice is important if they wish to become a better musician. Even so, many have trouble establishing a regular practice routine. Other responsibilities have a way of squeezing them into a work-a-holic lifestyle, leaving little room left for personal pursuits. Even teens and children are over-stretched these days with school and other extra-curricular activities. So, what's the secret to creating an effective guitar practicing schedule? The answer: MAKE IT YOUR PRIORITY! That may sound simple to some and impossible to others, but it is absolutely imperative to becoming a good guitarist. Giving something priority simply means to put it before everything else in order of time and importance. Now, it's always easier to set priorities when there is a desire to accomplish, or reach a specific end result. So, having a goal in mind when practicing the guitar, will help you to maintain your focus and provide a sense of purpose too. According to the Scribner-Bantam English Dictionary, the word "Practice" means: - to work or pursue as a profession In order to make your guitar practice a priority, try thinking of it as you would your job or school work. By this, I don't mean it should be a drudgery, but an important necessity. Schedule a time each day to practice your guitar, and stick to it. Be firm in your decision. Mark it in your appointment book, or on your calandar. You will begin to notice an improvement in your overall ability when you practice the guitar on a regular basis. There will be times when you seem to leap forward, and other times when you don't seem to be getting anywhere. But understand that the guitar is one of the most difficult instruments to become really proficient on, so you will need to guard against discouragement. I have a friend who plays piano, cello and violin. She decided to take up classical guitar and confessed that it was the most difficult instrument she had ever tried to learn. So, you may want to keep notes on your progress for personal encouragement as well as an incentive to persevere. Commitment and determination are two of the most important keys to success in any pursuit. Talent and natural ability are a definite plus, but many talented guitar students lack discipline. In order to succeed, you must learn to cultivate and nurture your natural abilities through regular guitar practice. Skill is developed by continually honing, experimenting and perfecting your gift. Don't just take it for granted, be willing to work hard. All great guitarists have this one thing in common- they made guitar pracitice a priority! So, get yourself started in the same direction by keeping these things in mind... 1. Make your guitar practice a priority Above all else, enjoy playing the guitar and learning new things- have fun! Think of your guitar practice as an adventure. With so many different guitar styles and techniques, there will always be something else to discover. Life is short, so make some time to do what you love and be happy! FREE Reprint Rights - You may publish this article in your e-zine or on your web site as long as you include the following information: Kathy Unruh is a singer/songwriter and webmaster of ABC Learn Guitar. She has been writing songs and providing guitar lessons to students of all ages for over 20 years. For free guitar lessons, plus tips and resources on buying a guitar, songwriting, recording and creating a music career, please visit: http://www.abclearnguitar.com
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Make Money with Your Music ? the Top 5 Ways Songwriters dream of making their living by writing, and sometimes performing, their songs. But until that day comes they've got to make a living somehow! Sound familiar? Music for Corporate Entertainment For many years I have supplied music for and played in bands that provide music for corporate entertainment. Clients have included Audi, The Evening Standard, Sainsburys, P.C. World, Safeways, Large corporate clients at Henley and Ascot, I.T.V. and H.M. Treasury. Because of this experience I felt it would be relevant in putting down some pointers in helping clients choose the right kind of music for their particular corporate entertainment. The King of the Delta Blues Singers - Robert Johnson Still Stands at the Crossroads Probably the most enigmatic Singer and Guitarist of the twentieth Century is now one of the most revered and respected of all Musicians who make up the Genre of the 'Blues'. I speak of course about the wonderful Robert Leroy Johnson. Born in 1911 in Hazelhurst, Mississippi, in a Deep South plantation, he, in his pitifully short life, has become one of the founding Fathers of the Blues. Choosing a Jazz Band for Your Party In many years of arranging jazz bands for all sorts of events I am struck by the similarity of how the request is made by most of our clients. New Age Piano Playing and the Sustain Pedal There are 3 pedals on most pianos. The one on the left dampens the strings and makes the sound come out softer. The one in the middle - I have no idea what that one does, but the one on the right - the sustain pedal - this one is the pedal I have my foot on when I play the piano. Killer Piano Playing Secrets of a Chord Addict! I wish you could have seen me play the piano when I was just learning. I was the nearest thing to "hopeless" that you could imagine. I was into baseball, not music ? and my heroes were Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Ted Williams. (And by the way, I still have a picture of those 3 guys on my wall.) My dream was to hit baseballs like them, not to play the piano. Free, Legal Music Online Almost everyone has heard about the massive crack down on Internet music piracy that has been occurring over the past few years. Napster was taken down (although it has now returned as a pay service), other file sharing programs now require users to pay for a license and the RIAA and other similar organizations are doing their best to hunt down copyright offenders and put an end to their crime sprees. The consumers on the other hand argue that their actions hurt nobody, that there is no damage done to anyone by their not buying an album. Furthermore, they claim, MP3s allow them to sample a CD before purchasing it, thus actually helping sales. The Didjeridu In Northern Australia the Didjeridu is seen as a phallic symbol and therefore a male instrument. Women are prohibited from playing. 10 Ways for Unknown Musicians to Get the Word Out When Clear Channel controls the radio and the monopoly newspaper doesn't like you, how do you win over new audiences? Right Hand Guitar Playing Tip This lesson can open for you a secret of high-speed guitar playing. If take the given technique for 2-3 weeks you'll feel progress in high-speed playing of complex passages. Origin of Erik Saties Gnossiennes The 'trois Gnossiennes' (1890) is a set of dance-like pieces of similar character, like the earlier composed 'trois Sarabandes' (1887) and 'trois Gymnopédies' (1888). The 'trois Gnossiennes' were first published by Satie as a set through Rouart, Lerolle & Cie. in 1913. Tips for Buying Digital Pianos and Keyboards Buying a digital piano could be a very delicate attempt, especially if you have no idea about pianos in the first place. This article is written to help you out how to choose the best digital piano. Tips on Performing Your Music for Others Have you ever dreamed of performing a piece you created for others. Imagining that they are captivated and held spellbound by the music? If you have, you know that it can be a long road from actually coming up with something, practicing it, and then giving it to an audience. In my own case, I had a good opportunity to perform. It was in a coffeehouse that already had a decent piano. Top 7 Donts for Successful Improvisation 1. Don't try and make something happen. Trying blocks the creative flow and will result in blocks. Music, the Spiritual Connection All through the age's music and spirituality as served hand in hand. As for instruments, the earliest is presumed to be, percussions from noisemakers to drums. Creating Stark Atmospheres One of the things New Age pianist George Winston is known for is what he can do with just a few notes. In fact, in his piece Colors/Dance from the CD "Autumn" he uses an ostinato pattern in his left hand to create a wonderful stark mood. Alternative Sales Sources for Your Music Following, is a list of alternative sources that may be interested in carrying your music for sale for their particular clients and customers, if only they were aware of your music. Music & Intelligence: Will Listening to Music Make You Smarter? Will listening to music make you smarter? Will learning to play a musical instrument make your brain grow larger than normal? The Future for Independent Record Labels Small independent record labels are facing a different fight today to obtain a share of the music industry. The best possible means in which small labels were able to get their CD's sold vanished in 2003 when Southwest Wholesale Records and Tapes closed the doors. The ability to have their music placed in a position to be sold along the same shelves as the major record labels is becoming increasingly more difficult. The absence of competition on the shelves has generated an increase in profits for the major labels. What can smaller more nimble labels do to compete with the major labels? Say Something The music of Rush influences and inspires, at least that's what it's done for me over the past 25 years. Now, the question is, is the music that powerful, or am I just too easy to inspire? Both I guess. |
© Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |