Blog – Practice Routine Part 2

Following on from last months blog let's continue with the concept of focused practice!

Focus on the practice sections below

PLAY & WARM UP - 5 MINS

PRACTICE TIME

ACHIEVE - 10 MINS

PROGRESS - 10 MINS

DEVELOP - 10 MINS

PLAY & WARM DOWN - 5 MINS

It's always good to start with a quick warm up...the One Finger Per Fret Exercise is a great starting point for exercising all aspects of your fretting & picking hand. Once warmed up allow yourself to either play some of your favourite licks, riffs and songs etc. Maybe jam to a backing track or recap from your last practice session.

The whole idea of starting with playing first allows you not only to warm up but actually enjoy playing your instrument - a bit like starting a 3 course meal with a dessert!

Once you have got the 'nodding' out of your system it's heads down for some serious practice.

Allow yourself to break your practice routine into 3 sections - Achieve, Progress & Develop - try not to think of this as easy, medium and hard otherwise you will more than likely focus on what you consider easy.

This system simple allows you to chart your improvements so that each time you practice you have achieved a goal, progressed on a technique, song etc and begin to develop a new idea, lick or riff etc.

Over your next coming practice sessions you will see how 'that riff or technique' than you have been practicing and developing will be become a goal you can now progress on, until in the following days, weeks or months it has become a goal that you are now able to 'nail' thus achieving it! Before you know it 'that riff or technique' will become part of your warm up!!

By focusing your practice time in this manner you can chart your own personal progression and will be less likely to hit 'the wall' or hear yourself saying 'I'm not getting anywhere!'

How long you warm up and practice each section is entirely up to you! Allow yourself to switch between each section - so a few minutes on achieving a lick, riff etc then move onto developing a song, lick etc then a few minutes on progressing something else from your last practice routine - mix it up!

This allows you to keep your brain active as well as stay focused thus not getting bogged down on the same techniques, etc for + minutes

Enjoy!