Developing a good practice routine is essential to learning how to play guitar and improving your guitar playing skills. Like any physical activity, it is a good idea to warm up with some exercises. I like to warm up by playing through scales. I usually start with the Major scale and play through all 12 keys. Then I move on to the Minor scale and play through all 12 keys. I will repeat this process with all the scales and modes I know. I might also throw in exercises of playing scales in thirds. Practicing the connection of relative scales is great finger work and increases your knowledge of the fingerboard for improv purposes, so it would be good to practice this daily as well. After scales, I might run through some arpeggios as well. Now that I am nice and warmed up I can focus on whatever particular technique or song I am working on. Currently, I am working on Travis Picking and Ragtime style finger picking. Once I am warmed up with exercises I play through several songs I have been learning in this genre.
Part of practicing is having the discipline to correct yourself when you mess something up. If you are having trouble playing something it is always good to slow it down. If you can’t play it slow, you will never be able to play it fast. Don’t just play through entire songs or pieces at once. Stop and work on the sections that give you the most trouble. Once you have mastered the troublesome part, then move on.
When learning guitar online it is important not to rush yourself through the lessons. My advice would be to watch a lesson and then practice that lesson for 4 to 7 days. Do not move on to the next lesson until you have mastered the previous lesson. Playing guitar is like any other talent. It takes time, patience, and discipline.
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