[Creating a Practice Space for Maximum Improvement]

Best is a practice area set aside with the instruments and accessories in place. I don't have that currently and the desert is a dry place. No guitars sit out of their cases, so I always have to get one out. But I have the same routine every time--plus amp or no amp?--so in a few minutes I'm playing in my living room. Best sound! Years of drumming and didging taught me that. Make sure it's a place you like; you'll be there for years. (It took placing drumming before everything but work for years to reach an advanced level.)

If you want to learn to read music, but are resistant, what I did inadvertently was place the books far enough away in so so lighting. I couldn't read the tab, so I had no option (didn't care). Conversely, I bought some brighter bulbs and now would love a nice music stand light. (Any recommendations?) My music stand is of the solid leg orchestral type, which has saved me from a few spills.

The one thing I wish I would have done in my drumming practice was use a metronome. The steady beat drives the train, which exposes inner resistance and helps build a sense of time. I also need to post my immediate goals and start a practice journal. The journal works well with training for any skill. No smart phone so far. My tech is still flip phone. Would "surfitis? prove irresistible? Probably.

Usually I set up my practice area even when I feel lousy or don't want to play the same durn exercise for the umpteenth time. As Steve says, even 15 minutes daily gives better results than weekend or day off binging. Even if a practice session sucks, I keep going unless I feel the familiar "approaching burn out" sensations. Then I stop, wipe my guitar off and pick up.

Rock On!

 

[Why Do You Play?]

I play guitar to share the joy in my heart.