Inspiration & Practice
You can’t have one without the other! Stay hungry, feed the beast.
Why are you learning about music? What led you to the guitar? Learning music is a great adventure, but it is not without its challenges. This chapter addresses two of the most important issues which keep most students and, indeed, musicians, on track: inspiration and practice. To make good progress with the guitar and keep motivated, we need to tap into the culture of music and find a practice routine that fits into our lifestyle.
Inspiration
We live in an amazing time. It’s never been easier to tap into knowledge, listen to music, watch musicians play and experience the culture of music. Between radio, television, live music, and the internet, enjoying music has never been easier.
Staying motivated and inspired is just as important as playing with good technique. Your reason for learning the guitar and having music you enjoy listening to, is what will drive you to pick up the guitar and practise. It’s important to stay hungry and feed your musical curiosity. This will encourage you to extend yourself.
Activity: Your Music
As you move through this chapter, take some time to answer questions and investigate your interests. Don’t try to answer all of these questions at once, take your time to explore each question and find an answer that’s meaningful to you.
1. What is the reason you started learning the guitar?
2. Name at least one song you enjoy listening to.
3. Name at least one band or artist that you like.
4. What year was this band formed? Research the background of the band you’ve chosen.
5. Every artist or band was influenced by other musicians. Do some research online and find two musical influences for the band or artist you listed in question three.
The Benefits of Listening Material
Answering questions about the bands or musicians you like is a big step towards defining your interests. Once you know your own musical taste, you can begin to feed your musical interest. Having readily available listening material is an important part of this process.
There are many internet based services on offer that connect you with music to listen to. Possibly one of the most common ones at the moment is YouTube, probably due to the added attraction of video and that it is free. Streaming music is portable and can be personalised to your own taste. As you become more serious about your music, you may want a more specialised service.
Once you have chosen a Music Streaming Service, set about creating your own playlist full of songs you love listening to. If possible, make them accessible to you on a daily basis. Consider listening to your playlist while travelling, exercising or relaxing, and spend time actively listening to each song carefully.
Activity: Your Playlist
6. List here as many Music Streaming Services you can find regardless of their cost.
7. Choose one service for you, even if it is just YouTube.
8. Find two new songs you have been introduced to by your Music Service. List the name of each piece, the composer and its style.
Practice Regime
How do you practise? Without practice you can’t progress, and without progress your musical experience could begin to stagnate. Learning an instrument can be very rewarding, but it’s useful to remember that you will only get out of it what you put into it. While regular practice is very important, practice habits can vary from person to person.
It is recommended to maintain a regular practice regime at the beginning of your learning experience. For the best results, daily practice is recommended in the first few weeks of starting your lessons. If that isn’t possible, try to practice three to four times a week, every second day, for ten to twenty minutes. Obviously, there is no harm in practising more if you want to.
Here are a few suggestions that can help improve the results of your practice.
Consult a Teacher
Practice is as much about quality as it is about quantity. Talk to your teacher about how to practise effectively. Effective practice is all about spending your time practising the right things. Your teacher is the best person to advise if your practice is effective from week to week.
Frame of Mind
Always try to practise when you are happy and relaxed. You’ll be more receptive to retaining what you learn.
Positive Environment
Try to create an environment that is free from distractions, so you can concentrate. Keep yourself away from noise and other activity around the house.
Set up for Success
Make sure that your instrument and all of your equipment is set up and ready to use in your practice environment. It will be easier to practice regularly if your equipment is easy to access. Generally you will need a music stand, instrument stand, a device to play recordings, your books, pencil, metronome and any other accessories specific to your task.
Strategy
Make sure you understand exactly what you should be practising. Ask your teacher if you’re not sure. As a guide, try to recreate your lesson during your practice sessions: start with warm ups, rhythms, exercises, repeat songs and any areas that need attention until you are satisfied that you have made some progress.
Repetition
The only way to learn something is through repetition. Playing something once through is not practising. Isolate small sections in your exercises and pieces that require refinement, and practise them until they become easier. Link small sections together and continue practising them until they flow together smoothly.
Slowly Wins the Race
Take the time to practise things slowly first. Go slowly enough to ensure you are practising everything correctly. Make small increases to your speed with each repetition and only do so when you can play the section correctly. Use a metronome to monitor your speed and ensure you are playing in time.
Regular Practice
It helps to understand how we learn. Learning works best when you practise regularly, even if each session is only 20 minutes long. One practice session a week for two hours is not as effective as regular short practice sessions.
Create a Schedule
Try talking through a suggested practice schedule with your teacher (Figure 28a). This helps you define the commitment you will be able to make to your instrument, and gives your teacher a better idea of how to plan your lessons.
Try to practice every second day.
Link your practice to another activity that will help you remember it.
Keep your schedule flexible to help deal with unexpected changes in your week.
Try putting your schedule on the fridge and use magnets that you can move about to help organise your practice.
To make practice more fun you can print out characters and glue then onto your magnets. A downloadable schedule has been provided here.
