How exciting it is that we have reached 2021! Last year was a rocky one, but let’s start this year as positive as possible, and what better way than improving your musicianship and taking your guitar playing to new levels? I find that each year it is important to reflect on areas you can improve musically, as it will make the next year even better.
Here are 5 things you can do better in 2021…
1. make time to practice
Practicing can be so rewarding but it is very easy to put off. Making it a priority in your life and dedicating at least 20 minutes a day to it will get you fast results. Make sure you’re not going to be disturbed, and enjoy the process!
2. stop comparing yourself to other guitarists
Youtube has endless videos on it of guitarists of all ages playing amazing stuff. who cares? I certainly don’t! It’s great to use this as inspiration to get better, but don’t let it get you down that someone can play faster than you, or they know more. remember how far you have come and keep focused. There is no secret to getting better at guitar, You just need to practice the right things and work hard!
3. make learning fun
are you practicing on a cheap guitar through an amp that sounds horrible? Are you playing on a guitar that has had the same strings on it since you got it? do you have a dedicated space to practice music? Take a moment to organise your practice space and get your guitar in working order. use backing tracks on youtube to make practicing fun and play along to songs. Buy music books and expand your knowledge. Work through them and learn at your own pace.
4. create a practice diary
buy yourself a little notebook, or use the notes app on your phone and write down a plan of what you need to work on. practicing is simple: you practice the things you need to get better at. Split your practice diary into groups of warm ups, scales, improvisation, chords, songs you’re learning, songs you’re playing, arpeggios and anything else you can think of. document what you worked on and what you still need to practice. repeat this each day.
5. become an all-rounder
keep pushing yourself to learn more things. you need to progress through different scales, chords and arpeggios etc. adding new ones you don’t know. You should also be learning different styles of music, jazz, blues, rock, pop, punk, metal and everything in between. You also need to be improving your ear, playing along to songs, jamming with other musicians, working on improvisation and using everything you know to create musical ideas. there is so much to be working on, just make sure you don’t ever stop learning, as your potential is endless!
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