Practiced today. Did not record. Focused on memorizing the chords I've learned so far. (Note, chords are Major unless otherwise noted) Pretty good with G C D A. A minor is OK, E minor is OK. D minor is a pain in the ass. It's a hard chord for me to form because my fingers aren't flexible. I have to form it from the bottom up; I can't form it from the top down. I shouldn't complain; I haven't even hit the F chord yet in my lessons.
I'm averaging about 2 practices per week. I'm not happy with this, but I'm having trouble finding time to practice. You'd think that finding 20-30 minutes, tops, every day wouldn't be so hard, but it is.
George Hrab, musician and podcaster extrodanaire, says in episode 38 of his Geologic Podcast that, when he practices, he breaks it up into several short sessions throughout the day. So, he'll do lots of 15 minute practice sessions in one day rather than one big session.
I'm wondering if I can apply this to my practice schedule, but in 5 minute chunks instead of 15 minute chunks. Like do scales before work, do chords at lunch, and play around with melodies and songs after dinner. It couldn't hurt to try.
I'm especially enamored with the lunchtime practice idea. Nobody near me stays at their desk during lunch, and without the amp, it should be pretty quiet. Not sure if I should try to ask the brass first, or just go for it and wait for somebody to complain.
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3 comments:
I'm a fairy average self taught guitarist, but when I was learning chords I found it worked well to set a relatively small goal and finish when you achieved it. It keeps the practice light, you get to end on a high note, and you can start with it as the first activity on the next practice to reinforce it. Short practices also tend to help avoid learning bad habits that come from having tired/sore fingers when you're starting out.
Thanks for the feedback and the encouragement!
You're welcome :)
Of course, having said all that, you should really do whatever works for you, and that'll probably change over time.
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