JUST PLAY!!!

We are in the swing of summer now, and we are not focused on daily routines like we are when we are in school. Our summer vacations put our focus on fun and relaxation, and our practicing tends to slip. That’s okay. Do your best to stick to your practice routine, but the most important thing is to just play your instrument. Whenever I was on summer vacation in high school, I didn’t practice like I did during the school year. My guitar class was focused on classical guitar, and at the time it wasn’t my favorite style of music. But in the summer there was plenty of time to learn my favorite songs. This was the time in which I sat on my bed with a cassette player and listened to a song from one of my favorite bands and learned it one note at a time. Of course, most of the notes were wrong, but I loved just playing along with the song. That’s how I developed a lot of my technique at the time. It also drove me to learn more songs on my own. The more I did it, the better I got and the more songs I learned. The more songs I learned, the more fun I had with my instrument. I know it’s hard to find time to practice diligently during the summer, but you should always find time to just play and enjoy your instrument. When your schedule gets back to normal, hit it hard and get back to work.  But most importantly – JUST PLAY!!!!

– Randy Naranjo, M.S., Guitar Instructor