Making Practice More Fun

Students and parents often ask “what should I (or my child) go over during practice sessions at home?” Usually, instructors will remind their students to always review the material covered recently in lessons. This material normally consists of songs, exercises, or etudes included in a method book.

Many students don’t realize that not only should they remember to practice the method book material to ensure steady progress in lessons, it is also a great idea to have some extra fun at home and work on learning music not included in the method book. I’ve noticed that some students will come to lessons prepared with their method book music, as well as a fun song, riff, or chord progression that they learned on their own at home. These students almost always make faster progress in lessons and have more fun playing their instrument at home.

Guitarists, what I recommend for some fun “extra” practice is going to YouTube and typing in your favorite song title along with “guitar lesson”, “guitar tutorial”, or “how to play”. Here are some examples: “Poco Loco guitar lesson”, “How to play Iron Man”, or “Sweet Child O’ Mine guitar tutorial”.

You’d be surprised at the number of helpful and entertaining videos that can get you playing the music you’ve been itching to learn. Just remember, always use your “extra” practice as a supplement to your method book practice, and not a replacement!

Happy practicing,

Jake Ramirez
M.M., Guitar Instructor