Question:
I'm presently without a Classical Guitar tutor. I want to go over level one covering the bases I missed. These include learning the scales and arpeggios (reading them off the staff), learning about 8 examination pieces, getting very familiar with my fret board, working on my timing and sight reading.
I would like to come up with a strategy for doing this in an efficient manner. My practice sessions are a minimum of one hour four days a week.
Can I get some assistance on how to proceed please?
Answer:
Self- and/or divine-motivation.
I used to practice anywhere between 2 and 14 hours a day depending on my schedule (which was much more open in my youth).
My opinion is that if you have more time than an hour a day to put in, take advantage of it now before it escapes and the busyness of life nearly consumes you.
Answer:
Yes self-motivation is important or else I find all kinds of excuses not to practice.
What I'd like to know if how to use the time efficiently. Learning the pieces seam to take up most of my time, especially when I'm getting the hang of it! I want to balance it off but I somehow seem to get carried away with whatever aspect of practice is most satisfying. That's where I need the help. Some kind of guideline to follow that would help me discipline myself and get the most out of practice.
Answer:
I'm presently without a Classical Guitar tutor. I want to go over level one covering the bases I missed. These include learning the scales and arpeggios (reading them off the staff), learning about 8 examination pieces, getting very familiar with my fret board, working on my timing and sight reading.
I would like to come up with a strategy for doing this in an efficient manner. My practice sessions are a minimum of one hour four days a week.
Can I get some assistance on how to proceed please? [/quote]
I've come up with this plan:
1. Increase my practice sessions to Two hour sessions or more if possible.
2. Break it down into four parts.
- Fifteen minutes for Sight reading each time
- Fifteen minutes for scales
- Fifteen for Scales
- Fifteen minutes for arpeggios
- One hour for learning the pieces
3. The timing can be in cooperated into the hour session for learning the pieces.
I'll try that out for a week and see if it works.
Answer:
There was a season of many years where I practiced 6 - 8 hours a day, seven days a week, and gigged 5 or 6 nights a week on top of that. My musical abilities came to about here (hand lifted about 3 feet off the floor).
Fast forward 20+ years and I'm a father of 4 with a demanding job and little time to practice. In fact I went 8 years without hardly touching the guitar.
There I was, frustrated that I could no longer play the music I was hearing in my heart because my hands were so badly out of practice. However, I began RECEIVING MY MUSICAL INHERITANCE (an inheritance is something you do not work for - it is a gift another has earned). My guitar playing abilities soon were resurrected and in fact surpased the levels I experienced in my younger days - and with a minimum amount of practice time. Now I'd say my musical abilities are here (hand lifted about 5 feet off the floor).
Receiving an inheritance from the Lord is not that difficult. Basically you talk to God and say, "Father, I receive my inheritance from you - that which I have not worked for, but which is a gift from heaven."
Remember, with the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day. So He can make 20 minutes of practice like 8 hours - and visa versa.
You know He loves you. But when you realize He likes you ("I no longer call you servant, but friend") everything changes.
Blessings!