Approach to Practice
From the beginning you should set yourself a goal. Many people learn guitar because of a desire to play like their favorite artist (e.g. Eric Clapton), or to play a certain style of music (e.g. Rock, Blues, etc.). Motivations such as these will help you to persevere through the more difficult sections of work. As your playing develops it will be important to adjust and update your goals.
It is important to have a correct approach to practice. You will benefit more from several short practices (e.g., 15-30 minutes per day) than one or two long sessions per week. This is especially so in the early stages, because of the basic nature of the material being studied. In a practice session you should divide your time evenly between the study of new material and the revision of past work.
It is a common mistake for semi-advanced students to practice only the pieces they can already play well. Although this is more enjoyable, it is not a very satisfactory method of practice. You should also try to correct mistakes and experiment with new ideas. It is the author’s belief that an experienced teacher will be an invaluable aid to your progress.
This book shows you where to put your fingers and what techniques to use. Practice the examples on your own, slowly at first then try playing to a metronome set to a slow tempo, such that you can play the example evenly and without stopping. You will find that you can gradually increase the tempo as you become more confident.
