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Tips for Effective Practice

Lesson #486 • Apr 26, 2023

Hey there, friends! In this video I’d like to answer an audience question on the topic of practice and practice routines. This is one I get emails about fairly often, and until now haven’t ever addressed in a video… until today! I’ll explain my thoughts on what makes for a good practice routine, whether or not you need to work on drills & exercises, how to set realistic goals, suggestions for choosing songs, and much more. I hope you enjoy!

  • 0:00 Introduction
  • 1:11 Exercises - Are They Necessary?
  • 3:12 Consistency Matters!
  • 4:40 How Many Things to Learn At Once?
  • 6:09 Learning Full Songs vs Parts of Songs?
  • 6:47 Setting Realistic Timelines
  • 7:55 Record Your Progress
  • 9:00 Tips for Choosing Songs

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The Question That Inspired This Video

Sent in by Rick G:

I am glad I found you on the internet and signed up on Song Notes – your explanations are always very concise and informative.

I am wondering if you could make a video explaining the best way to practice guitar. I tend to play the same 6 or so songs every time I practice, but never seem to learn a complete song.

Should someone spend a certain amount of time on scales, then on quick chord changes, then concentrate on one song?
 I just don’t seem to have a good practice routine.


Practice Tips from Justin Sandercoe

My favorite online teacher, Justin Sandercoe, has a bunch of videos breaking down the topic of practice. View all his videos about practice here - they’re all excellently organized by Justin on his website! The first few videos of his series are below (as they’re all on YouTube), but again see his lesson webpage for all the extra details he provides.

Setting Your Guitar Goals

Deciding What to Practice

Keep a Practice Schedule


From lesson #467, on the topic of practicing scales. I explain why they are and aren’t helpful, depending on your guitar goals.

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