Does Practicing for Hours and Hours Make you Better at Guitar?

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Thanks for watching. Here's the link to the blog article with more helpful links: www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/practicing-for-hours/ If you like these free lessons your can support the channel and site here: www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/donate-support/

[@comfortableovertones]

Thank you for everything you do! I have my newly freshly printed copy of your classical guitar method book volume 1 and the Royal Conservatory Etudes and Repertoire Prep level. It's finally time to take reading music and studying guitar seriously, after 12 years of fumbling.

[@OldManSilencer]

Spending 15 minutes refining a couple measures and transitions to get them to sound good is often better than a full hour of running the piece where you only hit the tricky spots a few times. Practicing also often narrows scope into specifically what you need to work on to be more productive.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

I totally agree, we don't always need to run through the whole thing every time! Sometimes focusing on a couple of measures can get you much farther.

[@jabberwocky4353]

Slow practice frees up your brain to concentrate on tone and technique. My optimal practice time is 1.5 hrs daily. An hour would do but it takes me a half hour to warm up the instrument and myself. If I'm short on time I'll pick a difficult section and slow practice that... obviously quickening the pace as I go.

[@Kristin-pl3sc]

I recently completed Bradford's Classical Guitar Method Volume 2. I'm so very grateful for this course and think I am ready to start studying with an in person teacher. I also just started playing with nails, and feel like a ballet dancer who has graduated to pointe shoes. I love the idea of listening to violin and following the score. Thank you Bradford for all that you do.

[@joemarlow5209]

'before losing your friends and family'. Good fun one Bradford. Keep up the GREAT work!!!

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Haha, when people tell me they practice 4 hours a day that is the first thing I think. Don't forget to give time to friends and family!

[@CalvinLimSH-ld5le]

Practice smart by knowing the name of the music note played and how they relate to music theory, scale, chord or triads, If we can visualize the chord or triad shape movements in any classical pieces then it much easier to play the guitar. Note : Most classical piece music sheet just shows the music notes only without any chord references to what you are playing.

[@robertnewell5057]

There's a lot of time spent on the guitar which simply isn't practice. As you suggest, intentionality is essential, and most people (especially young people) simply cannot do this for long. intentionality is itself a skill which has to be practiced. Nice work with the dog, too.

[@robertbergdahl]

Thank you for all your work. You have created a solid curriculum. Love your dog barking 🙂

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Haha, the dogs actually bark a ton. Usually we put the younger brown one in doggie daycare for recording day.

[@Karen-ve6ds]

This is so helpful, thank you Bradford.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@roycanriz]

A superb programme. Thanks.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Thanks for listening!

[@DanBanan69]

For those frustrated with not improving: it's not uncommon to plateau for months. Months and months go by before you may notice incremental improvement to general technique. I was at it for almost 4 years before some pieces actually started feeling easy and I felt that I had mastered certain basic techniques. Sometimes, you won't be able to play a piece the way you want right now, technique is simply not good enough. Unless you're a masochist (which can work too), leave the piece and return to it later. After a year, it will feel easier, and you may have a better chance at playing it the way it should be played. It's frustrating to plateau, but know that the plateu is a necessary step in improving. Try not to give up, play something else, try a different genre, change your exercises. Be persistent, and progress will come.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

True, but having a good teacher will often help push one past the challenge a bit faster. Also, when one element of playing improves slowly you can always switch to other things and brush up your music theory and listening skills.

[@DanBanan69]

@@Thisisclassicalguitar Yes, having a teacher will be better in almost any respect. I am self taught, although I had 5 hours of lessons online some time ago, they were of great help. During those weeks I was really locked in, having a teacher to answer to and to guide me lead me to very focused practice. Now it's not exactly laser focus, but it's moving forward at least. :)

[@mattmontag3922]

My personal routine is: -30 min chord changes (tricky bossa nova chords and stretchy chords) -30 min tremolo on the B string with a capo on the 5th except the high E to simulate the different levels in the opening part of Recuerdos -30 mins scales (im on the 2nd capricho arabe scale right now) -30 min learn a song (learning bourree 996 which is fairly easy for me but I am memorizing the intricate fingerings on the right hand)

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Nice, you can also check out my lesson on organizing your practice session for a balanced approach: www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/lesson-how-to-practice-music-and-organize-your-practice-session/

[@YvonG4]

useful tips, thank you!

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Thanks for watching!

[@mer1red]

Repetition is important. Much repetition, and I mean much, hundreds of times. Many short practice sessions are better than fewer long ones. If you try something and the first time it fails, but after a few attempts it works, there is no use of continuing it in the same session. Only after some time (one or more hours, a day) your memory fades, and you have to retry the same way. Until it succeeds immediately.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

The repetition discussion is very similar to this one, I have a video on that: www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/lesson-repetition-in-music-practice/

[@THOUGHTFULCLASSICALGUITAR]

I agree about the repetition. But two-thirds of it should be mental practice. And try solfeging melodies and hearing the intervals, at least in the primary melody, both mentally and on the guitar..

[@kelym78]

Excellent, merci.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Merci!

[@davidmiller4078]

In the first couple of years yes

[@tomgutierrez7573]

There are two ways to practice: plain repetition and repetition while improving the basics of technique and seeing that improvement in your playing. This is an investment so that you don't have to practice so much in the future.

[@JVDAfghan]

John Williams reportedly said that he practiced a half an hour a day. Wonder what would have happened had he practiced an hour. Oh well.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Ya, I remember that.

[@robertgregson2299]

So what's the difference between practicing and rehearsal ?

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

I would say there is no difference other than the problem solving being a collaborative effort. It's another case where simply playing the music won't necessarily make the group sound better, or at least, improve very quickly.

[@kvnn17]

Which would you recommend: a Córdoba C10 CD or a Córdoba C9 CD?

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

The C10 give a more traditional sound and I think projects and sustains better as well. But there is nothing wrong with the C9 at all.

[@ClassicalGuitaristWannabe]

I have a similar question about tremolo. I've been doing a lot of exercises for a long time and now my tremolo is coming along nicely. Once one has the knack for tremolo how important is it to continue the exercises or can it be maintained, and improved, by simply playing through tremolo pieces? If one should continue with exercises what is the best one to do? (there are so many) and how often? Thank you.

[@JonasMollberg]

Hi! I would say that many people overlook the importance of the thumb in tremolo playing. It can interfere with the tremolo, especially in the outer positions. Therefore, practice the thumb separately, practice the tremolo with the thumb on the same string as the tremolo, and practice with emphasis on all the different fingers. And of course, practice slowly and strongly.

[@ClassicalGuitaristWannabe]

@@JonasMollberg Thank you Jonas. You make a very good point! For a long time I couldn't work out why I wasn't happy with my tremolo and only when I fixed my thumb playing did it sound good. I think most people see tremolo as the I M A and don't think the thumb plays an important role and which might be letting them down.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

I would still include exercises but just way less of them. Tremolo is similar to barre technique, people often don't include it in their routine but then it suddenly comes up again and they feel they have relapsed. Besides maintaining, I often think that I don't truly know how far I can take something so it's best to always keep exploring it.

[@ClassicalGuitaristWannabe]

@@Thisisclassicalguitar Thank you! Think i'll tone down the many exercises but keep some as a warm-up before going into pieces and return to some should I feel my technique needs polishing.

[@JonasMollberg]

@@ClassicalGuitaristWannabe I also think that pieces such as Recuerdos and Asturias require good "guitar fitness" in addition to mastering the technique. My experience - after almost 40 years of teaching - is that this requires a certain amount of training.

[@TheGeniuschrist]

tl;dr yes.

[@allanwilliams28]

My brilliant teacher Monique told me recently ‘I don’t care how good you are, I just want to hear your music’. Thanks for this lesson.