Achieving Focus With Your Practice Time ~ Part I

by Nick Layton

Do you ever feel like you are working very hard at developing your guitar playing skills, but yet don't seem to be making any progress? You want desperately to play as well as your favorite players and so you buy more books, download more tab, etc. That doesn't work so you increase the amount of time you practice, but you aren't sure what to practice so you try and practice a little of everything… or maybe a lot of everything.

Sound familiar? Well, I can relate. In my years of practicing, teaching, and performing, I have learned a lot about what practicing is all about. I have learned what works for me and what doesn't. Had I known years ago what I know now, I would have saved myself a ton of time and frustration. In this article, I will share with you some ideas that can help you achieve great clarity and focus with your practice time, and get you on the fast track to reaching your musical goals.

But before we can get into any real discussion about developing better practice strategies and achieving focus, we need to address one thing first — DESIRE. You either have it or you don't… and if you don't, it is up to YOU to get it.

I have always set my sights high. I work hard to try and be as good or better than my musical heroes, not because I want to impress others, but because I want to reach my full potential.

The reason I bring this up is because I believe that before you can achieve anything great, you must first have a strong desire to do so. Check yourself here and be honest — do you have a strong, burning desire to make progress on the guitar?

Ok, if you are still with me, then what next? After desire we need clarity about what we want to achieve. Think about what your ultimate goal is. Do you want to be a virtuoso electric guitarist? Do you wish to be competent in a few different styles? Do you want to write a hit song and be famous?

The answer to each of these questions leads to a different path and ultimately to a different way of practicing. I believe a lack of clarity is where many people get side-tracked. In order to have the sort of focus that produces consistent results, you must first have clarity in your mind about what it is you really want.

Of course, I can't tell you what you want or should want -- that is entirely up to you. But allow me to offer you some ideas that may help you decide. Ask yourself these questions:

• What kind of music would I choose to play if no-one else was listening? Sometimes having an audience is a great thing because music is a powerful form of communication. But what resides in your soul? What experiences, thoughts, emotions do you want/need to express for your own satisfaction, regardless of audience?

• What do I really love musically? What kind of music, guitarists, bands, etc.? What really gets me pumped up when I listen to it?

If you know the answers to the above questions, think about which skills you'll need to improve in order to play the type of music you love. Hopefully, you'll see that by asking these questions, you will get to the heart of what you really want, which has everything to do with your desire.

I struggled with my own direction and purpose until one day I read an interview with Yngwie Malmsteen. He was talking about the fact that he has always just played what he loved. He didn't waste his time by studying jazz or fusion. He didn't spend time developing his finger-picking skills. He didn't try to become more “well rounded” by studying many different styles and techniques. He simply learned from the music he loved. He developed the necessary knowledge, skills, and techniques required to play the music he desired. It became obvious to me that Yngwie had the right idea. His results speak for themselves. In my opinion, Yngwie is one of the greatest electric guitarists in history, and his drive to achieve greatness came from his desire because he followed his heart.

Once you determine what it is you love and what inspires you, surround yourself constantly with that music. You'll want to focus in on developing the skills you need to play the music YOU love immediately. You can always branch out later if you want, but for now just focus intensely on developing these skills. If you are unsure about which of your skills need work, a qualified teacher can be invaluable. Find a teacher that specializes in the music you love.

Put into action the steps outlined in this article and watch your enthusiasm, focus, and sense of purpose — as well as your progress — skyrocket!!

In Part II of this article, I'll help you create a practice plan based upon your desires and goals.

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