How Much Should I Practise?

This is a question that new students often ask me. My answer is always the same: as much, and as often as you can. But first, you should be realistic about what practice is, and what it isn’t.

A good practice session must include working on something that makes your playing better. For example, perhaps I've given you a song which includes a chord change that you can't play properly yet. That chord change would be a really good technique to work on. Set the song aside, and focus on the chord change. Strum the first chord, then the second, and repeat over and over until you can do it quickly enough to slot it back in the song. Make sure that both chords sound correct – play only the strings that you're supposed to, and make sure that each of those strings is ringing clearly. If any of those strings are being accidentally muted, or are buzzing, then adjust your finger positions until the problem is solved. Strum each of the chords once only – after all, it’s the finger movements that contribute to the chord change that need the practice, not the strumming.

If you have limited time to practise (as we all do), then make sure that you target your time wisely. Don’t waste time on your party piece – the piece that you love to play, have played many times before, and have no difficulty in playing. By all means do that too as and when you can spare the time, but don't kid yourself that it counts as practice. It’s fun, and that’s one of the reasons why we all play music, and there’s nothing wrong with that, as long as you remember that practising comes first.

Remember that the more time you spend practising in your beginner/improver stage, the sooner you’ll be able to play everything that you want to, as well as you want to. Also, remember that every day that you don’t practise sets your progress back by a week.

The Practice Pal Story

Way back in my early teens when I was learning to play the guitar, the only exams available were for classical guitar. This was all very well, and I did indeed study the classical technique for a while, but my main tastes in music were (at the time) rock music, and all other styles played mainly on the electric guitar.

Some years later, the Registry of Guitar Tutors (RGT) released their series of graded exams for the electric guitar. Now was my chance to gain some accredited qualifications in my instrument of choice, so I began studying for the RGT graded exams.

These exams all have certain requirements: scales, chords and for the intermediate and advanced grades also arpeggios. While studying I wished that I had another guitarist with me, a sort of "practice pal", who could ask me random questions from the grade exam handbooks, for example "please play a one-octave B flat natural minor scale in five different fingerboard positions".

At this time, my day job was as a computer software developer. So, I developed a software program for Windows PCs to take the place of my imaginary prompter, and I called it Practice Pal. Originally, it was for my use only. I discussed it with the head of the RGT, and he suggested that it would make a good product for both students and teachers.

Practicing with the help of Practice Pal gives students the confidence that they know all the scales, chords etc. required for their graded exam. Teachers can also use Practice Pal in lessons, and also in their waiting rooms for the convenience of their students.

The RGT gradually released exams for Acoustic, Bass and Classical Guitars (in partnership with the London College of Music). Each exam came with a new set of requirements, and therefore needed a new edition of Practice Pal.

Practice Pal went on sale, first as a CD-ROM, by mail order as well as in a wide range of musical book shops. Once the internet started to become widely used as a market place, Practice Pal was re-released as a downloadable product. It is available from www.BooksForGuitar.com.

Announcing: The Chad-illacs

Yesterday was a rare full day off from teaching for me. My usual Wednesday students were kind enough to let us arrange alternative times for their lessons this week. I was needed for a rehearsal with a very special new band. We are called The Chad-illacs, and we've been formed to promote the songs of one of my long-time friends Chad Strentz. Chad has been vocalist and guitarist for many years with Paul Lamb and the Kingsnakes, one of Europe's best-known Blues bands. Paul and Chad also work as a duo.

Back in the late '80s, Chad and I were in a band called Shout Sister Shout. We were popular in the British Blues and R'n'B scene, and also made several trips over to Europe. Here's some MTV footage of an early line-up.

Joining us in The Chad-illacs are Mike Thorne on drums and Orlando Shearer on double bass. Mike and Orlando can often be seen providing the rhythm section for Steve West Weston and Jerimiah Marques.

Our music is an eclectic mix of rootsy Blues, Rock'n'Roll, Rockabilly, Soul, R'n'B and Country. We spent most of yesterday rehearsing at the wonderful Rimshot Studio, which is co-owned and managed by Mike and his partner Petra. A top-class recording facility with just the right mix of vintage and modern equipment, I can't recommend this studio highly enough. Click here for their website.

Here's the band's first official photo. From left to right: Orlando, Mike, Chad and yours truly. Thanks Petra for the photo.

Skype Lessons

I've just finished teaching for the day. 8 lessons, and the last one was via Skype. Skype for the uninitiated is video-calling software that works over the internet, so it's like making a video phone call without paying for it (apart from  your internet service fees of course).

Skype lessons are different from face-to-face lessons, due to limitations in the technology. While I can see and hear my student, and he/she can see and hear me, there's a slight time delay which means that we can't play together. I get around this by creating backing tracks which I save as mp3 audio files. These are small enough to be emailed. So earlier in the day I emailed my student a PDF with chord diagrams, chords, lyrics, and notation and tab for the melodic parts. In separate emails I sent mp3 files in a selection of tempos, starting at a nice slow 40bpm, up to 70bpm which is the correct tempo of the song.

This worked well, and I was able to coach my student into play both the rhythm and lead parts of the song. Success! Skype helps me teach anyone around the world, provided that they can speak English. Sadly my language skills are minimal.

Five Classic Blues Guitar Riffs

So here's my first blog post!

The last two days have been exciting to say the least. Yesterday was a rare day off from teaching, so in the morning I rearranged my living room into a video studio, and filmed my new video guitar lesson "Five Classic Blues Guitar Riffs". It looks like I'm making one of my well-known "guitar faces" in the thumbnail below...

Then in the afternoon I took part in the planning of an exciting new music exam syllabus. I can't say too much about it for now, but it'll be big news later this year.

Finally, I went to a jazz gig in the evening, to see the amazing Jim Mullen Organ Trio, as a guest of TS, one of my oldest friends, and a fine, respected musician himself. No bass player, just guitar, organ and drums. While I love the sound of a double bass, or bass guitar in a jazz band, I didn't miss it in this line-up, as Mike Gorman the organist played very solid bass lines as well as comping chords and taking incredibly fast solos. I was happy to see Matt Skelton on drums, having seen him play with Claire Martin last month. Jim Mullen himself is always an entertaining guitarist to watch, with his unorthodox technique.

On to today (Saturday). A few lessons this morning. My first student is only nine years old, but already he's learning Muddy Waters and Howling Wolf riffs, helped by my video lesson above of course.

I was happy to watch the views and likes soar up for my new video, and I also uploaded it to Facebook, so it's getting a good circulation. I really must find time to film some more of these.

Finally, here I am, typing in my very first blog post, and I've just added it to my website. No website generators for me; drawing on knowledge from my past life I use my web development skills to create my website entirely by myself.