The one thing that has stood out as being the most important in my years of learning music is the simple notion that "practice makes perfect". And in today's rushed world where a lot is expected of musicians, I don't think this could be any more relevant.Practising something as vast and complex as guitar requires a lot of time, effort and concentration to be put in, if you want a positive output. My idea of practising runs on a simple formula which you may know already: Skill = Practise + Determination + Time + Effort + Fun.
If you want to be the next Santana, Satriani or Hendrix, then it comes as not surprise that you need to practice. But practising is just half the battle won.
In order to benefit from practising, you need to apply the five factors that equal Skill - Practice, Determination, Time, Effort, Fun. By having the determination to succeed, putting in a lot of effort, having fun and enjoying playing guitar, and practising on a regular basis, for a regular amount of time, you will surely be on your way to guitar-god status.
A good way to speed-up your playing prowess is to practise every day. But don't just practise for the sake of it, as I've mentioned above; enjoy practising. Furthermore, allocate a set amount of time that you know you'll be able to keep to. For example, set aside an hour a day to practise. Then, create a schedule for each day of the week's practice sessions. An example would be practising scales and chords on Monday, current songs on Tuesday, new songs on Wednesday etc.
I would reccommend, though, that you practise scales and pentatonic lead boxes every day. Not only will they become drilled into your brain, but they'll help in building finger dexterity, enabling you to play at faster tempos.
So keep practising, enjoy practising, and let practising elevate you to guitar-god status!
