It’s no secret that practicing anything will make you better at it. Now is as good a time as any to start or get back into a routine with practice! There's so many unique approaches to building a routine and learning.

Today we're featuring our guitar teacher Esther's top tips for practicing the guitar, which is worth a read even if you’re practicing how to cook a recipe or drive a car…

Sporty people can confirm that doing warm-ups before going into the game is crucial. It works the same way for music. Before diving into your repertoire, it’s good to warm up those fingers to make sure they are in tip-top shape. This can be done with various finger exercises that help the fingers become more flexible.

Effective practice stays in our brain. It may seem tempting to plow through the pieces at a million kilometers per hour but that isn’t going to get you anywhere except lead to frustration. Take things slower than you initially anticipate and you’ll be surprised at how much we tend to rush when practicing. A general rule of thumb that I use is that you should be playing slow enough where you can play through the whole song without making big mistakes.

Relaxing is just as important a part of practicing as working on technique. Yes practicing can be tough and there are times where we get frustrated, but that will only make us play and feel worse. Let yourself calm down, by taking nice big deep breaths. Check your posture, you don’t want to play guitar with a broken back or a broken anything to be honest. If your mind is too messy, let yourself think about nothing for a while, clearing your mind and having a fresh start will help you refocus.

The benefits of taking lessons are so that you get the correct information and help you need to propel in your musical journey. Never be afraid to ask for help. Our goal is to get you on the correct path to musical greatness!