Fun Guitar Practicing Ideas - 118

How do we make the most of guitar practice and not get burned out. Today, I share some great ideas to make your time with the guitar very effective and very fun.

Keeping the fun going while you are practicing can be quite a challenge. Here are three ways to have a great time and still progress on the guitar.

1. Surprise Your Current Audience

During this time of social distancing, we are living in very close quarters with the people in our own home. The are you audience. The hear you practice, even if you use headphones. They are listening.

Sometimes, they may not really appreciate your playing. Try to learn something that they might like to hear. Take a minute to find out what their favorite songs are and plan to learn them. Playing something that makes someone else feel good can turn those negative opinions around. And what is better than using music to put a smile on someone's face.

You could learn the songs that your new audience would like to sing. Everyone want's to be able to sing their favorite songs. Just go to Karaoke once to see what I mean. Learn a few of the songs and invite them to sing along with you. Even if they are embarrassed,  they will appreciate your effort and give you encouragement to learn other songs. 

Another fun thing to do with your practice time to surprise your new audience is to prepare a concert. Being quarantined is very similar to the closeness that family's experienced at the turn of the century. Pick 5 or 6 songs to learn and pick a date and time for your performance. The pressure of getting them together on time is great for progress and it can be a lot of fun. 

Why not take those songs and livestream them to YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook. Share your talent, you will be glad you did!

2. Make Practicing a Game

This is a great idea I saw from a .pdf of Suzuki of America. Go on tour. In this case, the tour is around your house. Try practicing in different places each day. Why not try practicing in every room in the house. A change in atmosphere is always good for the mind and you just might find you learn better in different situations. 

Try practicing outside as well, just not too close to any passers-by.

Try some fun ear training games. Developing your ear is always a great idea and there are some very good websites that have free fun training games for you to try. Check these out:

• Tonedear.com
• Musictheory.net
• Earbeater.com

Get creative with your practice. You could start a friendly competition online. Find a guitar playing friend and challenge them to see who is the first to upload a note perfect rendition of a certain song. Or, you could have joint practice sessions over Skype or Zoom. I know, from my group guitar classes, that learning along with someone else can be very beneficial.

3. Reward Yourself

Try to make practice itself your reward. If you find your day filled with work, home, or family issues, schedule some time to practice at the end of the day. Once you accomplish all of your daily tasks, your time with the guitar can be a very satisfying thing. Plus, you will have a great sense of accomplishment even before you start to practice.  

After a great week of practice, you could reward yourself with a fun guitar movie night. Just pick three of your favorite guitar movies and have a night infront of the TV (with your guitar in hand of course). My picks would be:

1. Sweet and Lowdown
2. Spinal Tap
3. Crossroads

And finally, you can treat yourself the old fashioned way by getting some new gear, having a special meal, our giving yourself a day to just work on your tone. 

These are my ideas to bring an element of fun into your practice. What are your's? Leave me a comment below!