Q and A

Note as of May 2021, during first draft: Nobody has actually asked me any questions yet, but if I saw something like this out in the wild, these are the questions that would likely pop into my skeptical head. I’ll update this with real questions should I ever get any frequent ones. jz

Why is this method different than other methods?

This isn’t so much a “method” as a collection of different tips and tricks you can use to make your practice routines more effective. If you already have a routine or a teacher, everything here should hopefully complement that.

Which techniques should I use?

See the intro of Part III - Practice Techniques for some ideas. I’d probably start with Rhythmic Variations and Chaining.

My favourite technique is not listed here.

Please let me know in the Feedback and Questions. I’ve tried to include things with a minimum of redundancy, but maybe I’ve missed some thing obvious I would be very interested to hear it!

My teacher/favorite guitar instructor on YouTube/favorite player doesn’t use any of these techniques.

I believe that these techniques are useful, but after some experimentation, you might not agree. That’s fine. These techniques are not a replacement for any existing practice routine you might follow. If you already have a successful routine, and you are happy with your progress, that’s fantastic. But if you are not sure how to practice, if you can’t seem to define a and effective routine, or you are not making progress, the kind of progress you want, then maybe some of these ideas will help.

I doubt that Eddie Van Halen/Yngwie/Paul Gilbert used any of these techniques.

Good point, and some or all of what is outlined here might feel overly analytical to some or to you. I’ve been playing for a long time, but I am not I would not consider myself a natural. For the players mentioned above, they may have been they may be wired differently from the rest of us, and happened to find the secrets for their technique by instinct, rather than consciously. If your instinct leads you successfully, then you probably don’t need practice tips. Unfortunately, instinct and enthusiasm can sometimes lead you astray, and you need to spend some time thinking about things.

Why should I listen to you?

Good question! I would prefer that you look at these as a set of ideas or questions you can ask yourself as you search for what works for you.

No one can really teach you how to play. They can observe and give feedback and demonstrations, but the hard work is up to you, and to integrate everything into your physical and mental playing.

I hope that you will look at everything in here as a starting point, or supplement, for your own experiments and investigations.