Mastering the Guitar: Structured Practice Sessions for Intermediate Players

As an intermediate guitarist, yoursquo;re likely experiencing a rut, feeling stuck and not making the progress yoursquo;d like. Structured practice sessions can be a game-changer in guiding your journey to mastery. This article delves into creating a well-organized, effective practice schedule to help intermediate guitarists like you break through this plateau and truly master your instrument.

Establishing a Well-Structured Repertoire

Getting to the next level requires intentional practice. Here's a breakdown of how to structure your 60-minute practice session:

Repertoire 20 minutes

Your repertoire can be organized into four categories:

Songs you havenrsquo;t started learning yet but want to learn and have the material for: transcriptions, video tutorials, backing tracks, etc. Songs yoursquo;ve started learning but donrsquo;t know entirely and are still making mistakes with. Songs that you know in their entirety but lack confidence with. Songs that yoursquo;ve mastered and know inside-out and back to front.

Your goal is to turn category 1 songs into category 4 songs. In a 20-minute session, you should work on a category 2 song for 10 minutes, play through a category 3 song for 5 minutes, and play through a category 4 song for 5 minutes. For example:

Spend 10 minutes working on a category 2 song. Play through a category 3 song for 5 minutes to build confidence. Practice a category 4 song for 5 minutes to keep it fresh and use as a reference.

Avoid overcrowding your repertoire. 3-5 songs is an ideal number. Once a song enters category 4, you can add another song to your repertoire. Practice with a backing track or along with the song to make it fun and provide context. Use a spreadsheet or file system to track your repertoire, categorize each song, and include links to related material so you don't waste time searching for tutorials and tabs.

Transcribing 20 minutes

Transcribing is a powerful way to deepen your understanding and technique. You can use software like Guitar Pro or Transcribe! to aid this process. However, you can also use YouTube settings to slow down the video playback to 0.5x to figure out what is being played.

What to Transcribe

Songs from your repertoire. Videos you come across on YouTube, which can be a goldmine for learning new techniques. Licks of your favorite guitarists. Consider creating "guitarist profiles" where you choose a handful of guitarists you really dig and commit to learning to play like them. The goal isnrsquo;t to be a clone but to learn from them to form your own unique style.

Creating a Focused Practice Environment

Create a folder for each guitarist yoursquo;re learning from and put associated transcriptions yoursquo;re working on in each folder. In your downtime, listen to music by these guitarists. When you come across a lick you like, take a screenshot of the song and the time the lick appears at. Name the file with the song name and the time the lick appears at, such as [song name - time the lick appears at].

Practicing Transcribed Material 20 minutes

This process is very similar to the one we use for repertoire. Instead of working on entire songs, focus on licks. You can categorize licks in the same way:category 4 licks should not just be played through to stay fresh but experiment with them as well. This is how you develop your own voice.

Conclusion

By structuring your practice in this way, yoursquo;ll be able to target specific areas of improvement and break through the intermediate rut. Embrace a disciplined and focused approach, and yoursquo;ll be well on your way to mastering the guitar.