When teaching guitar, I like to break down songs and techniques into smaller more manageable parts. So I thought it would be a good idea to break down my teaching philosophy into 5 areas that will help beginner students maximize their practice time. Here are the 5 best ways for beginners to improve at guitar.

1. Practice 15 minutes every day. Set a timer and practice no longer than 15 minutes, but practice for 15 minutes everyday.  It’s not too hard to fit in 15 minutes of practice into the day somewhere. 15 minutes over 4 days is better than an hour once every 4 days.

 2. Learn to read rhythms and practice strumming. Setting a strong    foundation in rhythm is vital for success in guitar playing down the road. So many issues arise as a result of a lack of understanding rhythm.

3. Learn the notes on the fretboard. There are a few methods for learning the fretboard notes and it’s a good idea to employ all of them. Being able to “see” the notes on the fretboard will take you very far.

4. Learn to play simple melodies by ear. This will greatly improve your ear for music and help your ability to learn songs faster. It can be tricky at first, but very rewarding.

5. Practice chord changes. Mastering chord changes is a very fundamental step, but an extremely important one. So special attention should be made in this area. I’ve found that a lot of issues arise from simply not being able to play the chord changes effectively.