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Good, read on ...","author":"Nick Stoubis","title":"Best Way to Learn Guitar: Do This One Thing Before You Practice","socialTitle":null,"description":{"description":"There's no avoiding it, to learn how to play guitar you need to practice. What's the best way to carve out some quality time with your guitar? Find out ..."},"layout":"Lesson","body":{"json":{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"There's no avoiding it ... you've got to make time to practice. But how? Time is precious and ","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{"uri":"https://www.fender.com/articles/how-to/rome-and-jimi-hendrix-werent-built-in-a-day"},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"practicing can feel like a chore","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"hyperlink"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":". But it really shouldn't ... and isn't. ","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"So, what's the best way to carve out some quality time with your guitar? ","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Set a timer.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"heading-6"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Got five minutes? Sure you do. Many phones have alarms and timers, but if yours does not, you can find free timers online. Set your alarm for the full length of your practice session, and be realistic. If you only have five minutes, set it for five minutes.  If you get inspired and want to add more time, do it after a rush of accomplishment enters your body at the five-minute mark.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"You need to be clear about what your big picture goals are in order to be efficient. Choose how long you will practice for and then figure out what you can practice in that time. For example, decide that you will practice for 15 minutes and work through one lesson and an exercise on arpeggio picking. ","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Consider the total length of time that you can remain completely focused with no distraction. If you need to memorize something or work on improving a technique, set the timer to one minute. If the skill requires more than one minute to work on, divide it into one minute increments. ","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Make your practice more realistic with a timer. Embrace every small amount of time practicing and relish in the fact that you are making progress.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"If you'd like to learn a simple technique to warm up, watch ","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{"uri":"https://www.fender.com/play/lessons/warm-up-2-strings"},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"this video","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"hyperlink"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":". Not a member of the Fender Play universe? Click ","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{"uri":"https://www.fender.com/play/onboarding"},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"here","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"hyperlink"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":" to start your free 30-day trial.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"}],"nodeType":"document"},"body":"{\"data\":{},\"content\":[{\"data\":{},\"content\":[{\"data\":{},\"marks\":[],\"value\":\"There's no avoiding it ... you've got to make time to practice. But how? Time is precious and \",\"nodeType\":\"text\"},{\"data\":{\"uri\":\"https://www.fender.com/articles/how-to/rome-and-jimi-hendrix-werent-built-in-a-day\"},\"content\":[{\"data\":{},\"marks\":[],\"value\":\"practicing can feel like a chore\",\"nodeType\":\"text\"}],\"nodeType\":\"hyperlink\"},{\"data\":{},\"marks\":[],\"value\":\". But it really shouldn't ... and isn't. \",\"nodeType\":\"text\"}],\"nodeType\":\"paragraph\"},{\"data\":{},\"content\":[{\"data\":{},\"marks\":[],\"value\":\"So, what's the best way to carve out some quality time with your guitar? \",\"nodeType\":\"text\"}],\"nodeType\":\"paragraph\"},{\"data\":{},\"content\":[{\"data\":{},\"marks\":[],\"value\":\"Set a timer.\",\"nodeType\":\"text\"}],\"nodeType\":\"heading-6\"},{\"data\":{},\"content\":[{\"data\":{},\"marks\":[],\"value\":\"Got five minutes? Sure you do. Many phones have alarms and timers, but if yours does not, you can find free timers online. Set your alarm for the full length of your practice session, and be realistic. If you only have five minutes, set it for five minutes.  If you get inspired and want to add more time, do it after a rush of accomplishment enters your body at the five-minute mark.\",\"nodeType\":\"text\"}],\"nodeType\":\"paragraph\"},{\"data\":{},\"content\":[{\"data\":{},\"marks\":[],\"value\":\"You need to be clear about what your big picture goals are in order to be efficient. Choose how long you will practice for and then figure out what you can practice in that time. For example, decide that you will practice for 15 minutes and work through one lesson and an exercise on arpeggio picking. \",\"nodeType\":\"text\"}],\"nodeType\":\"paragraph\"},{\"data\":{},\"content\":[{\"data\":{},\"marks\":[],\"value\":\"Consider the total length of time that you can remain completely focused with no distraction. If you need to memorize something or work on improving a technique, set the timer to one minute. If the skill requires more than one minute to work on, divide it into one minute increments. \",\"nodeType\":\"text\"}],\"nodeType\":\"paragraph\"},{\"data\":{},\"content\":[{\"data\":{},\"marks\":[],\"value\":\"Make your practice more realistic with a timer. Embrace every small amount of time practicing and relish in the fact that you are making progress.\",\"nodeType\":\"text\"}],\"nodeType\":\"paragraph\"},{\"data\":{},\"content\":[{\"data\":{},\"marks\":[],\"value\":\"If you'd like to learn a simple technique to warm up, watch \",\"nodeType\":\"text\"},{\"data\":{\"uri\":\"https://www.fender.com/play/lessons/warm-up-2-strings\"},\"content\":[{\"data\":{},\"marks\":[],\"value\":\"this video\",\"nodeType\":\"text\"}],\"nodeType\":\"hyperlink\"},{\"data\":{},\"marks\":[],\"value\":\". Not a member of the Fender Play universe? Click \",\"nodeType\":\"text\"},{\"data\":{\"uri\":\"https://www.fender.com/play/onboarding\"},\"content\":[{\"data\":{},\"marks\":[],\"value\":\"here\",\"nodeType\":\"text\"}],\"nodeType\":\"hyperlink\"},{\"data\":{},\"marks\":[],\"value\":\" to start your free 30-day trial.\",\"nodeType\":\"text\"}],\"nodeType\":\"paragraph\"}],\"nodeType\":\"document\"}"},"tags":["exercise"],"socialUrl":null,"socialImage":null,"articleImage":{"file":{"url":"//images.ctfassets.net/r1mvpfown1y6/1adYquCfRIqK2sEE4I2oG/6fe05be517e3fa663dd3ac769f7e3126/FP-17024-Do-This-One-Thing-Before-You-Practice-Hero.jpg"}},"large1UpImage":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":2.65439672801636,"src":"//images.ctfassets.net/r1mvpfown1y6/6xSGYMDcYgEca4CoAuyugi/f2b650d310825032cb589bd8552e6383/FP-17024-Do-This-One-Thing-Before-You-Practice-1up.jpg?w=800&q=50","srcSet":"//images.ctfassets.net/r1mvpfown1y6/6xSGYMDcYgEca4CoAuyugi/f2b650d310825032cb589bd8552e6383/FP-17024-Do-This-One-Thing-Before-You-Practice-1up.jpg?w=200&h=75&q=50 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