Playing scales should be a part of your regular practice routine. It’s like going to the gym; practicing scales is a form of physical exercise for your fingers and in order to see improvement you have to practice regularly.
4 basic practicing tips:
- Practice scales five days a week. Use a timer and start with a realistic amount of time (10-15 mins per day).
- Don’t get distracted and start playing riffs and songs. Just go up and down the scales only stopping briefly.
- Use alternate picking (down and up).
- Play scales evenly and cleanly (use a metronome).
Practicing scales can have a dramatic effect on your guitar playing. Even if you don’t plan on joining a speed metal band or want to play like Django Reinhardt they can help with your overall dexterity and control over the guitar.
It’s ok if scales are kind of boring, so is running on a treadmill at the gym. Why do think they have all those TVs in there?
