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Q: Hello, I’m writing u guys because I have a question about effective practice sessions..I want to be the ULTIMATE guitar virtuoso, and I was thinking about dividing my technique exercises into 30 minute “Mini-sessions”..For example, I would spend 30mins on a warm-up routine, 30mins on alternate picking, 30mins on sweep picking, 30mins on legato, 30mins on tapping, 30mins on finger picking, and finally, 30mins on string bending, which all adds up to a 3 1/2 hour totally intense technique session..And my question is, do yall think that this is all just a bunch of wasted time and non-sense?? Or do yall think its actually worth it?? Could I get the same results from doing just 15 minutes on each subject so that my technique session would only last an hour and 45 minutes so that I could go on 2 other important things such as ear training and learning songs/chords/scales/arpeggios??

A: As long as you are practicing to get better, you are not wasting your time. How much time to exactly allocate on any particular technique or concept is a matter of preference. There is no correct answer. You must try out a few different methods and find out what is the most efficient for you. However, I think it is extremely important for you to concentrate at least half your time on ear training, theory, vibrato, song writing, transcribing, learning songs, and the like. Having beastly technique is only one part of the package. When I was younger I thought that to achieve this goal, I would just have to get insanely precise technique. As I got older I learned really quickly, the hard way I might add, that no one wants to listen to that technique you’ve worked so hard on unless you can write songs that they are going to enjoy (Unless your only goal is to make Youtube videos to impress people with how crazy you can play!). The point is that it is easy to overlook things like vibrato or writing a decent melody. This is the really important stuff, so it is critical for you to add it to your routine. The key to success with this is to set benchmarks for yourself that are realistic. Work towards them daily and ruthlessly. Practice efficiently and with full concentration. Most important, don’t forget to have FUN! Good luck to you!

p.s. Don’t overlook techniques like strumming, rapid chord changes, and the like either!