Classical Guitar Practice Methods

A practice method is a specific way to practice something to achieve a desired result.  This could be to learn new notes, speed things up, or to get them cleaner.  For most any problem there is one or more practice methods that will get the job done.

Part of learning classical guitar is learning how to practice.  And a big part of learning to practice is learning various practice methods.

Many of the methods below can also be found in the appropriate sections of the CGS Resources page.

Here are some of the main areas in which we use practice methods:

Below you’ll find a large list of practice methods.  Use the list above to narrow down your search, or browse the archive below.


All Practice Methods

  1. 42 Questions to Blow (open) Your Musical Mind
  2. 50 Ways To Test Your Musical Memory
  3. 6 Tips for When You Get Tired of a Tune
  4. 7 Steps to Learning Any Piece Quickly and Easily (video series)
  5. 7 Time-Wasting Mistakes in Daily Guitar Practice
  6. Ace the Tricky Spots and Polish to Perfection (pt 1: First Things First)
  7. Ace the Tricky Spots and Polish to Perfection (pt 2: The One Thing)
  8. Ace the Tricky Spots and Polish to Perfection (pt 3: Talk it Out)
  9. Ace the Tricky Spots and Polish to Perfection (pt 4: Simplify)
  10. Are You Practicing, or Exercising? The Truth Will Set You Free!
  11. Backing Up to Go Forward: Faster Learning, Better Playing, through Easier Pieces
  12. Be a better classical guitarist by harnessing the power of simplicity
  13. Chord TABs: Learn Classical Guitar Pieces Faster with this Secret Code
  14. Classical Guitar Technique Off-Guitar Exercises for Travel, Strength, and Stretch
  15. Classical Guitar Visualization: What, Why and How
  16. Create a Before-Bed Review, and End the Day In Style
  17. Cross the Bar Line for Better Phrasing, Better Classical Guitar Practice
  18. Curiosity: The Single Most Important Practice Skill
  19. Eliminate Confusion and Reduce Random Guitar Mistakes
  20. Exaggeration: A Practice Tool to Bring Your Playing To the Next Level
  21. Focus More in Practice, With the “Brain Dump” Technique
  22. Get More Done Practicing with the Pomodoro Technique
  23. Guitar Sight Reading: Tips and Methods for Practice
  24. Have a Positive Agenda in Your Guitar Practice
  25. How (and Why) to Memorize Music on Classical Guitar
  26. How Long Should I Practice Guitar Each Day?
  27. How to Create Guitar Exercises from Pieces of Music
  28. How to Learn Classical Guitar – A Free Course on Right Hand Technique
  29. How to Learn Classical Guitar Pieces (Gypsy Dance)
  30. How to Learn New Guitar Chords: A Proprioception Exercise
  31. How to Maintain Classical Guitar Repertoire
  32. How to Make Your Guitar Playing Easy
  33. How to Master Motivation in Your Classical Guitar Practice
  34. How To Play Guitar Expressively, In Layers
  35. How to Polish Classical Guitar Pieces to Performance Level
  36. How to Practice for Note-Perfect Guitar-Playing
  37. How to Practice Guitar with the Lilypad Technique
  38. How to Shadow Practice on Guitar
  39. How To Teach Yourself Classical Guitar (even if you live on the moon)
  40. How to Use a Mirror in Guitar Practice for Evaluation
  41. How to Use an Ordinary Timer to Supercharge Your Classical Guitar Practice
  42. How to Use Corrective Pauses to Speed up Chord Changes
  43. How to use Easy Pieces in practice
  44. How to Video Yourself for Guitar Practice and Be Your Own Teacher
  45. How to Warm Up for your Classical Guitar Practice
  46. Inner Game of Practice: Release Guilt and Accept Reality
  47. Keeping Arpeggios Fun on Classical Guitar
  48. Learning to Learn Vs. Learning a Piece
  49. Listen to RCM Bridges Guitar Series MP3s (plus download free)
  50. Memory Tip: How to Memorize and Recall Classical Guitar Pieces More Quickly
  51. Mental Practice – Practice Without a Guitar
  52. Play “Naked”: Leave Out the Ornaments (at first)
  53. Short on Time? Simple Tricks to Learn Music Fast
  54. Speed Up Your Guitar Playing, Using Dotted Rhythms
  55. Successful Practice Tip: End On a High Note!
  56. The 85% Rule: How to Play Pieces Perfectly Polished at Full Speed
  57. The Chord Shift Formula: How to Shift Cleanly to a Chord
  58. The Four-Measure Musical Formula for Practice, Phrasing and Memory
  59. The One-Minute Problem-Solver Method for Polishing Guitar Music
  60. What to Include in Your Guitar Practice Schedule
  61. Why You Procrastinate Practicing Scales (and how to stop)