Practice Environment


Often you'll just pick up your guitar and start playing whenever and wherever you can, especially if you have a family. To take advantage of what you're learning here however you'll need to allow yourself some more space than that.

The Time

If you've only got 5 minutes then you may as well just play the thing, it's important when you're busy to keep in contact with your guitar. If however you're able to dedicate an hour or two to your playing it's important not to rush into it. 5 minutes on a warm up will make your practice times safer and more efficient. Giving yourself a few moments just to check your posture, monitor the tension in your arms and shoulders will help you get the most from the rest of your practice time.

The Space

A dedicated space to play, even if it's the corner of the room, is also essential. You'll never find a decent posture sitting on the arm of the lounge.

The Stuff

As well as your guitar you should get yourself a music stand, it should be obvious to all by now that you don't want to be reading charts off the floor, or even the kitchen table.
If you can play in front of a mirror you'll be able to see what you're doing, I can't emphasise how helpful this is. I don't generally use a mirror but I will use the webcam on my computer to monitor how I'm holding my instrument. This has the added advantage that I can record it for analysis down the track and monitor how I'm progressing over time. Occasionally I'll still use a full length mirror to assess my overall posture. Footstools are also useful in positioning your guitar when you're sitting.