Having an organized practice room with all your materials within reach will make the time you spend practicing more effective and efficient. You can waste a lot of your practice time looking for your music, a pick, cords, etc. These distractions cost you valuable practice time. Getting your practice space set up and organized will help you make the most of your practice time.
An ideal practice space would be a separate room filled with only the items you need to practice your instrument. This means no TV, phone, or computer unless it will only be used to help you practice. Your space also needs to be well lit, have a comfortable room temperature, furniture that helps promote proper posture, and have plenty of outlets. Keeping your guitar on a stand or a wall hanger is also a good idea.
Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to have a room that can be set aside for just practicing. In this case find a corner of a room where you can leave your practice material set up. Since you will be using a room that other people use, be sure and talk to them about your practice time and how important it is to you. Let them know that this is a time you need to concentrate and that you will need to use this space for a set period of time with no distractions. People who do not play an instrument may not understand the level of concentration it takes to have a good practice session and how easy it is to lose your focus when interruptions happen.
For some of you finding even a corner of room to leave your practice material set up is not an option. In this case make a portable practice kit. You can use a box or crate to store everything, so it is still easily accessible. The main idea is to have all the things you need to practice at your fingertips and ready to use.
What items will you need to have for you practice space?
1. A tuner.
2. Music Stand. The type of music stand you use really depends on the amount of space you have. I have a nice sturdy stand with an extra shelf to hold pencils and other things I will need during a practice session. If you don’t have that kind of space a folding stand or tabletop stand will work just fine.
3. Pencil and Paper. Make sure you have more than one sharp pencil before you begin your practice session. Have a pencil sharpener nearby too. A highlighter is also handy if you have a piece of music with a lot of repeats, D.S or D.C signs you must follow. You will also want to keep tab paper, staff paper, chord diagrams, full guitar neck diagram, and blank paper in an organizer.
4. A good chair and a footstool.
5. Practice Journal. If you are going to get the most out of your practice time it is a good idea to have a plan before you start. A practice journal is a good place to have your goals written down and keep track of your progress.
6. Music and Exercises. You should have all your music organized so you can find what you are looking for in a matter of seconds. I like to keep things organized in binders, but you can use a file folder, computer, or anything that keeps you organized.
7. Metronome or drum machine. A metronome is really all you need to practice your timing and speed but a drum machine is a lot more fun to practice with.
8. Gadgets. Picks, cables, capo, nail clippers. Anything you may need during a practice session.
9. Recorder or Band in a Box or Loop Pedal. These last items are not necessary but can be extremely helpful. You will be able to record or create instant tracks to practice over which tends to make practice time more fun. Having the ability to record yourself will give you the added benefit of being able to listen to yourself play and give you instant feedback.
10.) Guitar Pro and Transcribe are two other programs that make great practice tools. Transcribe lets you slow down a song which makes it easier to pick hear fast or tricky parts that you are figuring out by ear. With Guitar pro you can hear an exercise or idea played back and double check your work.
11.) Posters or pictures. These can be pictures of your favorite players or words that motivate you. Really it can be anything that makes your practice area look awesome and helps motivate you.
About the author: Brian Fish is a professional guitarist living in North East Ohio and is guitar instructor, trainer, and coach at Guitar Lessons Geauga.