Frequently Asked Questions
We get a lot of email here at PracticeTheGuitar.com and we try to answer it whenever we can. Here are some common questions we get about our website and our membership program. Before you send us an email, see if we answer your question here. The less time we spend on answering email, the more time we have to create great exercises for you to practice. Click on the questions below to see the answers.
There are a ton of video websites for guitar how is this one any different?
PracticeTheGuitar.com is set up to be an online practice tool. If you’re a beginner and taking lessons, this site gives you a real person/music to practice with when you are not in your lesson. If you’re an intermediate player or even an advanced guitar player, this site is an extremely useful way to take it to the next level. There are many websites that offer lessons, this website is not just online lessons. PracticeTheGuitar.com takes it to the next level and offers videos covering a huge range of topics that you would want to practice. PracticeTheGuitar.com gives you video starting at a slow tempo, and as you feel comfortable you gradually move on to the next and faster speeds. That way you get better at your pace, and it’s available to you whenever you want to practice.
My fingers really hurt when I practice my guitar is that bad?
Toughen up buckaroo, it takes some pain to be a rockstar. It’s definitely going to take some time for your hands to adjust to the new things you’re making them do.
What is the best way to practice the guitar?
There are various ways, and many different aspects of the guitar that take a good amount of work to master. You need a good plan, know what to practice, and know how to practice what you’re trying to improve on. Chip away at it little by little everyday.
Do I need to be able to read music to use your videos?
You do not need to read music to use PracticeTheGuitar.com. Each video has the tablature, notation, and chord shapes under each video, as well as the video itself to watch what is happening.
Can I download the videos for offline use?
At the moment you can only stream the videos from PracticeTheGuitar.com. They are not available for offline use.
Can you recommend a guitar practice schedule for me?
There is a whole section of practice guides on the site. It offers some ideas for a daily practice plan.
How long should I practice my guitar for before taking a break?
This depends on how much time you have, and what your playing level is. If you’re a beginner you will be practicing for shorter amounts of time, maybe 15 minutes at a time to start, then build on that. As you get more comfortable you can slowly practice for longer amounts of time. The most important thing is to set a daily goal and try to stick to it as much as possible.
I just want to learn songs. Why are all these finger exercises necessary?
Practicing exercises are a way to speed up the time is takes for your hands to adjust to playing. Look at it as a new language. If you jump right into attempting to play only parts from songs you want to learn, you will be missing out on the basic techniques that the songs are built from. Those songs will also certainly take you a lot more time to be able to play if you don’t put in the proper practice time on your technique.
How do I learn how to shred on the guitar?
The process of learning how to “shred” on the guitar is a long one. Playing fast comes down to muscle memory from countless repetition. Learn the common scale and arpeggio patterns that are used, and become very friendly with a metronome.
What tempo should I start off with?
The general idea here is to start slow. Even if the tempo is too slow it’s good to be able to play at any tempo. Real music is both fast and slow. Your goal should be to figure out what tempos your are comfortable with, and what tempo you can’t quite keep up with. I like to call it your “Breaking Point”. Once you find that, That’s the place you want to use the videos to improve on. Your goal is to increase that “Breaking Point.”
Do these exercises work if I play acoustic guitar?
The exercises will work on any type of guitar.
Should I practice my guitar exercises to the video or use a metronome?
The best thing to do is to be able to play anything with other instruments and also only with a metronome. It’s a lot of work to get comfortable with both. The videos help you accomplish that, without having to be in the same room with a drummer and bass player.
How often should I complete the finger exercises?
More is better in this case. The more you practice, the better you will get.
How do I cancel my PracticeTheGuitar.com Membership?
You can visit your account by going to My Account on the menu and then look for the cancel my account button.
