Yeah - we've made it!

It's time for your first Practice Routine in Grade 3.

Now, our goal is to consolidate everything we learned in Module 15! But, differently from what happened in Grades 1 & 2, you should now adapt your practice routines to fit your guitar goals. As we get ready to reach our Intermediate stages, you should see Grade 3 as a bridge that will take you further in your guitar journey.

🚨 Did you miss out on Grades 1 & 2 of my Beginner Guitar Course? Not to worry - following this practice routine will be very easy and intuitive anyways! And - just to let you know, Grade 3 wraps up our beginner stages. Check out this JustinGuitar Course Map to learn more about our learning pathway!

We all have different needs and battles at this point in our guitar journey! Our background also changes our struggles and strengths. As we learned, there are 6 essential guitar areas I'd suggest you practice on guitar, and that's how this suggested routine works! But, as well, remember that we've learned you should now adapt your routine to your reality and guitar goals.

So, the point of this practice routine suggestion is to give you some general guidelines that include everything we worked on in Module 15. Before working on it, or setting something else, ask yourself:

How much guitar practice can I commit to?
What are my guitar goals?
How do I want to pursue the guitar?
What guitar schedule fits my lifestyle?

Great! Now let's check out my suggestion to organize your guitar practice effectively.

6 Areas to an Effective Guitar Practice Routine

You already know I'd recommend practicing these guitar areas. So, that's how this schedule works as well. If you need a refresher, remember that we've got a video lesson for each one of these topics. And before you ask me…

How Long Should You Practice For?

Ideally, you'll get between 30 and 60 minutes of guitar practice a day. As we'll be exploring more next module, breaking your practice into small 5 minute chunks will help keep you focussed, though some areas will be better done once a week.

💡 Practice makes permanent. Practice perfectly and regularly!

And super important - keep your guitar time equally as fun! Make sure you leave some time to muck around on the guitar! Don't lose the fun part. If you need, make half of your practice routine a set practice and half an hour of fun.

Module 15 Practice

Here's a summary of my practice schedule recommendation for Module 15:

5' Technique - Finger Gym

5' Technique- Link Chords Using Scales


5' Knowledge - D Shape Explorer

5' Knowledge - What You Need


5' Repertoire - A Capo for Two

5' Repertoire - What You Need


5' Time - Feel Good Strumming

5' Time - Play Along With Great Songs


10' Ear Training - Transcribing

10' Improvisation - Revision + Jam Tracks

Let's talk a bit more about each one of them!

Section #1 - Technique - 2 x 5-minutes

Finger Gym + Link Chords Using Scales

Practice the Finger Gym exercise for the first slot of your technique section. Think of it as going to the gym, but for guitar playing. Consistency and regularity are key things here!

For the second technique slot, begin to explore linking chords using bass notes on the 3 and 4. Start by using some of the eight common patterns then branch out and start creating your own.

Section #2 - Knowledge - 2 x 5-minutes

D Shape Explorer + Music Theory

Your first slot goes to exploring the D Shape. Try practical exercises, but also experiment with these grips. Lift different fingers and see what sounds best to you! As you venture into your chord manipulation, write down what you dig. It might be helpful later on. :)

For the second part of this Knowledge section, you could focus on Music Theory - that really takes you further! If music theory is not for you - focus on a different skill like transcribing, ear training, or having fun with your guitar!

Some advice? Be open-minded about Theory. Some people ignore it (even experienced guitar players), but Theory unleashes your guitar fretboard. ;)

Section #3 - Repertoire - 2 x 5-minutes

Songs You Love + Duets

Spend this section partially playing the songs you love. You should really have sorted out your repertoire from earlier grades, but if you have not - now's the time! Which songs have you learned in the beginner courses that you really love? Keep the songs you dig and want to have in your bag at all times. Take some time and have a real think about this!

🎶 Need some extra inspiration? I've got over hundreds of free song tutorials for you! Check them out. ;)

Now, it's time to duet! Try to find yourself a guitar friend so you can jam together. You already learned about this in A Capo For Two, so you know the drill: jamming and dueting with another musician can help accelerate your learning.

If you don't have a jam buddy, record yourself playing one part and then play it again using a capo. Or play along with me in the video lesson!

🎸 Looking for a jam buddy & other like-minded guitar players? Join the JustinGuitar Community. Make friends and find somebody to jam with, even if it's virtual! It's great fun. :)

Section #4 - Time - 2 x 5-minutes

Feel Good Strumming & Song Practice

Great guitar players play with a confident, steady, and feel-good time feel. So, your focus here is making your timing feel comfortable and relaxed - but still solid!

Playing along with songs is great; you can even mute your strings, so you focus on the groove. This is excellent practice, and it'll make you feel more comfortable with your guitar playing.

I'd recommend jamming with groovy records! You don't even need to play the chords - focus on getting a natural groove going. This will shape you as a musician.

🎶 Need song inspirations? Check out my Spotify playlist! I'm constantly adding in new stuff and great songs to play along with.

Section #5 - Ear Training - 2 x 5-minutes

Transcribing

If you really want to train your ears and learn how to work out songs on your own, you'd need to spend an hour a week working on that. Just follow the 4 Steps to Transcribe Songs and all the tricks we learned in that lesson, and you've got this. Good luck!

Section #6 - Improvisation - 2 x 5-minutes

Revision + JamTracks

We covered this in the beginner course - and now I want you to take it further! Have a go at revising some of your Pentatonic Lead or Major Scale stuff. Your choice here depends on what improvisation you got going, especially if you enjoy it. Make sure to spend some time improvising over music, my videos, original recordings, and my JamTracks.

When to Move On?

Most students will need to practice this Module 15 routine for at least two to four weeks. No rush here - take the time you need. Make sure you fully digest the material before moving on to the next course.

Learn to find your way through your practice routine! Figure out what works for you and keeps you motivated - that's super important. Fiddling around to sort out a routine that works best for you really pays off! Don't forget to keep track of your progress too! Whether using paper and pen, my Lessons & Songs App, or your Dashboard - keeping track of your progress is key to success.

💬 How are you getting on with Grade 3? Please leave your comments and feedback in the Community discussion area.

Set yourself up with a pre-made practice routine for Module 15. Under the video, click on the 'Practice' Tab. Save the routine, and access the items in your Dashboard. You've just got really busy, eh? See you in Module 16.