Here’s a scenario:

• You schedule a guitar practice with yourself (or just want to play).
• You pick up your guitar and sit down.
• You start thinking about what you should be doing.
• You dabble with a little of this and a little of that.
• You finish your guitar practice session feeling like you weren’t very effective and that there was something you missed.

Has this ever happened to you?

It’s very common. It’s what often happens when you don’t have an effective guitar practice schedule or plan.

Why Plan Your Guitar Practice?

There are myriad reasons to have a basic plan (or a detailed schedule) for your guitar practice routine.

Different Hats

The kind of thinking it takes to plan your guitar practice schedule, both in the short term and long term, is a different sort of thinking than it takes to actually practice.

Planning takes the role of a manager, while practicing is more the role of a laborer. Both are needed, but they’re different.

To make the most of your guitar practice time, it helps to already have the manager’s work done so the laborer (worker bee) can sit down and get right down to the nitty-gritty.

Decision Fatigue

With all the decisions we are forced to make throughout the day it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

Guitar can be a time to get out of the daily details of life and immerse in something personal.

If you’ve already planned your guitar practice routine, you can enjoy shutting off the decision-maker brain and just enjoy the act of playing and practicing.

Faster Progress

And practicing without a plan is like taking a trip but not considering the destination when booking travel. It may well be enjoyable and scenic, but if you want to get someplace specific, it will take longer. A good teacher can help you with this.

Planning also allows you to consciously build skills over the course of weeks and months, instead of bouncing around between many skills and improving little at any one.

Good Times

Perhaps most importantly, it feels good to know what’s ahead of you.

You can just go along for the ride, comfortable that everything is serving a purpose and has been intentionally chosen.

Hold on Loosely

Of course, even with a schedule or practice plan, some days you’ll feel like doing something different, and that’s fine.

The guitar practice schedule is there as a tool. It’s what your “manager” thinks is the right way to go. If your “worker” feels like goofing off today, who cares?

Of course, if a worker goofs off every day, nothing much happens. But it’s nice to know that you’re not beholden or bound to your plan. It’s there if and when you want it.

What to Include In Your Guitar Practice Schedule

While depending on your disposition and preferences, you may like to plan each small detail of your practice session every time, or simply keep the broad strokes in mind.

This is up to you. It’s a beneficial exercise to plan a few very detailed practice sessions, just for the experience of getting very granular in your analysis of each skill and project (piece of music) you’re working on.

What follows are the broad categories. You can find a much deeper exploration of each of these (and more) in the free course: The 5 Ingredients of Great Practice, which also has downloadable guitar practice routine planners and evaluation resources.

Zone 1: Technique

Technique is the “how” of playing classical guitar.

Scales, arpeggios, technical exercises, chords (and barre chords), etc.

With an organized approach, this area is the one that will allow you to play faster, more complex music.

Depending on your current skill level and desires, you could dedicate up to half of your guitar practice schedule to this area alone, with great benefit.

Plug: The Woodshed has some of the most detailed and user-friendly technical exercises and resources available.

Zone 2: New Notes

In addition to sight-reading, which I consider more in the technique area, it’s good to always be learning new music.

I suggest seeking to memorize everything you learn. Even if you don’t actually memorize it, intending to will help you to learn new things quickly.

This also keeps your practice session fresh and lets you feel that you’re making progress in a tangible way.

Just a couple of measures a day, and you’ll have a massive repertoire in no time.

I recommend using this 7-step process in your daily routine, if you need to work on learning new music.

Zone 3: Tricky Spots

As you learn new tunes, and within your current tunes, there will inevitably be some tricky spots.

These take a problem-solving attitude, patience, and frequent repetition.

I suggest keeping a list of all the tricky spots in your pieces, and spending just 1 to 5 minutes at most on each when you practice guitar.

The goal here is to identify the problem, and play through the solution slowly and without error.

It’s the daily correct run-throughs that will train you to play them with ease. Over the course of a couple of weeks, the problems will work themselves out.

Zone 4: Repertoire Maintenance

If you keep a running list of your tunes, you can touch in on each periodically and keep a large repertoire in your hands.

You don’t have to play everything every day. And pieces you learned more recently will likely need more frequent work than older ones.

For more, here’s a whole article on maintaining repertoire.

Zone 5: Performance Practice

At the end of your guitar practice schedule, you may like to have a full performance practice of a piece or two.

If you want to, you can do this for a video or audio recorder to listen to later (just for practice feedback so you know what’s working and what isn’t). Very helpful and informative!

The basic rules are:

1. No stopping or going back. Just like a real performance.
2. Full expression and musical intention. Your absolute best.
3. Beginnings and endings matter. Just like at Carnegie Hall.
4. Be compassionate. No judging or self-criticism while playing.

Zone 6: Other Skills

As an extra zone, you can also consider incorporating other aspects of your musical growth as you are learning guitar.

This area can include such learning as:

• Sight-reading Practice
• Music History
• Music Theory
• Ear Training
• Critical Listening
• Reading Biographies
• Composing
• New Practice Skills
• Tutorial Videos
• Replays of Masterclasses by great musicians on other instruments
• Anything else that contributes to your musical development

As you can see, many of the possibilities in this zone do not need an instrument in hand.  So instead of TV or Netflix, an evening could broaden your musical understandings with some ear training or other skills training.

You can be as organized and methodical (or not) as you like for this zone.  As a lifelong endeavor, you’ll likely go in and out of phases of study in these areas.  And that’s just fine.

Tips for Sticking to Your Practice Schedule

Setting Realistic Goals

The first step to progress is to set short term goals that are small and manageable to stay motivated. Instead of struggling with the same routine, try learning more techniques or mastering a just few measures each day.

Consistency in your allotted time is the key to moving forward. And setting short term, personal goals helps many players stay motivated.

Tracking Your Progress

Keeping track of your practice with a journal or checklist helps you see progress. Knowing how much time you spend on each skill can help you set more specific goals and highlight areas for improvement. For most players, tracking small wins keeps motivation high.

Using a Metronome

A metronome helps guitar players develop precise timing and rhythm. Practicing at a slow tempo first and gradually increasing speed builds control. It’s always a good thing to refine your technique with structured timing.

Expanding Your Musical Knowledge

Many guitarists focus only on technique, but developing a deeper understanding of music theory and ear training can take your playing to the next level. Even 5 minutes a day spent recognizing chord progressions or intervals can sharpen your musical intuition.

Depending on your skill level, breaking down one part of a song using music theory can help you learn it in less time. Including these elements in your practice routine makes you a more well-rounded musician.

Avoiding Burnout

Mix up your routine with new styles or favorite songs to keep your guitar practice routine fun. Trying a new scale or a different chord type can make your practice schedule feel fresh and exciting.

Use your allotted time wisely and take breaks when needed. The goal is to play guitar with enjoyment, so you stay inspired and keep coming back.

Perfectionism Kills

Of course, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

If you hold too tightly to your guitar practice schedule and neglect your daily fluctuations in energy, focus, and mood, it won’t be very fun.

And if it’s not fun you won’t do it for long.

So take it all seriously, but not too seriously. This is a journey, with many, many steps.

Do your best in the moment and strive to get better at it all over time.

Other than that, leave yourself alone. Make sure to be nice and accommodating. You’re spending practice time on something meaningful to make life better. That’s the main main goal of practice.