Do you consider yourself to be playing or practicing your guitar?

Question:Know what I mean? Do you do a bit of practicing certain items and then play something fun to keep yourself interested? How in the world do people practice for so many hours? lol I always hear these people say oh I practice a few hours a day, oh man. I would love to but I can't seem to find it in myself. :-( Maybe I should have some kind of schedule and make a certain time that I do it every day? I really want to be able to play but I'm so lame and I never practice. lol!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Know what I mean? Do you do a bit of practicing certain items and then play something fun to keep yourself interested? How in the world do people practice for so many hours? lol I always hear these people say oh I practice a few hours a day, oh man. I would love to but I can't seem to find it in myself. :-( Maybe I should have some kind of schedule and make a certain time that I do it every day? I really want to be able to play but I'm so lame and I never practice. lol!

You've got to find a way to raise the fun quotient to your personal minimum. If you can cope with a lot of boredom then just playing scales endlessly, working on right-hand fingering, etc. can be OK; if not, you need to find some games.

Some games are just for fun. Plug in and use a distortion pedal and do wierd tone colors. Turn on your tremolo and play it all like an earthquake.

Others are more practical. I used to practice while watching soap operas. Sounds dimwitted, but I was also a theatre major and I wanted to study soaps to get a feel for them--after six months or so I gave them up cold, thought I understood them well enough. But practicing guitar at the same time gave me an audience focus ability, I was able to do my songs and yet pay attention to what was in front of me. Increased eye contact, made me a better performer.

There are also things you can do with music drills, such as these ones that clean up your technique:
--play every note as short as possible (Ben Bechtel from U. of Cincinnati used to call that "pointillistim")
--play it at a different tempo--REALLY slow or fast.
--change time signature! If it's in four, try to play it in 3 (like a waltz). If in 3, play it in 4 like a Sousa march.
--play it backward, or turn the page upside down.
--take it to a different octave.

It helps to get different books at your current level so that you aren't trying the same etudes over and over. And also it helps occasionally to go back and just play the snot out of a beginner-level book.

And then there's just plain busting out and playing your **** off and having fun doing it. Also, there's sight-reading, which you should approach with the best attitude of "this will be fun" and while doing it, never get frustrated or mad at yourself if you don't read the thing perfectly.

I practice and play.
I like playing guitar songs/scales and when I am doing that I'm practicing/developing my skills so its both.
I practice/play about 3 hours every day.
I do it for long because its not like homework where you have to do it, I love playing guitar and its like a hobby.

Well i find it pretty fun, i don't consider it practicing its more playing for me. And its so true, when i am playing guitar the time just flies right on by, I'll be playing for 4-5 hours before i realize that i have to stop because i have homework or something . lol
Just find a song that you really like, that inspires you, that isn't too hard (in the beginning you don't want to try a super hard song, because the level of difficulty might discourage you from continuing to play) when you finish some easy songs move on up to harder ones, gradually.
You'll soon start to sound good and it wont be practicing for you anymore, it will be a hobby.

And Instead of your parents nagging you to practice
("You haven't practiced in a whole week!"),
they will be yelling
"Can you quit playing that guitar and come and set the table?!"
lol that's what happened here.
here are some really good songs, they are nice and easy too.
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/t/ta...
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/t/ta...
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/t/ta...
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/t/ta...
(i choose these songs because I've had a great time adding extra effects to them, they are really catchy and i think they are sweet, great to begin with for sure!)

Also, when you get down how to play them "by the book" (like the instructions tell you too) you can start to improvise and change some things (add riffs, extra notes and a solo maybe.. etc) basically make it more your own.

Hope I've Helped!~
:]