It is important to develop a warm-up routine that is used at the start of each practice session and before performances. This is a time to mentally focus on the task ahead and physically prepare your fingers.

Scales relax and loosen-up the fingers, while promoting right and left-hand interdependence. Practicing scales encourages proper hand position in the left hand and pick or finger technique in the right hand.

• Practice everyday: consistency is crucial. Ten minutes a day is much better than seventy minutes on one day. Much can be accomplished in a half to one hour. If you only have a short amount of time, practice what you can in that time.

• Choose a quiet place that is well-lit and free of distractions.

• Be organized. Your practice will be much more efficient if you know what you need to do, and how much time you have to do it. If you only have a short time, practice one or two ideas or exercises. That is much better than not practicing at all.

• Practice each hand separately and then put them together. For example, when learning a new chord progression, focus on the left hand. First practice switching chords slowly and evenly. Then you will be ready to work on the right hand if it is a complicated picking or strumming pattern. Finally you are ready to put the two together.

• Make sure you look at the music, not your fingers. You want to develop a sense of feel for where the notes are.

• Wood instruments such as the guitar need to be humidified in the fall through spring months. If your guitar gets too dry serious damage can result. The neck will warp and shrink, causing the strings to buzz and making the frets stick out. Acoustic guitars, if they are made of solid wood, can actually crack. The best way to prevent these problems is to buy a guitar humidifier, and store it in the case with the guitar at all times.

• Strings should be changed every one to three months. This ensures the instrument will sound and play it’s best. To lengthen the life of your strings wipe them off after playing.

• Always store your guitar in its case. This is the safest place for your instrument. Stands are meant for temporary use, and are easy to knock over.