You have just picked up your very first guitar. You have learned a few fundamental chords. You practice them over and over again, pressing your fingers to the steel strings until the pain on your fingertips causes you to stop. You strum the guitar, switching between the chords A, D, and E. Then you reverse the progression.

Do you realize what is going on? You're not playing the guitar! You are practicing chords. Don't practice chords, play chords. In the long run it will get you a lot farther.

I believe that the greatest way to practice guitar is to play it. Don't think of it as "time to practice" but instead it should be "time to play". Playing the guitar should be fun. Don't make it less fun by commanding yourself to practice. Alternatively, play your favorite songs. Select a song that appears difficult and try to learn it. This way you are playing what you want to play and also improving your skills. If you always play with a pick, find a song that uses finger picking and aim to learn it! If you are interested in lead guitar, learn a solo from a rock song. I mentioned the chords A, D, and E earlier. There are literally hundreds of songs, many of which you most likely know and love, that use only these three chords. Play a song! You will improve rapidly and enjoy it more. When I teach my students at Irvine Guitar Lessons, I have my students learn songs that are relevant to the skills they need to practice. This way young guitarists stay interested and absorbed.

Don't assume I am against practicing or anything. You need to practice in order to develop the skills required to play certain songs. I am saying to practice by playing them. Practicing to me means sitting there with a metronome and learning to sweep pick, repeating the sequence at a slow tempo hundreds of times and then gradually increasing the tempo. It sounds tedious, but sometimes it is an essential challenge. I actually used to practice like this when I was in high school, and because of it I can now shred all up and down the neck easily.

So, playing guitar is fun, and practicing can be too. Just make sure you realize the difference between the two and how to use them to your advantage. Know when to play and when to practice and you will surely achieve a lot as a guitarist!