Practice can be a dirty word to many guitar players. There never seems to be enough time, especially if you have a regular job and a family. The good news is you can make the time. It just takes a little discipline. First and foremost, pick up the guitar everyday-even for 5 minutes. Make it a habit. Have you ever thought about how much time you spend in front of the TV set? Play your guitar while watching (unplugged, of course). You don't even have to pay attention to what you're playing. Just having your fingers on the fretboard is good. Another idea is to play along with the radio. If you have cable or satellite TV, there are many commercial free music stations available in all musical styles. Do this at least once or twice a week to improve your improvisational skills.

For the more serious player, you should try to allocate a certain amount of time to each subject so that you can get through everything on your schedule (technique, scales, modes, sight reading, chords, etc.). If it's pretty intense subject matter, spread the schedule out over the week instead of the day. Always leave enough time to do some fun things, like playing along with tunes or writing your own material. Don't get into a rut! This is just as important as studying. See ya next time, and keep on jammin'!