Goals are important because they help us improve as musicians.
Here are all the categories that require your attention if you’re serious about your guitar playing.
I personally devote some time to developing every category as much as possible (except the last).
Theory
This includes learning new chords, scales, modes etc. Theory gives you an understanding of what’s happening with your instrument, which makes interpreting music a lot easier. Theory can be difficult to learn on your own, just as an engineer would have difficulty acquiring the correct knowledge without a university degree.
Ear Training / Transcribing
This is learned by listening to music and then recreating it on your own instrument. This is a skill lacking in the modern realm of guitar playing, as the internet has simplified learning new music to a large degree. Just like theory, ear training is a category on its own, and can have a great affect on your playing if time is devoted to developing it.
Speed / Dexterity
Speed is developed by practicing scales, and working the muscles of your hand and fingers. Personally, I find this the easiest category to practice because I don’t have to do much thinking other than remembering the scale. The trade off is that it doesn’t take long before your muscles get tired and it’s very important to stop and move to another category when this happens.
Songwriting
This is an important category that needs the same attention as any other. Your songwriting abilities can only be developed and improved with practice. Playing cover music is great, but it can only take you so far. A great song that’s been well recorded will open up many new doors for you.
Reading Music
This should fall under theory, however reading music and sight reading requires its own time allocation. Reading allows you to quickly interpret a piece of music, apart from the many benefits it can have on your playing. My recommendation is to find a good teacher if you’re serious about reading.
Promotion
Promoting yourself is important today more than ever. In the past, the promotional aspects were handled by record companies, which would allow the full attention of the artist to be on making music. Promotion can be as simple as using YouTube, or printing posters to advertise your gigs. Selling merchandise such as CD’s of your own music can be an added revenue stream.
Vocals
If you’re serious about your guitar playing it can be difficult to devote your time elsewhere, especially if you’re not a natural singer. Guitar players that can sing are normally in a much better position than those that can’t. I am personally not a natural singer and devote some time each day to developing my voice. My recommendation is Gary Catona’s voice building exercises.
Technical / Sound
This is an additional category, which should be approached with less concern than the ones above unless you plan on going into this field. Sound engineering will always play a role in our work as musicians, and it can be handy to have some knowledge in this regard. In addition to that, we are often required to operate technical equipment like tube amplifiers. Some basic knowledge on topics like speaker impedance and microphone types can go a long way.
