t is evident that many students approach the learning of a new composition in a decidedly haphazard fashion. Although these students may be in possession of solid technique, they often try to do too much at once, resulting in frustration. One simply cannot accurately solidify left hand changes, while learning to bring out a middle voice and execute a crescendo. This approach can only lead to individual chores being left unfinished, and in turn hamper the student's development as a musician. The guitarist who does not learn how to properly approach a piece of music will wallow in mediocrity for quite some time, that is, if he doesn't trade in his guitar for a clarinet.

I have often heard said that a student should strive to correct a problem or accomplish a particular task separately and thoroughly before moving on. With total concentration focused on, for instance, correcting the left hand problems within a piece, one can be much more assured in laying the proper groundwork for solid accurate playing. This principal applies to all phases in solidifying a work. Select a single concept in your practice (legato, dynamics, etc.) work on it deliberately, and then move on. With this "single concept approach" to practice, many students will be able to dramatically increase the amount of progress made during practice. The following is a list of twelve concepts that must be covered in order to properly prepare a work for performance:

1.	Sight reading and familiarization
2.	Memorize music and right hand fingerings
3.	Check for wrong notes--check timing and note values
4.	Tuning practice
5.	Mechanical isolation
6.	Legato practice
7.	Balance--Phrasing
8.	Dynamics
9.	Timbres--Orchestration
10.	Noise elimination
11.	Overall concept of the music
12.	Performance practice

Note: The order may be slightly different for some, and a few of the more obvious tasks (writing in the right hand fingerings, for instance) have been omitted. Also, it is taken for granted that the music itself (the quality of the arrangement or transcription has been properly researched and analyzed.)

Sight Reading and Familiarization

Many of us are not the sight readers we ought to be, hence, it is important to emphasize thorough sight reading and familiarization with a piece before an attempt is made to commit it to memory. This will save much wear on your mind and body.

Memorize Music and Right Hand Fingerings

Once the notes and finger positions are familiar, the task of memorization is tackled. Since most guitarists have their own method of accomplishing this, there is no need to outline any one approach in detail. It is worth mentioning, however, that one should avoid skipping practice days during the memorization process. A chore as dry as this can be put off indefinitely, and procrastination, especially for the musician, can be a lethal disease.

Check for Wrong Notes - Check Timing and Note Values

It is a common occurrence in master classes for a student to carefully perform a piece, only to have the instructor point out a number of notes that were incorrectly memorized. This is a waste of valuable time, time that should be utilized to the maximum benefit of the student guitarist.

One should strive to learn a composition correctly. After memorization, sight read slowly through the music, checking visually and aurally the notes you have learned and make your corrections accordingly. Use this double-check method to assess the accuracy of your timing and note values as well.

Tuning Practice

Non-guitarist musicians often complain that most guitarists play terribly out of tune. Unfortunately, this is true. A solution would be to practice tuning up for each piece just as one practices playing each piece.

Pick your tonic chord in the first position, a tonic and a dominant chord in a higher position, and a few of the atypical chords from the music. Now work on getting your instrument in tune within that context. This is called "tempered tuning" as it applies to the guitar. The guitar does not stay perfectly in tune from key to key, so you must temper its tuning to compensate.

There are many benefits from tuning practice. Your ear will develop, your sound will improve, and you will spend less time tuning between pieces, thereby preventing members of the audience from slipping under the seat in front of them for a nap.

Mechanical Isolation

This is undoubtedly one of the most important items on the list. All musical sensitivity in the world will not make up for sloppy, inaccurate playing--and this sloppy playing is the result of sloppy practice.

The excellent guitarists do not plow through a work from beginning to end, over and over again, and expect accuracy problems to miraculously correct themselves. Mindless playing does not lead to improved playing--it only leads to extreme boredom.

To correct left hand difficulties, learn to analyze their causes. List your problems by measure on a piece of paper. Then, carefully resolve them. Think! Make the impossible hard and the hard easy.

Legato Practice

Playing the guitar in a legato fashion can be very difficult, yet it is one aspect of technique, which separates the better guitarists from the mediocre.

Set aside a number of practice hours for concentrating only on smooth, fluid playing. Learn to hold notes for their full value (outlined by Loris 0. Chobanian in "Musicianship Through Phrasing".) To this same end, learn to decrease the amount of time between changes. The result will be impressive, more enjoyable playing.

Balance - Phrasing

Read through the music and analyze which voice(s) should be brought out in each phrase. Refer to Douglas Niedt's excellent series of articles on Interval and Chord Balance(I, II, III, IV) for a knowledgeable treatment of this subject.

Dynamics

Dynamics are the breath of life within music. A properly executed crescendo is exciting, a pianissimo repeated section is touching, and of course, doing each effectively takes practice. Pencil-in your ideas then practice carefully to bring these ideas to fruition. Use a tape recorder in your dynamics practice. Often, a musician will "hear" himself execute a crescendo or other dynamic change but in reality, it is inaudible to others.

Timbres - Orchestration

A carefully considered analysis of tone colors and shadings is necessary if one desires his to sound like Beethoven's oft-quoted "Miniature orchestra in itself." The various combination of flesh and nail, right and left side (as well as many other techniques) can be utilized to make a work both beautiful and memorable.

Noise Elimination

Play through the music, listening only for buzzes, thuds, etc. Mark down the location of extra-musical noise, analyze it and correct it. The rewards will be cleaner playing with fewer obstacles between the music and the audience.

Overall Concept of the Music

Consider what the composer had in mind when he wrote the piece. What message did he want to convey? Dwelling upon the intellectual and spiritual power of the piece, even its felicity, will enhance one's ability to perform the music with depth.

Performance Practice

If you have gone through the list in its correct order, applying one concept to another, you have formed nearly a complete picture. Practice now to smooth out any rough edges and become comfortable with the piece. Take the numerous concepts that you have meticulously analyzed and practiced and make them work together as an artistic whole.
With work, this approach can lead to greatly increased clarity of thought during practice. Chris Amelotte, a respected guitar instructor from San Diego, stresses goal oriented practice that is, the establishment of concrete objectives for each practice session. Mr. Amelotte states, "Be discontent until the goal you've set is realized, and reward yourself with its accomplishment."
Approaching this in a logical manner, with an uncluttered mind, will produce measurable results.