I know I mention practicing a lot - and if you're a musician, you'll know it's non negotiable - but it doesn't have to feel like a chore. Practicing can be fun, a space to hone new skills and experiment with your sound. Here are some of my favourite tricks:
Start with a sound you like.
Forget scales for a minute. Grab your guitar and your slide and just find three notes that sound beautiful together. Spend five minutes making those three notes sing. It's that simple. Experiment with vibrato, try different slide speeds, play them soft, play them loud. You're not “practicing technique”, you're exploring sound. (And, of course, you're practicing technique).
Jam with your heroes.
You can spend your practice time playing along with your favourite slide track and this will help you to absorb the rhythm, phrasing and tone without feeling overwhelmed by it. Don't even think about trying to perfect it, just enjoy the shape and sound - and keep going every time you make a mistake. This is a great way to make visible progress, and it's great fun.
Try writing songs.
Whether you've been songwriting for years or you've never tried writing your own material, this is a great tip. Make up silly songs, try working through your feelings in a chorus… whatever takes your fancy can turn into a short song. You're not aiming to write a masterpiece, you're just learning to put sounds together to become a musician.
Practice is your foundation
Keeping it fun will ensure that you feel positive about practice and don't dread your daily session. Make it fun, pick up the guitar because it makes you happy, and just let yourself enjoy playing. And if it helps, don't call it practice at all, just spend time messing around with your guitar and see what happens.
My courses are designed to teach you slide guitar even if you've never played guitar before, and you can pick up your FREE Get Going with Slide Guide here. Check out my courses, they make excellent Christmas gifts - if I say so myself!