I know it may at first sound like a strange question on my part, but I think it’s very important, when evaluating your own development, to think of whether you are “practicing” or “playing”. I know that when I was developing, I never ever considered what I was doing as “practicing”. Now, of course, I am a self-taught guitar player, who never had formal lessons, so I was never given “assignments”, or things I had to practice and have ready by the next week, for example. Instead, I had started a ritual for myself that holds true even today, in which every time I pick up the guitar, I am sure to try something new, and to teach myself a new lick, position, or even a song, or simply start writing. Whatever it is, it has to be fresh to me, and therefore, it is unquestionably “playing” that I do, as opposed to “practicing”.
You also have to keep in mind that so much of what I learned happened in professional situations, like onstage, or in the studio. This is why when I teach others, I always encourage them to seek out their own knowledge and path on the guitar, because I believe that in the end, we all really DO teach ourselves! I always have students who apologize to me that they didn’t “practice” all week…then I simply ask them, “yes, but did you play?” This is what means most to me as a teacher and a mentor, because I need to know whether or not the guitar has become something that the student really enjoys and loves, as opposed to just a burden.
It should never be a “burden” to play the guitar, it should always be a joy, and like me, you should feel right away like sharing your new-found knowledge with others. It only gives you more wisdom about what it is you’re playing to begin with. It also trains the ear better and better, so you can learn so much more easily by listening to other players, and by being able to play what you hear in your heart and in your head.
Now, there are those of you who will definitely benefit from more structure when it comes to learning and practicing, and even these days, when I want to learn a very “specific” piece of music, I understand that I actually need to put in some real, good old “practice” time to get a certain piece really “down”. But in the end, it still boils down to the real and joyous act of “playing” most of all! Keep it up, and it’ll always pay you back!