Here is what has been working for me, and helps me improve faster, minimize boredom and avoid burnout:
1. Write down my goals as a player. As examples, mine are listed below.
2. Make a plan for how I might be able to achieve your goals. My current “How To†is underneath my goals below.
3. Pick 2 songs for each neck which fit at least some of my goals– E9 and C6.
4. Use the “How to†process below for each song during each day.
5. I was skeptical of the Pomodoro process at first, it just seemed kinda stupid to me but it works great for me and has led to several break-throughs. Mentally it makes me want to get back to the guitar to finish what I was working on when my last pomodoro ended, and keeps me interested. Also, it is very satisfying to check that box as “done†every time I get up from the guitar, and I don’t have to wander aimlessly in my practice sessions because I’ve written down my plan for the day – I just go to the next item on my list for the day.
GOALS:
1. Improve Right Hand dexterity, accuracy, and speed: Play clean and reduce mistakes, and thereby improve technique and tone, emotion
2. Improve intonation – bar accuracy.
3. Relax right arm and shoulder
4. Find and Play fast solos and licks which can be transplanted into other songs. Learn how to use modes. Improv will come.
5. Learn chord progressions faster and the typical patterns, using both the number system and chord names; Using circle of 4ths/5ths.
6. Use vibrato properly
7. Use volume pedal properly
8. Build Confidence
9. Build Repotoire
10. Build Good Habits with deliberate practice: Mindless activity is the enemy of deliberate practice. The danger of practicing the same thing again and again without breaks is that progress becomes assumed. Too often, we assume we are getting better simply because we are gaining experience. In reality, we are merely reinforcing our current habits—not improving them.
HOW TO?:
1. Use Pomodoro technique. See description below.
2. Develop or find warm ups that use right hand skills and key and neck/scales/modes/chord progression knowledge skills, including arpeggios, circle of 4ths and 5ths and modes, licks. Do them in different keys each day.
3. Pick songs that I like which have passages, a style, solos or fills I want to learn that I might be able to use in other songs. Possible choices:
1. C6 – Herb Steiner’s Part 1 and 2 in different keys and his Retrobillies songs.
2. E9: Larry Toliver versions, Paul King versions.
3. Keep an eye out for other songs and write them down for later.
4. Make my own backing track for each song using ireal pro or band in the box, which makes me learn the progression better.
5. Rehearse, then start recording the song, as slow as necessary to be able to play it as near to perfectly as possible.
6. Critique recording, rehearse the weak spots, record again
7. Gradually increase speed of recording and revise licks as ideas come to me.
8. Learn them, tab them, modify them. Stick with them until you have a recording you are proud of, and you know the song cold.
9. As I’m working on the song, compose my own version of parts of the songs, or the whole song, as ideas come to me.
10. For both necks, during practice focus on:
a. Right hand accuracy and speed: single note and groups of strings. If I make a mistake, stop, do it correctly (5 times perfectly).
b. Timing
c. “Seeing†the neck – available notes, chord position, next chord and root, etc.;
d. Finding different or better ways to play the passage or lick.
e. Slide more, pluck less, work on sustain
11. Journal Daily, preferably after each Pomodoro – something at least. Review Weekly
12. It’s ok to go off the plan a little from time to time when I hear something else I like, but only after I’ve completed my tasks for the day.
13. Take at least 1 day off from the plan per week. Ok to play, or not, on your day off, whatever you feel.
14. When not at my guitar, think about chord progressions, scales, other things musical.
15. Remember: there are no shortcuts, and it takes as long as it takes!! Don’t rush it.
After learning a song thoroughly and completing my best recording possible:
1. Play songs in Different keys — improves key and neck knowledge
2. Play passages and licks from the songs in different songs. Transplant them.
3. Change timing/rhythm of passages and licks
4. Repeat old week’s songs and lessons periodically
POMODORO TECHNIQUE:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/23/maga ... ticleShare
From wikipedia:
There are six steps in the original technique:
1. Decide on the tasks to be done. Write it down and put a blank box next to it so you can check it off when you are done.
2. Set the pomodoro timer (traditionally to 25 minutes).
3. Work on the task.
4. End work when the timer rings, no matter where you are in your work, and put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
5. If you have fewer than four checkmarks, take a short break (3–5 minutes), then go to step 2 and do the next task (or go back to the last task if you feel it’s more productive).
6. After four Pomodoros, take a longer break (15–30 minutes), reset your checkmark count to zero, then go to step 1.
7. You are not allowed to extend a Pomodoro. If a Pomodoro is interrupted, you have to start it over again.
Good luck, I hope this helps!
If you want to have an ongoing discussion, please email me, don't use the Forum messaging which I detest! 
