Guitar Lab: The Art of Practicing, Vol. 4

The Art of Practicing is a deep dive into the mindset, discipline, and self-awareness required to become a better musician. Drawing on more than 56 years of teaching experience, Brad Carlton shares the core principles behind effective practice, showing you how to listen more deeply, assess your own playing honestly, and build the habits that lead to real musical growth. This is not a course about memorizing licks or running exercises without purpose. It is about learning how to practice with focus, intention, and a clear understanding of what you are trying to improve.


Brad breaks down the different roles you need to play in your own development, from teacher to student to coach, while helping you understand how to identify weaknesses, set goals, and stay motivated through the process. You’ll explore concepts like the investment of time, the difference between difficult and different, the three levels of assessment, and the major areas of study, including the classroom, the gym, the playground, the stage, and the studio.


Along the way, the course strengthens much more than your practice routine. You’ll sharpen your listening, improve your time, develop better fretboard awareness, build stronger technique, and learn how to approach mistakes, improvisation, performance, and recording with a more productive mindset. By the end of the course, you’ll have a clearer understanding of how to guide your own musical growth and make your practice time more focused, creative, and rewarding. So listen closely, take your time, and let’s dig into The Art of Practicing.