Guitar practice can be a tricky balancing act. Spend too much time laser-focused on a single issue, and you risk burning out. On the flip side, bouncing between too many ideas can leave you spinning your wheels without making real progress. Enter focus rotation, a practice technique designed to keep your brain engaged, address your weaknesses, and make practice both effective and enjoyable.
What Is Focus Rotation?
Focus rotation is a method of practicing where you stick to one core item—like a scale sequence, lick, or riff—but regularly change what aspect of your playing you’re concentrating on. Instead of mindlessly repeating the same thing over and over, you rotate your attention between different skills or areas for improvement.
For example, let’s say you’re working on a scale sequence. Over a 12-minute practice session, you might spend two minutes focusing on:
- Picking hand efficiency
- Fretting hand position (e.g., thumb placement)
- Two hand synchronization
- Timing and rhythm
- String noise control
- Integrating the scale with a chord progression or another technique
To an observer, it might look like you’re just repeating the same pattern endlessly. But inside your head, you’re staying fully engaged by tackling the sequence from multiple angles.
Why Focus Rotation Works
This method keeps your brain engaged, which helps you practice longer and with more intention. By shifting your focus every couple of minutes, it feels like you’re practicing something new—even though you’re not changing the core exercise. This “freshness” prevents boredom and allows you to work on a single item without falling into the trap of mindless repetition.
Focus rotation also ensures you’re addressing all the little details that make up quality playing. It’s easy to miss these when you’re stuck in tunnel vision, trying to fix just one issue for days or weeks.
The Importance of Quality Over Speed
One common mistake in practice is rushing to play faster without ensuring a solid foundation of quality at slower speeds. Think of your playing as a building: the foundation represents your skills at a slow tempo, and the structure above is your ability to play faster. A weak foundation will cause the whole thing to collapse when you speed up.
Instead, practice at a tempo where your playing is flawless—so flawless that you’d be proud to put it on a record. Focus on timing, articulation, and consistency. Once that foundation is solid, increasing speed becomes much easier and far more satisfying.
Avoiding Burnout and Frustration
Practicing one issue for weeks on end is a surefire way to hate practice. It’s important to isolate and fix problems, but not at the expense of ignoring other essential skills like timing, phrasing, or ear training. Annoyance with your playing can be a good thing—it shows you what needs fixing—but you don’t want to let it dominate your entire practice routine.
Focus rotation strikes the perfect balance. It allows you to lean into your weaknesses and fix them without becoming stuck on a single aspect for so long that you lose interest in playing altogether.
How to Implement Focus Rotation
- Make a List of Focus Areas: Identify 4–6 areas of your playing that need improvement. If you’re unsure what to focus on, consult an experienced teacher who is trained in using and teaching this method for feedback.
- Set a Timer: Spend 1 to 3 minutes on each focus area before moving on to the next one. Adjust the time interval to fit the amount of time available for practice that day. You can review the same item multiple times or apply this method to 2 or 3 additional items if you have a lot of time set aside for practice.
- Stick to One Core Item: Remember, you’re not switching between entirely different exercises. The core item stays the same, but the focus shifts (e.g., from picking technique to timing).
- Stay Engaged: Keep your mind active and attentive to the specific element you’re focusing on. This prevents your practice from feeling stale or monotonous.
The Payoff
Focus rotation isn’t just about making practice more enjoyable—it’s about getting better, faster. By addressing multiple aspects of your playing within the context of a single exercise, you’ll develop a more well-rounded skill set and make meaningful progress without the frustration of endless repetition.
So next time you sit down to practice, give focus rotation a try. You might find that an hour flies by without you even noticing—and that your playing improves more quickly than you thought possible.
About The Author
Brian Fish is a professional guitarist who has been dedicated to helping other guitar players in Northeast Ohio pursue their musical dreams since 1994. He’s passionate about guiding others on their musical journey! He is the Guitar Playing Transformation Specialist, instructor, mentor, trainer, and coach at Guitar Lessons Geauga.
Brian has also assisted people from around the globe in developing a solid sense of timing and enhancing their creativity through the fantastic rhythm course, “Ultimate Rhythm Mastery,” available at MusicTheoryForGuitar.com.
If you live in Geauga County / North East Ohio, Guitar Lessons Geauga can help you become the player you’ve always wanted to be.
