The Intermediate Crisis.

If you are serious about guitar playing sooner or later your progress is going to stall.

It happens...

Your technique isn't great but you don't suck that hard anymore, you can waddle your way with the pentatonic scale and practice each and every day...or at least most days. Then you ask yourself, now what? How to I get to the next level?

You are stuck in the intermediate plateau, and to get through the sticking point, you need to PRACTICE.

I know, I know. You practice a lot a blah blah blah.

The thing is, your practice time consists on playing the same shit you are already good at over and over.

You need to practice the things that you SUCK at.

If you want to shred, pick a couple of exercises that cover alternate/outside-or-inside picking and play that thing 10,000 times PERFECTLY.

If you want to sweep, learn the basic figures both of 3 and 5 strings arpeggios and play each one 10,000 times with PERFECT technique.

If you want to get better at improvising get some backing tracks and each and every time you practice make the intent to do it BETTER than the last time.

Same with chord patterns, modal changes, vibrato, and all that shit.

Will it be fun?

Will you enjoy it?

Of course not!

If you want to be great at something practice isn't going to be fun. You do what you have to do to get better, that's what makes the difference  between a mediocre player and an awesome one.

Your motivation should NEVER be to have "fun", it's to get better. The fun part is when you reap the benefits of the, at times boring, at times interesting practice time.

So, to wrap it up. Practice with a goal in mind and strive each and every time you do practice to make it BETTER.

Yes, it's THAT simple.

Practice  ≠   Playing