Learning and practicing contemporary guitar for professional performance: a phenomenological approach

The guitar has been a very popular instrument in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It has been a means for entertainment, leisure, artistic achievement, escape, and even cultural resolution. Despite its immense popularity on a global scale, there is limited knowledge about how contemporary guitarists practise their instrument. There are numerous areas of practice related to the guitar that have been neglected and continue to be unexplained. Through a phenomenological lens, this study endeavours to unearth practice strategies used by accomplished, professional guitarists, primarily based on the east-coast of Australia. The study focuses on six areas of practice revealed by the research. These comprise theory-based learning; sound-based learning; mental practice; physical conditioning and preparation; identity, passion and motivation(;) and satisfaction, fun and enjoyment. The research expands on the relationship between the guitarists and these focus areas, and their performance careers.