Tips on Practicing

Every time you do an action it is stored in your memory as previous experience. The next time you want to execute something, your memory is searched for a way to do it. If a memory is not found a new way is created. The more experiences stored, the more likely one is found.

Unfortunately, desired and undesired results are not separated; they are simple stored as past examples. So you need to increase your chances, by slowing down and play at least ten times correctly for each incorrect one.
A practice session can best be broken into three sections:

1) Warm-up with long tones or tone studies. Then play your scale and chord studies. Scales and chords cannot be emphasized enough. The technique of music can be broken into pieces of scales, scale patterns, chords, and chord patterns put together in different ways. The more of them you know, the easier it is to learn new music.

2)  The nitty-gritty of practice. This is where you breakup your exercises, etudes, and songs into little pieces. Identify what you cannot do easily. Focus on these spots, slowly repeat a passage until it becomes easier, then proceed to another problematic spot.

3)  Just play. Play straight through your lesson assignments. Play other songs you like. Play by ear. Make up songs. Just have fun playing!