Limited practice time.

[alcoyot]

If you only had enough time in the day to practice one or two things. Say, 1/2 hour or less. What would be the most important things/exercises. Lets say you had to narrow it down to 1 or 2 exercises from the book what would they be?
Some days it seems like I have no time, but I think everyone can find 15 minutes somewhere.

[N E Y]

This must be a trick question!
If you are actually serious , then ... ...why play at all?
When there is no time to do it ....your priorities are elsewhere and that is totally cool...But don't fool yourself....15mins per day? 1/2 hour per day? that is for beginners and intermediates at 7 to 10 years old. You need to realize how much daily work it takes to learn to play any instrument well.

??? I thought you wanted to really learn to play well...???





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[Jamie]

Yes, unless playing means very little, we never "find" the time, we MAKE the time. My time is never hidden, so I do not need to find it. I know where it is. It is simply a matter of skillfully using it.

I have made the necessary sacrifices throughout my life so that I am always able to use my time maximally for guitar. I have never been much interested in living any other way.

Now, to seriously answer your question, I would pick what I thought was most beneficial to my hands and do that for 15 min....scales, certain etudes, whatever, to exercise the muscles, because they simply deteriorate over time. Then, I would develop/play repertoire for 15 min.

Then, thinking about how I have a life that allows for only 1/2 or less for guitar every day.......I'd go put a bullet through my head.........JUST kidding!

[alcoyot]

Sorry guys. I feel dumb now, I shouldn't have asked this question. Especially on this forum, I should have expected a verbal smackdown would be coming . Actually I feel lucky to even still be allowed to post on this board.

Let me explain myself further and the question might make more sense. Guitar actually isn't my primary instrument. I have some musical obligations that are taking off, like being pressured to perform in some concerts, so I find myself spending all my free time preparing for that. I know that for most of the people here guitar is their 1st instrument, but the reason I'm here is because obviously this is the best site, and materials for anyone to learn guitar no matter how serious they are. That and also studying for my degree in bio-chemistry which I also put a lot of time and effort into.

I guess when I look at the question, it appears that I'm really asking "Hey, is there a magic 3 minute solution to mastering guitar?, or something along those lines. I suspected this was going to be the answer, it also confirms an interesting saying that I've been experiencing lately. "You only ask for advice when you already know the answer."

[Jamie]

No problem, and that really is a fine question. I don't want to run a place that is only for "lifers", people who devote their lives to guitar.

But the fact is that no, you cannot master the guitar in a half hour, or an hour, or 2 or 3......it must be 8-10 for years. You also can't become a doctor or lawyer on an hour a day. Somethings, in order to operate at the highest levels, are simply too complex for casual study.

BUT that doesn't mean we can't have a very fulfilling and constantly growing relationship with guitar, or anything else. I love piano, I have about an hour a day for it. I can play a few things relatively well. I will never "master" it or its most intense repertoire, as I have with guitar. That is because I love the guitar mostly, and only have one life to give toward the mastery of an instrument.

But I love the piano, I love practicing and playing it, it enriches my life, and I look forward to whatever progress I can make with it given the limitations of time.

So, you should know that. Plan your goals, and use your time wisely. The most important thing is to have an enjoyable, fulfilling relationship with the object of your study, no matter what it is,and no matter what exact form that may take.

Basically, we all know when we have that, and when we don't.

[Jafa]

I think this issue of time is a very subjective thing as we all have different priorities and desires. We also can't go back in time, so to say "I wish I'd learned this years ago" and live with the regret, when we can actually make a start with something that can develop with time is better than not doing anything at all. To give my own example, I have a dependent son and I made the decision to tailor my work so that I could be with him when he's out of school. That means working in the evenings and when he's at school. I have to work to get the money. And he (and my family) are my priority. But I also want to play guitar and if it means I only get half a day to practice then that is better than none - in my view. When my son becomes independent, I hope to have more time. If I live long enough I will retire! And hopefully when I get more time I will already have the basics of how to play the guitar - I may not play well, but at least I've made a start. I don't want to delay doing something I really want to do on the basis that I don't have hours each and every day to devote to it. But I also have to understand and be realistic that I won't get as good as I want to be quickly - it will take longer.

So I think Alcoyot, you should not feel dumb with your question. As Jamie says

The most important thing is to have an enjoyable, fulfilling relationship with the object of your study, no matter what it is,and no matter what exact form that may take

.

[alcoyot]

I think this issue of time is a very subjective thing as we all have different priorities and desires. We also can't go back in time, so to say "I wish I'd learned this years ago" and live with the regret, when we can actually make a start with something that can develop with time is better than not doing anything at all. To give my own example, I have a dependent son and I made the decision to tailor my work so that I could be with him when he's out of school. That means working in the evenings and when he's at school. I have to work to get the money. And he (and my family) are my priority. But I also want to play guitar and if it means I only get half a day to practice then that is better than none - in my view. When my son becomes independent, I hope to have more time. If I live long enough I will retire! And hopefully when I get more time I will already have the basics of how to play the guitar - I may not play well, but at least I've made a start. I don't want to delay doing something I really want to do on the basis that I don't have hours each and every day to devote to it. But I also have to understand and be realistic that I won't get as good as I want to be quickly - it will take longer.

So I think Alcoyot, you should not feel dumb with your question. As Jamie says

The most important thing is to have an enjoyable, fulfilling relationship with the object of your study, no matter what it is,and no matter what exact form that may take

.

Well, thanks for that comment, Jafa. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one here who isn't a "1st priority guitarist". I do have an enjoyable relationship with guitar, my current issue is that I can only have so much fun with just messing around on guitar. I have to feel that I am taking it to the next level (vertical development) even if it happens very slowly. I was just thinking about how one of the reasons its so time consuming, among other things is the need for multiple thousands of repetitions of a movement in order to really learn it competently (and that's assuming all those repetitions are being done correctly). I find the same thing to be true of other disciplines as well, which is why I think these materials are also good for other musicians to check out.

[Jamie]

I break my piano practice in two each day. In the morning, I do 20 min to 1/2 an hour. I do technique and music skills. For now, that takes the form of working from Hanon on scales and arpeggios, all keys. A big job, I will probably be on this book for 3 more years. I have my scales up to 80 bpm, some to 100.

In the evening, I do repertoire, 1/2 hour, before my evening guitar practice and other work. For now, mostly Mozart Sonatas. I can play the 3 movements of one of them fairly well, and a lot from memory, although I don't try to memorize. I am working on a second one. I can play a Scarlatti sonata I love rather well, as well as "Fur Elise" and 1st movement of the Moonlight Sonata. For me, playing Beethoven and the other masters even a little bit is a great honor and joy, even if I only scratch the surface.

Like Jane, I look forward to having this through my later life. As Jane indicates, getting the basics out of the way now sets me up for easier and faster learning later on.

For someone else, it may be their favorite rock solos that would give them this satisfaction......but like I always say "know what you want, and know if you are getting it". If not, make adjustments.

[N E Y]

Sorry Alex....

No smack down intended, I think You know what I mean already. I was quick to the point because I care that you don't dissipate your love for music into vapid pursuits (except for your bio-chemistry degree of course!) and then later you will regret it so much....but time passes faster than most people feel it go by because they almost never like to live in the moment and are seldom grateful for all the amazing things they have in the USA, and if you fall into that soi-disant normal way of life, it will be way too late to be good at it like you want to.

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[jcole]

I can certainly relate to the sentiments expressed in this discussion. Making the time and space in my life to spend the time on guitar that I want to and need to has been a constant challenge.

I have lots of "good excuses", a full-time job, a wife and 2 children, teach martial arts classes 3-4 a week, and I am involved in various projects outside of work. However, if I want to become as good a player as I desire to be, I know that I'm going to have to make the time.

So I've recently taken some concrete steps to ensure that I can re-focus my efforts, eliminate the non-essentials, and get more practice time. We'll see how it all works out.

John