Can you make progress with 10 minutes of practice?
The short answer is yes, but let me explain why.
What does it take to learn guitar?
The guitar playing skills you want and deserve happens through a “tried and true” process. This process involves repeating many correct movements over and over until they become automatic.
Completing the number of reps needed is a huge task if you think of it as one big chunk. But it's easy, and even fun, if you develop an automatic practice routine. You'll perform the reps little by little each day. Each session builds on the ones before it.
The key then becomes to develop your “guitar practice routine”. The main ingredient in developing this routine is consistency.
Humans are creatures of habit
It’s a way for us to conserve energy. If you had to consciously think about everything you do it would take up a tremendous amount of mental energy.
Think about brushing your teeth in the morning. It doesn’t take much mental energy or willpower. It’s something you’ve done every morning for quite a while. It’s a habit.
When you first try to practice regularly it takes willpower and mental energy. Once it becomes a habit it goes on automatic.
“Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
This is where the 10 minutes comes in. It’s not that the 10 minutes is your ultimate goal for practice time. It’s a minimum commitment that will make it easier for you to develop the routine.
It’s often difficult to find large blocks of time to practice on a typical day. Sometimes students tell me they will practice for an hour a day. Unfortunately, when life gets in the way they get discouraged. An hour turns into none.
By setting a minimum amount of time that’s easy to do you’ll be setting yourself up for success. You’ll be more encouraged to keep coming back at it. This will lead to feeling good about your guitar progress and to make more time to practice.
Start small and build consistency
This is critical. Once you have a consistent routine you can begin to expand on it.
I suggest 10 minutes to start because everyone can find 10 minutes in a day if they want to. Make these 10 minutes of focused practice a sacred space for your own personal development. If you do it will get easier and easier...
And you’ll reap the rewards.
Not sure what to practice for 10 minutes? That's why I created Daily Practice Sessions in my Real Guitar Success Program. Each day get a different practice session on an aspect of improving your guitar playing.
Learn more about Daily Practice Sessions and how they can beneftit you here.
10 minutes a day us better than an hour once a week. Muscle memory. If nothing else a scale across the strings. Getting better at that opens up the guitar.. baby steps. MERRY CHRISTMAS all
Thank you Sir Mr. Thomas Michaud for your inspiration and supportive advise. I would do my level best continue doing my guitar practice more than 10 minuites a day.
Mr. Michaud,
Since you requested comments…I really enjoy your webcasts. You have a nice easy presentation without the pressure. I don’t have any requests…everything is still new. Sadly, I’ve been piddling at this for a year now. I’ve got my cords down and am learning tabs but haven’t done an entire song yet.
I’m not ready to spend money yet…sorry…but when I do decide to spend money on some sort of subscription, yours will be at the top of consideration.
Thank you for doing what you’re doing. I hope your holidays are wonderful.
Bryan
I practice about once every other day. Sometimes I get frustrated because my learning is slow. I’m 74, but I keep doing it most of the time. I have done one solo Guitar Meet-up at a local restaurant ( A Horse with No Name ). I bought a Mic., a Guitar pick up and some Video’s. I also bought a Interface but had to send it back as I do not know how to operate it. I would like to use a Interface so I could hear myself play my Cords and hear how I Sing. Is there any recording device that can hook up to my Guitar, Mic. and Computer without downloading any Software, so I can just listen to myself. Thanks for all your Information and Advice. Merry Christmas. Bill Spicer.
Thank you for this reminder! It’s easy to stay busy but not actually be productive and I know I’m guilty of this.