Fellow breakthrough guitarist, Steve, wrote in recently to ask this question:
“What is the secret to mastering the instrument while everything else demands my time — when I only have limited practice time? How can I make the very most of my time to become the guitarist I desire to be?”
So, I actually love this question…
Because Steve’s not alone in having limited practice time. A lot of people who want to be great guitar players also lead normal lives, just like everyone else. They have jobs and kids and errands and countless other things that require their time and attention.
Frankly, not everyone can sit down for an hour a day and practice without distraction. In fact, I don’t recommend trying to do that at all.
So what’s the solution?
I’ve actually written about it before — I call it the “2 minute practice session”.
Here’s how it works. And pay attention, because it’s a pretty difficult idea to grasp (okay, just kidding):
When you find yourself with even 2 minutes to spare, you pick up your guitar and practice ONE thing that you want to improve in that moment in time. That’s it. Maybe it’s a scale pattern. Maybe it’s a specific lick. Maybe it’s just focusing on picking speed.
Whatever you want to work on… work on just that for 2 minutes.
See why I say it’s like “barely” practicing?
Now here’s the really cool part…
If you simply practice what you want to get better at, your skills will actually “self balance”. Why? Because as you improve in one area, you’ll recognize the other areas that aren’t “up to snuff”. And no one needs to tell you what to practice — because it will always be apparent.
All of this combined makes practicing fun — instead of a chore, or something you have to do.
So why 2 minutes? Well, think about it…
If you commit to just 2 minutes, and work on ONE thing only… you’ll start improving (yes, even in just a couple minutes). And when you notice yourself getting better, don’t you wanna play more? I know I do.
So you become excited to sit down and play. Which means you don’t have to commit to 30 mins, an hour, 2 hours…
All you have to do is sit down and play for 2 minutes and the rest will take care of itself.
So if you find yourself like Steve — wanting and knowing you need practice time, but not knowing where to schedule it — the 2 minute practice sessions might just be the perfect way to become the guitarist you’ve always wanted to be (without sacrificing your commitments).
That’s all for today. Hope that helps!
P.S. These “little” tips have been huge breakthroughs for many players because it “refreshes” their excitement for playing. So I’m curious…
Have you ever come across a little tip that changed your playing/practicing/etc in a big way?
Many guitar players are stuck in a rut. They don’t know how to play lead guitar and they don’t know how to improve their skills because they’ve been bogged down with endless chords, theory, and scales.
You might think you’re not good enough, or that it’s too hard, but I’m here to tell you that there is hope for you! You can be good at playing lead guitar if you want it bad enough.
The Ultimate Lead Guitar Lightbulb Moment will give you the tools and knowledge so that any guitarist can become great at playing lead guitar – even if they have no experience with scales or theory!
