Spreadin’ myself too thin?

[Cadgirl]

You know @the-old-coach . I was doing the 2 hour practice thing myself for a while. It was just too much for me. I do have 7 songs memorized, I play those sometime during the day (that’s about 21 minutes) at my leisure when I feel like it. If I don’t play them every day (or close to everyday) I’ll start forgetting them. I do the 10 minute daily challenge. I have a list of 8 songs that I’d like to learn to play better and they aren’t memorized (maybe ½ hour playing time). I get to them here and there, these I don’t get everyday, even thou I try. I am going to guess adding this up I’m at 45 to 60 minutes a day for sure, the rest is gravy if I get to it. I would say take some time to memorize some songs so when you are at the camp fire with the marshmallows roasting and someone hands you a guitar and says something like. Hey! I heard you can play. Grab that baby and start strumming and singing to your heart content. If you can throw in a couple songs you made up yourself, that would just be icing on the cake.

[GerryB56]

From my perspective, I’m envious that you are this organized and can happily devote 2 hours to practicing when the time allows. My trouble is getting distracted and not working on any one thing consistently enough. There are just so many areas to cover! But I’d say if you are enjoying each of those paths then why not pursue them all? Maybe you could follow Tony’s lead and devote different days to different skills / styles / songs.

[Carol-3M-Stillhand]

@the-old-coach wow you have many irons in the fire for sure!! Sounds like you are enjoying your busy guitar journey 🙂

Many of us have the same issue, there seems to be too many things to focus on sometimes. I have found that writing down my guitar goals is extremely helpful for this. Make a list of your long term goals (12 months out), then subdivide each long term goal into 12 smaller chunks, things you will need to do each month in order to reach your yearly goal. Then take each month’s goals and further divide those into weekly goals. From there you can write out your own personalized daily practice plan into a practice log/notebook, that you can check off each day. Make sure you account for days off (everyone skips a day of guitar here and there due to real life), and also knowing you may not have a full 2-3 hours each day, but that’s OK. Having a specific plan helps to stay focused and organized. Hope that helps and have fun with your practicing!!!

[the-old-coach]

Thank you all for your responses!

I guess as I re-read my own original post, I maybe could have also mentioned that I was generally referring to time spent “learning” something new- (versus- say – practicing something I already sort-of know but needs more work).

Seems to me there are at least two different ways to “learn” something new. I’m thinking one way is to take little bites each day– and over time/ eventually– you’ll have “learned” it all- (maybe mostly just because of repetition(?). Maybe the other is to have longer, more intense, sessions- but just a few of them.

(Possible example– short TAC sessions every day versus a long, intense, instructor-guitar-lesson once a week)(?)

I think I tend to use the smaller-bites method more often.

Seems like either way will get me where I want go- just by different routes.

I really appreciate your viewpoints, suggestions, and opinions!!!

I know we’re all different, and different skills and goals- and there is no “one-size-fits-all”, and because of that, maybe each of us has to– (at least somewhat)– re-invent the(ir own) wheel.

Hey- maybe I’m all wet on this– or overthinking it- (so unlike me)- but I guess I’m just looking for the most efficient(?) way.

Thanks again for your insights!

the old coach

• This reply was modified 3 years, 7 months ago by  the-old-coach.

[KayMesser]

I’m new to TAC and guitar playing so I can’t weigh in directly – however, if the question of whether you are stretching yourself too thin pops into your mind, you likely are. In other hobbies I tend to look for language I use around the hobby (I do a lot of woodworking) if I catch myself saying I “have to” in reference to my hobby rather than “I get to” I know that I’m nearing burnout.

For me in woodworking – if I’m learning something new I practice only that skill for a brief amount of time really focusing on the specifics that day. For TAC that could be a song of the day. Do 10 min focused and repeat.

If I’m working on getting improvements out of an existing skill that is where I’ll give myself more time – 2 hrs of flow state. I know the skill, I just look for repetition and opportunities to grow the skill. For TAC that could be a day where you play the songs you know and look to find 1-2 things you like and want to improve.

That way you aren’t looking for 2hrs each day, but 10 min some days, 2 hrs when it’s available.

Avoiding burnout helps us keep hobbies from gathering dust I find.

Cheers!

[the-old-coach]

Kay–

Just like Carol, Jerry, and Cadgirl before you- (and many thanks to you all for your responses as well!!!👏👍)- your suggestions are also right on the money.

It’s these kinds of viewpoints and specifics that really answer my original, almost un-answerable, question.

Maybe others have my same question when it comes to “learning” and prioritizing all the different areas in learning guitar specifically, and now have some more great info and help to chew on.

Thanks again-

the old coach

[darcelle]

I like that answer. As Tony might say, the important thing is to have fun. If we aren’t having fun and enjoying playing then we might need to scale back a bit.

[Mrfredsporty]

or is that is it that we are only playing 2 hours a day? After all ,arent there 24 hours in a day? So, TOC ,perhaps you are not spread thin enough to fill those twenty four hours and need to get to work to play all day and night.That way you can join all of us and really go pure geek!

[Cadgirl]

@Mrfredsporty, ha ha ha

[Cadgirl]

@the-old-coach , what a minute, you started here with no musical education, right? And you already are putting in as much time as you are. Your doing great. My best advise is to have a guitar where it’s easy to get to. I always have one in the family room. Making a place for one in the living room and of course one in my den. Sometimes just to have it close to easily pick it up and figure out a jingle or play the improv lick from Tuesday. You got this. By the way, there isn’t an easy road. It’s all hard work. 🙂

[albert_d]

I’m a little late to this thread but my opinion is that 2 hours a day isn’t sustainable. When we exercise physically there is a warm up, an exertion to a burn, and a recovery time cycle. And a pattern of different facets like aerobic, strength, flexibility. Finally there is practice and there is playing (application usually in some sport, dance, adventure, or as we age just playing with the grandkids.)

These physical realities confine our guitar journey. Our fingers need to warm up, to develop muscle memory, and to recover. 2 hours repetitive action is hard on them. Our minds need to learn theory, lyrics, and chord progressions and relationships. Finally our souls need to take this practice and apply it by expressing itself through the music both personally and in community with others. A program mixing up each these seems wise. That might be the 12 month or 90 day goal approach or the focused day approach like licks, rhythm, learn a song, chords, etc. but it needs to take into account the limits of our physical reality.

I personally like goals expressed with a 10 minute minimum to give my psyche the satisfaction of having completed the step toward the goal. ( the Daily Challenge).Then layered on top of that a pattern of practice (physical-as my life schedule allows and mental- theory, lyrics, etc.) to be a better guitarist. Finally, learning or writing songs to express myself emotionally and playing for/with others to find community.

An opinion is defined as “unformed thinking”. This is currently the formulation of my thinking.

[Kitman]

There is a ton of great input and ideas here @the-old-coach . One of my own personal tendencies is to become interested in something that is new to me and then spend enough time to understand “ah, so that is how that is done or works” and then move on to the next interesting (shiny new) thing. That is great for becoming a generalist! Nothing wrong with that… but at this point with guitar that is not my goal.

I liked the TAC approach because it helps us to set reasonable, specific goals that are time based and measurable. When I find myself wanting to drift to something new and interesting I do 2 things: check back in my written goals for this 90 days and make sure I am spending the majority of my playing time in a manner that will help me to achieve them and I also make an entry in a kind of journal (it is really a list using a notes app on my phone) of the new and interesting “shiny” thing. That way I don’t lose that thought and can come back later to see if I want it to become a formal part of my goals.

The other thing I implemented this round (this is my 2nd 90 day cycle with TAC) is a milestone check-in at least every 4 weeks or so to see how I am doing vs my written plan (from the guitar journal) and then make adjustments in how I am spending my time if needed. Tony mentioned this in the last 90 day progress party so I thought I would give it a try. It has been helpful in making adjustments and retuning how I spend my guitar sessions and helping me stay on track.

In the end TOC, make sure you continue to play on a consistent basis and have fun! This is the TAC method! Whether that is 10 min or longer is up to you! 😎🎸🎶

[the-old-coach]

WOW!!

After I wrote the original post in this thread, I re-read it back to myself, and thought- “wow, this is a really dumb post”, that it would just be brushed off as yet another odd question from “the old coach”……. (so unlike him to ask a question that can’t really be answered simply…..).

But you all have shared some wonderful thoughts and viewpoints– “general” but yet specific……… “have fun” but yet stay committed………… immediate but yet forward-looking.

Your answers are EXACTLY what I was looking for– various specific perspectives and suggestions. Perfect. I’ll take all of these ideas and thoughts and go from there.

Maybe anybody else who might have been wondering the same things as I was— (what to work on when there are soooooooo many DIFFERENT things to work on)—– now has good stuff to chew on- to make a plan for themselves.

(PS- Oh, yeah, MrFred😎……. I showed my wife your post about the 22 hours each day that I was wasting by not playing guitar?…….. yeah………. 😒hard “no”……..)

Thanks again everyone for all your great perspectives and suggestions!!!!

the old coach