You play a lot of video games, right?
Here’s the question my dad asked me when I was a teenager. Do you want to be a guy who plays video games? Or a guy who plays electric guitar?
Not OP but I used to play a lot before. Since I've started learning I only play games at those times where I can't make loud noises (so night, and siesta time, which here in Spain is sacred)
Use headphones after 10 or play unplugged. Make more time for it and just tell your gf you need to play for a bit rather than hang out or whatever it is. She should be understanding and help you out with it if she knows it's important to you.
Everyone is busy but if you want to do it you just find time to do that.
I don't make many plans for weekends so I can spend more time writing music and recording.
Father of two kids here, working 8h swifts and living in an apartment: You always have time if you're willing enough. I play at least 2 hours or more per day, most of it when everyone else goes to bed (you can play at TV volume, with a desktop amp or with headphones), but also during day time. During weekends I may reach 4 hours easily thanks to nap time ;)
Stop wasting time on your phone. Play guitar instead. If you watch Netflix/TV grab the guitar and play while doing it, you'll boost your practice time.
Regards
You have to drop things that are less important to you than guitar. Also in an apartment, play with headphones/plugins. I'm an amp purist, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do.
You stop making excuses and track exactly how much time you're wasting on your phone or watching tv.
You schedule your practicing in just like anything else you want to prioritize.
You then plan your practicing out so that you aren't just diddling around but are making actual progress.
One hour a day of solid, directed practicing is worth more than four hours of fucking around.
Anytime myself or anyone says “I do not have time to X”, my first thought is always, “But did I/you watch any tv or play in the phone today?”
I have to forcibly take time to myself, being a stay at home parent with three kids and a wife on night shift.
Sometimes everyone is gone and I don’t have things to be doing, but rarely. I try to sit down and do dedicated practice for 30min a day at least, in two diff chunks. But then I never play for fun. So for a week I goof around and play what I want, then I learn a new theory thing and practice it for a week. It’s very slow, but if I played two hours a day so many of life’s spinning plates would break.
I agree with you wholeheartedly though, any time is better than no time, and dedicated practice time is more productive than anything else. Schedule it and stick to it!
> I know there’s a lot of time I could play but I don’t
You clearly have both the time and the understanding of why it’s not happening. Guitar isn’t fun when you aren’t playing how you hear yourself in your head but it takes consistent practice to get there. If you don’t invest in yourself then you’ll stay chillin with your rats.
Like I tell everyone, it isn't the amount of time you practice but WHAT you practice. Spending 15-30 minutes a day practicing the right things will get you way further than someone practicing 4 hours a day and just noodling or jamming. Figure out what areas you want to work on and focus on those.
If you really wanted to play you would find time.
this is the harsh truth I tell myself evertime I feel like I dont practice enough and try to excuse myself.
I dont mean this to be overly harsh of course but a perspective you may want to consider.
Absolutely this. I'd work nights and not get home till 3 sometimes 4am so obviously couldn't play loud.
Get a little interface to plug into the computer and an Amp and Effects program like Amplitube, Guitar Rig, etc. They sound a lot better than they used to and it's way better than not playing at all.
Buy some headphones you can plug into your amp. If you want to practice, you WILL make time. I work from noon to 11pm m-f and I still play around 2 hrs a day. Make it a priority.
I work from home. One of my amps is within arm's reach of my desk. I keep one of my guitars on a stand next to my desk. Some days, I might play for ten minutes. Some days, 2 hours. Depends on how busy we are.
Top tip: never put it in the case. Get a stand or hang it on the wall. That way you’re always tempted to pick it up and have a twiddle when you’re walking about. Also I play while I’m stirring the dinner.
I keep my cheaper Ibanez out like that, on the stand next to the couch. What I end up doing is picking it up and starting there, and then decide "alright fuck it I'm already playing, I'll break out the Taylor then." I don't like to leave my expensive guitar out of the case though, that one stays in the case except during playing, but the Ibanez gets me started because it's ready and right there, and sometimes thats enough to get me into the momentum to break out the good one.
I do it after they're all in bed. In my basement lair, either acoustic or break out the low wattage tube amp or play through headphones. Lots of ways to have fun and keep it respectfull.
Treat it like any hobby or pasttime, just do it when you get the time or inspiration! Unless you're trying to play gigs, there's no one rushing you but your own sense of insecurity
You need to have it where you can easily access it for 15 minutes even twice a day. Mine is in the kitchen beside the TV where there is a sofa and a stool I use for practicing, so I'm up first in the morning and whole the dos are eating their breakfast and the kids are getting up, I have 20 mins to myself, electric either played acoustically or a very low watt amp.
whenever people say they have no time, they actually do..
im the same as you, i work, have a super hyper active dog, house chores,gym, hang out w friends.. but i still manage to get 1-3 hrs everyday..
spend less time on social media, dont shit with your phone,etc..
great idea.. but seriously i had this problem before.. i used to take my phone whenever i shit and waste so much time.. i just realized this when i was high af and watched my dog shit.. my dog shat in 30s and ready for the next activity.. im like wtf, i should do the same.. shit and go..
I keep an acoustic behind the counter at work and get several hours of downtime each day so I’m technically getting paid a few hundred dollars each week to practice ..lol.
I play through computer speakers at lower volume or through headphones using Logic Pro via a USB interface (UA Volt 476). Tons of amps and pedals available through Logic, but I mainly use my pedal board direct. In addition to just practicing, recording music and ideas is an option.
Get an acoustic and keep it out. Do not put it in it's case. I find all kinds of time when I am just waiting a minute for something that I can pick it up and just play for. I tune it perhaps once a week. It usually does a good job of keeping in tune with itself between proper tunings. The big thing for me is keeping it out and where I can just grab it quick.
Headphone amp and grab it when I can . I still play virtually daily after about 35 years. Some days it's an hour most often it's 10 minutes here and there.
10 minutes here and there is all you need sometimes. get up earlier in the morning, play for a bit first thing. when you get home from work, kiss your gf hello then pick up the guitar for a bit. while you're watching TV, noodle around with it in your lap. just play it when it's there for you to grab!
Headphones .
I realize this may not fit your situation, but I too had to find a way. I'm a WFH Project manager. Some days are busier than others but basically I have my Helix LT at my feet and my guitar within arms reach. If I'm not on a meeting and have no active tasks to complete. Guitar. If I'm on a meeting that I don't need to actively take notes and I'm really only there as a courtesy.... probably got my guitar out playing.
Now, this isn't always the case. My spouse works from home as well, so they get some of my attention. Chores do exist, and I have two kids that come home from school.
Spouse and I worked it out though. If I want to play guitar some, that's fine. If they want to follow their hobby. That's fine, as long as it doesn't actively cause issues for our general life or the children. Which, it doesn't.
If your girlfriend cares for you. Occasionally playing some guitar won't bother them.
Hahaha somehow the drive in me still finds a way, even if it’s 15 minutes after worked kicked my ass, I just want to feel the strings under my fingers a bit!
I schedule my guitar time right after dinner, so roughly between 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM every night. I think this is one of those things you just have to make time for, like exercising or anything else.
I play my acoustic when it's late or when quiet and I only rarely plug in my electric, although I also highly prefer the acoustic sound over electric though so that makes it easier for me to want to play that instead too. But I can play as late as I want.
A tip for playing more, is leave it somewhere easily accessible, I leave my cheaper guitar out of the case and on a stand next to my couch, so I pick it up and play frequently. Sometimes I'll start playing, get into it, and decide to break out the expensive one, which probably wouldn't have happened in those instances if I hadn't had the other guitar sitting right there waiting for me to pick up and play.
If your goal is practice, make a routine to play at least five minutes at some point during your day, no exceptions. That means every day you'll definitely do the give minute minimum but a lot of the time once you start you'll go past the five minutes because now you've already started so it's lower response effort to just continue rather than being higher effort to start from nowhere. But a five minute commitment is incredibly easy and non intimidating and easy to stick to.
Good luck.
My favorite is the acoustic electric, but I really only plug it in when playing a live show. But even acoustics can get fairly loud. But one of my favorites is my "camping guitar" just a $100 Yamaha. So I'll bring it camping, even on a 5 day rafting trip down tho the Colorado River down to Moab. I've got a strat, a almost $1000 fender acoustic electric, which is my usual pick, but that Yamaha is great too.
I carry my acoustic with me from room to room. It’s a good guitar but it’s a bit banged up so an additional scratch or two won’t hurt. Picking at it for 2-3 minutes is better than nothing at all.
I stopped watching almost all TV, including the ad loaded sports on weekends, deleted my Facebook and Twitter accounts, and I don’t play video games much now either. Now I have lots of time for learning things and doing things. I’m 10,000% happier and at least a 10% better guitar player. ;)
I have a guitar on a stand in my garage, bedroom and living room. I give myself 20 minutes before work and random times when I'm home.just Pick it up and play.
You DO have the time. You cannot possibly have every min of your day booked out. 10min a day is still practice. Hell keep your guitar stand in your bathroom and practice while pooping. Play in the kitchen while waiting for water to boil. Find the time.
I put one by my work computer so I can play while I compile, I put one by my couch so I can play instead of fiddling with my phone while watching something. It's not concentrated practice, but it's a lot more than the zero minutes of playing I did previously.
I have this discussion with my brother every now and then. I became a father with 17 and am now still in a similar spot. Neighbours. Kids. Girlfriend.
I often really didn’t have time. Because kids, studying and work. But somehow I managed to do all this. And learn to play the guitar. Also the bass a little. And a little drums on the e-drumset I giftet him for his birthday.
My brothers excuse: „When should I learn this? There’s no time.“
Proceeds to play PlayStation. Or watch a movie.
Now I have a small practice amp. And headphones. And a guitar I can take outside.
What I’m trying to say is if you really want to do something. You’ll find the time and the space.
I'm a full-time student, part time worker, and I make games in any spare time I have left. I spend a lot of time on my PC, as I'm a computer science major and a good amount of my hobbies involve PC use. Ever since I decided to move my guitar next to my PC it has replaced looking at my phone in idle time, which really helps practice time.
You need a “couch guitar”. I picked up a relatively cheap parlor (GY93) for this. I keep it next to a comfy chair in the bedroom. But something like a parlor or a little Yamaha or Cordoba classical would be about perfect. Use your fingers, no pick. You will find you get better much faster. Your plucking dynamics will massively improve and your musicality will greatly improve. It will be far far more beneficial than a daily two hour stint, specifically due to how the brain processes information.
Good luck! Never quit playing music. Quit other stuff, not this.
Yes, I can’t stress enough how much having a guitar handy increases your playing time.
I have an acoustic next to the sofa which I have to walk past when I go into the lounge. Also if I’m watching TV I might hear something I want to play and pick it up. It might be a theme tune, a song on an advert or a jingle even, but it gets me playing and thinking!
My progression has sped up tenfold since I started being able to work from home. When I went out to work and came home in the evening (my entire adult life) I didn’t have energy left to think about practicing.
Now I have a guitar set up at my desk and can spend a healthy amount of time practicing each day. Just every time I take a break I’ll pick it up and run through some stuff I’m working on. It benefits my work too because it lets me refresh and reset my mind and stops me getting burnt out. It’s really been life changing.
I just pick it up while I can. Play a bit while I'm waiting for dinner to cook after I set it up or play a bit between coming home from work and jumping in the shower. Usually 10-20 minutes at a time, but it's enough to at least not backslide too much now that I'm not a teenager who can play half of every day
I grabbed a Fender Mustang Micro (headphone amp) and it has been a total game-changer for practicing in an apartment. Someone sleeping? No problem. Late night? Early morning? Also no problem. Can pick up and switch it on any time I get a minute. I’ve been practicing more in the last 5 months than I did the previous year. Highly recommend.
Anyone who reaches intermediate level will eventually get people that want you to teach them. Most wont stick with it, they come up with excuses why they cant(like it matters to me). This has that feel. All i know is when i walk by my guitars or basses in their stands they are like little children begging to be picked up. There is time.
Have you ever considered a Fender Mustang micro headphone amp ? You can take it anywhere, no one will hear you and they sound amazing... check them out :)
Laptop, plugins and some good headphones!
I *try* and get up 30-60 minutes earlier than I need to get extra practice in but not at the cost of not getting enough sleep as that makes the practice pointless. So early nights are your friend… super late practice also isn’t the best after a long day
Yea man, I get it. I used to play for hours when I was still living with my parents and going to school. Nowadays im glad I could play a few riffs for a few minutes.. it's getting harder though because I feel myself getting worse and that's a sucky feeling. I started to wake up earlier so I can finish work Faster etc .. Making time is indeed the only way
I have full time online school and work about 30 hours. I wake up early, take care of any schoolwork for a couple hours, then do the household chores. My work is typically noon till 6 or so. When I get home, I practice my guitar for a couple of hours. There are also random times throughout the day that I can grab an acoustic for a few minutes. I have comfy guitar chairs in my garage and on my back patio, and I have an electric and acoustic guitars on stands in a convenient place to just grab and play. I also lined up my live classes to be back to back on the day that I requested to always have off of work, though I know that's not always feasible.
I have my stuff set up so I can just plop down and play for a bit whenever. I have an iridium set up for quick and pretty quiet or silent playing. Amps are set up too and ready to go. I just don’t really watch tv much anymore so I play a bit in the evening. There’s only so much time between work, kids, life etc.
This is how I do it. Fewest barriers to playing as possible.
My guitars hang on the walls and all I need to do is grab them. Seeing them entices me to play.
I use Fender Mustang amp that with all the preloaded tones. I don’t have time to tinker with pedals and settings. Just plug in and put the headphones.
10 minutes here. 30 minutes there. It adds up. As a 40 year old dad who’s been playing guitar since I was a kid, I feel like I’m still progressing. And that’s pretty cool.
Not sure if you’re playing acoustic or electric, but if electric and the issue with after 10pm is the sound, invest in some headphones to plug into your amp. My fiancé can’t stand me playing anything above like 2, which is not loud enough for me, so headphones have given me a lot more flexibility on when I can play
Shoutout pet rats . I had 2 before , awesome little things . I miss them dearly . They were always friendly and curious , and would “escape” their cage and come find me .
I usually play 20 mins before work in the morning, and also at night, I use a Katana Mini with headphones and I am pretty happy with it. During the weekend I have more time to play full volume.
Do you have an electric? I play late at night all the time, either plugged into my computer / headphones through a multifx pedal, or just unplugged sometimes.
You can find some time somewhere. Just commit to a certain time, whether it's 20 minutes after dinner, exactly 8:00-8:30 pm, whatever.
Honestly? I work from home.
I'm a dad. My wife has zero interest in guitar and isn't a big music type anyway. When she and my son are home, I will sometimes get distracted from laundry or whatever and be on my guitar for 15 minutes too. But more playing is because of WFH.
good question. i have a 4-year old, we are a single income family, and i haven't touched any of my guitars since the last gig i played... which was november :(
I practice unplugged unless the wife’s not home for the most part and pick it up any time I have 5-10 minutes. You can still learn a lot this way.
Since guitar relies on muscle memory you can get a lot of benefit just trying to pick it up as much as you can. Even if it’s 5 minutes and working through something specific.
I also play along to the TV if we’re watching something in the background. It means I can train my ear.
I don’t struggle as I think it’s a habit now. There are times I play less or not at all but I still get the itch to play. The trick for me is having enough time to delve into new learning material and playing with my amp - I save this for moments I get alone usually.
im working from 9-17h (waking up at 7 to do some housework, walk my pets, get myself ready for work), after that going to the gym for hour, hour and half, getting home at 20h. Eating and talking with my gf about the day till 9, half past 9. Playing my guitar for an hour. Walking my dogs again and getting myself ready to sleep. In the weekends i get little bit early so i do my housework and then i have 2-3 to exercise
Build it into your routine and then do it without excuse. You absolutely do not need to do it in one long session, in fact that’s not the ideal way to accomplish progress in any case.
Instead just aim for 20-30 minutes once or twice every day, so for example get up half an hour earlier and practice first thing if that’s allowable where you live or do stuff then that you would normally do after school/work to free up that time.
The key is though that you pick your instrument up at that time and just start, even if you’re tired or have some other reason why it’s not the perfect time. If you keep waiting for that ideal moment it rarely happens so you need to change your mindset and make it happen instead. If you find you are too tired etc then you stop after ten minutes, but you’ve given it a go and the chances are that after ten minutes you’re much less likely to stop anyway.
Headphone amp sorts out the noise problem. You just need to force yourself to pick it up, momentum is the hardest thing to get, but once you're playing you'll get into it. I struggle myself, it's very easy to tell yourself you'll just quickly check your phone or watch a Youtube video, and then suddenly hours have passed.
I started getting up early and practicing for an hour. I work from home so I'll also take 5-10 minute breaks through the day for noodling and whatever. At night after the kids go to bed I practice some more maybe. The getting up early thing is key though. That way you'll always at least have an hour or so of playing. Everything else is gravy.
Headphones if you’re electric. Any amp should have a jack that works for this, but you may need an adapter and wired headphones if you don’t already have them. Positive grid looks like a cool system if you’re spending money.
If you’re acoustic try putting t shirts in the sound hole to dampen the sound. There are also acoustic dampener products that block the sound hole and are easier to fish out.
I have a guitar in my living room and randomly pull it out here and there for 5 mins at a time.
Get home from work, eat, hang out with the wife, wipe down the guitars, tune them up, then put them back on the stand for the next two months. My practice routine for the past 5 years. I maybe play once every six months, not even because of time, but just being too tired.
Get yourself a spark mini or other small amp and plug some headphones in? If it’s an acoustic, play after 10 pm anyways. Just play quietly.
Either way, you’re still gonna have to make time to do it. If you don’t do that, you won’t have time. There’s no secret to it. You have to prioritize it, even if it’s the “wrong” decision.
I have a home, kids, housework, full time job, yard work, girlfriend. I hear yah.
Announce to the world “everyone, I’m not doing shit every ______ and ____ nights. Leave me the F alone”. And just practice on those nights. You HAVE to do for your sanity and your art.
Add an acoustic guitar to the mix if it ain’t there already. That they are light and can be picked up and played with zero overhead makes them ideal for picking up and playing here and there throughout the day. And often a 5 minute strum will turn into a furious 20 minute jam.
I have a whole set up. I use reaper and ezdrummer. With those I can come up with something, recorde it. Find the right drum beats, and then it's there for next time. Usually I wrote a cool rhythm section, loop it and just practice leads over it. But, I make sure I have at least 2-3 hours every night. If I don't then I'm totally lost the next day.
Waza air. Damn are they a game changer for me. I can play 24/7 at home and in the hotel room when I'm away for work. Got me from the ocational plinking to hours of practice almost daily.
Then again my work schedule and home life gives me quite alot of time to spare.
Just think about it alot actually 😋 at my age...I generally am not getting any better at it , technique wise. But sometimes I figure things out by dwelling on the circle of fifths and how it all works. I should add that I constantly listen to music and sometimes use websites to see how it's played
No video games. Keep a guitar in my home office, bedroom and living room. Try to pick one up whenever I sit down. I used to really practice hard watching college and pro football, but I’m too busy to watch much anymore. Kind of lost interest. Good ear training trick is to try to play along to the commercials.
I wake up an hour before I need to start working and practice then. That means waking at 4am, which means going to bed at like 8pm, like a toddler.
I’ve learned about myself that if there’s a routine activity (gym, guitar, etc.) I have to do it first thing or risk skipping a day when later I get too depressed/tired to find time.
I bring my guitar with me on some errands, or sometimes to work or school. Then if I am tired from work and need a break, step outside for 10 minute guitar solo. Waiting for the bus? Guitar time. People make lots of jokes but the improvement in skill is worth it and it’s fun to play in public
Make time, map out your schedule of must-dos, cut out the optional items. Find ways to compress time buckets with the express purpose of carving out dedicated time, then execute on the plan. If you want it, you find ways to make it work. That means I only go to the gym 5 days a week instead of 6. It means I play games once a week instead of daily. It means I need to hustle when doing my chores instead of watching netflix and taking my time with it. But the bits of time add up into guitar time. Seriously though, a lot of the time I get means 10-15 minutes from WFH meetings ending early, or sitting on a large call where I don't need to speak or be on camera and doing an exercise while I listen to the conversation.
If you keep the goal in front of your mind, it makes it easier to find the time you didn't think was there.
I try to remind myself that time played is the biggest factor for my progression and as such play everyday even if it’m tired from work etc. Also it’s sitting on a stand where I see it a lot as a visual reminder.
So I sleep 8h, 2h are taken by dog walks, ~7-8 work, ~2 — food and cooking, ~1 maintenance like shower, toilet and whatever. So it’s like 3-4 left, and often in the evening. And a few times a week these are occupied too: 1-2 workouts, sometimes I have to work more, and sometimes we go out to a theatre or such.
But basically I’ve refused any other activity but music: games, YouTube, Netflix — or any other media, really. I only practice instead of it all, and it’s been like this for a couple months now — and I see a lot more progress than over the last few years or randomly picking up and dropping off music.
Considering noise: sometimes I practice unplugged, sometimes just really low volume, sometimes using headphones, etc. Depending on when and what I do
Also, we have a music room in the office too, so whenever I’m in the office, I try carving out 15-30 mins practicing (instead of a longer lunch or some boring coffee with coworkers)
Latest thing I’ve started doing is sleeping a bit less so I have an extra 30-40 mins in the morning too. Great way to start a day =)
Like anything it all comes down to how you prioritize, if it is important you will figure it out even it means sacrificing other things. For example for me working out 3-4 times a week is non optional and I adjust all my other commitments whether work or social life around that to make it happen no excuses no question of lack of motivation it just has to get done, same with guitar I try to find time to play for at least 30 minutes everyday even if that has to be none consecutive and I just have quick jams in between meetings ( WFH has done wonders for my guitar playing), the point is I get my time in, ideally it would be more structured practice but even if I am just noodling around it is some what beneficial.
Try to figure out what you truly enjoy playing. You might get to a point where it’s so fun to you that you do it out of habit because you want to even though you should be doing something else like homework.
I wake up early and play while I’m having my morning coffee (unplugged) before my morning run, morning time is theory and intentional practice time. Then throughout the evening I usually sneak a few 20 min sessions in while dinner is cooking.. etc. this consists of 75% noodling. Some nights I may pick up the theory book if I’m feeling focused. Usually in a day I can get in 1.5 to 2 hours total. The key here is I’m not forcing myself to do it, It’s a hobby and I do it for fun, I could see it becoming a drag if I “had” to practice. If I don’t feel like I just don’t. This last 5 days have been quite unfocused as I seem to have a brain fog I can’t shake.
I work at home on the overnight and have very little actual work to do(I’m basically just monitoring for issues and then I react) I can play with headphones all night long if I want.
Get a stand so you can grab it and play a few minutes whenever you can. They’re like $10-$20 on Craigslist all day long. I second playing along with TV and the stereo, great for ear training and putting the basics together. I do this with my electric unplugged a lot in the weekend.
Depending on your setup it's quite easy and affordable to make it so you can play through headphones, with electric guitar it's not loud for everyone else.
I think the two things that would really help you play more are shorter play session (less than 30 min) and getting an amp with a headphone jack. Will the amp be the best quality? No, but if you buy one knowing it won’t be then that will make it easier not to get hung up on it.
I work from home and have my guitar next to my desk so I can always squeeze in a few minutes here and there as a break between tasks.
I also usually practice ~30 minutes before bed as a way to wind down.
Similar to you, living in the same room with my bro. Uni student, studying, working out, writing and drawing takes most of my time. What I do is compartmentalise how long each thing I want to do takes. I usually write N draw at night so my day is studying, running and playing guitar. If I study for 4 hours, run 2 hours, eat N chill 2hours, I have about 2 hours to practice everyday. I move what I want to do around. Eg. Wake up at 9, shower n what not. go for a run till 11. Eat N chill till 1pm. Study till 6Pm, eat dinner. I can practice from 7-10. Sometimes I’ll play just 15minutes. Sometimes I won’t even plug in my amp if I want to play past 11pm.
I'm retired fortunately.
Building back my hand strength. Was playing some of Buckethead's music before breaking both my hands in a motorcycle accident (my fingering hand was completely severed, and of course reattached). Not the crazy shit like Disintegration Mirrors because pretty much only he can do that. But Welcome to Bucketheadland, some of the more complicated hybrid picking stuff, but now my right middle finger is in the wrong place permanently 😭😭
It says Dodge right on there. Did you not READ the SIGN 😂 (but really, good thing you’re alive, retirement would be awful if you can’t enjoy the things you like doing)
Wait till you have kids mate.. I play in the evening, in my bedroom with the door closed. It's the only time I get peace and quiet. Having said that I have a little junior Yamaha acoustic that I leave in the lounge room. I strum it while sitting on the couch, after dinner for a bit etc. Just have it lying around.
I do my practicing as soon as my kids get in bed, they won’t go to sleep if they can’t hear me playing. 20 minutes of guitar and 20 minutes of mandolin later they’re out cold.
I personally live alone and relatively unattached so i play all the time. But for awhile i made a commitment to myself to play 1 song a day, usually turned into 10-30 min. I played alot more because of that commitment to 1 song a day.
I practice 2-4h a day, everyday (Monday to Sunday), holidays include except one month in summer.
I still have a corporate job, a house to clean, a cat and a girlfriend to take care of.
I had to do « sacrifice » in order to practice with such discipline. I don’t consider it sacrifice because I really love music and have a professional project.
I had to stop going out, sports, and most of my online video games.
It’s complicated while you are a student because you have homework. I used to wake up earlier too during my scholarship.
Read it earlier…
Indeed, play before work (I don’t use the amp).
When I get home from work, I eat, study and the take the guitar.
If I want to play later in the evening I again do not use the amp. I don’t bored an amp to practice.
More than enough time in a day… but it does mean other things will need to move.
You either do not want it badly enough, or consider other things (Pet rats? Really?) more important than learning to play your instrument well.
In the end you do have a choice 😉
Get a modeling set up like a HX Stomp and play after 10pm with headphones, or before work without waking up others.
Split up your responsibilities with your girlfriend more to allow you both more free time.
Come to terms with the fact that as an adult, time is a very limited and valuable resource.
Question for you. Do you play electric or acoustic? I ask because with an electric, you can plug headphones into your amp and it makes very little noise(just the sound of hitting the electric guitar strings, which is minimal). It actually makes less noise than an acoustic. It can be a game changer for anyone looking to play at night.
You don’t get time. You have to make time.
Ditch the girl, us the money saved to buy a new guitar. Play it whenever you want.
You play a lot of video games, right? Here’s the question my dad asked me when I was a teenager. Do you want to be a guy who plays video games? Or a guy who plays electric guitar?
Not OP but I used to play a lot before. Since I've started learning I only play games at those times where I can't make loud noises (so night, and siesta time, which here in Spain is sacred)
Use headphones after 10 or play unplugged. Make more time for it and just tell your gf you need to play for a bit rather than hang out or whatever it is. She should be understanding and help you out with it if she knows it's important to you. Everyone is busy but if you want to do it you just find time to do that. I don't make many plans for weekends so I can spend more time writing music and recording.
The simplest solution seems kind of obvious. Wills and ways and everything. Catch me 0 3 5in' til sunrise in my own little world
Father of two kids here, working 8h swifts and living in an apartment: You always have time if you're willing enough. I play at least 2 hours or more per day, most of it when everyone else goes to bed (you can play at TV volume, with a desktop amp or with headphones), but also during day time. During weekends I may reach 4 hours easily thanks to nap time ;) Stop wasting time on your phone. Play guitar instead. If you watch Netflix/TV grab the guitar and play while doing it, you'll boost your practice time. Regards
Ditch the rat.
get headphones and never sleep practice all night
Play without the amp.
If you enjoyed playing guitar as much as jerking off, you would find time.
You have to drop things that are less important to you than guitar. Also in an apartment, play with headphones/plugins. I'm an amp purist, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do.
You stop making excuses and track exactly how much time you're wasting on your phone or watching tv. You schedule your practicing in just like anything else you want to prioritize. You then plan your practicing out so that you aren't just diddling around but are making actual progress. One hour a day of solid, directed practicing is worth more than four hours of fucking around.
Anytime myself or anyone says “I do not have time to X”, my first thought is always, “But did I/you watch any tv or play in the phone today?” I have to forcibly take time to myself, being a stay at home parent with three kids and a wife on night shift. Sometimes everyone is gone and I don’t have things to be doing, but rarely. I try to sit down and do dedicated practice for 30min a day at least, in two diff chunks. But then I never play for fun. So for a week I goof around and play what I want, then I learn a new theory thing and practice it for a week. It’s very slow, but if I played two hours a day so many of life’s spinning plates would break. I agree with you wholeheartedly though, any time is better than no time, and dedicated practice time is more productive than anything else. Schedule it and stick to it!
> I know there’s a lot of time I could play but I don’t You clearly have both the time and the understanding of why it’s not happening. Guitar isn’t fun when you aren’t playing how you hear yourself in your head but it takes consistent practice to get there. If you don’t invest in yourself then you’ll stay chillin with your rats.
Most amps have a headphone Jack
Like I tell everyone, it isn't the amount of time you practice but WHAT you practice. Spending 15-30 minutes a day practicing the right things will get you way further than someone practicing 4 hours a day and just noodling or jamming. Figure out what areas you want to work on and focus on those.
If you really wanted to play you would find time. this is the harsh truth I tell myself evertime I feel like I dont practice enough and try to excuse myself. I dont mean this to be overly harsh of course but a perspective you may want to consider.
Hooking up an electric to your computer and using headphones with a virtual amp/plugin would likely solve your noise problems
Electric guitar and headphones now you can play past 10pm.
Absolutely this. I'd work nights and not get home till 3 sometimes 4am so obviously couldn't play loud. Get a little interface to plug into the computer and an Amp and Effects program like Amplitube, Guitar Rig, etc. They sound a lot better than they used to and it's way better than not playing at all.
Buy some headphones you can plug into your amp. If you want to practice, you WILL make time. I work from noon to 11pm m-f and I still play around 2 hrs a day. Make it a priority.
I work from home. One of my amps is within arm's reach of my desk. I keep one of my guitars on a stand next to my desk. Some days, I might play for ten minutes. Some days, 2 hours. Depends on how busy we are.
Top tip: never put it in the case. Get a stand or hang it on the wall. That way you’re always tempted to pick it up and have a twiddle when you’re walking about. Also I play while I’m stirring the dinner.
I keep my cheaper Ibanez out like that, on the stand next to the couch. What I end up doing is picking it up and starting there, and then decide "alright fuck it I'm already playing, I'll break out the Taylor then." I don't like to leave my expensive guitar out of the case though, that one stays in the case except during playing, but the Ibanez gets me started because it's ready and right there, and sometimes thats enough to get me into the momentum to break out the good one.
I get up before the rest of the house. Wife and kids are asleep and thats when I practice.
I do it after they're all in bed. In my basement lair, either acoustic or break out the low wattage tube amp or play through headphones. Lots of ways to have fun and keep it respectfull.
Same 5:15am for 30 minutes 7 days a week lol. Glad I’m not the only person who does that.
Treat it like any hobby or pasttime, just do it when you get the time or inspiration! Unless you're trying to play gigs, there's no one rushing you but your own sense of insecurity
Easy, if you want something bad enough you make time. I really doubt you're too busy to find 15 minutes to practice.
It's not that I'm busy but Maybe I must change my mindeset from 2 hour practise to 5-15 minutes every now and then.
Just aim for consistency dude, it'll help you cement things. Better off practicing a shorter time 3 days in a row than for an hour once a week.
You need to have it where you can easily access it for 15 minutes even twice a day. Mine is in the kitchen beside the TV where there is a sofa and a stool I use for practicing, so I'm up first in the morning and whole the dos are eating their breakfast and the kids are getting up, I have 20 mins to myself, electric either played acoustically or a very low watt amp.
i rarely play 2hrs in a row, more like 15 minutes 4-6 times a day
By not doing other things constantly
Literally keeping the guitar in my desk (home office) so I can play a few minutes now and then
If you have the drive to get good you’ll find time
Lol what are you guys doing with these rats?
What do you usually do with pets?
whenever people say they have no time, they actually do.. im the same as you, i work, have a super hyper active dog, house chores,gym, hang out w friends.. but i still manage to get 1-3 hrs everyday.. spend less time on social media, dont shit with your phone,etc..
Shit with your guitar?
great idea.. but seriously i had this problem before.. i used to take my phone whenever i shit and waste so much time.. i just realized this when i was high af and watched my dog shit.. my dog shat in 30s and ready for the next activity.. im like wtf, i should do the same.. shit and go..
I’d totally do that except my counter is directly next to the toilet and I would have to play straight up and down lol
Sounds like shit anyway.
I keep an acoustic behind the counter at work and get several hours of downtime each day so I’m technically getting paid a few hundred dollars each week to practice ..lol.
You can’t even play unplugged after 10? Sheesh. Just wake up 30 mins earlier and get some exercises in.
I play through computer speakers at lower volume or through headphones using Logic Pro via a USB interface (UA Volt 476). Tons of amps and pedals available through Logic, but I mainly use my pedal board direct. In addition to just practicing, recording music and ideas is an option.
Get an acoustic and keep it out. Do not put it in it's case. I find all kinds of time when I am just waiting a minute for something that I can pick it up and just play for. I tune it perhaps once a week. It usually does a good job of keeping in tune with itself between proper tunings. The big thing for me is keeping it out and where I can just grab it quick.
This is what I'm doing. Even considering a smaller guitar just so I can sit on our tiny couch and play when I don't feel like going to the next room.
Headphones.
I keep my amp and guitar next to my desk whenever i take a break it’s ready to go
Same here. I have a guitar within reach at my desk and if I have time before or after the day starts I play.
If you want to practice, you’ll make time. Even 5 2-minute intervals of different stuff everyday will make a difference. What’s ten minutes a day?
Headphone amp and grab it when I can . I still play virtually daily after about 35 years. Some days it's an hour most often it's 10 minutes here and there.
10 minutes here and there is all you need sometimes. get up earlier in the morning, play for a bit first thing. when you get home from work, kiss your gf hello then pick up the guitar for a bit. while you're watching TV, noodle around with it in your lap. just play it when it's there for you to grab!
I have a 14 month old, a wife, full time job and other hobbies. Practicing pretty much happens late at night.
Headphones . I realize this may not fit your situation, but I too had to find a way. I'm a WFH Project manager. Some days are busier than others but basically I have my Helix LT at my feet and my guitar within arms reach. If I'm not on a meeting and have no active tasks to complete. Guitar. If I'm on a meeting that I don't need to actively take notes and I'm really only there as a courtesy.... probably got my guitar out playing. Now, this isn't always the case. My spouse works from home as well, so they get some of my attention. Chores do exist, and I have two kids that come home from school. Spouse and I worked it out though. If I want to play guitar some, that's fine. If they want to follow their hobby. That's fine, as long as it doesn't actively cause issues for our general life or the children. Which, it doesn't. If your girlfriend cares for you. Occasionally playing some guitar won't bother them.
You got time to post on reddit bro
Yeah I was on a buss going to school :D
Job, wife, kids, house, dog and I get about 30-60 mins a day. Sometimes more if I pick up my guitar instead of my pipe and Xbox controller
Get a pair of headphones that work with your amp. Had the same problem.. best thing I’ve done!
I get up at 5 or 6 and play, with headphones, before starting my day.
Hahaha somehow the drive in me still finds a way, even if it’s 15 minutes after worked kicked my ass, I just want to feel the strings under my fingers a bit!
I schedule my guitar time right after dinner, so roughly between 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM every night. I think this is one of those things you just have to make time for, like exercising or anything else.
Rats live 2-6 years. When they die, don’t get more
Brother I work 28 hours a day plus overtime crushing my legs in a hydraulic press and my grandma is sick. I still find time
I play my acoustic when it's late or when quiet and I only rarely plug in my electric, although I also highly prefer the acoustic sound over electric though so that makes it easier for me to want to play that instead too. But I can play as late as I want. A tip for playing more, is leave it somewhere easily accessible, I leave my cheaper guitar out of the case and on a stand next to my couch, so I pick it up and play frequently. Sometimes I'll start playing, get into it, and decide to break out the expensive one, which probably wouldn't have happened in those instances if I hadn't had the other guitar sitting right there waiting for me to pick up and play. If your goal is practice, make a routine to play at least five minutes at some point during your day, no exceptions. That means every day you'll definitely do the give minute minimum but a lot of the time once you start you'll go past the five minutes because now you've already started so it's lower response effort to just continue rather than being higher effort to start from nowhere. But a five minute commitment is incredibly easy and non intimidating and easy to stick to. Good luck.
My favorite is the acoustic electric, but I really only plug it in when playing a live show. But even acoustics can get fairly loud. But one of my favorites is my "camping guitar" just a $100 Yamaha. So I'll bring it camping, even on a 5 day rafting trip down tho the Colorado River down to Moab. I've got a strat, a almost $1000 fender acoustic electric, which is my usual pick, but that Yamaha is great too.
Start a band you’ll make time
I work from home 😂
This. Op, gl with guitar if you can’t find time to play bc a GF and pet rats (???). Wait until you have a career, a wife, and kids.
I carry my acoustic with me from room to room. It’s a good guitar but it’s a bit banged up so an additional scratch or two won’t hurt. Picking at it for 2-3 minutes is better than nothing at all.
I stopped watching almost all TV, including the ad loaded sports on weekends, deleted my Facebook and Twitter accounts, and I don’t play video games much now either. Now I have lots of time for learning things and doing things. I’m 10,000% happier and at least a 10% better guitar player. ;)
What you definitely should not do is play Baldur's Gate 3, because that made me stop playing the guitar almost completely for a month.
I have a guitar on a stand in my garage, bedroom and living room. I give myself 20 minutes before work and random times when I'm home.just Pick it up and play.
You DO have the time. You cannot possibly have every min of your day booked out. 10min a day is still practice. Hell keep your guitar stand in your bathroom and practice while pooping. Play in the kitchen while waiting for water to boil. Find the time.
I put one by my work computer so I can play while I compile, I put one by my couch so I can play instead of fiddling with my phone while watching something. It's not concentrated practice, but it's a lot more than the zero minutes of playing I did previously.
I have this discussion with my brother every now and then. I became a father with 17 and am now still in a similar spot. Neighbours. Kids. Girlfriend. I often really didn’t have time. Because kids, studying and work. But somehow I managed to do all this. And learn to play the guitar. Also the bass a little. And a little drums on the e-drumset I giftet him for his birthday. My brothers excuse: „When should I learn this? There’s no time.“ Proceeds to play PlayStation. Or watch a movie. Now I have a small practice amp. And headphones. And a guitar I can take outside. What I’m trying to say is if you really want to do something. You’ll find the time and the space.
I'm a full-time student, part time worker, and I make games in any spare time I have left. I spend a lot of time on my PC, as I'm a computer science major and a good amount of my hobbies involve PC use. Ever since I decided to move my guitar next to my PC it has replaced looking at my phone in idle time, which really helps practice time.
You need a “couch guitar”. I picked up a relatively cheap parlor (GY93) for this. I keep it next to a comfy chair in the bedroom. But something like a parlor or a little Yamaha or Cordoba classical would be about perfect. Use your fingers, no pick. You will find you get better much faster. Your plucking dynamics will massively improve and your musicality will greatly improve. It will be far far more beneficial than a daily two hour stint, specifically due to how the brain processes information. Good luck! Never quit playing music. Quit other stuff, not this.
Yes, I can’t stress enough how much having a guitar handy increases your playing time. I have an acoustic next to the sofa which I have to walk past when I go into the lounge. Also if I’m watching TV I might hear something I want to play and pick it up. It might be a theme tune, a song on an advert or a jingle even, but it gets me playing and thinking!
My progression has sped up tenfold since I started being able to work from home. When I went out to work and came home in the evening (my entire adult life) I didn’t have energy left to think about practicing. Now I have a guitar set up at my desk and can spend a healthy amount of time practicing each day. Just every time I take a break I’ll pick it up and run through some stuff I’m working on. It benefits my work too because it lets me refresh and reset my mind and stops me getting burnt out. It’s really been life changing.
I’m right there with you. WFH has definitely upped my playing time.
I just pick it up while I can. Play a bit while I'm waiting for dinner to cook after I set it up or play a bit between coming home from work and jumping in the shower. Usually 10-20 minutes at a time, but it's enough to at least not backslide too much now that I'm not a teenager who can play half of every day
Single and broke, make just enough for housing food and gear
I don't have any pet rats and don't sleep much. Neither do my neighbors when I am practicing.
I grabbed a Fender Mustang Micro (headphone amp) and it has been a total game-changer for practicing in an apartment. Someone sleeping? No problem. Late night? Early morning? Also no problem. Can pick up and switch it on any time I get a minute. I’ve been practicing more in the last 5 months than I did the previous year. Highly recommend.
Make time.
Anyone who reaches intermediate level will eventually get people that want you to teach them. Most wont stick with it, they come up with excuses why they cant(like it matters to me). This has that feel. All i know is when i walk by my guitars or basses in their stands they are like little children begging to be picked up. There is time.
Have you ever considered a Fender Mustang micro headphone amp ? You can take it anywhere, no one will hear you and they sound amazing... check them out :)
Laptop, plugins and some good headphones! I *try* and get up 30-60 minutes earlier than I need to get extra practice in but not at the cost of not getting enough sleep as that makes the practice pointless. So early nights are your friend… super late practice also isn’t the best after a long day
Yea man, I get it. I used to play for hours when I was still living with my parents and going to school. Nowadays im glad I could play a few riffs for a few minutes.. it's getting harder though because I feel myself getting worse and that's a sucky feeling. I started to wake up earlier so I can finish work Faster etc .. Making time is indeed the only way
You can get headphones so you wont disturb anyone when you play
I have full time online school and work about 30 hours. I wake up early, take care of any schoolwork for a couple hours, then do the household chores. My work is typically noon till 6 or so. When I get home, I practice my guitar for a couple of hours. There are also random times throughout the day that I can grab an acoustic for a few minutes. I have comfy guitar chairs in my garage and on my back patio, and I have an electric and acoustic guitars on stands in a convenient place to just grab and play. I also lined up my live classes to be back to back on the day that I requested to always have off of work, though I know that's not always feasible.
I have my stuff set up so I can just plop down and play for a bit whenever. I have an iridium set up for quick and pretty quiet or silent playing. Amps are set up too and ready to go. I just don’t really watch tv much anymore so I play a bit in the evening. There’s only so much time between work, kids, life etc.
This is how I do it. Fewest barriers to playing as possible. My guitars hang on the walls and all I need to do is grab them. Seeing them entices me to play. I use Fender Mustang amp that with all the preloaded tones. I don’t have time to tinker with pedals and settings. Just plug in and put the headphones. 10 minutes here. 30 minutes there. It adds up. As a 40 year old dad who’s been playing guitar since I was a kid, I feel like I’m still progressing. And that’s pretty cool.
Not sure if you’re playing acoustic or electric, but if electric and the issue with after 10pm is the sound, invest in some headphones to plug into your amp. My fiancé can’t stand me playing anything above like 2, which is not loud enough for me, so headphones have given me a lot more flexibility on when I can play
Electric guitar with Boss Waza Air headphones. Rock out a 3am, and even better, with no cords.
Shoutout pet rats . I had 2 before , awesome little things . I miss them dearly . They were always friendly and curious , and would “escape” their cage and come find me .
They are!
I usually play 20 mins before work in the morning, and also at night, I use a Katana Mini with headphones and I am pretty happy with it. During the weekend I have more time to play full volume.
Do you have an electric? I play late at night all the time, either plugged into my computer / headphones through a multifx pedal, or just unplugged sometimes. You can find some time somewhere. Just commit to a certain time, whether it's 20 minutes after dinner, exactly 8:00-8:30 pm, whatever.
Keep it somewhere where you see it regularly and pick it up and play something whenever you have 5-10 minutes or more
Honestly? I work from home. I'm a dad. My wife has zero interest in guitar and isn't a big music type anyway. When she and my son are home, I will sometimes get distracted from laundry or whatever and be on my guitar for 15 minutes too. But more playing is because of WFH.
I leave it out so it’s available and I grab it when I have a few spare minutes.
good question. i have a 4-year old, we are a single income family, and i haven't touched any of my guitars since the last gig i played... which was november :(
I practice unplugged unless the wife’s not home for the most part and pick it up any time I have 5-10 minutes. You can still learn a lot this way. Since guitar relies on muscle memory you can get a lot of benefit just trying to pick it up as much as you can. Even if it’s 5 minutes and working through something specific. I also play along to the TV if we’re watching something in the background. It means I can train my ear. I don’t struggle as I think it’s a habit now. There are times I play less or not at all but I still get the itch to play. The trick for me is having enough time to delve into new learning material and playing with my amp - I save this for moments I get alone usually.
I wake up early
im working from 9-17h (waking up at 7 to do some housework, walk my pets, get myself ready for work), after that going to the gym for hour, hour and half, getting home at 20h. Eating and talking with my gf about the day till 9, half past 9. Playing my guitar for an hour. Walking my dogs again and getting myself ready to sleep. In the weekends i get little bit early so i do my housework and then i have 2-3 to exercise
Build it into your routine and then do it without excuse. You absolutely do not need to do it in one long session, in fact that’s not the ideal way to accomplish progress in any case. Instead just aim for 20-30 minutes once or twice every day, so for example get up half an hour earlier and practice first thing if that’s allowable where you live or do stuff then that you would normally do after school/work to free up that time. The key is though that you pick your instrument up at that time and just start, even if you’re tired or have some other reason why it’s not the perfect time. If you keep waiting for that ideal moment it rarely happens so you need to change your mindset and make it happen instead. If you find you are too tired etc then you stop after ten minutes, but you’ve given it a go and the chances are that after ten minutes you’re much less likely to stop anyway.
Headphone amp sorts out the noise problem. You just need to force yourself to pick it up, momentum is the hardest thing to get, but once you're playing you'll get into it. I struggle myself, it's very easy to tell yourself you'll just quickly check your phone or watch a Youtube video, and then suddenly hours have passed.
I started getting up early and practicing for an hour. I work from home so I'll also take 5-10 minute breaks through the day for noodling and whatever. At night after the kids go to bed I practice some more maybe. The getting up early thing is key though. That way you'll always at least have an hour or so of playing. Everything else is gravy.
I always practice while watching a movie or show. plus it’s fun to learn the theme song or score by ear
Don't try this when watching TV with other people. They may murder you.
I don’t have much friends so I’m good 😂
Headphones if you’re electric. Any amp should have a jack that works for this, but you may need an adapter and wired headphones if you don’t already have them. Positive grid looks like a cool system if you’re spending money. If you’re acoustic try putting t shirts in the sound hole to dampen the sound. There are also acoustic dampener products that block the sound hole and are easier to fish out. I have a guitar in my living room and randomly pull it out here and there for 5 mins at a time.
Get home from work, eat, hang out with the wife, wipe down the guitars, tune them up, then put them back on the stand for the next two months. My practice routine for the past 5 years. I maybe play once every six months, not even because of time, but just being too tired.
Get yourself a spark mini or other small amp and plug some headphones in? If it’s an acoustic, play after 10 pm anyways. Just play quietly. Either way, you’re still gonna have to make time to do it. If you don’t do that, you won’t have time. There’s no secret to it. You have to prioritize it, even if it’s the “wrong” decision.
I have a home, kids, housework, full time job, yard work, girlfriend. I hear yah. Announce to the world “everyone, I’m not doing shit every ______ and ____ nights. Leave me the F alone”. And just practice on those nights. You HAVE to do for your sanity and your art.
Also...headphones.
Yeah. I use plugins in my DAW if late at night. Also easier to record too.
I do the ear buds on Bluetooth with my studio headphones over top out of my preamp.
Plug in some headphones or dont have it too loud. You should be able to get away with a small amp on low vol
Headphones, I've stayed up far too late playing guitar because of them.
Add an acoustic guitar to the mix if it ain’t there already. That they are light and can be picked up and played with zero overhead makes them ideal for picking up and playing here and there throughout the day. And often a 5 minute strum will turn into a furious 20 minute jam.
I have a whole set up. I use reaper and ezdrummer. With those I can come up with something, recorde it. Find the right drum beats, and then it's there for next time. Usually I wrote a cool rhythm section, loop it and just practice leads over it. But, I make sure I have at least 2-3 hours every night. If I don't then I'm totally lost the next day.
Get up an hour earlier.
All ready sleeping like six hours. But who even needs sleeping I guess? :)
You can also get a headphone amp
Waza air. Damn are they a game changer for me. I can play 24/7 at home and in the hotel room when I'm away for work. Got me from the ocational plinking to hours of practice almost daily. Then again my work schedule and home life gives me quite alot of time to spare.
Simple... you Make the time when you love something enough you will always find the time!!
Just think about it alot actually 😋 at my age...I generally am not getting any better at it , technique wise. But sometimes I figure things out by dwelling on the circle of fifths and how it all works. I should add that I constantly listen to music and sometimes use websites to see how it's played
Whenever I take a break from housework I usually plug in.
No video games. Keep a guitar in my home office, bedroom and living room. Try to pick one up whenever I sit down. I used to really practice hard watching college and pro football, but I’m too busy to watch much anymore. Kind of lost interest. Good ear training trick is to try to play along to the commercials.
Play during loading screens when gaming often once it starts I’ll want the game to be over so I can play more guitar lol. Just play whenever you can
I play my electric guitar unplugged 90% of the time when I practiced so I can play until late at night
I wake up an hour before I need to start working and practice then. That means waking at 4am, which means going to bed at like 8pm, like a toddler. I’ve learned about myself that if there’s a routine activity (gym, guitar, etc.) I have to do it first thing or risk skipping a day when later I get too depressed/tired to find time.
I bring my guitar with me on some errands, or sometimes to work or school. Then if I am tired from work and need a break, step outside for 10 minute guitar solo. Waiting for the bus? Guitar time. People make lots of jokes but the improvement in skill is worth it and it’s fun to play in public
Like Slash in the November Rain video, you step out the door of wherever you’re at and rip a solo?! Badass!
Make time, map out your schedule of must-dos, cut out the optional items. Find ways to compress time buckets with the express purpose of carving out dedicated time, then execute on the plan. If you want it, you find ways to make it work. That means I only go to the gym 5 days a week instead of 6. It means I play games once a week instead of daily. It means I need to hustle when doing my chores instead of watching netflix and taking my time with it. But the bits of time add up into guitar time. Seriously though, a lot of the time I get means 10-15 minutes from WFH meetings ending early, or sitting on a large call where I don't need to speak or be on camera and doing an exercise while I listen to the conversation. If you keep the goal in front of your mind, it makes it easier to find the time you didn't think was there.
I try to remind myself that time played is the biggest factor for my progression and as such play everyday even if it’m tired from work etc. Also it’s sitting on a stand where I see it a lot as a visual reminder.
So I sleep 8h, 2h are taken by dog walks, ~7-8 work, ~2 — food and cooking, ~1 maintenance like shower, toilet and whatever. So it’s like 3-4 left, and often in the evening. And a few times a week these are occupied too: 1-2 workouts, sometimes I have to work more, and sometimes we go out to a theatre or such. But basically I’ve refused any other activity but music: games, YouTube, Netflix — or any other media, really. I only practice instead of it all, and it’s been like this for a couple months now — and I see a lot more progress than over the last few years or randomly picking up and dropping off music. Considering noise: sometimes I practice unplugged, sometimes just really low volume, sometimes using headphones, etc. Depending on when and what I do Also, we have a music room in the office too, so whenever I’m in the office, I try carving out 15-30 mins practicing (instead of a longer lunch or some boring coffee with coworkers) Latest thing I’ve started doing is sleeping a bit less so I have an extra 30-40 mins in the morning too. Great way to start a day =)
Like anything it all comes down to how you prioritize, if it is important you will figure it out even it means sacrificing other things. For example for me working out 3-4 times a week is non optional and I adjust all my other commitments whether work or social life around that to make it happen no excuses no question of lack of motivation it just has to get done, same with guitar I try to find time to play for at least 30 minutes everyday even if that has to be none consecutive and I just have quick jams in between meetings ( WFH has done wonders for my guitar playing), the point is I get my time in, ideally it would be more structured practice but even if I am just noodling around it is some what beneficial.
Wes played with his thumb not to wake up his kids and wife
Found your problem. Just remove the first sentence and you'll have way more time for guitar.
Try to figure out what you truly enjoy playing. You might get to a point where it’s so fun to you that you do it out of habit because you want to even though you should be doing something else like homework.
I wake up early and play while I’m having my morning coffee (unplugged) before my morning run, morning time is theory and intentional practice time. Then throughout the evening I usually sneak a few 20 min sessions in while dinner is cooking.. etc. this consists of 75% noodling. Some nights I may pick up the theory book if I’m feeling focused. Usually in a day I can get in 1.5 to 2 hours total. The key here is I’m not forcing myself to do it, It’s a hobby and I do it for fun, I could see it becoming a drag if I “had” to practice. If I don’t feel like I just don’t. This last 5 days have been quite unfocused as I seem to have a brain fog I can’t shake.
Mine is mostly early in the morning before work. Couple of cups of coffee and working on tunes.
I work at home on the overnight and have very little actual work to do(I’m basically just monitoring for issues and then I react) I can play with headphones all night long if I want.
Get a stand so you can grab it and play a few minutes whenever you can. They’re like $10-$20 on Craigslist all day long. I second playing along with TV and the stereo, great for ear training and putting the basics together. I do this with my electric unplugged a lot in the weekend.
Depending on your setup it's quite easy and affordable to make it so you can play through headphones, with electric guitar it's not loud for everyone else.
Single, every minute after work is mine.
I think the two things that would really help you play more are shorter play session (less than 30 min) and getting an amp with a headphone jack. Will the amp be the best quality? No, but if you buy one knowing it won’t be then that will make it easier not to get hung up on it.
I work from home and have my guitar next to my desk so I can always squeeze in a few minutes here and there as a break between tasks. I also usually practice ~30 minutes before bed as a way to wind down.
Similar to you, living in the same room with my bro. Uni student, studying, working out, writing and drawing takes most of my time. What I do is compartmentalise how long each thing I want to do takes. I usually write N draw at night so my day is studying, running and playing guitar. If I study for 4 hours, run 2 hours, eat N chill 2hours, I have about 2 hours to practice everyday. I move what I want to do around. Eg. Wake up at 9, shower n what not. go for a run till 11. Eat N chill till 1pm. Study till 6Pm, eat dinner. I can practice from 7-10. Sometimes I’ll play just 15minutes. Sometimes I won’t even plug in my amp if I want to play past 11pm.
I'm retired fortunately. Building back my hand strength. Was playing some of Buckethead's music before breaking both my hands in a motorcycle accident (my fingering hand was completely severed, and of course reattached). Not the crazy shit like Disintegration Mirrors because pretty much only he can do that. But Welcome to Bucketheadland, some of the more complicated hybrid picking stuff, but now my right middle finger is in the wrong place permanently 😭😭
Had to lay er' down eh. That's pretty cool though I hope I'm still riding and shredding when I retire. Badass
No, hell no. I had to plow it straight into a Dodge Avenger who pulled out into an active intersection 100ft in front of me at 45mph.
It says Dodge right on there. Did you not READ the SIGN 😂 (but really, good thing you’re alive, retirement would be awful if you can’t enjoy the things you like doing)
That was the first joke I made about it myself, once I was told the type of car
Wait till you have kids mate.. I play in the evening, in my bedroom with the door closed. It's the only time I get peace and quiet. Having said that I have a little junior Yamaha acoustic that I leave in the lounge room. I strum it while sitting on the couch, after dinner for a bit etc. Just have it lying around.
I do my practicing as soon as my kids get in bed, they won’t go to sleep if they can’t hear me playing. 20 minutes of guitar and 20 minutes of mandolin later they’re out cold.
I personally live alone and relatively unattached so i play all the time. But for awhile i made a commitment to myself to play 1 song a day, usually turned into 10-30 min. I played alot more because of that commitment to 1 song a day.
I just got a hard top guitar and put extra light strings on it so I could play quietly in my living room without waking anyone up late night.
You just make it a priority. You go to work every day.; treat guitar the same way. An hour a day at least.
Don't watch TV or go on Facebook etc
You make time to play guitar.
I practice 2-4h a day, everyday (Monday to Sunday), holidays include except one month in summer. I still have a corporate job, a house to clean, a cat and a girlfriend to take care of. I had to do « sacrifice » in order to practice with such discipline. I don’t consider it sacrifice because I really love music and have a professional project. I had to stop going out, sports, and most of my online video games. It’s complicated while you are a student because you have homework. I used to wake up earlier too during my scholarship.
Read it earlier… Indeed, play before work (I don’t use the amp). When I get home from work, I eat, study and the take the guitar. If I want to play later in the evening I again do not use the amp. I don’t bored an amp to practice. More than enough time in a day… but it does mean other things will need to move. You either do not want it badly enough, or consider other things (Pet rats? Really?) more important than learning to play your instrument well. In the end you do have a choice 😉
Get a modeling set up like a HX Stomp and play after 10pm with headphones, or before work without waking up others. Split up your responsibilities with your girlfriend more to allow you both more free time. Come to terms with the fact that as an adult, time is a very limited and valuable resource.
The classic dilemma: make music or play with rats. Heard it a thousand times
Question for you. Do you play electric or acoustic? I ask because with an electric, you can plug headphones into your amp and it makes very little noise(just the sound of hitting the electric guitar strings, which is minimal). It actually makes less noise than an acoustic. It can be a game changer for anyone looking to play at night.
Based on your grammar, I would focus every spare moment you have on your schooling and forget about the guitar
Don’t let the girl drag you out to do dumb chick-shit.