Making room for guitar practice begins with understanding where your time goes and deciding what matters to you. Simon’s first podcast of 2020 combines a look back at the previous year with a practical discussion of priorities, goals and musical experiences.
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CGC Podcast 092 · approximately 26 minutes · recorded in January 2020. Academy news, dates and event availability in the recording refer to that time.
Episode guide
Approximate timestamps in the original recording. Use the player to move to a section.
- 1:45 — Look back at progress and the previous year
- 8:17 — Take stock of your own musical achievements
- 14:39 — Begin the discussion of time and priorities
- 15:41 — Look at your day and decide what to say no to
- 18:23 — Put guitar in perspective alongside other commitments
- 21:19 — Education, goals and musical experiences
Look back before setting the next goal
Progress on a detailed instrument can feel slow. Simon suggests writing down what you have already done: pieces studied, technical discoveries, compositions, concerts, lessons or ensemble experiences. A practice journal can help you recall work that is easy to overlook when you are concentrating on what comes next.
This is also a way to recognize momentum. Your record of past effort gives a fuller picture than how a single difficult session feels.
Find out where the time goes
Before deciding that there is no time for practice, Simon proposes looking at a typical day. You can make a rough outline or keep more detailed notes. The aim is to understand your actual choices, including activities such as browsing on a phone that can occupy more time than expected.
Then decide whether there is something you would prefer to spend less time on. Saying no to one activity can create room for another, but the choice needs to reflect your own priorities.
Make a realistic choice about priorities
Simon explicitly places responsibilities such as family care, health and sleep in the discussion. He is not asking listeners to put guitar ahead of everything else. The question is where you want music to sit in your life, and whether the way you use your time reflects that choice.
A useful exercise after listening is to look back over your day, identify one optional activity, and decide whether you would rather use some of that time for guitar. If the answer is no, that is still information about your current priorities.
Make the time you have count
The episode ends with three forms of investment beyond simply spending more time playing notes:
- Good guidance: work with a teacher or learning structure that helps direct your effort.
- Goals: decide what you want to achieve and how you intend to work toward it, then revisit that direction.
- Musical experiences: concerts, ensembles and contact with other guitarists can provide inspiration that supports your practice.
The invitation is to build a musical life with direction and enjoyment, not simply to accumulate more practice hours.