20 years in, I see adult guitar practice differently

What if the reason guitar practice feels scattered has less to do with discipline and more to do with trying to solve too many problems at once?

After more than 20 years of teaching guitar, I’ve been rethinking what adult players need from coaching.

The fundamentals have not changed. Rhythm, technique, listening, fretboard knowledge, and musical vocabulary still matter.

What has changed is how I think those things should fit into an adult life.

Most of the people I teach have careers, families, responsibilities, and limited time. They want to become better guitar players, but they also want guitar to provide something different from the rest of their day.

They want time to listen, create, and become absorbed in music for a while.

A recent student helped me see this more clearly. She has a demanding professional life and takes her musical growth seriously, but she does not want guitar to become another job.

She wants clear direction, a manageable practice focus, and enough room to enjoy the sound she is creating.

I suspect many adult players feel the same way.

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HERE IS SOMETHING TO TRY

I’ve started using a simple approach:

• One piece of music
• One musical focus
• One clear next step

For example:

• Music: A slow blues in A
• Focus: Leave more space between phrases
• Next step: Record one chorus tomorrow and listen back

That one session can develop timing, phrasing, listening, and musical judgment without asking you to manage ten unrelated goals.

You do not need to cover every weakness each time you pick up the guitar.

You need a clear musical reason to begin and a clear place to return next time.

I’m building more of this thinking into the way I coach adults live online through Zoom. I’ll share more about where it is leading me in the next few emails.

Ty

P.S. Try the One, One and One approach during your next practice session. Notice whether it feels easier to begin and easier to stay connected to the music.