Re-visiting The 5 Minute Guitar Practice Workout

March 12, 2021 by Klaus Crow

For most guitar players the hardest thing about practicing is getting started. I mean getting started EVERY DAY!

I don’t mean getting started when you’re in the mood or getting started when you are inspired, but I mean getting started every day. Ready or not.

I hear you saying, ‘Yes but I don’t have that kind of luxury, I am self employed and work late hours, I have so much homework everyday, I have three kids and a pet.’ I don’t have any time left.

You know what? We all do, and I know many people who are really really busy and still make time to play guitar.

The Rules

First of all, you have to make it a priority. Write down “Practice guitar 5 min” on your calendar every single day. Every single day!

Second: You have to find and make time to practice and let nobody take that time away from you. Come on! Make time for things YOU love.

And third: It’s about applying The 5 Minute Guitar Practice. The biggest hurdle to make time for practice is not time itself. It’s the THOUGHT of having no time or the THOUGHT of having no energy. It’s a resistance auto response in the brain.

Resistance Mode

When something seems challenging or seems like a lot of work the mind immediately sets off in resistance mode. It tries to convince you, in anyway it can, that you are too busy, too tired or too whatever.

Excuses will arise in all shapes and sizes, “I first have to check my inbox”, “I will pick up my guitar later in the afternoon or first thing tomorrow, “It’s been such a long day I deserve some time to relax” or “I am just so tired right now, because of this or that”.

You also might think you don’t have time to practice for an hour, 30 minutes, 20 minutes or even 10. The thought of such an amount of practice time can be too overwhelming for the mind and it will drop the idea of practicing straight to the garbage can.

But you know what? These are all cunning excuses of the mind. Don’t listen to these lies. Don’t believe them. You are being deceived! It’s a defense mechanism that tries to prevent you from taking action.

Your brain wants to reserve energy in anyway it can. You don’t need a defense mechanism to stop you from playing guitar! On the contrary, guitar playing will generate energy. Lots of it.

Getting Started

Once you get started with 5 minutes of practice you will see the mind was wrong. You are now practicing, it feels good and you have overcome yourself. You are making changes that will create lasting benefits.

In fact, you will probably play LONGER than just 5 minutes because you are now no longer thinking about time or tiredness anymore. Your mind has become occupied by the process of practicing guitar.

You are enjoying yourself and before you know it you are practicing 10 minutes, 20, 30 or more. It doesn’t matter that you do, but it wil happen. In the end it’s all about GETTING STARTED.

And what if you are really too busy or too tired? As little as 5 minutes of guitar practice won’t make any dramatic difference in your busy schedule or your energy level.

BUT… 5 minutes of guitar practice every day will make a huge difference in your playing overtime. Immeasurable!

Results

WHY? Because becoming a better guitar player is all about creating a CONSISTENT HABIT and making small, incremental, effective changes every single day.

Okay, so now that you’ve picked up your guitar and started practicing make sure you make the best use of your time. Learn something new, practice something that improves your playing, work on something with full focus, dedication and observation. Make the most of those 5 minutes.

Learn a new chord and apply it to a song, practice a new scale and start making melody with it, indulge in a new blues chord progression and memorize it, study it, own it, start the beginning of a new song, learn a new cool blues lick or make your hands sweat from a great picking workout. Make small new improvements each practice session.

Just practice for 5 minutes ever single day and overtime you will see the results and enjoy the sweet fruits of your labor. It works!

You are the only one who can allow yourself to become a better guitar player.

Practice those 5 minutes!

Follow me on Instagram and reach out to me in the comments below. I’m real! :)