Guitar Practice Starts in the Mind

You see, I’m a juggler, a man of many hats, a jack of all trades, a multi-tasker.  Those are the terms I use to describe myself when I want to feel better about the madness that the pace of life takes on all too often.  When I’m feeling less enthused about facing the impossibility of finishing all that needs to get done, I call myself other names.

For those of us who happen to fall into the fortunate yet frustrating category of “musicians with a day job,” it becomes so easy to simply move our practice regime to the list of things that won’t get done tomorrow either.

Even when the stars align and we do find that rare block of time in which to fit an extended practice session, there are challenges to contend with.  First, there is the issue of flipping the proverbial switch so that you are actually focused on the music rather than the office.  Then, for many of us, there are the people we live with that wonder why we would possibly want to spend time “working” on our guitars after a long day of toil and stress.  My good friend, musical accomplice, and ArtistWorks “classmate,” Lance Tanner (who I play with in the Lance Tanner Duo) recently had his wife tell him that his guitar was sounding “particularly harsh” that evening.  Ouch.  Practice session over. 

Nobody seems to understand that this is not just a hobby for us.  It’s our craft.  Nobody gets that this isn’t just something we do. It’s something we are. 

However, there is good news.  There is a way to make this work that doesn’t involve radical life-altering re-alignment of priorities.   It’s just a matter of reconsidering what we think “practice” is.  Music starts in the mind.  Therefore, practice should start there as well.

I’ve heard this from many people who are great at what they do, and it was affirmed by my ArtistWorks solo jazz guitar teacher, Martin Taylor.  If we can’t first THINK the music, we surely won’t be able to PLAY the music.  That simple, and seemingly obvious, fact is a game changer for the over-extended.  No matter where you are, you can take a minute here or a minute there and you can mentally run through whatever musical challenge you are currently facing.  And guess what….it works!  As a matter of fact, many times it works BETTER than just a traditional practice routine because so often we’re just trying to squeeze it in instead of really processing intellectually.

Truth be told, I like my day job.  It actually allows me to have the best of all worlds in music.  I make a decent living and I can still divulge in my passion for music, all without having to experience the struggles of someone who relies on the industry for every meal.  And I still practice.  A lot.  It's just not always with guitar in hand.

So on your next commute, practice a tune.  Next time you’re standing in line at the bank, run through that scale.  On your next coffee break, conquer that pesky riff.  You just might find that some of the greatest practice time you have is WITHOUT a guitar in hand.

- Marcus D