With the demands of work, school, parenting, housekeeping, and more, many adults struggle to find time for hobbies; let alone learn how to play instruments. Nevertheless, it is still possible to pursue your interest in music despite having a busy schedule, no matter how difficult it may seem. You just need to know how to work around it, and these tips can help:
1. Swap other sessions for guitar lessons
Getting guitar lessons is the most effective way to learn guitar for many adults who have little to no experience with the instrument. However, adding an hour and a half of lessons to your already busy timetable may be out of the question. So, instead of adding guitar lessons to your schedule, try swapping it with another errand or session that you can part with, for the time being, such as your weekly massage or spin class.
2. Set small goals
Write down small, realistic goals that you want to achieve each week, like learning new chords or mastering a whole song. After you master the basic chords and have developed muscle memory, you can move on to bigger goals by then. But in the meantime, be realistic about what you want to achieve, and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t immediately reach your goals.
3. Practice every day for a few minutes
Spend around ten minutes (or twenty, or thirty; whatever time you can spare) every day practicing guitar and you will find yourself improving with each passing session. Ten minutes surely won’t make a dent in your busy schedule, and as an adult, it can also serve as your de-stressing time. It also helps to set a timer so you can use your practice time wisely and avoid getting distracted.
4. Don’t make guitar playing a chore
In your desire to learn how to play the guitar, don’t obsess about practicing to the point that you make it feel like another chore that you have to do. If you can’t find time to practice, then don’t. You can always make up for it when you have free time for yourself.
5. Watch videos instead
When you don’t have time to actually hold a guitar and play it, you can opt to watch tutorial videos online while multi-tasking. For example, pull up an instructional video while you’re waiting for something to cook or while watching over an infant. Even if you don’t actually practice, watching videos can help you learn more guitar-playing tips, as well as musical theories.
6. Be consistent
It’s okay to not practice every day, especially if you have a million other things to do. But if you really want to be good at playing the guitar, be consistent. Practice when you can and don’t give up. Better yet, use the practice sessions as musical therapy, so you can relax your mind and improve your skills at the same time.
Most adults don’t bother to learn a new instrument because they think it’s already too late and they are too busy to learn. However, that can’t be farther from the truth. While it is challenging to learn guitar as a busy adult, learning how to incorporate the instrument into your routine is much easier with these tips.
