Modify Practice Sessions, Don’t Miss

In addition to guitar, another of my hobbies is fitness — specifically lifting weights. I’ve been lifting since 2006 and am fairly plugged into that world. This post’s title is brought to you from a coach named Matt Wenning who says, “modify, don’t miss” about training.

This is a really great concept for practicing just about anything. Guitar included.

Busy day? No time to get a full practice session in? Don’t skip it, modify what was going to happen. If you normally spend a few minutes on technique, then more time on repertoire, maybe today there’s only time to hit a few things. Maybe there’s only time to get your fingers warmed up and do a bit of technique.

It’s okay to not sit down for 10 minutes instead of 30 or an hour. It’s okay to only hit a few things and call it a day. Practice is practice. As long as it’s focused and goal driven, any practice is better than no practice.

You can practice this sort of thing by setting time limits for yourself. Often time we set time minimums: today I’ll practice at least an hour. Flip that on it’s head. Today I will only practice for 30 minutes. How does the practice session have to change to be effective? Is there fluff that can be cut out? Imposing these limits on yourself can prepare for days when the world puts limits on practice time.

Embracing the modify, don’t miss philosophy means fewer excuses to skip practice sessions.