What to do in 10-15 minutes?
 

I really like to grab my guitar in the morning after breakfast and before I leave for work. Just kind of gets me in a good mood - like it gets my day tuned. But all I can get in is about 10-15 minutes. If I get involved with a song, it is hard to put it down. But if I do finger exercises, it is easier, mostly, I suspect, because they are harder for me, as an "advanced beginner."
If you have just a few minutes with the guitar, how do you spend it.
Thanks,
David

That’s a great way to start your day, even if it’s only 10-15 minutes playing guitar always puts me in a better mood.

What to play?, that’s a spontaneous choice, maybe a song in your head, or hit a chord and see where it takes you.
Good idea for a thread.

I do something similar and I'll do both / either. Sometimes, I play the three songs I'm going to play at open mic. Sometimes, I work on a difficult part of a new song. Sometimes, I jump on a looper and practice improvisation. Sometimes, I'll work on a new song I'm writing. Sometimes, I'll just belt out an old song just cause it's fun.

No matter what, I don't FORCE myself to do anything with that time. I do what makes me happy that day. My goal for that time is to make it a great way to start the day.

I will use that time in several different ways depending on what I am working on at the moment. If I am preparing for a performance, I may use that time to go over playing the guitar accompaniment cleanly or work on timing. If I am working on a song, I may noodle with a few chord progressions or rhyme schemes. Or I may isolate and work on a technical thing like experimenting with the angle of my thumb to get a deeper tone on my bass notes. There is a lot that you can accomplish in 10 to 15 minutes a day. Enjoy.

Best,
Jayne

I'm glad you mentioned this. I was trying to explain to someone the other day about the power of small practice times, if done consistently. 15 minutes a day, six days a week is actually better than 1.5 hours one day a week and is sometimes easier to fit in.

Actually that's the approach that Tony Polecastro teaches us in his courses through Tony's Acoustic Challenge. Ten minutes every day minimum, more if you want. Have fun, don't set out to master. I've progressed faster in the past 7 months following his method and daily video exercises than I have in years of over practicing and setting overly ambitious goals.

Obliged for the replies, gents.
To be clear, this is just a morning session to ease into the day. I spend time at night when I get home on the "real" work. Though, more often than not, it all feels like real work.
David

I just recently bought a book of fingerstyle arpeggio’s that are pleasant and constructive to play plus most recently Michael Chapdelaine started an arpeggios study lesson series in the most recent issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine that I downloaded and have put into my woodshed routine. They are perfect for a 10-15 minute window to get some quality time in that is enjoyable with the bonus of really being good for smoothing your technique out.

If I only have a fifteen minute block to play it is "chef's discretion:" I simply play to entertain myself. Why not? :)

Bob

Usually either play something I am in the process of composing or through some oldie or two. The brief time sessions help
maintain the memorization or some new little idea pops up. It's not a time I chose to do some guitar exercise or another.

When Im working out a song or chord progression, particularly tough changes, I isolate the tough part and create a ditty from the tough changes mixed with changes Im very comfortable with.
That way I can work on a tough change while tricking myself into thinking i am playing a song- but really the song or ditty is just a chord change exercise.
Then the 10-15 minutes feels less like practicing...

Bob, care to share the title. At my stage of development, I find that anything that gets the two hands communicating is a good thing. And learning the fret board through arpeggios works as well.
Cheers.
David

7 years later and the first 10-20 min of every day is spent on chord changes.
For awhile now it has been the F Major and the B minor chords.
Even tho I finally play them cleanly, I continue to build muscle memory.
Back and forth, in progressions, whatever.
Actually a lot can happen in a short time. :)

Do I understand that you are practicing different forms of those chords. I feel a great need to be doing that but have not yet found that resource. That said, I do recognize that the preferred method is to know the components of the chord and then construct them on the fret board.....sigh.
David

Usually, chord changes but recently I've been trying out some fingerpicking.