11/02/2023
A lot of people I teach have trouble practicing, and the first thing I ask them is always, "where do you keep your instrument?" The answer is almost always, "in a case, away."
I am a huge proponent of leaving the guitar out, on a stand or on the wall, even plugged into an amp if necessary, because here are the steps for a guitar in a case:
1. Get the case from wherever it is.
2. Lay the case on the floor where you plan to practice.
3. Unzip the case (surprisingly hard for younger kids!)
4. Take the guitar out of the case, find a place to set it down.
5. Get the case out of your way.
6. Pick the guitar back up.
7. Play.
This whole process may have taken 5 minutes, which may seem small, but consider that the whole thing will be reversed at the end, maybe taking 10 full minutes of would-be practice time (which is enough to be a whole practice session!).
Here's what it looks like if the guitar is out:
1. Pick up the guitar.
2. Play.
Do yourself, or the budding guitarist in your house, a favor: leave the guitar out on a stand, so the only thing that needs to be done is pick up the instrument and play.
