
granular guitar habits
Chapters 17 - 20
Chapter 17 - Accountability For Guitar Habits - Make Skipping Practice Cost You


* Motivation fades, but consequences stick. Instead of relying on willpower, make skipping practice unsatisfying—so it’s easier to play than to avoid it.
* Attach a cost to missing practice. If there’s no consequence, it’s too easy to let it slide. Try:
* Owing money to a friend or charity every time you skip.
* Losing a privilege (no new gear until you stay consistent).
* Making yourself publicly admit to missing a session.
* Create a "guitar habit contract." Write down clear rules:
* “If I miss more than two sessions in a row, I owe £10.”
* “If I fail to practice three days in a week, I don’t watch TV that weekend.”
* Find an accountability partner. Someone who checks in on your progress, asks if you’re sticking to it, and makes you feel the sting if you’re slacking.
* Public commitment adds pressure.
* Tell friends or bandmates your practice goals.
* Set up a consequence, like posting a tweet admitting failure if you don’t practice.
* Even just knowing someone is watching helps you stay consistent.
* The goal? Make skipping practice feel worse than just playing. If there’s a real consequence, you’ll keep showing up—because the alternative is worse.
The best players don’t just rely on motivation. They build systems that make practicing automatic and skipping painful.
Motivation fades is a very descriptive phrase that I can really identify with, I have got to the stage where skipping practice make me feel ‘incomplete’ and I have more desire to complete it than to avoid it.
I haven’t set a direct consequence for missing practice but can see the benefit in this. I consider accountability partners a very strong premise and is a fundamental approach that the 66 day bootcamp takes - it is the accountability partner, it is also a public commitment
Chapter 18 - Talent, Genetics, And Guitar Playing - Work With What You've Got
* Your genes give you certain strengths, but they don’t do the work for you. Natural ability can help, but consistent effort always wins.
* Tailor your guitar habits to suit your personality. If a certain practice method bores you, find a better way. The best practice routine is the one you actually stick with.
* Play to your strengths. If you struggle with a particular technique, don’t force it—lean into what comes naturally and develop your own style. Not every guitarist has to be a shredder or a blues master.
* Stand out by combining skills. Maybe you’re not the fastest player, but you have great feel, phrasing, or a unique rhythmic style. The best musicians aren’t necessarily the best at everything—they’re the best at being themselves.
* Find your niche. If you build your playing style around what you do well, there’s no competition—because no one else plays like you.
* Your genetics can guide your efforts, but hard work determines your results. There’s no shortcut. Fulfill your own potential instead of comparing yourself to others.
The key? Work with your natural abilities, double down on what makes you unique, and put in the hours. That’s how great players are made.


I have met a few people that have ‘natural ability’ they are quite rare. I’ve also met people who state they don’t practice but somewhere in the past the hours have been put in to get them to their current standard.
You have to tailor your guitar habits to suit you, your routine has to interest you to help you stick with it. This is why the 66 day bootcamp doesn’t tell you what exercises to do, it needs to be based around what you like, what you think you need to learn.
Comparison is the thief of joy - this is a great phrase, I also agree on the last line of the above in how great players are made, keep it unique to you and put in the hours !
Chapter 19 - Staying Motivated With Guitar Habits - Push Your Edge, Embrace The Reps


* Motivation peaks when you’re right at your limit. If practice is too easy, you’ll get bored. Too hard, and you’ll get frustrated. The sweet spot is where it challenges you just enough to keep you engaged.
* Boredom is the real enemy. Once your habits become routine, you risk checking out. Keep it fresh:
* Learn new techniques.
* Try different styles.
* Challenge yourself with new songs.
* Amateurs wait for motivation. Professionals practice anyway. The best players don’t rely on feeling inspired. They show up every day, whether they feel like it or not.
* The reps still count when you’re not in the mood. Even a “bad” session is better than skipping practice. Over time, those extra reps separate great players from the rest.
* Fall in love with boredom. Mastery isn’t about chasing novelty—it’s about repeating fundamentals until they become second nature.
* The best guitarists never stop working on the basics. The ones who push through boredom, keep refining their technique, and stick with it when others quit? They’re the ones who become great.
The key? Stay just outside your comfort zone, keep showing up, and learn to love the grind. That’s where real progress happens.
The 7 points leans into the phrase ‘motivation peaks when you’re right at your limit, if practice is too easy, you’ll get bored, too hard and you’ll get frustrated’ This is where I find 2 minute exercises, using a metronome that can increase in BPM steps during this 2 minutes really helpful to keep this phrase live.
I’m regularly adding new exercises from songs, riffs, thoughts on exercises in general to help keep my routine fresh.
Waiting to feel inspired was the story of my 20s, thankfully I was generally inspired to put a chunk of work in. However, I’d be in a much better position had I not waited for motivation and put the practice shifts in regardless.
Falling in love with boredom can be difficult, I prefer falling in love with practice and process of practice - love the grind !
Chapter 20 - The Downsides of Guitar Habits - Stay Sharp, Keep Growing
* Habits make playing automatic—but that’s not always a good thing. If you’re not careful, repetition can lead to mindless playing and reinforcing bad technique instead of improving.
* Mastery isn’t just about habits—it’s about deliberate refinement. Regularly review your playing to ensure you’re not just going through the motions.
* Reflect on your habits, don’t just repeat them. Ask yourself:
* Am I improving, or just reinforcing the same patterns?
* Where are my weaknesses?
* Am I challenging myself enough?
* Don’t get complacent. If you’re making mistakes, don’t let them slide. Identify them, make small adjustments, and refine your technique.
* Avoid rigid identity labels. If you define yourself only as a "guitarist," you might limit your growth. Instead, see yourself as a dedicated musician—someone constantly evolving.
* Check in on your habits as you improve. What worked six months ago might not serve you now. Adapt as you grow.
* Lack of self-awareness kills progress. If you never reflect, you won’t spot areas that need improvement. Reflection is the antidote.
The key? Good habits get you started, but conscious review keeps you improving. Play, reflect, adjust—then repeat.


A very important chapter - I have fallen into mindless playing a lot, just like I can fall into mindless eating, or phone scrolling.
Just because you get the habit doesn’t mean the progress problem is solved! It needs continuous hunger to find more things to be inspired by, to refine your approach, to try brand new things.
The 66 day bootcamp gets you the habit. If these bootcamps prove successful I hope that a small community of guitarists can be built that can pro-actively suggest new exercises for people, exercises that can challenge - be that ‘dedicated musician’