Practice on vacation suggestions?

I'm a complete newcomer to guitar, having bought my first one just two months ago. I'm probably practicing ~ 6 hours a week across 5-6 days right now and pretty happy with that.

I'm headed for a short vacation though, and not sure what (if anything) I can do about the week of practice I will miss. Taking the guitar with is not practical. I do regular hand strength exercises daily but - aside from that, any suggesitons on things to do to avoid losing ground?

I'f I'd been at this for a year I wouldn't sweat it, but right now it feels like a long time away from practices . . .

I personally wouldn't sweat it with being only away for a week. I know they make practice fret boards but I don't have any experience with them. An interesting mental exercise is to imagine yourself fretting chords and moving your fingers into the approximate chord shapes. I seem to remember reading that there is some benefit to such activities.

ETA: If you have internet access you could focus on the music theory lessons in GT (one of the instructors can probably point you to such lessons.)

Originally Posted by: davem_or

ETA: If you have internet access you could focus on the music theory lessons in GT (one of the instructors can probably point you to such lessons.)

Or get a music theory book to study during down time. Thisis a good one, at least I thought it was.

If it's a driving vacation I advise against reading it while driving. Otherwise, you'll find later in your studies you wish you knew more theory and knew the fretboard better, etc. You will be getting ahead of the curve.

Most importantly, enjoy the vacation.

Originally Posted by: martiniconqueso

I'm headed for a short vacation though, and not sure what (if anything) I can do about the week of practice I will miss. Taking the guitar with is not practical. I do regular hand strength exercises daily but - aside from that, any suggesitons on things to do to avoid losing ground?

You can watch through the next series of lessons in whatever course you are currently working through. This will give you an idea of what you will be working on next.

You can use a fretboard trainer app to memorize notes on the fretboard.

You do ear training for intervals & chords.

https://www.musictheory.net/exercises

You can listen to songs that you know how to play to remind yourself what the chord changes, melodies & song sections sound like to mentally reinforce that knowledge.

You can listen to songs that you want to learn in the future with the goal of memorizing the sound of the changes & parts so the overall structure or song form will be easier to recall when you start to learn how to play it.

I share & understand your concern over missing playing time. It's good that you are aware of & conscientious about it! But it's only a week & your fingers will get back to work just fine when you start practicing again. :)

Hope that helps!

I have a friend who bought & learned to play a ukulele (aside from his main guitar), because he could travel with it. I know it's not exactly the same instrument, but keeps the fingers moving... he's also the type to lead friends in a song around the campfire so there's that, too!

Originally Posted by: matonanjin2

Originally Posted by: davem_or

ETA: If you have internet access you could focus on the music theory lessons in GT (one of the instructors can probably point you to such lessons.)

Or get a music theory book to study during down time. Thisis a good one, at least I thought it was.

This was a great suggestion, and the vacation hasn't even started yet. Just a few pages in to "Music Theory for Practical People" and the notion of scales and keys started to make sense. I had been doing scales as part of my practice routine, but mainly by rote. Now I can pick an arbitrary starting note anywhere on the fretboard and play the corresponding scale. (I mean, slowly, but I can play it.)

Between that and ChristopherSchlegel's suggestions I think I will have a productive (and relazing) vacation.

=K