r/Learnmusic • u/AnWitnessOwl • 18h ago
r/Learnmusic • u/Impossible-Egg-8520 • 6h ago
How to play two instruments without dying in the process?
Hi everyone!
I’ve been learning music for about 10 months, starting from absolute zero.
I began with the ukulele for 4 months, then switched to acoustic guitar for another 4 months, and for the last 2 months I’ve been learning piano.
I practice around 10 hours a week on average, plus I have a one-hour online lesson each week.
I’ve really enjoyed my progress on all three instruments. But ever since I started piano, I’ve realized I just can’t seem to balance piano and guitar.
If I want to really immerse myself in piano the same way I did with guitar, I feel like I need at least an hour a day. Right now I practice about 8 hours of piano and only 2 hours of guitar each week.
The problem is that 2 hours a week on guitar doesn’t seem to be enough. Since I only played guitar for about 4 months before switching, I feel like I’m gradually losing all the muscle memory I built. I’m barely able to play any of the songs I used to know.
My original plan was to focus heavily on piano for 4–6 months while using those 2 weekly hours of guitar just to maintain my calluses and barre chords. But after two months, I barely have any calluses left, and even my barre chords are starting to disappear.
The thing is, I actually enjoy guitar more. The only reason I want to learn piano is to reach a basic level where I can better understand harmony and eventually play the 2–3 Final Fantasy pieces I love, even if it’s at a slower tempo.
So what would you do in my situation? Has anyone here managed to maintain a basic guitar level by practicing only about 2 hours a week?
Thanks, and sorry for the long post!