I'd like to hear how you guys practice through the week. I think I'm due to switch up my routine and looking for any new fresh ideas. Thanks in advance.:)
I'd like to hear how you guys practice through the week. I think I'm due to switch up my routine and looking for any new fresh ideas. Thanks in advance.:)
Well now that you asked,
I try to start each session off doing the basic scale runs up, down, across and any other way. Then I usually try to do the same scales but playing every other string in the same order.
Then I play something familiar, lately, that's been a medley of 12 bar stuff.
Then I work on something new for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the frustration level.
Then I return to playing something familiar and then I finish off trying to make up a tune with chord progressions.
All in all about 60 minutes.
Then I get down to real business and jam in the tff JamZone :2band
DAMMIT !!!! I left the house........
You mean band practice or personal practice? If it's band practice. I'm not in a band so I don't do that.
If it's personal practice, I don't do that either, maybe that's why I don't have band practice, because I don't personally practice, which is why I'm not in a band so I don't have brand practice...
The Best Guitar Photos On The Net!
Photoweborama
Sure you practice PW, Right here in the JamZoneOriginally Posted by photoweborama
And it shows, you're getting really good at it.
DAMMIT !!!! I left the house........
i don't. i do band practice however. we're at a point now where we really only get together to tighten things up. i do play everyday for about an hour, but i wouldn't really call it practice. more like endurance training.
"don't worry, i'm a professional!"
I practice and write songs. Also I try to work in chordal and melodic interval excercises in all my favorite positions and modes. Then there is always learning new scales, modes and chords.
while probably NOT very useful for lead players, but DAMN good for rhythm players, here's what I "start" with:
1) randomly pick a NOTE (any note!)...
2) randomly pick a KEY (any key!)...
3) play the harmonized CHORDS of the scale of the KEY while "pedaling" the NOTE...
4) play both UP and DOWN the scale...
for example, E-note in Key-of-C:
CM7..... E = 3
Dm9 ... E = 9 (2)
Em ..... E = R (1)
FM7 ... E = M7
G13 ... E = 13 (6)
Am .... E = 5
Bdim .. E = 4 (Bm11)
Notice the "descending" degree value with each new "ascending" chord; which, obviously, revereses when playing a "descending" scale.
I don't have a set routine, but here are some tips I've aquired over time....
- Always stretch and warm up your hands before you start.
- Before you sit down, have a clear picture of what you want to accomplish that session.
- If one part gives you trouble, play those few measures over and over as if they were a loop.
- Don't always start at the beginning...you end up making mistakes and you will be worn out when you get to the end.
- Do different stuff, to keep it interesting.
- 15 minutes of practice every day will get you farther, faster than 2 hours one day a week.
- If you get frustrated with a piece, work on something else until next time.
- If you practice for long periods, take a break in the middle, stretch and flex your hands.
- I get more accomplished if I practice early in the day.
- Use a metronome sometimes. No, it's not a crutch. That's a myth.
- Use good hand technique, and if stuff hurts, stop. Rest, and come back tomorrow.
Go here:
http://www.goldsby.de/
Click on articles, then Practice, Practice, Practice. Good column by John from Bass Player Magazine.
OTM, I never noticed that pattern before. I love patterns.
patterns are what make sense to me...so, I'm constantly "looking" for them in everything (work, play, music, etc.). Hence, it's a nice "trick" to "know" when playing "comping" rhythm jazz chords...
When you say you are pedaling the note, are you playing the note in a separate rhythm from the chord or alternating the note and then the chord? Or is it more of an emphasis thing? I'm not familiar with that term.
"pedaling" means to "hold" that same note through EACH/EVERY chord...it's a piano term meaning to hold down the foot pedal which means let the note(s) sustain from beat to beat...think the 'one-note' melody in "One Note Samba", "Moonglow", etc..
I should have remembered that from the few piano lessons I've had.
It seems like that would be a difficult thing to do when changing chords.
well, "yes" and "no"...yes, it's sometimes impossible to hold the note continuously, but often it can be done by simply fingering the first chord so that the same finger holds the same note in the second and subsequent chords.
I like to make the "parallel" between playing jazz CHORDS with playing POOL to my students. It's not the CURRENT shot that's important, but rather the "lay" for the NEXT shot that you've got to consider...in advance...before you do anything...with the fingering of the FIRST shot.
Sorta like mental MUSIC and mental CHESS!
I try and mix it up.
One day I do scales, cord work, blues lead licks.
Next day I might fire up the drum synth and try and play as many different tunes to the same beat as I can, this is good fun and develops rhythm skills.
Next day I might play through the various songs I know well (and in my case play in a band) and maybe try to learn something new from a book or CD.
Next day I might do some acoustic practice with vocals, for me I find this the hardest practice.
I will often record most of the above and sometimes I will do a drum track and then do an acoustic over dud then do electric overdubs then vocal, this is find very useful because I can really hear my technique flaws and work them out.
Rule of thumb, 1 hour per day maintains skill, 2 hours per day really improves skill, 3 hours per day will usual piss the neighbors off (I don’t care).
Practicing with a rhythm device is a good way to improve your playing.
Practicing with a bunch of players is a better and faster way to improve your playing.
Early in there career the Beatles used to play for 8 hours live every day during there time in Germany, they changed from being fairly average to legends during this time.
:blbros
I started set out in life to become a master of war chaos and destruction, Instead I became student of humor.
re: "...Rule of thumb, 1 hour per day maintains skill, 2 hours per day really improves skill, 3 hours per day will usual piss the neighbors off (I don’t care). "
Don't know about the numbers (varies with each person), but I certainly DO AGREE with the underlying precept: EL EJERCICIO HACE MAESTRO !
Last edited by Old Tele man; 05-22-2004 at 06:40 PM.
I confess... unless I have a band, my practice habits are erratic. Usually I play every day - in several sessions not more than 20 - 30 min... now if I am tearing tunes down or "working" to deliver my part of a set list... things change considerably... then it can range from 30 min to 3 hours.
Moe Humble
= = = = = = =
Pay NO attention to that man behind the curtain....
When I was in school (Peabody Conservatory) I practiced about 4-5 hours every day.
When you play that much on a daily basis you have to take care not to hurt yourself. I didn't really know this at first and had some bouts with hand injuries.
Anyway, much of my technical practice was aimed at a particular hand. The left hand would rest while I worked on right hand stuff and vice versa.
You MUST stop every so often (20 minutes?) and just relax and stretch things out. The mindset of "more time=better practice" is dumb and leads to problems.
10 minutes of focused, disciplined practice will advance you more than two hours of hacking around.
Also, lots of things can be accomplished with the guitar sitting in its stand.
I used to do this visualization thing. I had my pieces memorized to the point where I could tell you not only exactly which notes I was playing, but also what left hand finger/right hand finger/string/fret produced each note. That takes some concentration!
Of course, all that was years ago. I'm a hack nowadays and love playing guitar so much more.
Scales.
I try to run my scales in 4ths. Start with major scales in the key of A'the next would be D' then G' then C" until the rotation takes you back to A'.
Then try the same thing in minor scales and keep that same rotation starting at different positions on the neck. I find that improvment comes from keeping the scales clean and even use some expression when picking.
I use a clean/dry setting at first and then a little reverb/delay to smooth things out. I also play scales in thirds and 5ths.
I always try to play some songs at the end of my practices
All I can manage is about 4 days a week for 1 hour per day. I have an old left hand injury that limits my ability but I keep on keeping on.
I play a Les Paul Double Cutaway with 24 frets most of the time so I have lots of room on the neck.
Pete
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote