Practice schedule

[larryb]

In reading about how some of us have concerns about information overload, I thought it might be good to share our practice schedules and get some feedback about them. I am fortunate to have a work and family schedule that allows me to get some good chunks of practice time in, before work, during lunch, and at night.

So, here goes. First, my goals. I am not a performer nor do I have an desire to play out regularly, although I would like to be able to jam on occasion, with some blues and jazz. Most of my playing is likely relegated to playing on my own. I want to be able to become decent at finger style acoustic blues and jazz as well as on my electric (with or without a pick).

This is my current schedule, and maybe I am spreading myself too thin.

1. Warm up with some technique: focusing on one scale, practice major scale in one position per day, some ii-V-I licks and some triadic licks - 30 to 60 minutes

2. Jazz tune (from the Practicing tunes thread here). Practice includes working on the melody, and learning chords, arpeggios and improv lines, in one position per day, all within the context of the song. For this, I go back and forth between acoustic and electric. 30 - 60 minutes.

3. Fingerstyle acoustic blues. Work on a tune from David Hamburger's True Fire Newschool Fingerstyle Blues course. 30 - 60 minutes

4. Electric blues. Work on some blues licks with jam track. 30 to 60 minutes.

5. Improv. Work on lesson from Larry Carlton's Improv 335 True Fire course. 30 - 60 minutes.

(6. Haven't started this yet, and might not. Work on acoustic fingerstyle arrangement from Dan Holloway's fingerstyle lessons. )

Is this spreading myself too thin? If so, considering my goals, what would you change? And maybe it' my goals I need to change. It's being so ambitious, and that perhaps may be counterproductive. Do I need to pare this down and hone it in? Or does this seem like an ok path?

I welcome any and all feedback. Thanks.

And I would love to see some of your practice routines as well.

[fep]

Every Day: (I spend about an hour and a half to get my every day stuff done)

Repertoire

Sight Reading on the guitar

Ear training, one or more of the following
- Sight Singing
- Transcribing
- Chord Quality Recognition *
- Melodic Dictation *
- Chord Progression Recognition *
- Interval Recognition *
- 4 part choral dictation *
* using my Practica Musica Ear Training Software

Method book

At least once a week

Bass method book

Piano method book

Drum exercises and grooves

Composition

Recording

-----------------------------

I can accomplish both the daily and weekly stuff with about 2 and a half hours of practice a day

[FatJeff]

OK, I'll play. Since I was just working on my daily routine to print out, I'll reproduce it here.

GUITAR
Misc
□ Finger/hand warm-ups (10m)
□ Finger/hand relaxation exercises (* s l o w *) (10m)
□ Chop Builder licks (15m)
□ Chop Builder (15m)
□ Licks for speed (15m)
□ Jazz Licks (15m)
□ * break *
□ Sight reading (10m)
□ Giant Steps improv / licks (10m)
□ Drop-2 chords: 1st and 3rd inversions, all string sets, all keys
o Rhythm Changes (10m)
o Blues (10m)
o Dizzy minor progression (???)
□ Quartal chords (3-note): all string sets, root inversion: Major & Dorian (10m)
□ Bebop dom scale:
o ↑ & ↓, R 3 5 7 9 (10m)
o Drop chord and play scale ↑ & ↓ one octave (10m)
o Drop chord and play scale ↓ & ↑ one octave (10m)
□ * break *
Recital Songs (30m – 3x 10m; pick 3)
□ Amsterdam After Dark
□ On A Misty Night (CM)
□ Yardbird Suite (SuperChops style – lay down comps, then improv over top)
□ Five Spot After Dark (SuperChops style – lay down comps, then improv over top)
□ Giant Steps (med bossa)
Combo III Songs (30m – 3x 10m; pick 3)
Bolivia
To Brenda With Love
Bud Powell
The Intrepid Fox
Molto Molto
In Case You Missed It
* break *

BASS
□ Major scales (bowed) ↑ and ↓ single string, E – A – D – G, starting on lowest note (10m)
□ Major scales (bowed) ↑ and ↓ with drone, 4 keys, starting on lowest note (10m)
□ Find the Position: 5th position with 1st finger, 5th position with 2nd finger, 2nd position (5m)
Songs
□ Nardis (5m)
□ Rush (5m)
□ Manteca (5m)
□ Hittin’ the Jug (5m)
□ Crosswalk (5m)

PIANO
□ Sight-singing book (10m)
□ ii7-V9-Imaj7 in all keys (5m)

PERCUSSION
Samba Caixa patterns (10m)

[SeedsOfMusic]

Haha, I feel kind of puny in my practice schedule, but I try to strip down to only the smallest percentage that gives me the largest results because of my limited time and other commitments.

I wake up extra early before work and finish up after work.

EarMaster ear-training software - 15m

5 positions of Major scale - economy picking
5 positions of blues pentatonic - alternate picking
5 positions of natural minor - economy picking
(However long it takes)

Blues improv (slow blues, shuffles, and funky blues)

Hendrix tunes - Midnight Lightning, Who Knows

That in itself takes up a good chunk of time, close to two hours, but is more closely in line with my personal goals and what I find the most enjoyable to play. I did have more jazz related material in my routine, but I'm trying to focus on one genre for right now. I'm still incredibly interested in jazz, which is why I joined this site

I'd say if you're worried about spreading yourself thin, just sit down in a quiet room by yourself, think about what excites you the most and go for that.