Practice ideas away from instrument(s)

**chrisp** · 06-20-2011, 03:53 PM

Hey,

Injury has rendered my left hand(fretting) out of action for a few weeks/months and I'm trying to come up with the best practice idea's I can without being able to play guitar.

I've got my right hand for playing some basic piano stuffs and thought about transposing with the piano perhaps?

Guess my question is if you couldn't play guitar, what would you practice?

**brwnhornet59** · 06-20-2011, 03:56 PM

If you have access to the Piano, by all means go for it. I would.

**M-ster** · 06-20-2011, 04:00 PM

Mute the strings in some fashion and work on picking exercises?

Transcribe and analyse, so that you have work to do when your left hand is back in commission?

Read a great jazz biography?

**whatswisdom** · 06-20-2011, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by chrisp

I've got my right hand for playing...what would you practice?

Get to work:

Giuliani 120 Right Hand Studies (5/10) Lesson

**FatJeff** · 06-20-2011, 10:01 PM

How well do you know your interval & chord formulas? Work on very quickly spelling 7ths chords of all types (min7, maj7, dom7, m7b5, aug7, dim7) in all keys. And not just from the root, either. Add in alterations for Ddom7 chords as well. For instance, key of Bb, what's the V7b9 chord spelled from the 3rd? You should immediately think "G-Bb-Db-Eb-E".

**mr. beaumont** · 06-20-2011, 10:11 PM

I'm actually just recently back from a finger injury that put my hand out of commission completely for about 2 weeks and out of real playing for a month. I tried pretty much all of the above.

I also arranged chord melodies without the guitar...some of them are pretty good, actually. I did a lot of interval singing. I also practiced singing harmony with a digital recorder, as I'm really working on thinking more polyphonically while improvising, so I've been training myself to think and hear harmony on the fly.

Good luck, heal quickly and cleanly.

**S_R_S5** · 06-23-2011, 03:07 AM

drum on your leg. If you hear a song you like tap out rhythms. Make it syncopated. try to make new ideas with just tapping. Apply the cool new tapping rhythms to your licks.

Mental imagery is awesome and works well. youtube it

TH · 06-23-2011, 03:46 AM

Write out a solo on a piece each day? At its best, the process of composition and soloing are the same. It's the same mind, same resources, same harmonic structure to negotiate, same choices. Think of this as a perfect solo that you don't have the pressure of chops, speed, thoughtless licks to deal with.
Listen a lot, then put on an aebersold track and sing a solo. You may be shocked at how lyrical you become when you have to breathe, and your hand habits don't let you get away with stuff you could never sing.
Start a notebook of motivs. Find ways to make variations and make a solo on paper or with your voice by starting with your permutations.
I think any of these might give you strong material when you get an instrument back in your hands.
Best of luck through recovery!
David

**pingu** · 06-23-2011, 04:42 AM

Originally Posted by FatJeff

How well do you know your interval & chord formulas? Work on very quickly spelling 7ths chords of all types (min7, maj7, dom7, m7b5, aug7, dim7) in all keys. And not just from the root, either. Add in alterations for Ddom7 chords as well. For instance, key of Bb, what's the V7b9 chord spelled from the 3rd? You should immediately think "G-Bb-Db-Eb-E".

key of Ab
oh well .........

**Dookychase** · 06-23-2011, 08:51 AM

I think it was Howard Roberts that said he would learn a tune and then also practice by sitting across the room from the guitar and visualizing the chords and movements on the fretboard.

Or something to that affect.
Veddy interesting.

**Al_F** · 06-23-2011, 09:20 AM

I would do lots of ear training with some software and the piano plus studying theory.

**coolvinny** · 06-23-2011, 11:55 AM

I went through this last year. After a few failed attempts at being able to play guitar, I eventually started playing the cornet (essentially a trumpet). It's a hard instrument at first, but now after about 9 months I am halfway decent. It has really improved my sight reading, my ear, my approach to phrasing and how I handle guide tones (3rds and 7ths). You still need to be able to hold the instrument with your left hand, but don't worry too much about working the "tuning slide" since you really only need it on the C# and D natural below the stave.

(btw, I actually started on flugelhorn 9 months ago...it is much much easier than trumpet/cornet...but then switched to cornet)

If you do decide to try one of these brass instruments, definitely take lessons to learn proper fundamentals. Note that you can usually rent brass instruments for very little money.

**chrisp** · 07-01-2011, 07:33 AM

Brilliant ideas, I've added pretty much all of them to my instrument-less practice routine.

I've been tapping the rhythm for a lot of reading material so hopefully when I get back to playing I just need to find the pitches.

Thanks guys!

**fep** · 07-01-2011, 03:41 PM

You can practice reading and or sight reading...

Just visualize where and when you would play the notes on the fretboard, if you can imagine the sounds too... then wow.

**Kman** · 07-01-2011, 04:07 PM

You can practice soloing if you have the chord progression memorized. I practice basic arpeggios type soloing often to progressions I know when I'm without my guitar. You can hear the changes and notes if your have the progression memorized.

**JohnoL** · 07-01-2011, 05:18 PM

If it were me I would catch up on computer-music skills. I have put off learning some of the more complicated things with Sonar, Band in a Box etc because I felt my limited time should be spent practicing.