-
Im having a hard time finding a 1-2 hour slot for ongoing practice. Some would say if I get 15-30 min its ok, but, being a beginner it takes that much time to warm up and "stunt" the strings while going through a scale....
How do you do it?
-
11-15-2012 12:17 PM
-
Having a wife helps a lot because I am always waiting for her to get ready. That alone gets me 15-30 minutes a day. Just need to have something ready to work on, preferably that doesn't require sheet music. So now, for example, I know exactly what I will work on the next time I pick up the guitar.
-
I get up an hour early, before anyone else is awake, and practice for an hour.
I'm in a good mood for the rest of the day too.
-
I come home from work eat as quick as possible and try to get 2 hours from 6-8 at night. Then take little break and try to do some more. Sometimes after 2 hours of practice i'm shot. I used to think i could do 6-10 at night and bang out 4 hours of practice but its not easy.
Ken
-
Yep, I'm an early riser as well--5am to get an hour in.
Sure, I fall asleep on the couch by 9:30 pm...but it's worth it.
-
This is a great idea. I also get in 1 to 1:30 hours in the morning before starting my regular "work" day. But there's always random stretches during the day that could become opportunities for a quick dive into some practice. I've been trying to implement a strategy for "practicing" without my instrument during these times, like mentally going through arpeggios, progressions, etc...
Originally Posted by jster
I also have an ear training program on the computer and on the iPhone which I can quickly fire up with headphones and work on recognizing intervals, chords, and so on.
Jster, what type of material do you work on when you do this?
K
-
Could be a lot of things. This week I am just working on a cycle of secondary dominants, their arpeggios, and the scales they fit into that best preserve the key. So in the key of C, the VII7b5 lies in B alt, the III7 lies in E HM dominant (fifth mode of A Harmonic Minor), the VI7 lies in A mix b6, the next three are all mix and then IV7 is lyd b7. I wanted to work some HM in and so this seemed like a good way to do it. Originally Posted by nosoyninja
But anything to do with patterns I find is ideal. I like having some pattern idea to develop. (I tune in fourths, so there is no end to beautiful patterns.) Right now I have three or four on deck.
But it could just be jamming with some backing track/mp3 on the computer. In the time it takes her to put her make up on, I can do 25 choruses of Here Comes That Rainy Day (some may call that noodling, I dunno and I don't care!).
Last edited by jster; 11-15-2012 at 02:35 PM.
-
I have a young family, so i've had to be creative in getting practice time between baths, bedtime stories, making breakfast/dinner and generally giving everyone some loving attention. Here's my advice:
Preparation: Always know EXACTLY what you are going to practice before you pick up the guitar. It even helps to think about this while away from the instrument. Have everything ready - charts, metronome, instrument, recording device, practice space, etc. so you can just grab the instrument and dig in, even if you only have 15 mins.
Flexibility: It's great to have a set time for daily practice, but if you miss your "window" just try to make it up where you can. Two hours a day is great, but 15 mins before bed is better than no practice at all. Also, many musical skills, even running your scale patterns, can be done in your head while sitting in traffic or waiting for a train. Sing songs or scales in the shower and tap out rhythms on your shopping cart. Carry around some
sheet music songs and read them aloud while waiting in the Dr.'s office.
Dedication: Determine that you WILL learn to play this music. It will take time and mental focus and there are no short cuts. You will have leaps forward and then periods of plateau with very little progress - realize that this is the process and be patient with yourself. Realize too, that as you progress, you'll be able to integrate new concepts more rapidly. Find your weaknesses and focus on those and do NOT noodle on things you already have down, it just wastes prexcious time. If you have family or roomates, make sure they understand practice time is YOUR time and you will not tolerate interruptions. IT'S NOT THE QUANTITY OF TIME YOU SPEND PRACTICING, BUT THE QUALITY OF THE TIME THAT IS IMPORTANT. Just 15 mins of really focused practice can lead to big breakthroughs.
WHAT WORKS FOR ME:
1) Unlike Mr. Beaumont, i cannot practice in the morning, but i can practice an hour before bed, which i've read is ideal because the brain subconsciously works on that stuff while you're asleep.
2) I've unplugged my TV. It's a creativity-killing machine that oozes 99% crap. Amazing how much time that frees up.
Best luck.
-
The weather report being the 1% non crap. Originally Posted by Tommycorsica
-
also in that 1%, of course, Jersey shores.... Originally Posted by jster
-
I do it first thign in the morning now (well maybe after I eat if I'm starving.) Then little bits when I can. The internet, facebook, are my biggest enemies, very easy to waste a half hour that could have been spent doing something musically productive (and much more joyful)
-
They always say with physical exercise to set an appointment with yourself, and keep it. I think that for a lot of people this approach is demoralizing, because other urgent priorities can make you miss that time block. If you can structure your life to consistently have that block, great. If you can't, you have to be organized enough to pick up your guitar at a moment’s notice and work on something that will improve your playing.
Most of my practice is done in chunks of 15 minutes or less. I have been suggesting the use of spaced repetition programs for scheduling items for practice. It addresses many of the issues people have brought up here. Using this approach, you rate each item you practice immediately: Again, Hard, Good, Easy. Items that you cannot yet play well get scheduled for immediate review. Difficult or recently learned items get scheduled for review in the near future. Easy or well-learned items get scheduled into the distant future. You will much more accurately gauge your proficiency as you work on an item, than if you wait until later to plan your next practice.
If I have five minutes, I can immediately practice something meaningful. I do not have to plan my next day’practice. I have already set my long-term goals, and identified the method I Will use to reach them. Now practicing is easier than watching TV. If I turn on the TV, I have to find a show that interests me; if I start up my practice program, I am instantly engaged in meaningful practice. Even if you have large blocks of time, it is a very efficient way to practice.
In my current practice program, I have created separate subject groups. I have one for Leavitt and one for Elliott. You could do a subject group of tunes, or any type of exercise (scales, chords,arpeggios, etc.). I have identified the small chunks that make up the various lessons and write a number next to each item. In the spaced repetition program,I enter the page number and item number. When that item comes up, I find it in the book and work on it.
There are a lot of spaced repetition programs available. I use Anki. There is also Brainquest. Both are free.Last edited by Jonzo; 11-15-2012 at 04:16 PM.
-
I know that problem man.
Im a physics and music student who has quite big problems keeping up with the physics stuff (well the maths part) so for the last couple of years practice has been kinda good and bad.
I just find that sitting and playing stuff I enjoy is the only way. Even if I just feel like Im noodling at least Ive had time on the instrument (it may not be the most effective but oh well).
Recently Ive started doing work behind silent movies where my noodling pays off though! harrah!Last edited by bopandroll; 11-15-2012 at 07:36 PM.
-
Getting up early to practice helps because it's time people typically don't try to find you. Even if its only 15 minutes you get the fingers moving and the brain engaged in music. It also helps you think about what to work on when practicing later.
I work a day gig so I get up have some coffee and practice some before leaving for work. At work when possible I think about things to practice when I get home. At night practice time varies from minutes to hours. Also keep a practice journal so you see where you stop and can pickup from there, don't keep starting at top of you practice routine pickup where you left off.
-
Most days, I do a little in the morning, a little around mid-day, and a little at night, trying to get about 3 hrs total each day. On the weekends, I try to only practice in the morning and afternoon, but not at night. Of course, to get decent practice hours in, one of these sessions is going to be fairly long...but working on things a few times a day has some benefits from a learning perspective. And it also becomes less of a disaster if you miss one of those sessions (say due to jams, or life), because you still have the other ones.
Also I read (on the internet, so you know it's true) that the brain is better at different things at various points of the day. Late in the day when you're exhausted, you're not going to be at your peak for working on real technical stuff...however creativity is apparently higher when you are exhausted. I'm no scientist, but in my experience both of these things are true - most of my "cool ideas" (re-harmonizing, interesting lines, interesting voicings, voice-leading ideas) have been hit upon in my evening practice sessions. Then I work on the mechanics of these cool ideas the next day in the morning or mid-day when my brain is better at that stuff. I just kind of happened into this system, but I think it's working for (a) coming up with fresh ideas and (b) getting them under my fingers.
For those of you with office jobs: leave a guitar at the office, and inhale your lunch quickly. Presto, an extra hour a day!
-
Most mornings are mine. I try to get up by 5 or 6 and get started. By around 10am I've got 3-4 of solid hours in, everyday.
-
you have to find the time and use it wisely....get your plans in order and follow them...if your time is short put your nose to the grindstone and use your tenacity to consume your lesson material....it has to be consumed before you can digest it....remember...
the more time the better...when you follow a well thought out plan....leave the "doodling" for later....stick to your plan...learn something new everyday...
time on the instrument...
-
My schedule is flipped, as I work an evening job, wake up about noon and finish breakfast at about 1:30 pm. That's the start of my "me time" so it's natural to practice then, and it's usually the most enjoyable part of my day.
I agree about having a "to do list" that keeps you focused, plus I pretty much rotate between 3 types of days: transcribing, "elements" ie playing scales/chords/arps all over the neck, and working out songs from the Real Book. Largely though the Real Book stuff is bleeding into the other days too.
Sometimes all you can grab is a half-hour or 20 minutes; just make it focused practice.
-
I try to get an hour or two in in the evening. I also get about 15 minutes every morning while my wife and daughter is getting dressed and such. Those 15 minutes are quite essential in that it allow me to pick up on the previous night's practice and assess what I learned and what I didn't. It's also a very good way of easing into the day
-
I had the same problem.
My solution:
- To have a plan.
- Take hours from sleep time.
- To buy a silent guitar for practice at night.
- To have my guitar into a stand always ready.
-
Record yourself playing a song, then in a few months you will be able to see your progress.
Guy
-
Crystal Meth can keep you up for days, but may cause you to rush the tempo a bit on the ballads.
-
Chancho,
When I first started playing six years ago, I had up to four hours a day to practice. Now, I have maybe an hour.
What saved me was buying a Traveler Guitar - The Speedster.
I take the little portable guitar everywhere I go. So I come in 30 minutes early to work and practice, and at lunchtime, I get another 30 - 40 minutes, depending on how fast I eat.
Heck, I was stuck for 30 minutes in traffic that was dead stopped for an accident. I got 25 minutes of playing time in. I know a guy who uses his traveler on the toilet! (And no, it is not me
!)
Be creative, and figure out what you need to do and you will be able to make the most of the little time life gives you at this point in your existence. Also, remember that things can always change, and you may end up with more time, and you will be able to be that much more effective with your progress.
Good luck!
I admit your persistence in sticking with it.Last edited by AlsoRan; 11-16-2012 at 03:52 PM. Reason: typos
-
Thanks for all the great feedback. One of things that needs to be done is: Get Away from the FRIGGIN TV!!! Period!
How foolish to think I can mute the "idiot box" and still get some Quality time with my baby
-
I literally put my TV in the closet. It usually comes out during grand-slam tennis tournaments and the Stanley Cup playoffs, but otherwise it's out of sight, out of mind. I call this "macro discipline" - the big choices one makes to literally eliminate the need for micro choices.
Someone mentioned cutting back on sleep - I think that is questionable. I'm not a big sleeper, but I know I retain more from my practice when I've had a good night's sleep. It's hard to learn when you are mentally fried.
Reply With Quote
Recommandations for Hollowbodies for $600 and under?
Today, 05:20 AM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos