The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    I wonder how much time a day do you practice guitar?
    ...and the next question: what are you practicing?
    Best
    Kris

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    It depends. Some days 4+ hours, other days 30 minutes. I work on songs. Making sure I understand the structure and changes. "Technique" not so much, I think 90% of the technique I need is already in the song.

    As for the other 10%, yeah sometimes I make sure I can still rip a scale up and down the neck. Usually working on three or four songs at any one time, come back to them later too, always trying to improve my grasp on them.

  4. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by ChazFromCali
    It depends. Some days 4+ hours, other days 30 minutes. I work on songs. Making sure I understand the structure and changes. "Technique" not so much, I think 90% of the technique I need is already in the song.

    As for the other 10%, yeah sometimes I make sure I can still rip a scale up and down the neck. Usually working on three or four songs at any one time, come back to them later too, always trying to improve my grasp on them.
    Practicing songs is just one of the elements I practice.
    A good example is practicing jazz blues - it's all there. Playing it at different tempos is often an image of my technique.
    Loose hands and technical proficiency have been my passions lately.That is why I spend a lot of time on the so-called technical workshop.
    Playing and learning a lot of songs in my case makes sense when I feel comfortable technically.

  5. #4

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    Not a structured program, to say the least.

    But, lately, with some gigs coming up, I've been practicing tunes that might give me trouble. Making sure I can play the melodies (lotta notes) reliably and, for some, reviewing how I'm going to comp some guitar only intros.

    Otherwise, it would be the usual oddball mix of working on picking to build speed, working on ear training by playing tunes by ear in different keys, working on solo technique by playing along with backing tracks in 12 keys, fiddling with my gear when I'm unhappy with my tone (which seems to correlate with sunspots) and looking at videos.

    I recently bought a samba pack from Open Studio and spent some time with that.

    I often review columns in GP and play through the material.

    And, this potpourri is AFTER telling myself not to be distracted by every shiny musical object.

    For a long time I played 3 band sessions a week, one an octet, one Brazilian and one American jazz. Lately it's been one or two, with a gig too. So that's 5 - 7.5 hours per week of playing. Plus an hour or two most days. I don't keep track of the exact amount. Some of it is focused, like working on reading tunes I have to gig and some of it is in front of the TV drilling something or other.
    Last edited by rpjazzguitar; 10-05-2022 at 01:14 PM.

  6. #5

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    I don't have any daily exercices (maybe I should ), to give you an idea, yesterday I "played" around 4 or 5 hours, I spent around two hours on "dolphin dance", I knew this lovely tune from Herbie Hancock I played it several years ago, the melody came back in my head so I took my comins and let's go, two hours later I was happy cause dolphin dance is so good.
    Then I moved to "falling grace", steve swallow gifted us this lovely tune, and again one hour chord melody, soloing, no metronome, no back track, all in my head and hands, I knew the tune but it came back to me so let's go !.

    (but I studied during more than hour the Barry Harris things on blue bossa that was cool too)
    if I had a routine this day it would be this working the Bh chords system on every drop and feel relax to use it at any time when comping and extending it to the solo playing, that's a goal I can achieve only by studying it like a routine but that's me. (thanks to the barry harris thread and to the person who created the thread and to the people who posted all those videos).
    and tomorrow will be another day so....surprise is everywhere. (but the BH things is my kind of routine nowadays).


  7. #6

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    Thirty minutes, thrice a day
    Mostly modes and melodic free improvisation.
    My neighbour said he much preferred my playing to the sounds of arguments and fights outside our building, which was nice.

  8. #7

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    2-4 hours.
    Warm up exercises, classically based (spider exercise and diminished across, chromatic up and down)
    Free improvisation until a piece emerges.
    Work on a piece until some aspect of it needs work.
    Formal technical work (these days voice led cycles, dyad harmony and chromatic resolutions along with work to make ascending and descending lines smooth)
    Maybe another piece.
    If I have the time, sometimes twice a week, I'll make a set list and run the whole program without any stopping, clams and all, from start to finish. Like a real performance.
    I keep a notebook close by at all times. At each rest period, I'll write down things to work on.
    I make it a goal to learn at least one new thing (concept, connection, voicing, attention to detail) every day, to which I have a 'Chord a day' sheet.

    I've got to add that within that time, there's also serious listening included. Maybe one song, under headphones, with great attention to detail (time feel, placement of beat, dynamics, approach to the bar line...)... This is informative to my overall practice session and it's great ear training.
    Practice sessions are non linear for me, but they're serious, integrative and balanced.
    Last edited by Jimmy blue note; 10-06-2022 at 08:07 AM.

  9. #8

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    Variable time depending on work, perhaps an hour a few times a week. Mostly learning new or reviewing old tunes for jam sessions. No gigging. Trying to learn a couple new tunes a month to bring to weekly sessions. Recently worked up Sugar and Summer Samba. Next may review Strollin’, which I haven’t played in years. Picking, comping, etc. are song based, not much time nor patience for exercises and practice routines.

  10. #9

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    Scales, arpeggios, and repertoire. In that order, I like to warm up across the neck with scales, then run arpeggios to start targeting things, then I work on the standard I'm working on, then I get into the blues and 50's stuff for all the "tentative" gigs in case one of these phone calls gets to a rehearsal.

  11. #10

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    I try to get in a session before and after work. So 3 hours total at the most. I'm going to make recording a habit for my practicing rather than only getting around to it occasionally because it forces me to actually get my act together with the rhythms being good and everything flowing. When just messing around live you can tell yourself ah yeah that sounds fine. But then you record it and it actually doesn't sound fine lol. Or you can't execute the material at all under pressure. Getting in the mix in the daw with the drums going and headphones on forces you to be exacting with everything. And that's what I need. I feel like I know the crap I need to do, I just need to practice doing it up to standard.

  12. #11

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    1 to 2 hours a day. I don’t practice anything. I just play. Focus is on tone, breathing and flow. Sometimes I play tunes, sometimes not. I also try to record around 3 video sessions a week.

  13. #12

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    I try for 1 hour ordinary practise a day but might get 2 if I'm lucky, 3 if I'm very lucky.

    I warm up with triads and cycles, then try to write some stuff, maybe work on a Bach chorale, work on a jazz tune, try to keep the repertoire under my fingers. Oh and transcribing too. I can easily lose myself and spend a happy hour there.

    I've a wife and three kids so I don't have too much time usually. I teach a lot do have the guitar in my hand a lot anyway.

    A Thursday with a gig coming up could look like.

    1 hour personal practice
    1 1/2 hours private lessons
    1-2 hours busking repertoire
    1 hour teaching in school
    3 hours private lessons

    Thursday is my busy day though....

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Kleinhaut
    1 to 2 hours a day. I don’t practice anything. I just play. Focus is on tone, breathing and flow. Sometimes I play tunes, sometimes not. I also try to record around 3 video sessions a week.
    Mark,
    You probably practiced a lot a few years ago?
    am I right?

  15. #14

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    Depends on my schedule. I try to have a couple of thing I practice right away when I pick up a guitar. That way if I get 15m randomly, I can use it. This should be something very specific, like a piece, a tune, a scale pattern, or a set of voicings or something.

    one thing I’m doing at the moment in longer practice sessions (1 hour plus) is selecting a chart (usually the new real book) and recording bass, chords and melody to a metronome in Logic. Usually take a solo on the changes. Try to make it sound good with little or no practice, even if the tune has to be slower, so more of a sight reading thing.

    Particularly choosing atm the quite arranged and modern tunes… as I’m not in any projects atm I want to improve my reading for deps.

    otoh I also find this is really fun.

    Also i record my lines with a DAW and see how much like a robot with no soul I can play and how closely I can get the little waveforms to line up.

    this is not so fun, but I think it’s doing wonders for my technique and articulation.

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimmy Smith
    I feel like I know the crap I need to do, I just need to practice doing it up to standard.

    That sums up the whole thing after you get past the basics.

  17. #16

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    I try to get in an hour a day. Life often gets in the way.

    I practice tunes.

    I also practice singing solos in the car on the way to and from work. I probably look like an idiot to the people in the cars next to me

  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by kris
    Mark,
    You probably practiced a lot a few years ago?
    am I right?
    Yep, 10+ hours a day when in college. But that was eons ago. With each passing decade it’s less and less, though I’ve never played better

  19. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

    I also practice singing solos in the car on the way to and from work. I probably look like an idiot to the people in the cars next to me
    you're not alone, singing while driving a car is so cool !



  20. #19

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    I select an amp and play my guitar for about 15 minutes before loading up and heading to a performance, just to make sure everything works. Other than that, the day of and the day before I don't play my guitar in order to save my finger tips (this month I have two separated by a day - I won't play that day). This is all because a three or four hour show is fine, but without limiting myself I would play at least three hours a day and and wreck my finger tips for shows.

    The rest of the "between days" I like about an hour per day, mostly conceptual, hunting new ideas for old songs, discovering relationships, experimenting... I try to always practice until I learn or figure out something new, which usually emerges within an hour. Most of what I discover now days actually happens during performance, so the first day or two after I may spend more than an hour playing with those things.

    I described it as mostly conceptual but it also includes mechanics of form and technique; what I mean is that every specific new thing may be generalized and applied to anything already learned, so it has a compounding effect. Always setting out to practice until one finds or figures out some specific new thing ensures driving that process, the generalized application of which is conceptual (learning, organization, theory, progress, whatever).

  21. #20

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    I practice about 3 hours. Down from 4 6 months ago. Everyday without fail unless I'm on vacation. Improvise on 5 tunes. Then some chromatic exercises. Another tune. Then picking exercises. Then 3 or 4 fast tunes. Done. Everyday. Doesn't vary as much as it should. I do it so I don't think about it. But my improvs concentrate on different things.

    For many years it was 6 hours a day. I distinguish between practicing and playing. If I'm playing a gig or even playing around the house, working on tunes or jamming, that doesn't count.

  22. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by Christian Miller
    Depends on my schedule. I try to have a couple of thing I practice right away when I pick up a guitar. That way if I get 15m randomly, I can use it. This should be something very specific, like a piece, a tune, a scale pattern, or a set of voicings or something.

    one thing I’m doing at the moment in longer practice sessions (1 hour plus) is selecting a chart (usually the new real book) and recording bass, chords and melody to a metronome in Logic. Usually take a solo on the changes. Try to make it sound good with little or no practice, even if the tune has to be slower, so more of a sight reading thing.

    Particularly choosing atm the quite arranged and modern tunes… as I’m not in any projects atm I want to improve my reading for deps.

    otoh I also find this is really fun.

    Also i record my lines with a DAW and see how much like a robot with no soul I can play and how closely I can get the little waveforms to line up.

    this is not so fun, but I think it’s doing wonders for my technique and articulation.
    Be careful, you don't want to get to the point where you can play Cherokee at 320 like one of those silly beboppers

  23. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by sgcim
    Be careful, you don't want to get to the point where you can play Cherokee at 320 like one of those silly beboppers
    That used to be my party piece lol. (Maybe not 320.) No doubt rushing like crazy, but people used to like seeing my fingers move.

    Mostly it's about playing those tempos more accurately and swingingly. I've always had a good turn of speed, but groove, as quite as its kept, is quite a lot about executing rhythms accurately.

  24. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by henryrobinett
    I practice about 3 hours. Down from 4 6 months ago. Everyday without fail unless I'm on vacation. Improvise on 5 tunes. Then some chromatic exercises. Another tune. Then picking exercises. Then 3 or 4 fast tunes. Done. Everyday. Doesn't vary as much as it should. I do it so I don't think about it. But my improvs concentrate on different things.

    For many years it was 6 hours a day. I distinguish between practicing and playing. If I'm playing a gig or even playing around the house, working on tunes or jamming, that doesn't count.
    I like it!

  25. #24

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    Being an ambitious hobbyist I am trying to make at least one hour per day but it is more most of the time — sometimes up to five hours altogether if I have the time. If I do more than an hour I have many breaks between playing for ten or fifteen minutes or so.

    I work on tunes (learning them by rote including lyrics which I do off guitar as well by listening to as many versions as possible while doing other things e.g. on a walk with an mp3 player), reharmonisations, improvisation. Regarding technique I mostly do this:

    Quote Originally Posted by Bop Head
    […]
    I mostly practice without playback and metronome (tapping foot instead) trying to really hear the changes inside and outline them on the instrument.

    I always make little discoveries and often make notes of those.

    To do: learning master solos by rote; finding people to play with and play with them as often as possible.

  26. #25

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    Most days, not enough.

    If I am home and left to my own devices (alone, weekend), I will pick up the guitar several times, and probably get in 2-3 play time. This is happiness.

    Most days, I'm lucky if I get 30 minutes. But I NEED those 30 minutes... if I have a busy schedule and can't pick it up for 2-3 days, I get very irritable. It's like my therapy. As long as I have play time consistently, my "fuse" stays longer dealing with all the stuff that normal life hands you.