How much time to devote to daily practise?

A. B. Traynor · Post by **A. B. Traynor** » 8 Apr 2004 8:52 pm

I think it is important for any musician that really wants to do well in their playing to know scales as well as harmonic theory Etc. To aid in this (I am doing this on the c6 neck only for now) I have created a chart that displays each note as it corresponds to each fret for each string on the staff. I feel as though by learning the traditional language of music and developing my ear through intensive study rather than relying upon tabulature (dont get me wrong tab has some huge advantages over sheet music, but there are some things that it just does not teach and it lends itself to lack of inquiry as to the theory behind whan you are playing) that in the long run it will do me better. I hope I am making sense. This is really a lifelong pursuit. I will quote the late Lenny Breau, the Jazz Guitarist "I will always consider myself a student, because music is never ending" I try to apply this philosopy in every aspect of my life. I hope I have made some sense with this. Music is all math and I guess I just have to do the math if I wish to see the results. Sometimes I feel guilty that I have so much shit going on in my life that I can't devote a full 1.5 hours to practice daily. Thoughts on how you guys do it? Thank You for your feedback!

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 8 Apr 2004 11:33 pm

A.B....I was told there'd be no math.

Colm Chomicky · Post by **Colm Chomicky** » 9 Apr 2004 2:45 pm

I try to get in some practice every day, even it's only 15 minutes. It would be near impossible for me to find 1.5 hours a day. One of my kids takes piano lessons, the other trombone lessons. At least, I practice more then them ! It's an interesting cacophony, me on steel in one room, piano in another room, and trombone in another !

It's tough to find the time, especially when employers want more than just 40 hrs a week. I figure, at least I won't be starting cold when I get around to retiring in about 15 years or so, but then Uncle Sam wants us all to work to 70 or so given the Social Security mess.

Tom Olson · Post by **Tom Olson** » 9 Apr 2004 2:57 pm

Colm -- I hear you big time. Anyone who has an hour a day to practice should consider themselves lucky.

By the way, 70 is what you can retire at if you retire today. In another 15 years it'll be 75 or 80.

Don Benoit · Post by **Don Benoit** » 9 Apr 2004 4:51 pm

I have created those same charts as you did A.B. Jerry Byrd told a friend of mine who visited him recently that in order to be good, you have to put in 3 to 4 hours of practice time in every day.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 10 Apr 2004 5:35 am

I try for 3 hours a day. One thing that helped me was to get rid of my television. I also break my practice sessions into small segments. 4 little 15 min sessions equals 1 hour. I designate what I will work on before hand like picking, scales, tunes, ear training,reading.....whatever and then just check them off as the day goes by.
If my scedual keeps me away from my steel I keep a practice board with me and I also keep a small picking practice board in my car in case I get stuck in traffic. My picks are always in my pocket.
There are ways to practice without an instrument like ear training , visualization, sightsinging and a bunch of other stuff.
If you want to play well you need to put in the hours.

Bob

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 10 Apr 2004 10:16 am

0 hours a day or 6 hours a day, depending on how you look at it.
I don't practice at home in fact I don't think I've ever even taken a steel out of it's case at home except to change strings or do maintenance/repairs.
However I do play music full time and I play between 25 to 40 hours a week. I would say that just about everything I play I have learned on stage, at band rehearsals, or in jam sessions.
If I'm not doing a gig or some session then I'll go and sit in with some group or go to a jam. Almost everyday I play with someone. To me thats like practice and I learn more from picking with others on stage.
So I guess you could look at it that when I'm on stage thats my practice.

When I was a kid I did spend hours and hours everyday practicing the banjo. I spent at least five hours a day just about every day for ten years learning to play that thing. Then after I got old enough to move out on my own and started playing music for a living I found out that there wasn't much work for banjo pickers.

Miguel e Smith · Post by **Miguel e Smith** » 11 Apr 2004 10:19 am

When I was a young man (or young punk kid if you will) and single with little other responsibilities or other activities, I was single minded about learning my axe. I'd literally stay in the house and practice near non-stop for around 9 hours (including bathroom and beverage breaks). If I was on the road, I'd drag the steel into the hotel room and practice after the gig and the next morning before leaving for the next town. I was fortunate enough to work with an incredible guitar player who loved steel and would sit up with me all night (if I could stay awake) and teach me cool riffs or even just play progressions while I fumbled around trying to find something that would work.

Now, although I don't regret those days (and yes, I probably benefitted from it), that type of 'driven' activity does absolutely nothing for things such as social lives and learning other skills such as making oneself dinner or washing laundry...the term 'introverted hermit' comes to mind. The other downsides were having hands that cramped constantly, fingers bleeding from the metal picks, not sleeping well because there is too much brain activity thinking about what I need to work on, worrying about what I don't know now, etc...

From my own experience, when a person adds more responsibilites in their lives, practice does become shorter (much) and many times limited to specific chores (such as learning new tunes, new chord positions, new licks, etc..). Had I been able to keep up that pace from the old days, who knows where I'd be musically right now? I certainly would never trade my kids or my friends or my (new) wife for all that lost practice time even if I could.

If I could go back, would I change anything? Damn right, and I'd have more close friends to show for it. (and I'd probably have learned to spend my limited practice time better...whatever that is).

Mike

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 13 Apr 2004 4:07 am

For me I try to get in even a few minutes each day..some days are an hour or more some days are 15 minutes..but I do practice the exact same things for weeks on end.

I record some rhythm tracks and play to them daily..very specific stuff that I know I need to work on and know that I need to play on the gigs..

Current practice sessions are King of the Road on the C6th..great exercise on simple I,IV,V chord construction/substitution and Blues'y solo's, another is Little Darlin, the Neal Hefty Big Band tune which opens up some very different chord structures for me.
And finally, because the band I am working with is so aggressive,I made a 103 bpm track which I can practice "At Meter Speed Pickin" to..not that I can do it..but I am better this week than last week..and I should be better next week than this week.. I think that is the point..

I will stick to this very very repetitive practice schedule for at least another month or 2..until I am very comfortable..or make that dangerous..with the material.

Playing to tracks, even the most basic simple ones, allow you to play at meter, play on pitch, and "gettin' it right" . I generally practice each track maybe 5 or 6 times before even I can't stand myself anymore ! Oh, and I do record at least one take of each track for each practice session and listen back..now theres a lesson in humility for ya !

t<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 13 April 2004 at 05:10 AM.]</p></FONT>