Practicing

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Permalink Reply by Bob Spad on February 25, 2009 at 2:01pm

I think one needs to practice until his or her's fingers start to bleed or when you start to play things on your guitar you never played before. My own theroy: Practice an hour a day...and you will remain where you are. Stretch that time 1.5 hours or more and your knowledge of the guitar starts to expand. Soon...your fingers will do things you never thought you could.

Like to watch TV? No problem...just hold your guitar and play at the same time. Play chords. Play scales if you want. Play along with the music in the commercials. My point here is that the more you pluck the more you will become informed about what you can do and can't do with a guitar.

Now..I do not read music. I have to feel music. I do covers only. Yeah..I know...not much imagination. However, I have found that by playing along to the cover tunes, you learn the tune by 'ear" and you find different ways to play and improvis with the tune. Thus...instead of learning boring scales...you learn how to feel and be creative....and still do scales! I can hear the purists here throwing up on their key boards. Sorry.... :) That's just my method.

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Permalink Reply by John Gundrum on February 25, 2009 at 4:22pm

Have a plan in place before you practice. Without a plan or goal you may never feel like you've accomplished anything. Plan out a week's worth of practicing and set realistic goals. When you practice with a plan it helps. You are able to target specific objectives. And instead of practicing just for the sake of practicing you'll feel the purpose behind it.

What also helps is to keep a journal of what you actually do when practicing or playing in general. Write down the scales you practiced and what metronome speeds you practiced them with. Write down the songs you are learning and the parts you focused on.

How long? If you plan out what you are going to do time will not matter much as long as you are enjoying what you set out to accomplish. Many times I find I've played well beyond my intentions because I am focused on what I am doing. It's kind of like being "in the zone".

John G.

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Permalink Reply by Susan Palmer of Lead Cat Press on February 25, 2009 at 4:34pm

It really depends, but you should go for quality over quantity. When you notice that your attention is fading, stop. Practice for short amounts of time, several times a day and you will reach your goals faster.

You can also practice mentally while you go about your daily repetitive tasks. I use to practice saying my scales aloud while jogging with another musician friend of mine.

Practice makes permanent, not perfect, so do it right.

Susan Palmer
Guitar Instructor at Seattle University
Author of The Guitar Lesson Companion
Free Lessons and Free Sample from The Guitar Lesson Companion: Lead Cat Press Website

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Permalink Reply by maxenpeter on February 26, 2009 at 12:51am

When learning how to play guitar and in all practice sessions, you need to be as relaxed as possible at all times. Unnecessary tension anywhere in the body when playing will stop you like a brick wall. Any tension in your fingers, hands, arms, elbows, wrists, shoulders, neck, chest, stomach, thighs, legs is extremely hazardous to learning how to play guitar properly. Practicing the right things in the right way will give you amazing results even if you practice for a ten to twenty minutes a day.

For more info: http://www.totallyguitars.com

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Permalink Reply by Bodhi on March 5, 2009 at 7:02pm

My humble two cent's worth: my attitude (and I admit I'm not a pro - just an enthusiastic recreational player) is that you play until you don't feel like playing. Take a day off if you need a break. How many hours will differ each day. You might practice for two hours one day and the next you just work on a single riff or chord progression or something like that for maybe 20 minutes. Sometimes I have several short practices in a day (I don't even like to call it practicing - I just play!) - maybe play a little after I get up in the morning, a little after I come home from work, and a little in the evening before going to bed. I don't have any ritual. And while sometimes I have something specific I want to work on, sometimes I just warm up doing scales or chords for 10-15 minutes or so and then that's it. And sometimes I take my guitar to work in a soft bag and go out at lunchtime to a park and play for maybe a half-hour. I'm pretty certain I gave up piano as a child because my parents tried to force me to practice at least two hours every day on a regular schedule. But each person is different I'm sure. Maybe from a pro's perspective, I'm too soft on myself - but I play for my own enjoyment and that's all.

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Permalink Reply by Jay on March 8, 2009 at 11:26am

Good question, for which the answer depends much on the individual. The author of a fine book, Your Brain on Music, a psychologist and musician, estimated that it requires around 10,000 hours to "master an instrument". At a rate of one hour per day practice that would be a bit over 27 years. If you can practice two hours a day, you can cut that time down by half. While such studies are subject to variability, particularly in the case of innately very gifted musicians, I believe it is a pretty fair suggestion. Though I have not read Christopher Parkening's autobiography, I believe he wrote that he practiced at least three hours a day from the age of eleven years old. He recorded his first serious album around the age of nineteen or so.

I think a solid technical foundation imparted by a good teacher is very helpful. I also think there are many techniques and approaches that could shorten the journey considerably, but it is hard to impart that experience in words. I know, as I'm trying to create a journal as a legacy for my son.

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Permalink Reply by Leo M Whitebird on March 11, 2009 at 6:32pm

I do not think there is such a thing as too much rehersal, unless you have bad habits that are creating muscular issues. We always want our robust callouses,and coordination is always an issue as well, but the one thing I would encourage is what I call virtual practice.Thinking about music and visualizing your instrument as you do so is just as beneficial as the physical act;and it is something that can be done on the bus or driving to work or anytime you would normally be listening to music.....The purpose of rehersal is to internalize the music that we hear and play and sometimes that can be done without plucking a string! Rehearsing is all well and good but the best thing is to just get out there and PLAY!!!!!The other thought that I had was that the definition of Pro vs. Talented (unpaid mostly)amateur is blurring these days, with online file sharing and whatnot....We'd all love to be paid for playing, but you'd better love it first of all....One of the other issues with being a Pro has to do with Unions,contracts, blah blah blah.....If you are in a major market,ie Nashville NYC,LA, wherever, there are so many other factors in the equation to consider-Wanna be a Pro? Got an Agent?(who will by the way probably take 20% of your cake....)PLay because you love it and find those you can play with well and sucess will come.....The most obnoxious players I have had to deal with over the years are the ones with their noses in the air and their "Pro" attitude....I have produced music festivals and dealt with consumate pros, and got no BS of that sort from them-G.B.Shaw-"The artistic temperment is for amateurs."...The love of music is what will propel you in your quest! Peace & LOve LMW

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Permalink Reply by Perry on March 11, 2009 at 10:18pm

Just make sure there are at least 2-3 guitars lying around the house,there has'nt been one day in the past 10 years where a guitar has'nt been in my hands. Oh and turn off the damn TV while you're at it

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Permalink Reply by Rico on March 11, 2009 at 10:22pm

practice until either 1. your fingers start bleeding
2. your hand starts hurting
always practice with a metronome or drum beat.
learn to read music.
play with others every chance you get. esp others who are way better than you.
to be a pro it takes about 8 hours a day every day. after all it is the career you chose. it is your job. the pay sucks at first just like any other job but if you love it then it is not work. and it is not hard to put in some overtime. music and playing should not be hard, every other aspect of your life is hard, (paraphrase steve vai)

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Permalink Reply by msr13 on March 12, 2009 at 10:09pm

I am not, nor will I ever be a pro, but I have found a couple of things about me and practicing. One-- after playing for many years, taking time, off and coming back, there were (are) a lot of gaps in my playing. I have found a return to basics: scales, counting, hand technique, chord progressions, etc-- all vital and weak for me. I realized that when practicing in the past, I cheated and practiced stuff I was either good at, or just enjoyed. Now, as someone in an earlier post said, I plan 30 minutes a day to work on basics. It has become a habit, like making a cup of tea in the morning. Then, I keep the guitars around the house and pick them up all throughout the day I informally play-- on a conference call, in front of the TV, etc. Having both approaches helps me focus and be loose. But a return to basics has been essential to me. Can't believe what I didn't know, ignored, or was too lazy to learn as a youth. The cool thing? I feel like I am getting better. And, in the past, where playing guitar was merely an activity, today I revel in it.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Solomon on March 13, 2009 at 6:01pm

I don't remember who said this but, it went something like:
Practice 2 to 3 hours a day to become good, 4 to 5 hours a day to become a professional, and if you need more than 5 hours a day you should choose another profession.

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Permalink Reply by Albert John on March 13, 2009 at 7:17pm

I've been stuck on 3 Hours a Day,for the guitar, for about 30 years. Of course I'm away,and don't always just do guitar. Mandolin,Banjo,Dobro,National,Uke,and, of course Piano. I don't practice days I'm Playing Out, or for Money. Scales,Licks,Tunes,Soundtrack to Watching TV Even! My fingers have to keep moving. typeing is a chore. There's only 12 letters, in My alphabet. The chromatic scale! Segovia did 8 Hours,and,they had to make Him stop!

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