Willem186
Hey there guys it's been a while since I have been on, due to circumstances and what not. I have sort of been confined to the cold dark that was my practice space, for about 6 months, give or take... That was indeed the case for a while...My practice routine had become mundane and stale, I felt like I was going over the same things over and over... Does this sound familiar? When you have been playing guitar for a while, you often reach a precipice, or plateau of sorts, and it took quite some time to find my way out...
I would like to share some "insights" into what I now call practice. There are so many guides that give you ideas and strategies on how to build an effective, and well prioritized practice. I reckon they are all valuable, and what advice I am giving now in no way discredits them, only a bit of opinion and what works for me ?
1. Set aside a definite time.
If you set aside a time during the day that is dedicated solely to practice,(not learning how to play Bad Horsie), then you have already made a commitment to yourself to honour that time, thus helping you to squeeze as much out of the session as possible. In the same vein, it is also advisable that you specify the exact amount of time you intend to practice for. This helps keep the focus and keep the mindless noodling and sweeps to a minimum...(seriously though, no Bad Horsie)
2. Divide your practice into different categories, focusing more on your weaknesses as a player...
I love to play things that are comfortable, that provide little challenge, like Smoke on the Water ?. This is not necessarily bad, but you are not practising if you are able to play a piece already, only revising. If you feel like revising, keep that separate from your practice. What is the most difficult thing for you to do on guitar? Alternate picking, string skipping, sweeps, tapping, bends? All these deserve some time in your session, but the techniques that you struggle with the most should get the most attention. Sounds obvious though does it not, but how many times do you find that you are trying to play something super hard and after practising for a while and not getting it, you trail off and play something you know, cause you need an ego boost to remind you that you can still play guitar? Well don't, allocate a set time for each technique. 30 minutes for alternate picking exercises. 30 minutes for legato. 30 minutes for string skipping etc... These are only guidelines, depending on the amount of time you have set aside. Once your allotted time for a section has transpired, move directly to the next, do not linger because you feel like you have it owned... If you are to practice for 2 hours, spend majority of your time on the stuff that you find hard...
3. Slow it DOOOOOWWWNNN!!!
Lets, for arguments sake, say that you struggle with alternate picking a particular solo section? You have been told to slow it down and gradually build up the speed right? That's correct, but I reckon the piece of advice that's not often mentioned, or reiterated enough, is how you should progress with the aid of your metronome. If you don't have one, stop reading now, and go and buy one, seriously... Back yet? It goes tock, tick, tick, tick...
Lets say that said solo is played at 160bpm. Where do you think you should start? 70 or 80? Perhaps 90? Otherwise it would be too slow right? Playing slow is for little boys?(say it like Yngwie for real comic effect)...
No, I reckon start off at about 30 or 40. It's all about muscle memory. If you repeat something over and over, it gets ingrained into your sub-conscience, it then becomes "natural" to play after enough repetitions. By starting off super slow, it will be accurate, clean, and in time!!! When you eventually play it at speed it will be second nature. I feel that 30 mins a day on a particularly tough piece is enough, so that your brain has time to process the information. Start at 30bpm with the metronome busting in the background, play the lick a total of 8 times, or until you can play it through said 8 times consecutively without making a mistake. Then only bump up the tempo by 8!!!! No more, do not be tempted by the Sith, trust me it's worth the extra time. When your 30 minutes with that piece expires, do not be tempted to carry on because you have made progress(Sith). Remember you want to get the most out of your practice, and using all that time on one piece is a waste IMHO. Some of you may think you would progress at a much slower rate, but in actual fact it's quite the opposite. By playing it at that speed, you are essentially breaking the riff or solo into it's component parts and gaining muscle memory, so that when a similar part rears it's infernal head, you will have the chops because you took the time to get it down properly... Now the most important part of practising...
4. Have lolsies...
Playing guitar is all about having fun. If your goal is about being the fastest, or perhaps being super famous(say it like Yngwie), your'e doing it wrong... The guitar is a very personal instrument, one of epic frustration and immense joy. So take your time, have fun with it...
I hope you can use some of what I have written, and hopefully it gets some of you guys out of the prehistoric tar that is a guitar rut. If you have any comments, please leave them below. If you thought it was good, or rubbish, I would love to know... Don't forget to warm up before you play, it's important... Should maybe have put that in the beginning?
MIKA-the-better-one
So many people seem to struggle with keeping guitar fresh and fun... This does not happen to me, I play when I feel like it, which is usually 3 to 4 times a day. I play with a band at least twice a week.
I find if I categorise my practice time (which is actually just Mike time) I go in with no plan as I feel I need no plan.
I guess for players who want to be technically proficiant its good to make a very formal affair. But yeh otherwise for me its just play...
Squonk
Thanks Willem. You went to a lot of effort in this posting
Some good quality guidelines, especially for us undisciplined types
Good stuff
singemonkey
Yeah that was great work (said like Yngwie) and entertaining too.
Does anyone else feel that they have too many competing priorities - both in guitar and life - to be able to schedule practise consistently? There are so many techniques I'm trying to improve simultaneously that it becomes a bit overwhelming. How to schedule time to practise slide guitar, but I could be using that time on blues improvisation, but dammit, what about the rockabilly hybrid picking - and blues fingerpicking - but I've left all the surf tremolo picking for so long, and then there's the blues rhythm guitar, and learning theory.
And all this with competing life priorities and various musical commitments where you need to practise repertoire.
It's become a bit of a muddle. Admittedly I'm not the most organised guy to start with and don't have much of a routine to my day. But has anyone had experience of actually rationalising their practise from a seemingly tangled mess?
Edit: One thing that I think is important with reference to what Willem said - even if you're disorganised about practise - is to get something new out of every practise. I've heard a few people say this and it works for me. You're truly just noodling when you don't pick up anything new or have any "Aha!" moments while practising. Even if your practise is freeform, if you're getting those moments, well then it could be worse ?
Willem186
Thanks for the replies guys... How I go about my practice on a daily basis is I allocate a time for it based on how busy I am at work or after. I generally set aside around 2 hours or so. I divide my time into equal measures so as to cover some ground on everything. Usually I will spend the most time on string skipping and legato, as they are the weakest at the moment. I write exercises trying to target the weak areas in my playing, not only just to give myself a workout, but also to work on my writing. The solo for the song Dethroned is such an example. I found it extremely difficult to mix legato and alternate picking, because I had trouble with pick drag. So I wrote an exercise that combines the 2, and ran it for about a week, the end result being the solo on the song. It's not the exact exercise, but it is a result of the methods I detailed in my previous post. I slowed it down considerably and worked my way up until it was natural.
Give it a listen?
domhatch
first, thanks willem for the post. i'm at a spot where i'm 6months away from the dreaded BIG FOUR-OH and having a minor mid-life crisis. but i'm thinking this is as good a time as any to turn things around - get back into a good routine in playing, and that means practice needs to have its proper place, balanced between work, kids, wife, house... oh my word. but by the time i've recovered from the 40th my wife is insisting i have, i intend to have set myself on the path to be in a better place than i am now. speaking of being in a better place, and getting on the right track...
singemonkey wrote:
Yeah that was great work (said like Yngwie) and entertaining too.
Does anyone else feel that they have too many competing priorities - both in guitar and life - to be able to schedule practise consistently? There are so many techniques I'm trying to improve simultaneously that it becomes a bit overwhelming. How to schedule time to practise slide guitar, but I could be using that time on blues improvisation, but dammit, what about the rockabilly hybrid picking - and blues fingerpicking - but I've left all the surf tremolo picking for so long, and then there's the blues rhythm guitar, and learning theory.
And all this with competing life priorities and various musical commitments where you need to practise repertoire.
It's become a bit of a muddle. Admittedly I'm not the most organised guy to start with and don't have much of a routine to my day. But has anyone had experience of actually rationalising their practise from a seemingly tangled mess?
Edit: One thing that I think is important with reference to what Willem said - even if you're disorganised about practise - is to get something new out of every practise. I've heard a few people say this and it works for me. You're truly just noodling when you don't pick up anything new or have any "Aha!" moments while practising. Even if your practise is freeform, if you're getting those moments, well then it could be worse ?
i am firmly of the opinion that i am one of the last people who should be giving advice to such a lofty personage as your good self, but hey, you never try, you never know, right? i have a veritable plethora of conflicting interests in my life. this is how i see myself tackling them, and who know whether they'll work or not.
obviously we need to prioritise to get all the stuff done that we want to. (now there's a word that's
far easier to type than to do. and man, can i make lists.) but when it comes to 'un-tangling', there are a few tricks i've discovered:
1) try to cascade priorities. so the thing you're planning to do first has a positive impact on the thing you're planning to do next. (like unpacking the top level of the dishwasher second so the bowls and whatnot there don't have anything to drip on. yeah?)
2) try to combine one with another. any reason you can't put a little blues improv in with your slide practice? doing this could even make your brain (and in our case, our fingers too) work a little harder
3) don't forget to create priorities in the first place - i.e. schedule practice time, and more importantly, what you're going to do during that time.
i'm also massively disorganised, but this is more or less my plan. luckily for me, i'm only starting to build up a repertoire, and have no performance commitments. the other thing to remember is that you need to reward yourself - it can't be practice, practice, practice all the time. rock out from time to time, it's a requirement!
cheers
dh
singemonkey
domhatch wrote:
i am firmly of the opinion that i am one of the last people who should be giving advice to such a lofty personage as your good self,
Haha. I just have a big mouth dude. That's all. Advice appreciated. Must find ways to hybridise some of these things.
[deleted]
Yeah, these great ideas can soon become heavy clouds above us. I've struggled much much much with finding the right "practicing" (although I think I'd call it actualizing or something like that, yeah yeah, now I sound like a hippie) recipe.
What I've found is that some tasks are less taxing on your physical capabilities, so I leave those for later in the day, after little snotlings have sapped all the energy out of me. So my technique practicing I do first thing in the morning, when I'm still fresh and the atmosphere is calm and quite and expectant. My brain is still warming up, but I've got lots of energy in reserve. I set the mood for the day too, and if I want to go back to practicing later in the day my fingers are still loose and respond better, so I have it's less strain on an already tired Viccy. Later I'll have more fun with playing around with creative ideas, but if I have other commitments I still feel okay knowing that at least I've kept my technique up and running for when I want to get creative again.
Warren
I got that John Petrucci Rock Discipline DVD (thanks Chad ?), and I realised something important while watching it:
You can't get better at everything all at once. While some techniques will obviously benefit other areas, other techniques require isolation and focus if you want to progress.
So with that in mind, I've decided to focus on three particular areas for now: alternate picking, sweep picking and legato. When I do get a chance to sit down, I'm immediately doing the warm-up exercises (which are GREAT) and 15 / 20 minutes later I'm ready to play. One or two of the activities are in my head now so I can start working on them immediately after the warm-up, which makes me feel like at least I'm being productive. I can get away with feeling like I'm achieved something even if I only half a half hour or so.
That said, sometimes I also just grab a backing track and work on some improv, or some specific blues techniques. Alternatively I sit down with my acoustic and try do a little song-writing. I have to be in the right frame of mind for these things, so I don't try and force it if I'm not feeling up to it.
I'm the single most disorganised people I know, but I've found that having these small "constructive habits" to rely upon have made me much more inclined to sit and actually practice, rather than just noodle around. They're easy enough habits to pick up too, I just needed a system I could follow to help me get started.
This works for me at the moment because I'm technique focused right now: I can't play what I'm hearing in my head, what I'm feeling I want to play, so I have to develop my craft. I'm a long way away, but I at least feel like I'm on the right road. Eventually I'm hoping to step off the gas a bit (not completely) in terms of technical practice and start using some of the new tools to create original music.
[deleted]
I have to be in the right frame of mind for these things, so I don't try and force it if I'm not feeling up to it.
I'm the single most disorganised people I know, but I've found that having these small "constructive habits" to rely upon have made me much more inclined to sit and actually practice, rather than just noodle around.
Oh snap! I'm in pretty much exactly the same place. I've found the early morning is the best time for me to be in the right frame of mind, and it's such a weight off my shoulders when I go through the day knowing I've at lest taken care of that.
Warren
Viccy wrote:
Oh snap! I'm in pretty much exactly the same place. I've found the early morning is the best time for me to be in the right frame of mind, and it's such a weight off my shoulders when I go through the day knowing I've at lest taken care of that.
Actually, the "weight off the shoulders" thing is a big deal for me too!
I think a lot of people get frustrated when they can't seem to commit enough time to their hobby. This could be a sport hobby (running, gym etc.) or something like guitar.
For me, I was getting so stressed out because I wasn't running every single day. Or because I wasn't getting anywhere with my guitar playing (or so I thought).
The key wasn't in making more time, because no matter how much time I managed to find, it was never enough.
The key was in feeling like I'd achieved something with whatever time I had. So if I only manage a 20 minute run in the morning, that's great. If I can only practice guitar for 20 minutes on a certain day, then maybe I can get through the warm-ups and one other exercise. That's great!
A big benefit of having some more structure is the psychological high of "achievement", and it helps you to remain motivated too.
[deleted]
So if I only manage a 20 minute run in the morning, that's great
Haha, 20 min is the MAXIMUM I'd ever run.
domhatch
Warren wrote:
Or because I wasn't getting anywhere with my guitar playing (or so I thought).
someone once gave me a very handy practice tip. he told me many folks get bummed out because they feel exactly like this, and never come to the 'or so i thought' realisation, in terms of improving. simple way to get around it is this - choose a tune you want to get under your fingers and set a time goal, say a couple of weeks or months (or whatever you feel).
first time you sit down to give it a bash, record yourself, even if on your phone or something simple. as soon as you're feeling frustrated with your progress, record yourself again, and compare the two. with any luck, there will be a marked, and often surprising, difference. hopefully this will renew your commitment to getting back in the saddle. then you can use the second recording as a base when you start back up the hill.
well, it used to work for me, and i'm gonna use it again now.
dh
Warren
domhatch wrote:
someone once gave me a very handy practice tip. he told me many folks get bummed out because they feel exactly like this, and never come to the 'or so i thought' realisation, in terms of improving. simple way to get around it is this - choose a tune you want to get under your fingers and set a time goal, say a couple of weeks or months (or whatever you feel).
first time you sit down to give it a bash, record yourself, even if on your phone or something simple. as soon as you're feeling frustrated with your progress, record yourself again, and compare the two. with any luck, there will be a marked, and often surprising, difference. hopefully this will renew your commitment to getting back in the saddle. then you can use the second recording as a base when you start back up the hill.
well, it used to work for me, and i'm gonna use it again now.
dh
Anything measured improves, so they say. Good advice!
Recording is an amazing tool for providing some rather harsh, un-coloured feedback on your playing progression (or lack thereof).
About 2.5 years ago I wrote and recorded a song for my fiance. I tried to add a guitar solo, but my timing, tone and general playing was just soooo
kak that I pulled it and let the piano do the talking. ?
Then I entered a GFSA challenge last year, for the first time. When I listen to that challenge entry, and then the subsequent ones, I can hear definite improvements across the board, not just in terms of playing but also in terms of recording and production.
I've also taken to writing down my exercise speeds with practice dates in a spreadsheet, so I can measure how long it takes me to reach goal speeds. This is quick and easy to do, since most of my practicing is done at my laptop with Guitar Rig, an online metronome and headphones. ?
domhatch
Warren wrote:
I've also taken to writing down my exercise speeds with practice dates in a spreadsheet, so I can measure how long it takes me to reach goal speeds. This is quick and easy to do, since most of my practicing is done at my laptop with Guitar Rig, an online metronome and headphones. ?
now that's taking things
too far! ? seriously though, if i 'measure' the amount of time i spend watching tv shows i have no interest in, investing in an exercise like this which would probably take no more than two or three mins per practice session once it's set up, it seems like an almost invaluable tool.
great idea, thanks!
dh
Warren
domhatch wrote:
Warren wrote:
I've also taken to writing down my exercise speeds with practice dates in a spreadsheet, so I can measure how long it takes me to reach goal speeds. This is quick and easy to do, since most of my practicing is done at my laptop with Guitar Rig, an online metronome and headphones. ?
now that's taking things
too far! ? seriously though, if i 'measure' the amount of time i spend watching tv shows i have no interest in, investing in an exercise like this which would probably take no more than two or three mins per practice session once it's set up, it seems like an almost invaluable tool.
great idea, thanks!
dh
Mine looks something like:
Date : 2011-08-03
Exercise : Alt Picking - Major Scale - Pos 1
Metronome Start : 60 bpm
Metronome End : 120 bpm
Just so I can compare later on. ?
domhatch
ahsum warren. i'll use that as a basis and see what works for me.
thanks again
dh
FruitarGeek
When practising scales, I recently found that is MUCH more effective to practice not root to root, but from differeing positions. Without changing your fingerings, start on a different note (even random note) and try guide yourself up and down through the scale that way. I am suffering the repocussions of my old practice regime where I would practice scale up and down, sure it allowed me to know the scale, but thrown into the deep end I could only locate the scale by its root! NOT HELPFULL!
Nicholas-L
Great advice even if some know it already. Always a good to be reminded sometimes.
RobbieZ
This thread is extremely helpful. After on-and-off toying with the guitar from my 17th year (30 years ago) :'(, I got more serious on it about 9 months back. My biggest issue was practice. I had no idea what to practice, or actualy how to practice. I saw it is "donkey" work. Over the last few months, I have developed a practice regime, which I changed a few weeks back.
What I found was that I concentrate so much on the “new” stuff, that I tend to forget to put it into practice with the “old” stuff. Then when I play a normal chord progression, I find myself stumbling ???. How did I change this? The first 15 minutes of practice is warm-up and stretching exercises. Then for 20 to 30 minutes, it is chord progressions that I have trouble with. After that, I fall back to my practice schedule which includes, scales, techniques… I must start with a practice log, yes, I am also not very organised.
I once read that one should have “me” time. My practice time is my time. Then I am alone with my thoughts and music. I wished I could start with that first thing in the morning, but unfortunately, my boss will not like it if I spend time practicing at work ?.
Before I finish with my 5 cents worth, I have approached my playing goals like the projects I do. I have a DOV (definition of victory). Once I reached that DOV, I change it. This way, I remain focused, or at least try to remain focused.
Now, where can I buy time in little square packets? :-\
