Edlo Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Hey guys. Since I'm a fairly new player, I'm wondering how much you more experienced players practiced when you were starting out, and what you focused on. My immediate goals are to become a competent enough rhthym guitarist such that I could find a band or other work as a guitar player. Beyond that I'd like to become a competent lead player as well. I don't want to just noodle in my music room forever, I actually want to acquire skills that I can put to work. I have teacher who is very good. Right now I am working on basics; rhythm playing, reading music, getting a decent sound. My lessons usually focus on something pretty specific, which I then go practice for a week until my next lesson. I try to practice for at least 1/2 hour everyday, but usually I practice more than once per day for a total of up to 2hrs. Sometime I feel like I am not progressing very well, and it gets frustrating. I play the same songs over and over again, and they start to come together, but very slowly. I've only really been focused on guitar for about four months, so I guess I can't expect too much. Anyway, what this long winded post is asking is How long did it take you to get "good"? And by good I mean having the skill and confidence to say "Yeah, I'm a guitar player, lets jam" and then be able to put your skills to good use in a band environment. I play every other day for 2 hours due to my employment. Have fun that's the main thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
folkmetalfever Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 I "play" twice a week, I usually play shows on saturdays , and have a jam session once a week with some friends. I practice two hours a day, usually writing New material or honing skills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surreal For Real Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 I average about 7 hours a week, could be 1/2hr one day and 1 1/2hrs the next day. My 'practice' is usually free jamming and making up phrases that I may or may not keep. I rarely play cover material, just because I have a low attention span for it and even if I learn it I will forget it eventually. I have stacks of music books that have songs that I have learned, forgotten, re-learned, forgotten, etc. And since I have gotten my new Les Paul Trad, I have been practicing about 2 hours a day. The guitar inspires me more than anything else ever has...:) I have had it for nearly two weeks and have made up 3 complete songs, when usually I average about 1 new song a month, or so. That's what inspiration does... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teach42 Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I'm just getting started, but try to get in about 45-60 minutes a day. Biggest challenge is that I travel a lot. So lately I've been takinga beater acoustic with me just to keep getting time on strings. If it gets crushed by an airline, I won't cry :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knowyourenemy Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I work and study but try to aim for at least 30 minutes 6 days a week and on the 7th day i practice for about 2 hours. If i get a spare 10-15 minutes i'll pick up my acoustic and have a quick noodle around on that, i also have a guitar i keep downstairs and if i'm watching something on TV will grab it for a minute between commercial breaks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabbit Swayer Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 About two hours a day and on the weekends most of the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooco Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 I practice about half an hour a day, sometimes practise more on the weekends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Not enough. Same here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matonanjin Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Not enough. Same here. Well don't you think we can all give that one an "Amen, Brother"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nixforsix Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 If you've got 10 minutes a day to practice, you can watch one of these (like exercise videos for guitar) that will help you work on specific techniques. Knocking one out daily should help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Hayden Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Every day before bed time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly campbell Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Xome great advice here since I too am a beginner it hits home with me thanks for all the advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pesh Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I'll try my hardest to pick up one of my guitars at least once a day and strum out a mix of a few chords, major / minor pentatonic scales, and slide scales. Just to help cement muscle memory for another day On a good day I'll pick one up in the morning while I wait for housemates to finish getting ready for work; I'll sit down for 10 minutes or so at the end of the day, with a cup of tea. And then a 1 to 2 hour session before bed. Sadly it's harder to fit into the day when I've got studying to do, but I soldier on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axrecon Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 at least 3+ hrs per day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ in FL Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 yeah, I think I am going to aim for 2hrs a day, broken up into 2 sessions, and longer on the weekends. I'd play all day if it weren't for that job thing that happens right in the middle. 10-4 on the JOB thing...I am now retired so your two hours per day, well apportioned seems a good starting place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muzicbox Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 1 or 2 hours a day is enough, if you decide to practice for an hour a day, don't feel like you have to clear one full hour in a row in your daily schedule; you can split it into more than one time in the day if you need to. Just schedule both half-sessions at specific times each day, and stick to it! If you are covering a number of different topics throughout the week, try to spread it all evenly throughout the week so that you cover everything on a regular basis. List everything you plan to work on throughout the week, and write how many minutes you want to work on each one when you get to it in its practice session. Then group your activities together by total length Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldtop1 Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 keep in mind that when you practice you put a strain on the frets. If you over practice you'll need to have a leveling and re crown. It's hard to find a tech that can do this right. If you practice too much you will find that the guitar won't intonate properly. If you look closely you'll notice the frets begin to flatten out. This will create the pitch to be sharp on some frets and OK in others. It sounds great brand new but that's the issue. You'll have to buy a new guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notaguitargod Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 I try 20 minutes a day at a minimum, at some point I was doing an hour / day practicing and learning songs. But at 40 years old, wife, kid, mortgage... hard to find the time lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabbit Swayer Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I try to get as much as possible. I do it in 20 - 25 minute blocks. I trying to make practice as enjoyable as possible. I remind myself it's called"playing" guitar. I also remind myself I am never going to be Joe Bonamassa, Derek Trucks or Warren Haynes. So I try not to be to serious about mistakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raine Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 I played for about fifteen years 2h a day . But today with my childrens at a young age it 's becoming more diffcille is to balance family life . So for three years I played 30 minutes a day if I can but it's complicated ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doomlund Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 I've played for twenty years and I've stopped differentiating between practice and non-practice. I pretty much have a guitar in my hand whenever I'm home. I usually play/noodle/practice specific things every night while watching tv with my wife (who's usually doing something else, too). It's just a natural part of my day at this point, which is really nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blues2 Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I, being retired, play / practice about 2 hrs a day. Gotta keep these old hands limber..lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Hayden Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Not enough as I have to go in the hospital Feb 9 for neck surgery , then I hope back at it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick_s Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Nowhere near enough. I need to find more time, alas life, wife, kids, work....all take up a lot of guitar time :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matonanjin Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Not enough as I have to go in the hospital Feb 9 for neck surgery , then I hope back at it What kind of neck surgery? And keep us posted on how it goes. I have been putting off spinal surgery for about as long as I can. We are going to try spinal injections but if that doesn't resolve it then I'm going to have the surgery. Good luck! Nowhere near enough. I need to find more time, alas life, wife, kids, work....all take up a lot of guitar time :D If you let kids and work, etc. interfere with your practice time you clearly have your priorities messed up! :angry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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