How do you Practice and how often ?

[SGSpecialguy]

are you a guy who diligently works on scales and music theory ? going over and over scales till you can do them without thinking ? Are you self taught or have you taken lessons ?

Personally, when I play now days, I'll put on a cd or backing tracks and just play, I typically play every day for at least an hour or two. I am self taught and have been playing for over 35 years. Was in many bands in my younger years, played parties and even played around at schools, never did the club scene much as I ended up having kids and needed a steady job,,, I miss those days of jamming all the time though. I play anything from hard rock to classic rock and blues too,,

anyways, tell us about how you practice, any routines you might have and how often you do it.

what style do you like? classic rock, hard rock, blues , contemporary ??

You guys that are in a band may not practice because you get enough play time with your band too,,

[daveinspain]

I practice, on a daily basis, at least a couple hours a day... When I first started I spent all my time doing exercises and scales. Once I was more comfortable with the guitar I started learning some songs from videos posted on YouTube by people who post free lesson videos. Then I looked for a teacher. My teacher showed me more exercises and scales and proper fingering and some theory.

 

What brought it all together was finding a band that was willing to work with me, as green as I was and help me along. Once I started playing in the band I was forced to practice more and learn songs. With every new song you learn you learn new chords or different positions of playing they same chords you already know.

 

I think playing with other musicians is the best thing anyone can do to improve their abilities as a musician.

[SGSpecialguy]

 

I think playing with other musicians is the best thing anyone can do to improve their abilities as a musician.

 

I have to agree with you immensely on that point !!

[RichCI]

I haven't truly practiced on my own in years; I go over songs that I play with my band and that's about it. Other than that, I just play - for better or worse.

[Mark]

I play around an hour and a half most days. Summer in Chicago is short so I

generally play less when the weather is nice.

[saturn]

I practice in spurts

 

Some weeks I practice some every day, and then other times I might go two weeks without even picking up my guitar.

 

I get in moods where I start to concentrate on learning more theory and then other times I just jam to CD, radio or youtube. If I have a gig, I usually cram all the songs I know I'll be playing.

[jamman]

I just put on a cd or backing track and play. everyday. when i first started , it was an easy 3-4 hours. I do that now if i have the time,but i get about 2 hours everyday.

[Artie Owl]

I have been taking lessons once a week for two years now, and the improvements I've made since I started are staggering, at least from my own view point. I practice usually by warming up with scales, trying to beat them into my head, then freestyling on those scales.

 

My guitar teacher and I usually work together on going through rock/blues songs working on licks or riffs that are good to know and practice, we don't focus so much on "nailing" the song.

 

I personally enjoy playing my own stuff rather than trying to lay down what someone else did, maybe because it's easier to play your own stuff I don't know.

 

I try and practice at least once a day, for however long I can squeak in. Sometimes when I'm playing videogames online with my buds I'll play in between games, it helps to relax me when it's not going our way

 

I agree though, I think playing with others really improves you quickly because you want to be able to keep up, I'm just still a bit shy when it comes to that so far. As I age I'm sure it will be less and less of a big deal for me until I can relax enough to play along with others.

[DAS44]

I can't stand structured practicing, it drives me nuts. A lot of the time I'll skip in between improv and song/songs I'm learning at my own free will. I find that doing all those excersizes, well damn it irritates me. I just play, make it structured and it steals my joy. Just like school...

[myspace.com/jessenoah]

usually a couple hours in the morning, a couple during the day, and a couple before bed

 

 

 

imagine how good I would be if I spent that time doing homework, or praying, or something of greater importance!

[sgman]

For me because I work odd hours (6pm to 6am) I have to take the opportunity to practise whenever I can. Therefore, practise for me has to be totally constructive and not wasteful. Usually it's a case of starting with some scales, arpeggios, and then move on to whatever song I'm trying to get down 100 percent, ending with some fun noodling around which is where I often get some good ideas for riffs and solos etc.

[daveinspain]

usually a couple hours in the morning' date=' a couple during the day, and a couple before bed

 

 

 

imagine how good I would be if I spent that time doing homework, or praying, or something of greater importance!

 

 

I don't think anything else is more important than doing what you truly love to do.... I wish I had dedicated more time to the guitar when I was young...

[Andre S]

I haven't played in over two weeks.

 

 

But when I did I played a couple scales, some riffs from songs I was learning and some new stuff.

 

Whenever I start back, it will be playing with two other guitarists so I hope to pickup some stuff.

[DAS44]

GLP O_O How have you survived? ?? ? ?? ?? ?? ?

 

Oh BTW I usually get at least 2 hrs in, whether it be in a large chunk or 30 hour at a time. I'm not going to give myself an agenda...

[Twiz]

I really try to play every day. -Even if it's just noodling around on my acoustic while I watch television. I check out other players on YouTube a lot, and get inspired. -There are tons of talented players out there. They always inspire me to do better. I don't really have a method when I play, I run through some scales, and then just try to come up with a riff or two that I like. I do find that if I take a couple days between playing, when I pick the guitar up again, I often will get some happy accident, and that gets turned into a song usually...

[DeVeeWee]

I play on a daily base, at least 1 hour, sometimes it's jazz, rock, sometimes I play my acoustic and then I'm into pop/folk. I try to play a lot of riffs and guitar lines directly from records because it pushes me to do my outmost...timing must be right, articulation, etc... can't live without playing the guitar

[SGSpecialguy]

. can't live without playing the guitar

yep, its an artistic expression, an outlet,, I can sit for HOURS and be thoroughly entertained, its something that has always fulfilled me,,

the past few years I have really gotten into Photography and thats a whole other artistic outlet thats an addiction too !!!!

[S t e v e]

gave up practicing yrs ago, just play now...

[duane v]

Lead playing wise, I'm as good as I'm gonna get. I find myself working more on chord progression / writing and singing.

[Andre S]

GLP O_O How have you survived? ?? ? ?? ?? ?? ?

 

Oh BTW I usually get at least 2 hrs in' date=' whether it be in a large chunk or 30 hour at a time. I'm not going to give myself an agenda...[/quote']

 

Don't have a choice....in the middle of exams....

 

I will have a lot more free time this Wednesday....so I'll probably start back then...

 

I can't wait..................................

 

Its been killing me, not to play.

[DAS44]

I have exams too and I play every day!

[milod]

In a sense, I'd say I mostly just play stuff I do or can do.

 

"Practice" comes when I hear something in my head to change what I'm already doing, if that makes any kind of sense at all to anybody.

 

Or... with new material, figuring fingerings, etc...

 

m

[FirstMeasure]

I "practice" at least an hour a day but try for more. Three to four hours on Band Practice nights. When I practice alone it could be sang parts for the band, or a Song the band doesn't want to play, but I gotta get it out of my system. Or I might try to run scales fast (I know my scales, but not very fast. I just blaze through them)

 

I consider myself "Self Taught", but I learned Trumpet in school, so there was actually a lot of class room time spent learning the basics of music. And I did have 3 guitar lessons when I wanted to learn how to play leads. the fourth lesson was a jam with the teacher (side note, it was then that I fell in love with his Mesa Boogie Mark IV). But I still consider myself "Self Taught" because, even in the class room, you have to know how to learn for yourself. Most of what I picked up in High School Band wasn't from any lessons, it was from the experience. If that makes sense.

 

BTW, What do Kids and Exams have to do with anything? My Drummer and Bass player have kids, and DAS44 can obviously handle his exams. No excuses, you put down those studies and play yer guitar .

[Twiz]

Lead playing wise' date=' I'm as good as I'm gonna get...[/quote']

 

That's awesome. I wish I could play leads. I gotta work on that.

[Blackie]

I don't practice nuthin..........when I play I play.........might need another take or 2 on a recording but I do this for fun and just jam out mostly.