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Today I had one of the best practice sessions that I have had in a very long time. The tone was excellent, my picking articulation was way better than usual, and I was improvising lines that made me smile. I am an improvisor, you will never hear me play the same lines to a song, that you heard me play last time. It may be similar but not in the same order as the last time.

I have a set of stock licks that I work off of. But these days, I am trying to make it sing sweetly instead of playing a zillion notes (Although sometimes I slip in a few 32nd note runs)(old habits die very slowly :rawk:) Today's practice session was almost presentable.

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It is good to play, however we are so blessed to do so.

Lately I've been working on a record for a singer/songwriter.

Over the last couple of days I've recorded several tracks of acoustic guitar strumming - one tune. At the end there is a retardendo, I've reworked that so I can play it well.

 

"Simple" part but the timing needs to be solid. I'm pretty good but not flawless. In a few minutes I will track it again.I think I've just about got it.

 

Last night after I got tired of working on that part I started experimenting with the DI on a new (to me) mic pre. I've got it hooked into a compressor, getting that "glassy sustain" sort of tone. I tracked an Ibanez GIO Mikro in Nashville tuning - open and capoed at the 7th fret. Then I added a baritone guitar tuned down to B and finally a fretless bass tuned BEAD.

 

Nothing technically tricky but sometimes simple and spot on is way harder!!!!

I'm used to being the "fins on the Cadillac" - start up a tune and I will decorate as needed. Since I also sing I am pretty careful to make sure the vocals are first and foremost, that is the song.

Gimme a solo though and I will just go. Like you, I don't usually do the "that part goes like this" thing, it's more "this is how I feel, now."

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Bit of irony here . . .

 

B.C. (Before Covid), I used to get together with a bunch of old friends for regular jams, featuring bunches of old tunes. I'd been looking for a dedicated "Jam" A/E for a while, and back in March, right before our state shut down, I'd picked up a nice used Taylor 110CE, for $420. Nice tone, good feel, more responsive than my ancient Alvarez, it was just what I was looking for.

 

Of course, none of my jam buddies have seen nor heard it yet, and I don't know when they will? Considering that I bought it for the jams, I haven't gotten to take it anywhere further than my own backyard since I bought it, but I've spent a good number of afternoons with it since March.

 

Neil Young says he love old Guitars because, "they're so full of songs!" This Guitar is full of sounds, if not songs. I tend to play more chromatic lines on this Guitar, odd chord inversions, more Fusion than Folk, none of which is surprising given my own inclinations, but this Guitar really delivers for me. I've never really been an Acoustic Guitar guy, up until now, my favorite A/E's have been my Ovations, which aren't exactly traditional. I'd long ago heard Ovations described as "Acoustic Guitar for Electric Guitarists", and I think that's a fair description: rumor has it that Charlie Kaman modeled the Ovation neck after the dimensions of his favorite Stratocaster neck.

 

I spent a good bit of time trying out different Guitars before picking this Taylor, but I'm still surprised by how much I get out of it. If this is a "budget" Taylor, I'd love to get my hands on one of their $2000+ models, just to try one. Until then, this one keeps me happy . . .

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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The pandemic has seen me working more, and, when home, playing more. I'll play the same old stuff, or just find new sounds or play in odd ways, just tapping or just harmonics, etc. I put all of my basses away, and am playing just one, learning all that I can do with it.

I try to play for at least an hour, every day.

 

Some days are more, some less, but, every day I gotta do it. Some days it's like pushing a boulder uphill, others it's like floating on air, but I do it.

 

 

I've also been playing drums, putting my kit together and learning as much as possible there.

 

I also recently finally got some music online in a dedicated "band" presence.

 

Lots of ways to practice music... I'm trying. :)

 

I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here.

 

 

 

 

 

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A while back, I quit a band and about a month or so later I found a bass that would have been perfect for that band.

 

I got it anyway. ;)

 

 

 

 

Bit of irony here . . .

 

B.C. (Before Covid), I used to get together with a bunch of old friends for regular jams, featuring bunches of old tunes. I'd been looking for a dedicated "Jam" A/E for a while, and back in March, right before our state shut down, I'd picked up a nice used Taylor 110CE, for $420. Nice tone, good feel, more responsive than my ancient Alvarez, it was just what I was looking for.

 

Of course, none of my jam buddies have seen nor heard it yet, and I don't know when they will? Considering that I bought it for the jams, I haven't gotten to take it anywhere further than my own backyard since I bought it, but I've spent a good number of afternoons with it since March.

 

Neil Young says he love old Guitars because, "they're so full of songs!" This Guitar is full of sounds, if not songs. I tend to play more chromatic lines on this Guitar, odd chord inversions, more Fusion than Folk, none of which is surprising given my own inclinations, but this Guitar really delivers for me. I've never really been an Acoustic Guitar guy, up until now, my favorite A/E's have been my Ovations, which aren't exactly traditional. I'd long ago heard Ovations described as "Acoustic Guitar for Electric Guitarists", and I think that's a fair description: rumor has it that Charlie Kaman modeled the Ovation neck after the dimensions of his favorite Stratocaster neck.

 

I spent a good bit of time trying out different Guitars before picking this Taylor, but I'm still surprised by how much I get out of it. If this is a "budget" Taylor, I'd love to get my hands on one of their $2000+ models, just to try one. Until then, this one keeps me happy . . .

 

I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here.

 

 

 

 

 

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For me a day without playing my guitar is like a day without sunshine. Practice is just a 3 letter word called FUN. I just enjoy doing it for at least an hour everyday. I'm not serious or structured in anyway when I pick up the guitar. Whatever comes to mind is what I wind up working on unless I have a gig or performance coming up. Then it's more of a rehearsal. I like running over a few scales, modes, etc, improvising, singing and chording while trying to remember lyrics, arrangements, etc. I like to work on complex tunes and then throw in a few easy ones.

 

Night before last I picked up one of my electric semi-hollow guitars and played with it unplugged for an hour. Last night I picked up the same guitar, plugged it in and played pretty much the same stuff I had played the night before. It was like night and day and made me really appreciate the difference that equipment makes. I was so inspired by the sweet sound of the amp and guitar, that I didn't want to stop playing LOL!

 

These are just a couple of my old timer comments. For the new kids in town, pay attention to what your teacher wants you to do...or at least get serious about practice (even if self-taught) and have fun with it! :cool:

Take care, Larryz
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I got away from playing guitar for more than a year- for lots of boring reasons/excuses I won"t get into- and have only in the past month or so picked up the 6-stringers again. I"m not practicing daily*, yet, but it"s good to be back in it.

 

 

* never did, to be honest

Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ

 

My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx

 

http://murphysmusictx.com/

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@wraub - Yeah, kind of like that . . . Still, there'll be another band, and there'll be more jams sometime in the future, and when that happens, we won't have to go shopping.

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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Each of us has our own way of scheduling our own practice time and what methods of interest are going to take up our practice time (i.e. theory, scales, chords, arrangements, lyrics, genres, gigs, lessons, etc. *a few of mine). Some of us do not practice daily and some of us do. If you do a gig or one or two lessons, band practice, etc., you can count those as one of your practice days IMHO. I do not schedule practice days and times. I try to practice 1 hour every night when the wife goes to bed (around 9:30 and 10 pm, as my daily commitments are done by then if I'm not watching a movie or a TV program). If I practice during the day it is almost always when the wife goes shopping, so I can open the door to my room and crank it up if I want to. That day counts. Today, I'll be jamming with friends from 1 to 4 pm and that will count as 1 practice day too... +1 Danzilla the main thing if you want to practice daily is: "just play when you can!" Your schedule for practice times and days is just that (i.e. yours). :cool:
Take care, Larryz
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My practice sessions consist of major scales from G all the way up to the octave G and back down. Also between scale sets I do a song or two usually the chords to Stormy Monday Blues jazzed way up, (and not at all like the Allman Brothers version, mine is self written and with moving and jazzy style approach chords) Then I do a version of "Imagine" the Lennon Tune (which on guitar is quite a bit different sounding than the piano sound) Then some homemade progressions. Then another set of scales "thirds" (in major scales that is) this time from G all the way up to the octave G and back down Then I do a version of a McCartney tune called Maybe I'm Amazed which also is quite a bit different sounding on guitar than the piano version. Then I play live to one of my three 45 minute sets of backing tracks. After an hour or so I am done with it for the day. I only do this when the wifey is out.

 

Back in the day, I used to do my scales 5 times on each fret from the nut to the last fret up. I would do majors like that, then thirds, then triplets, then diminished, then pentationic, and finally chromatic scales all 5 times on each fret until I completed them all the way up the fret-board. That was 4 hours of hard work for me. Then I played over some songs recorded by the original artist over their version. This was before I began recording, so I needed other folks songs to rehearse over, I did that every day never missing a day.

 

If for some reason I was playing out (which is super unlikely) I would have to practice all three sets every day along with scales like in the first paragraph although I might relearn the thirds, and add that to my routine.

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@ DBM, Played yesterday with a couple of buds for 3 1/2 to 4 hours with some talking between songs. My left fretting hand was trying to lock up on me (especially my thumb). My left shoulder was giving me a little pain as I just had two cortisone shots this week in my right and left shoulders. I traveled light with just a guitar and amp and mic and a couple beers...I made it through the physical tests but if it had been a gig, I would have been a little worried. I have to keep reminding myself to take a 15 minute break after every 45 minute set to avoid these kinds of issues. I'll try to be good next time and I recommend a break when you do those 4 hour practices... :thu:
Take care, Larryz
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I recommend a break when you do those 4 hour practices.

@Larryz, these days, those 4 hour practices are long in the past, I do an hour or so daily now. The 4 hour practices were back in the late 60's to mid 80's or so. I was trying to get good enough to make some big money and get a bedroom full of groupies. Those were my reasons for all that dedication back then.

 

After working a full day as a mason, I went out & played another 4 sets at night, So playing out became a "job" in my head, and one thing that I did not need back then, was another job. When I moved to Florida in the late 80's I quit all that 4 hour daily practice drudgery. Now that I look back on it, I am super pleased that I did not make the big time. In fact I am glad that I am not a performer. I simply like playing for my own amusement.

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I was trying to get good enough to make some big money and get a bedroom full of groupies. Those were my reasons for all that dedication back then.

 

I believe those were the reasons for most of us. :)

 

:rawk::laugh::cheers:

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