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What are your Practice Habits/Techniques?


rw2003

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Just wondering how you practice playing the guitar...

 

 

How often do you "practice"? Daily? How many hours?

Alone or with other players?

While watching tv?

Acoustic or Electric?

If electric, do you play through an amp or headphones or maybe unplugged? How loud? What type of sound do you practice with? Clean, distortion, etc.

Do you practice finger exercises, scales, learning songs?

Reading music? Tab? Playing by ear?

Do you sit in a chair or stand up or laying in bed???

"Spend all day doing nothing

But we sure do it well" - Huck Johns from 'Oh Yeah'

Click to Listen to Oh yeah

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Originally posted by rw2003:

Just wondering how you practice playing the guitar...

 

 

How often do you "practice"? Daily?

Yes, daily

Originally posted by rw2003:

How many hours?

On average, a minimum of 2

Originally posted by rw2003:

Alone or with other players?

Quartet - God, Me, Myself, and I

Originally posted by rw2003:

While watching tv?

Only, on NFL Sundays, with the volume down- metronome on -- Sometimes on saturdays when the Canes, gators, Noles, or USF Bulls are playing

Originally posted by rw2003:

Acoustic or Electric?

Electric

Originally posted by rw2003:

If electric, do you play through an amp or headphones or maybe unplugged?

All of the above

Originally posted by rw2003:

How loud?

All levels

Originally posted by rw2003:

What type of sound do you practice with? Clean, distortion, etc.

I only practice clean, and click on the dirt in playing situations or after I've practiced for a couple hours, so it's like going out for ice cream

 

Originally posted by rw2003:

Do you practice finger exercises, scales, learning songs?

Reading music? Tab? Playing by ear?

I see how fast and clean , and clear i can Play through Phase 4 of Pat Martino's Linear Expressions Book, then i work on playing Jazz standards chord melody style in as many parts of the neck as i can for one tune.

I then work on soloing over the changes w/o changing position

Then i work on songwriting after i blow the chops out

Originally posted by rw2003:

Do you sit in a chair or stand up or laying in bed???

Always on my feet
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I generally practice daily though I took a break from it yesterday.

 

Right now I play alone but maybe by next year, I'll get to jam with others. I think this is very important to do if you have the opportunity.

 

The only thing I practice in front of the tube is finger exercises. Anything else, taking more concentration, I usually have it off.

 

I play electric. I don't have an acoustic right now else I'm sure I'd give that equal time.

 

I play through a small practice amp. Unfortunately, right now, I play at a low volume level. I need to get more comfortable at a higher level though before I even think about jamming with others.

 

The sound I set to practice with is always clean and dry (no reverb). When I have it set like that, I catch all the burbs and farts of my playing. I'll crank the distortion when I'm jamming to a song that requires it.

 

I'll practice finger exercises when I'm playing unplugged in front of the tube. This is what I do only when I have no energy to do anything else on the guitar. I also practice scales, arpeggios, and try to learn a song a week.

 

I read music very well. 6 years of middle school/high school concert bands helped me there (though that was reading bass clef). So, my main focal point in practicing the guitar is reading standard notation. I have materials helping me to do this. I've nothing against tab. I'm just choosing to do the standard notation thing right now.

 

Also, by ear. I can't care less how other people practice. Whatever they do to make themselves happy and improve is up to them. However, I believe it's very important to learn stuff by ear. At the very least, one should listen to music more closely being a musician (I'm sure all of you do this). For example, I was listening to some Scofield on the way home from work and was able to pick out certain chord progessions in his songs. Also, I was able to detect a modulation (key change) in one of his tunes. Even though I didn't have the guitar in hand, I still considered that time "ear training".

 

I probably need to stand up more but I wear a strap no matter whether or not I'm sitting and my guitar stays in the same position. Regardless... I do need to stand more.

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I've done all of the things you mentioned. It goes in phases for me.

 

The biggest help to me in the last years was aquiring a Tascam GT-1 "guitar trainer" that lets you loop, slow down keeping correct pitch, etc. The effects in it are the pits, but I can get close enough and mostly it is for technique and feel...

 

But it is also great to just play out in the air with an amp, alone.

 

I practice once a week minimum with my band. I do home recording also (but strangely, this cuts way down on practice time, since you usually do a few takes, then spend hours tweaking the mix..etc.)

 

Since joining the band, I practice the lions share on electric. I also have an acoustic guitar hanging from the wall next to the PC in the living room. I usually pull this down and do small riffs, songs, etc. when I am waiting for the PC to boot, etc. Or just now and then...usually several times a night.

 

I also like to use "Jam trax" once in a while, to play with a generic backing track, blues.

 

I am always working on 3-4 songs on acoustic also, styles widely ranging, a good deal fingerstyle though.

 

I usually set som goal for myself each week or so, usually from the last practice or in preparation for the next one. Recording our band for one example, I was pleased with my playing but did notice I had been getting sloppier with my string bends...so I work on that more often til it gets more precise and quicker, how I want it to sound.

 

Always have some song or other I am learning the solo of verbatum also. I don't just learn the notes though, I examine why it works, where in the song at each critical point the rest of the band is, which scales they are using, pick attack, which string, and also often try to play some things in different keys, or on different strings.

 

Another thing is working with slide. Both open tunings and standard.

 

At any given time, there always is a ton of stuff to work on. I never see practice as boring...I'm one of those "damn, almost...I'll try it five more times and then stop for tonight" and I do this over and over...never stop at five even if I get it nailed, because I then want to see if I can nail it 5 times in a row.

 

Also work alone on riffs, playing them slow,faster, fast, changing up the timing.

 

I have noticed all my life that many shorter practice sessions do MUCH more for improvement than marathon sessions...but I sometimes get carried away playing and time passes so fast...maybe it is just that my definition of marathon is changing :)

 

 

Mentioned before, I played with a couple of real beginners (nothing wrong with that...but) that were shaking their wrists, "oh man...my wrist is really sore!" after only 2 hours or so of playing.

That told me they aren't up to speed on practicing yet.

====================================================

Check out my original music at

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/jacker

 

"In theory there is no difference between theory and practice,

but not in practice."

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Originally posted by BluesWithoutBlame:

 

I have noticed all my life that many shorter practice sessions do MUCH more for improvement than marathon sessions...but I sometimes get carried away playing and time passes so fast...maybe it is just that my definition of marathon is changing :)

Thing is, is to work in 20-30 min increments w/ short breaks

 

This expands your quality time in your brain to concentrate

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Originally posted by Caputo:

Originally posted by BluesWithoutBlame:

 

I have noticed all my life that many shorter practice sessions do MUCH more for improvement than marathon sessions...but I sometimes get carried away playing and time passes so fast...maybe it is just that my definition of marathon is changing :)

Thing is, is to work in 20-30 min increments w/ short breaks

 

This expands your quality time in your brain to concentrate

That too, but I think it is more than that.

 

I think (at least for me) that it helps with the memory. I can drill on some song and be hitting on all cylinders...in a long session.

 

A week later, I may have trouble remembering exactly how it goes.

 

If instead of one long session, like you said, more frequent shorter ones...watch a little Tv, work on something else, pick up the guitar...

 

try it again..struggle, but get it. The struggle part gets shorter and shorter.

 

For all I know, the having to remember makes synapse paths in the brain, I don't know, but it feels like that. It isn't just concentration.

 

Another thing, with difficult (physically now..not just remembering how it goes, but being able to do it and at the right speed) parts, seems to help most going from cold right into it.

Some solos I work on now, seem like I have to warm up to them, something that doesn't happen when I have the intro and my band is waiting to start playing it. Someone here wrote about something I really liked, something about "going for broke on the first song" when you practice.

 

Apparently this persons teacher told them that. That it is great practice to get used to actually trying to nail it first time. Often when you practice a lot you can get in the habit of "okay...I'll run through it once, see where I am" not with the intention of going full out and playing it perfect the first time.

 

Since reading that I have payed attention to that and I think it is a help! (so thanks, whoever that was) and obviously, you only get one "first chance" per session, so more sessions mean more practice at nailing it right out of the gate.

====================================================

Check out my original music at

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/jacker

 

"In theory there is no difference between theory and practice,

but not in practice."

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I practice when I feel like it. Always on acoustic 12 string. I more or less dick around with ideas I have. Sometimes I will practice some technique stuff-- which goes a long way on 12. I always try and play every note clearly and dynamically correct to my ear. If there is something I want to perfect I practice it until I am happy again. I always try to look at acoustic guitar the same as electric. I mean there isn't really anything I can't play on my 12 that I can play on my electric technically (with the exception of bends or vibrato because either of these will put my 12 out of tune). I am a total perfectionist about technique and notice every tiny mistake. I do what it takes to make sure I can do what I want on guitar that is the most important part of it.

 

I want to take some lessons. It is always good to take a few lessons with someone else because you can learn some new ideas or see someone else's approach. I love it when a teacher isn't afraid to jam a bit, that way I can decide what I want to learn. When I learn new things I apply it to my own playing and over time it becomes mine to use.

 

I need a lesson now actually. Need some more to gnaw on. I usually find a teacher and then take 2 lessons with him. I can usually learn a few things and then move on. Usually they can give me enough to practice for a while.

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