Write Down Your Current Practice Routine Options

[Ivan Milenkovic]

Hey guys, I thought we can all try to share with each other our practice routines. This would help people that didn't develop their own systems of exercises.

Also I'm here now to give you some directions and advices regarding your own routines if you like!


______________


My practice routines these days revolve mostly around creating backings and practicing various things over those. I like to record various chord/powerchord combos and limit myself for 15 mins to scales, then arps, then specific techniques, then combine them, break them appart. I start slowly, and increase speed gradually until the end.

In recent years, when my practice sessions were mostly technique-based, I used to do the usual stuff:

- 15 mins chromatic warmup
- 20 mins pentatonic scales (AP & EP)
- 20 mins arps (EP)
- 30 mins diatonic scales
- 20 mins chords

and so on. Of course, not every session was exactly the same (or else I would be bored to death ). I had to always change positions, tempos, note durations in order to keep things interesting.

[Qenzoz]

Currently I am just learning lessons here at GMC, I've tried to develop my practice routine, a zillion times, but everytime I am going practice according to my practice routine it is just boring, but just learning lessons here at GMC is so much fun, instead of following a certian practice routine everytime.

I'd like to create an extremely effective & fun practice routine (of course), but it doesn't look like that is going to happen in the near future, according to what I've tried out so far, but I do choose lessons that uses different techniques, so I learn something new everytime and most important I am having fun and I keep practicing. With a practice routine I practice 1-2 days and then I put my guitar away, and a few weeks later I pick it up and try and find out a new practice routine, that might be fun, but the same thing just happens again.

What I really would like is an instructor guiding me to the next lesson, since I might be unsure what techniques I need to pick up on, like when I am done with my current lesson an instructor would tell me what lesson to do next, etc.

Tobias

[dark dude]

Firstly I play chromatics, 3nps scales and chords until I've warmed up (~20 min).

During a day, I currently devote time to triplets and palm muted downpicking to a drum track, working on my technique and stamina. Then I'll practice a song that uses those techniques.

Next section would be sweeping minor CAGED shapes, and then practicing a song with those sweeps.

Then, 3 nps minor scales (AP) to backing tracks, working on different patterns, thinking about phrasing too. Then I play solos that involve these scales and shapes.

Spend some time re-assessing what improvements have been made, and what I'd like to improve next. I also spend a fair amount of time reading up on theory.

I do wrist rolls and wrist stretches regularly.

This post has been edited by dark dude: Jun 5 2011, 08:44 PM

[JamesT]

I usually combine working on a new lesson with a few exercises covering various techniques. I start the metronome very slow and then increase a few BMP every few minutes until I've either reached my max speed for the new lesson (if the lesson requires speed), or until about an hour. Then I switch gears over to something easier like just jamming or playing songs I already know. If I have time for two sessions in a day, I might do the same thing all over again, or use a different new lesson and exercise.

[mr piddu]

Some years ago I used to play some cromatic scale, pentatonic scale and diatonic scales in different positions on the keyboard, often without a metronome and without any practice of arps and chords.
The result? I completed forget how to play rytmic part of a song, i lost part of my timing and after that i started to be bored of practice and i stopped.
What a mistake!

Now I re-aproach to the guitar so I start my practice with cromatic scales for warming up, then I pratice with a combined exercises of chords and arps with different scales (especially diatonic scales in different positions) and timing (octaves, octaves-triplets and 16th) and i try to have the metronome set ON (sometimes this doesn't happen ) all along the keyboard, just to remember the different positions and notes.

Now I started also to have some theory stuff for armonization and improvisation.


Then I try to follow some GCM lessons.

[Cosmin Lupu]

I usually try to dedicate 1hr a day to mechanics - meaning alternate picking, hybrid picking and legato. I never mix them usually so each day is dedicated to a different technique.

I have about 3 hrs left in which I usually write songs/ improvise or work on difficult parts in songs I have to play on stage.

I'm trying to stay focused and keep my mind awake so that I may be able to understand what I'm doing and why. Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of spending 7-8 hrs a day with my guitar so I have to be very focused when practicing.

I'm always having goals set - songs which I have to work on for my projects, projects for GMC (GMC is always pushing my limits - an excellent thing that helps my development a lot!)

Always try to finish something so at the end of the day you will have a great satisfaction in knowing that you mastered something - even if it's one chord - which you can play all over the neck.

[piporz]

Hello!

I know this post is old, but if you don't mind I would like to retake the topic, because I'm currently designing my own practice routine. I don't have as much time I would like to practice guitar since I work and study, so I want to really want to make the most of my guitar time.

It's something I've been dedicating much thought to, and I tried to approach it in a creative way, not only focus my practice on technique exercises. I also have a piano in my room which is not mine but, for strange circumstances I won't share, I'm lucky to keep it, at least for some months... so I'm also trying to kick it in my routine. My main focus is guitar, piano I want to use it because it's easier sometimes to understand music theory in the keyboard than in the fretboard.

In the next couple of days I will share it in this thread with you and I will really appreciate if you pros will give me serious feedback about it.

Thanks!

Oh, and I also just bought a looper pedal which I believe will really help me with my main goals for now, and will be really useful to my practice routine.

I will be sharing with you shortly! Thanks again !

[rocko]

Hi guys,

that's an interesting thread!

So, now my story The ...let's call it "problem" - for me is that I have a normal 9 to 5 job that really challenges me. But, I also want to make some improvements on the guitar.

In general I have to say it's really unrealistic to plan about 2 up to 3 hours a day for practicing. Normally I can practice about 1 hour after work. At the moment I pratice along the book "Speed Mechanics For Lead Guitar" from Troy Stetina. I do some left hand hammer on / pull off routines, and then an "one string" alternate picking routine. After that usually jam along a backing track.

I guess that's far away from a perfect practice session because my goal is to really get a good technique so I can play all solos I can imagine, but that is how I do it at the moment.

Regards
Andreas

[Dieterle]

i dont really have an practice routine yet.

when i start i am playing around - riffs pentatonic - some own ideas - now in GMC its the first time to get into some routine for me .

Enjoy that and try to spend minimum 2 hours a day for exercise.

[JesseJ]

I am a beginner guitar player and this is the first time I have heard of a Set Practice schedule ! I kinda just pick up my guitar when I'm done school or home from work and play for as long as I like or however long I have wether that is 15min or an 75min . Would it be beneficial to make a practice schedule to work on specific techniques that I would like to improve and such ?

[Cosmin Lupu]

I am a beginner guitar player and this is the first time I have heard of a Set Practice schedule ! I kinda just pick up my guitar when I'm done school or home from work and play for as long as I like or however long I have wether that is 15min or an 75min . Would it be beneficial to make a practice schedule to work on specific techniques that I would like to improve and such ?

Of course it would let's take it to your thread and discuss there, k?

[JesseJ]

For Sure