Practice Routines? Options

[steve25]

Hi guys. I was just wondering if people had different ways of practicing and if people noticed that their practices have really helped them to improve and what works best for you? I've been playing for about 9 months now and i practice reguarly at least 2 hours a day but usually more than that except for saturdays because i work all day so that's like my day off if you like even though if i didn't work i'd still be playing guitar anyway. So here's my general practice routine and let me know what you think if it'd be a good one to do

1. Practicing stuff i'm not so good at - This would be at the moment certain chords such as F, Bm, C and Tapping as i've only just started doing tapping so i'll practice that. This usually lasts about half an hour

2. Practicing scales and chords - This is usually the stuff that i do know like practicing the pentatonic scale, power chords and other various chords. This also lasts for about half an hour

3. Speed practicing - By this i mean using a metronome to practice and get quicker at scales, using a metronome for alternate picking, tapping, hammer ons/pull offs etc. Also practicing triplets/sixteenth notes etc. This can vary in time usually around half an hour though

4. Learning new stuff (optional) - i usually do this if i feel i've progressed enough, need to now or just generally getting bored of my practice so that i don't lose interest. This could be anything from a new chord, new technique, new scale, new song or even just something here on gmc like a riff or a solo or something

5. Songs (optional) - again i don't always do this but sometimes i'll practice songs and learn new solos and riffs from those songs. And also play stuff that my guitar teacher has given me.

6. Improvising - For the last part of my practice and this varies greatly in time i improvise making solos from scales or riffs and licks and things and using chords to make rhythm etc anything really. Sometimes i won't always get anything good that's worth keeping but at least i'm still learning from it

So that's it for now let me know what you guys think of that if i could be improving from that kind of practice and what you guys do to practice as well.

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[Robin]

Looks like a pretty amazing routine to me

I dont really have a routine. Latelly I've been practicing like a madman on a instrumental song I've made. I just want to get it right so I can record it. But I find it really hard and it got many different techniques, so I know I'm improving even though I'm not doing any excerises.

I'm also trying to get better at using the whole fretboard while improvising(Blues in my case).
Sometimes I just jam for fun, with or without backing.

My practice "routine" changes alot, it depends what I want to get good at. Couple of weeks ago I practiced on Rude Mood by SRV, but I gave it a rest because of the song I've made. I also did practice alot sweeping and speedpicking for a couple of weeks, but I'm not really that interested in shredding so I havent pracitced that for a while, but I'm planning to start using sweeps, even in my blues/rock'n'roll songs.

Its totally random, sometimes I practice songs, sometimes my own songs, or techniques I suck at and other times GMC lessons. Maybe it would be smart for me to make a real routine though.

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[The Uncreator]

I got a set routine, its about 2-3 hours long, ill do that in the morning, but later that day, i might just jam out to some backing tracks or play along to some cool songs i know, like lately ive been playing alot "3 Inches Of Blood". helps me with endurance!

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[steve25]

Well i guess if that's working for you and you're improving then that's fine and maybe changing it around a bit isn't such a bad idea. That's cool that you're making your own instrumental i want to as well but at the moment nothing is good enough that i'm making be sure to let us listen to it when you've recorded . Yeah i'm not overly fussed about being a really fast player i just want to be fast enough. Sweeping doesn't interest me at all i think it's overrated. Well i guess when making stuff it takes time for something good to come along from playing but good luck with your piece :]

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[Robin]

Well i guess if that's working for you and you're improving then that's fine and maybe changing it around a bit isn't such a bad idea. That's cool that you're making your own instrumental i want to as well but at the moment nothing is good enough that i'm making be sure to let us listen to it when you've recorded . Yeah i'm not overly fussed about being a really fast player i just want to be fast enough. Sweeping doesn't interest me at all i think it's overrated. Well i guess when making stuff it takes time for something good to come along from playing but good luck with your piece :]

Thank you very much, I will upload it to the forum when its done!

You've only played 9 months, its not always that easy to make good songs when you havent played very long. Just listen to music and practice alot, then you'll be able to make awesome songs after a while I feel that I'm making much better riffs and songs than I did a couple of years ago. It just takes some time I guess

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[jammer91]

WTF?
People start going on guitar sites and start posting their dream routine (what is up with that)?
Who has 24.5 hours a day to dedicate themselves to guitar.
Playing guitar can be fun but it does get boring after like 4 hours.

Its annoying when people post a 28 hour practice schedule covering everying.
People even post this stuff on UG.

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This post has been edited by jammer91: Jun 30 2007, 05:36 PM

[Robin]

Playing guitar can be fun but it does get boring after like 4 hours.

Not for everyone

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[Eat-Sleep-andJam]

Yeah I think your routine looks very good. Make sure you keep playing within the scales your learning. Get very comfortable with the scales , in the long run it becomes very important. TRUST ME

- John

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[steve25]

WTF?
People start going on guitar sites and start posting their dream routine (what is up with that)?
Who has 24.5 hours a day to dedicate themselves to guitar.
Playing guitar can be fun but it does get boring after like 4 hours.

Its annoying when people post a 28 hour practice schedule covering everying.
People even post this stuff on UG.

How is that a 28 hour routine? Some people, myself included like to have certain practice methods to help them improve in certain areas to speed up progress and things. Of course a practice routine i've found out can be no good if what you're practicing isn't necessary or needed.

Thanks guys yeah i'm trying to memorise the scales and stuff so that i'll be better when it comes to improvising. At the moment, all i'm doing is pentatonic scales and that's it until i'm comfortable with those.

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[Anastasio123]

WTF?
People start going on guitar sites and start posting their dream routine (what is up with that)?
Who has 24.5 hours a day to dedicate themselves to guitar.
Playing guitar can be fun but it does get boring after like 4 hours.

Its annoying when people post a 28 hour practice schedule covering everying.
People even post this stuff on UG.

lol

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[fkalich]

lol

agree. myself, i have to be careful to not let myself get carried away to the point i refuse to put down my guitar and stay up all night. i got myself on a pretty screwed up sleep schedule that way. not healthy. but back to normal, and now I go to bed, no matter how much i want to keep practicing, in other words, it does not get boring after 4 hours for all of us.

i have been thinking about my practice. but for me it is more simple. i think ideal for me at this point is:

1/3 time drills.
1/3 time new stuff (new gmc lessons)
1/3 time working on perfecting stuff i know.

It is real easy for me to get focused too much on the third item, and working on the first two will indirectly speed the accomplishing of perfecting things that I know. there is some overlap of course, but i try to think in these terms, no more than 1/3 time actually play a song i am working on. but i might take some notes of that song that are tough, and turn that into a drill. so there can be some overlap.

I am not concerned with being innovative at this point. I have a goal to reach a point at the end of the year, where my skills are such that i start trying to come up with my own stuff.

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This post has been edited by fkalich: Jul 2 2007, 03:30 AM

[Anastasio123]

I think of my practicing in three categories

THEORY
-learn scales
-read through and understand Andrew's theaory lessons
-learn new chords and variations
TECHNIQUE
-metronome stuff/licks/exercises
-GMC lessons
-learn new songs/solos
FEEL
-improvisation
-soloing with new scales
-jammin

Every day I do a little or alot from each thing but I always do every category to maintain balance. I have to be honest Im not a very focused at practicing but at hte end of the day, I almost unknowingly touch all three dimensions of my playing just by "noodlind around". The hardest part for a writer is to write. The hardest thing for a scholar is to just study. I consider myself a musician/songwriter, not a PRACTICER. For me, If I take a good hard look at myself and compare what I Knew lats week to what I know now, and I find improvement, thats progress at least

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[fkalich]

I think of my practicing in three categories

THEORY
-learn scales
-read through and understand Andrew's theaory lessons
-learn new chords and variations
TECHNIQUE
-metronome stuff/licks/exercises
-GMC lessons
-learn new songs/solos
FEEL
-improvisation
-soloing with new scales
-jammin

Every day I do a little or alot from each thing but I always do every category to maintain balance. I have to be honest Im not a very focused at practicing but at hte end of the day, I almost unknowingly touch all three dimensions of my playing just by "noodlind around". The hardest part for a writer is to write. The hardest thing for a scholar is to just study. I consider myself a musician/songwriter, not a PRACTICER. For me, If I take a good hard look at myself and compare what I Knew lats week to what I know now, and I find improvement, thats progress at least

quite a bit different from the way i look at it. different people, different stages of development, different backgrounds, etc etc.

For me it is drills, songs, and new stuff. i just have to make sure i am balancing that out right, but not to much time on existing songs mostly. better to turn bit of them into drills. also feel it is much better to work with a metronome rather than backing tracks. backing tracks can put you in a state where you don't focus on your flaws, they cover things up.

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[Ryan]

Not for everyone

I second that. I can play for 12 hours. And still want to play more!! I try usually to get 5-8 hour days in. When im off. Its like an all day guitar session for me. With a few breaks inbetween!!

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[Hemlok]

Well first off, I want to make this topic more active.

I at this moment don't have a practice routine. I just do whatever, whenever. And I have come to this thread to stop that. Meaningless practice is time wasted

So GMC'ers keep posting, especially the instructors

thanks

- Hemlok

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[Jakub Luptovec]

For me its not about how many hours I practice a day, but (standartly its about 8 hours..) more of how long is it fun to me, or how challenging is it to me.
Yesterday I started that John Fruscinate lesson.. I did it almost completely in 30 minutes.. and I thought, that I am over.. then I realized, that one of the parts sounds really bad.. so i spent whole day on it With only breaks, to calm down, playing stuff, that I have already learned (songs, I can show off with - "Pink Floyd - Wish you were here" for example, I advise all begginig guitarists to learn this.. it sounds great and is easy) or just improvising. When I settle down, I just get back to the thing, I am not able to do and start fighting it again

So to sum it up, I just grab some techinque/solo and wrestle with it, 'till I am satisfied with the sound:).

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This post has been edited by Jakub Luptovec: Jul 16 2007, 09:43 AM

[Pantalaimon]

WTF?
People start going on guitar sites and start posting their dream routine (what is up with that)?
Who has 24.5 hours a day to dedicate themselves to guitar.
Playing guitar can be fun but it does get boring after like 4 hours.

Its annoying when people post a 28 hour practice schedule covering everying.
People even post this stuff on UG.

Unfortunately, you're never going to become a world class guitarist if guitar gets boring after a mere 4 hours. I usually play around 4 hours a day give or take an hour or two.

World class guitarists have 28 hour practice drills. I know a few.

I think of my practicing in three categories

THEORY
-learn scales
-read through and understand Andrew's theaory lessons
-learn new chords and variations
TECHNIQUE
-metronome stuff/licks/exercises
-GMC lessons
-learn new songs/solos
FEEL
-improvisation
-soloing with new scales
-jammin

Every day I do a little or alot from each thing but I always do every category to maintain balance. I have to be honest Im not a very focused at practicing but at hte end of the day, I almost unknowingly touch all three dimensions of my playing just by "noodlind around". The hardest part for a writer is to write. The hardest thing for a scholar is to just study. I consider myself a musician/songwriter, not a PRACTICER. For me, If I take a good hard look at myself and compare what I Knew lats week to what I know now, and I find improvement, thats progress at least

I like this. I think I'll adopt your method.
And yes...the hardest thing for a writer is to write! especially poetry.

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[Travelin' Man]

I am still in the beginner stage, so the scales are all I practice right now. I already have a sense of chords and playing rythm.
My goal for coming here is to learn scales and technique.
That said, I try to get as much time in as possible, but between the wife, kids, and life in general, a steady diet is NOT possible. Even tho the guitar is in my lap for hours, Im lucky to get 30 minutes in at one sitting. I guess I have a long road to hoe at this rate.
The technique is on the back burner until I know my way around the fret board. Even though I enjoy watching, it doesnt make any sense to me to start trying to keep up with the instructors, until I know the scales.

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[signularis]

i have trouble that i learn a lot of dont master them lol can someone pls give me some advise about routine i 6 7 houtrs at weekends and 2 3 hours a day but i dont have a good schedule yet what the best do in those 2- 3 hours

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[steve25]

i have trouble that i learn a lot of dont master them lol can someone pls give me some advise about routine i 6 7 houtrs at weekends and 2 3 hours a day but i dont have a good schedule yet what the best do in those 2- 3 hours

As Kris said somewhere i can't remember where, everyone's practice schedules are different because we're all at different level and stuff. For those 2-3 hours you might want to think what is most difficult for you? I don't think that you have to master these things that you practice straight away at least have a good understanding of it though and be able to play parts of it or all of it but just really slow. If you get bored you can move away from it and practice something else until you're ready to go back to it.

Remember to warmup before a practice i've made that mistake of not doing so and suffered the consequences, i couldn't play for a few days, WHAT!? So yeah lets say you have 2 hours perhaps for 20 minutes you want to practice stuff that you struggle with, could be anything. If you practice stuff that you know you're already good at, as fun as it is, it isn't going to make you any better you want to challenge yourself

The next 20 you might want to practice stuff like scales, perhaps stuff you already know but needs improving could be consistency or speed that you need improving on in these areas. Don't forget to practice with a metronome. You don't have to do each of these in 20 minutes, could be more could be less it's entirely up to you, these are just ideas that you could do it's up to you to pick a schedule for yourself.

You could also practice songs if you like, maybe stuff that you've made yourself, riffs and licks or complete whole songs. I personally prefer to practice little bits out of songs i rarely play a whole song all the way through but really i probably should.

You could practice improvising over a backing track or a metronome from what you know and what you've learnt. You could try making solos or riffs anything you like just as long as it's helping you improve all the time it doesn't matter. You might not notice improvement straight away but it will come in time you have to keep at it.

You could try learning new stuff, could be anything like a new song, new scales, new chords, new stuff from GMC like new techniques and stuff anything. This is really useful to get you improving the more techniques you can do the more opportunities you have when playing. It's also a boredom curer if you're getting sick of what you're playing .

There's just some ideas i think about when making some practice schedules of my own i'm sure other people will have different stuff but it's just an idea. Make your own and see if it helps you

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