Guitar theory and practice routines
- Thread starter Lola
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Birdsofprey
All Birds that Fly.
My practice routine is all over the place, however this year I want to focus more on learning when I play not just noodling. As I’ve said a few times in various posts I would like to concentrate on creating not copying.
Lola
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I practice everyday for hours with the exception of the last two weeks. I have had a bad cold and migraines up the ying yang and I cannot do anything except lay in bed and barely make it to work. My son has been really hit with Covid and has been off of work for two weeks. He is as weak as a kitten an I feel so bad for him.
I just have to keep on reminding myself this is temporary and things will get better sooner or later.
I just have to keep on reminding myself this is temporary and things will get better sooner or later.
I practiced a lot of piano as a kid, did the Czerny classical exercises, scales, the whole bit. Not that I have that stuff under my fingers any more...use it or lose it. But I've never practiced guitar a day in my life. I just play. Dunno why, but it seems to work, maybe because I've always regarded keys as my main instrument, and guitar as a "fun thing."
This isn't a prescription for anyone else; we each have our own thing with regard to music.
However, since Covid, there hasn't been much guitar. I've been composing orchestral music every dang day. Like a fiend! A little of it I keep, and if so, I work on it endlessly until I'm happy with it. Most gets tossed. So I guess I'd call my practice 'learning by doing'?
The orchestral writing seems to be having a good impact on my music, whether that's rock, electronic, or some blend. This is my latest completed orchestral piece. Orchestral won't appeal to most here, but I love creating it.
https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/neologic-ii
This isn't a prescription for anyone else; we each have our own thing with regard to music.
However, since Covid, there hasn't been much guitar. I've been composing orchestral music every dang day. Like a fiend! A little of it I keep, and if so, I work on it endlessly until I'm happy with it. Most gets tossed. So I guess I'd call my practice 'learning by doing'?
The orchestral writing seems to be having a good impact on my music, whether that's rock, electronic, or some blend. This is my latest completed orchestral piece. Orchestral won't appeal to most here, but I love creating it.
https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/neologic-ii
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Lola
❤️guitar
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That was amazing! You are extremely talented. I for one loved this. We used go to the symphony whenever it was in town. The grandparents the grandkids and us. It was always a big outing. The Christmas symphony was always the favourite because we would always go out for dinner afterwards. My FIL loved symphonic music and classical. That’s all he ever played. In my household it was the Big band era with Benny Goodman etc. I was exposed to so many different types of music. I still love classical music today and will listen to it to get ideas when I am composing a song but.....I will forever be a classic Rocknroll 80’s babe. I can be in the crappiest, foulest mood, throw on Back in Black and I am so happy once again. I don’t have a care in the world.
bodia
Authorities said.....best leave it.....unsolved
I play the same old riffs and licks over, and over, and over. Pretty much for the last 35 years.
Lola
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I challenge myself all the time. At first I took lessons but the 3 clowns that I took lessons from I didn’t like the way they were teaching me. Copy stuff off the internet. Here’s your lesson. Go home and learn it. See ya next week. Nah, not giving them my hard earned dough. I knew I was smart enough to teach myself. What I did was learning through playing what I wanted to learn and progressing that way and then I decided I really wanted to play in a band. It was pretty dismal at first and I got kicked out if my very first band. That was a very sad experience for me but there was a lesson to be learned. I needed to pull up my socks and get on with it. I have come such a long way. I am constantly growing. Sometimes I get stuck in a rut but that’s okay. I know it’s only temporary. But knowing I can walk into a jam and play with almost anyone gives me a great sense of confidence and self esteem. I am not a theory wizard but I do know enough to get me by. I haven’t picked up my guitar though in almost 3 weeks because of being sick with flu and migraines which such but that too is only temporary.
I think the best thing to ever happen to me was to play in a band. Constantly learning new things. It never grows old for me personally.
I think the best thing to ever happen to me was to play in a band. Constantly learning new things. It never grows old for me personally.
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veinbuster
Zombie Three, DFZ
I might be a bit like Les in that I don't practice much any more. I mostly sit down and play.
When I started, I practiced a lot. Hours with scales, hours with beats...or off beats...or asymmetric rhythms. I wanted to have what notes worked together and how to create a feel embedded in my soul. Then I moved on to technique type practice. I would spend 10-15 minutes playing on one string, or only using my left hand, or sliding, or vibrato. I never really learned trem because I didn't have one - a shame, because I love people who do it really well.
Then, when I was performing a lot it became about:
- reading skills - meaning sight read real time (Ice Capades for example, we got one run through the score before we had an arena full of people and skaters who needed us to play right. exactly right)
- being able to fake a song really quickly (playing 3-6 shows a week and full + time premed didn't leave time for practice)
So, I kind of fell out of practice and got used to just playing.
To today, my routine is something like this:
- tune up, loosen my fingers with one of a few originals that get all of my fingers engaged and used to the size of the fingerboard I have in my hand
- play some things that interest me: might be classical, might be something from my mom's piano books, might be classics, often things I've written over the years, might be whatever songs are in some random guitar magazine, might just be working on some ideas
When I started, I practiced a lot. Hours with scales, hours with beats...or off beats...or asymmetric rhythms. I wanted to have what notes worked together and how to create a feel embedded in my soul. Then I moved on to technique type practice. I would spend 10-15 minutes playing on one string, or only using my left hand, or sliding, or vibrato. I never really learned trem because I didn't have one - a shame, because I love people who do it really well.
Then, when I was performing a lot it became about:
- reading skills - meaning sight read real time (Ice Capades for example, we got one run through the score before we had an arena full of people and skaters who needed us to play right. exactly right)
- being able to fake a song really quickly (playing 3-6 shows a week and full + time premed didn't leave time for practice)
So, I kind of fell out of practice and got used to just playing.
To today, my routine is something like this:
- tune up, loosen my fingers with one of a few originals that get all of my fingers engaged and used to the size of the fingerboard I have in my hand
- play some things that interest me: might be classical, might be something from my mom's piano books, might be classics, often things I've written over the years, might be whatever songs are in some random guitar magazine, might just be working on some ideas
You're very kind, I'm glad you liked it! Rock on!
“Every artist was first an amateur.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
The fact that you're a good enough sight-reader to play with skating shows is damned impressive, if you ask me.
I also like your original pieces that you've posted to videos. Talented guy!
veinbuster
Zombie Three, DFZ
I think a lot of that is just being fearless.
And having the presence of mind to remember it’s better to skip one note than to fall behind.
Very kind of you to say. Thank you.
Lola
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I am very impressed too! I haven’t site read since school. That was like a century ago. I always wanted to go back to school and get a degree in music but not with this Covid thing going on and I wouldn’t be a good online student. I would be napping while class going on.
D
Deleted member 5962
Guest
I don’t know (remember) any theory, and I rarely “practice” anything and if I do, it’s usually something pretty simple that I have to play live. The rest of the stuff, I don’t “practice.” I just play.
D
Deleted member 5962
Guest
Oh, I “play” one daily but what I would call “practice” is rare these days.
I can read music. The problem is that I can hardly see the page any more, despite new glasses!!
Black Plaid
Other Alan!
My philosophy when it comes to practice these days is that it should serve a specific artistic intent.
When I first started out, I would practice scales and do finger exercises, but over the years I have realized that too much of this, or even continuing it at this point, gets in the way of the purpose of the craft, which is making something nice to listen to.
One may sit down with intent to compose, or invent, or just for the joy of exploration and inspiration. With this often comes a point where a sound in your head is not forthcoming from your hands, and that is the point at which dedicated practice comes into its own.
Mastery for the specific expression is where one may find the best place to focus efforts, for our time is limited.
Other than that, pretty much what @bodia said.
When I first started out, I would practice scales and do finger exercises, but over the years I have realized that too much of this, or even continuing it at this point, gets in the way of the purpose of the craft, which is making something nice to listen to.
One may sit down with intent to compose, or invent, or just for the joy of exploration and inspiration. With this often comes a point where a sound in your head is not forthcoming from your hands, and that is the point at which dedicated practice comes into its own.
Mastery for the specific expression is where one may find the best place to focus efforts, for our time is limited.
Other than that, pretty much what @bodia said.
Daryl Jones
non-practicing pacifist
While I do/did(?) find it necessary, I had more than my share of theory in my younger years with piano and Conservatory certification. My father was a poor sight reader, learned mostly by ear (and he was good at that), but he drilled me on scales and Hannon exercises relentlessly. He was bound and determined to make me better than he, much to my chagrin. In the end, I think that was what caused me to step away from the piano, or at least the technical aspects of the Conservatory. I'd had enough of the dryness and formality. The high school stage band was infinitely more fun and in tune with what I wanted music to be. Or bandleader was a professional sax/clarinet/flute jazz player, and he welcomed our more individualistic tendencies and more individual artistic desires. We had more free reign as long as we didn't mess up the overall result. Thankfully, in the long run theory did help me in understanding modes and the way much of it applied to the diversity of the fretboard and how guitars were so much different in application from more the rigid instruments. That was my cross to bear, I was far too used to the more black and white systems of keys and individual notes of a piano or a horn. I just had to learn how infinitely more variable in many ways the strings were, and I did struggle with that.
Tucson Thump
Mint Heavy Relic
Now I understand your interest in detailing.
Lola
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Everything must be perfect though. Ppl get me to do things for them because they know my work ethic and I always but always strive for perfection. I can never do anything half assed.
