How do you practice?

I am late to the game on this thread and there are lots of worthy comments. All I can add that if you work on something that is a "stretch" (example in my case - jazz standard chord melody songs) compared to what you are comfortable with (example in my case - blues solos and comps), you will see improvement in all areas of your playing.

Some of the chord melody songs that I have worked on are still works in progress after 2+ years,but everything else is just much easier to play and I play them better. My music teacher at the time told me this would happen and I did not really believe him at 1st, but now I am a convert (3 years later)
 
I'm new here. I'm 67 and playing since the mid 1950's. I have always liked to practice to keep improving.
I studied Johnny Smith and Django Rheinhart for 17 years under a session player from NYC. I practiced other styles on my own. Today, I get up at 4:30AM before going to work and practice through headphones into a Kemper.
My practicing has grown and changed over the many years I have done it. I've gone through everything from 20th century harmony through other, more personal styles. I learned modes and as soon as I finished, my teacher told me to forget them and play music. That was long ago. I still play in a band, as well as hold down a 40 hour per week job. My practicing now is a mixture of chords, scales, intricate runs, and other things I feel that I need to keep my hands from going bad, as well as my mind.

Some players can lay off for weeks, or longer, and pick up a guitar and begin playing like they never stopped. If I lay off for more then one day, I'm dead meat. It scares me to not be able to practice every day, unless I am playing out. Whatever you decide to practice, make it something you can use live, if you play in a band, and add other things as needed to add more musical knowledge to your stored chops. The trick is to keep adding new things as you accomplish and understand what you are currently learning. It's not necessarily how fast you can amass a lot of knowledge. It's more important to be able to play music is a way that those you are playing for appreciate it.

To me playing guitar at home is like driving a car in the driveway. You can learn things at home, but it's how you communicate in a live setting that let's you know whether or not you understand and can execute your studies to an audience.

Some players just like to play for themselves, and I understand that. However, the thrill of the battle, and thinking on the fly gives me the satisifaction. Everyone is different. So long as you enjoy it, nothing else really matters.

As for playing a PRS, I have never played one other then a satin S2 in a Guitar Center. Nothing else is around my area. However, I am saving up for a PS later in the year. At my age, I don't have the time to own a lot of different models.
 
Practice!?!?... Ha! As I have aged and my playing out, and need for sharpness has decreased so has my practice. They sit sometimes a week without notice. I'm 68 and fairly fluent on the fretboard since I began at 8 yrs old. But there has to be a fire to practice, I'm down to a glowing ember...
 
Never too old to learn. Use it or lose it. Perfect practice makes perfect.

1 get a good teacher. It opens up,so many new vistas you never thought of. The key is "good". I've had two guitar teachers in my life, (1)for classical guitar back in the day and (2) for rock and blues. They are both fantastic and never did things improve so fast or did I have so much fun.
2 work on new songs
3 try new compose some music
4 work on technique (scales, modes, chords, riffs, rhythms, inverted thirds and sixths) all to,a metronome

If you've done all that then I don't have any more suggestions
 
Record your practice sessions. I'm finding that next to in person lessons or being in a band that recording a practice is great feedback.

I learned basic music theory in high school and it was one of the things that never got in the way of my playing. It's language that musicians can convey ideas to each other with.
 
Getting past the thought that I will never get better than this and actually challenging and forcing myself to learn something new is the biggest hurdle for me.I have been playing for 45 yrs and one day my wife complained that I play the same thing all the time and She was 100% correct.After that what I did was warmed up (usually I will play both parts of dueling banjo's,depending on instrument)then move on to what I want to learn.then after a few weeks the wife would complain again about playing something new again and the cycle continues.Nothing like learning a new scale or song and getting that personal satisfaction.
 
Actually, my comment was a bit flip. I do PLAY every day, but practice is a fleeting thing for me. I drove my lady mad learning Johnny A. stuff, so I do aim high. She almost left me after the 1200th rendition of "Wichita Lineman". Then she almost institutionalized herself after hearing me repeat "Oh, Yeah" another J.A. tune for most of a week..
 
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