Practice sessions?

[Permanent Waves]

I tend to select the practice regimen based on the guitar I choose. My bread and butter practice is over 5 hours of Rush repertoire on the PRS, which I go through chronologically. It takes me about 3 sittings to get through as I always include the bass pedal parts which need the most practice. When my brain is too frazzled, the SG comes out and it's AC/DC "Back In Black" and assorted Malcolm selections to restore my soul. A few years back I got a deal on a V and I am working on some of my favourites growing up from Judas Priest, Metallica, Scorpions, Ozzy, etc. I can't play them well, but it's fun to try.

I totally get your point on being careful with the wrist and not pushing it. Ultimately, a few hours of good practice does wonders for the soul. In the dark days of the pandemic, I stopped practicing for a while and that was worse, so I started lessons again. Nowadays, sometimes even when I don't feel like it, I'll force myself and 3 hours later, I feel human again. It's almost like a spiritual need, and it is most felt when you are at your lowest.

 

[Mr bean]

I tend to select the practice regimen based on the guitar I choose. My bread and butter practice is over 5 hours of Rush repertoire on the PRS, which I go through chronologically. It takes me about 3 sittings to get through as I always include the bass pedal parts which need the most practice. When my brain is too frazzled, the SG comes out and it's AC/DC "Back In Black" and assorted Malcolm selections to restore my soul. A few years back I got a deal on a V and I am working on some of my favourites growing up from Judas Priest, Metallica, Scorpions, Ozzy, etc. I can't play them well, but it's fun to try.

I totally get your point on being careful with the wrist and not pushing it. Ultimately, a few hours of good practice does wonders for the soul. In the dark days of the pandemic, I stopped practicing for a while and that was worse, so I started lessons again. Nowadays, sometimes even when I don't feel like it, I'll force myself and 3 hours later, I feel human again. It's almost like a spiritual need, and it is most felt when you are at your lowest.

Great point on it being a spiritual need.
Without the escape my brain gets when I practice guitar….eeeek. I’d hate to live with that guy.

 

[John]

Short answer: It depends.

I don't always have the luxury of playing for a lengthy period of time. However, I've also had some more productive moments during some shorter, but more focused, more targeted practice sessions.

 

[JasonE]

The only times in my playing life that I have played every day has been the times when I join a new band and have 60 songs to woodshed so we can get to playing them for gigs. I don't think I played every day when I was taking lessons years ago or when I was giving lessons. I usually practice or work on songs a few days a week. It is not uncommon at all for those sessions to be between two to four hours. The few times I have made it to setting down with my recording gear and trying to create something of my own, those sessions have been on the weekends and consumed more than half of the day.

 

[JasonE]

I totally get your point on being careful with the wrist and not pushing it. Ultimately, a few hours of good practice does wonders for the soul. In the dark days of the pandemic, I stopped practicing for a while and that was worse, so I started lessons again. Nowadays, sometimes even when I don't feel like it, I'll force myself and 3 hours later, I feel human again. It's almost like a spiritual need, and it is most felt when you are at your lowest.

This is HUGE! I know from my past that playing is a huge stress reliever for me. However, I have suffered the same lack of drive to play and practice. I know I need to do it and once I start it, the hours will fly by. I will be less stressed afterwards as well. I have been thinking and sort of looking for some lessons or classes I can get involved in that will force me to have to do it because I have to be able to play something for an instructor or turn some sort of recording in that fits the assignment from the course. I haven't found the right thing yet.

I was really close to doing the song writing course from Signals Studio. Jake does a great job on the videos he puts out for free. I am betting the things he pays for are just as good or better. It was actually one of his videos on modes that connected the final dots for me on that. I knew I was making it harder than it really was. I just needed that one last piece. He presented it in a way that it connected that dot.

I even thought about joining or trying to start something up where there could be some video meetings to have music discussions around song writing and theory to get my brain engaged again but haven't found a group for that either. I thought it would be cool to have a group where we could teach each other to build up our weak areas and share things we are strong with to help others build up their weak areas.

 

[guitarguy1964]

I try to practice everyday but i do skip days occasionally.
On non gig days i work on technique and theory with a metronome for 1 to 1 1/2 hours before work. After work i play for around 2 hours, mainly working on tunes. Right now im playing in 2 bands with completely different styles and ive got 3 other bands that i fill in with so im always learning and reviewing songs.

On gig days i have a truncated warmup routine and i review what ever songs i feel that i need to brush up on.