Practice Time?

[Danerada]

So how much time do you all set aside for practice? Do you practice everyday?

I used to practice a couple of hours every day. But, in the past couple of years life has gotten in the way. I think a lot of that has to do with me getting lazy with my time and discipline. So I am going back to the ways of discipline. I am going to practice for a minimum of one hour per day. I am going to resolve myself to learning (NAILING) one song per month for the next year.

Here's to trying and hopefully to succeeding....

 

[László]

Sounds like a good plan!

I try to practice for a couple of hours a day, but that includes guitar, piano, and keeping my writing chops together. Then again, it's part of my livelihood, so there's that.

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

I play a little everyday but my actual practice regime has gone out the window and it shows.

I'm going to need to come up with a new one methinks.

 

[veinbuster]

I try to stop doing anything that requires thought by 8:00.
I usually pick up a guitar then and am likely to play until about 9:30 when my 94 year old neighbor goes to bed.

 

[justmund]

These days I just play when I feel like it, sometimes it's every day for a week, sometimes I go a week without playing, just depends on how I'm feeling and how much spare time I have.

I did however find when I unplugged the TV antenna, I got a whole lot more practice done. At the end of the day, what would I prefer and what did I achieve more doing, watching that episode of NCIS, or playing guitar or reading a good book for a solid hour... Maybe I should do that again (at least until MotoGP starts up again!)

 

[garrett]

I play next to zero when I don't have a goal to meet. Since I'm in a new-ish band, we're doing 2-3 hour rehearsals once or twice a week. Otherwise currently, I'll spend an hour here and there to work on original parts that need more attention or to learn new covers. I guess I end up playing at least a little bit four or five days a week.

 

[jfb]

I try and set time aside for fun. Sometimes it's guitar. Sometimes it isn't. I really should practice more.

 

[veinbuster]

I try and set time aside for fun. Sometimes it's guitar. Sometimes it isn't. I really should practice more.

If I think of it as practice, I'm much less interested - I'll play fairly often because it is like a meditation for me: time passes and I relax.

 

[cosmic_ape]

4-6 hours a day until tendinitis hit. Now I am lucky if I do an hour with no pain. Physical therapy helps, though. I expect to be back in shape by the end of the year.

 

[gush]

I used to practice almost every day. The last 5 has been not so good. My job is very demanding and I have a lot of side projects going mostly music related. For example, my tax guy asked if I could come to his church and troubleshoot their sound system. That will take several visits to analyze the problem, come up with a solution and implement. I love these challenges.

My stepson has taken the path of drugs, it has taken its toll on our family and is going to cost him dearly until he is ready for help. It has consumed us.

My son is 9 and I want to spend all my time with him. I want to make sure he follows a much better path. He brings me incredible amounts of joy and happiness.

so I have to admit that my practice schedule varies, when we have material to learn I practice three times a week if we dont then its hit and miss.

 

[mad monk]

I play a little everyday but my actual practice regime has gone out the window and it shows.

I'm going to need to come up with a new one methinks.

Same for me. Except it's not everyday. A time ot two a week.

 

[WEDGE]

I get to play so little I would hardly call it practice. When I do get to play is just enough to keep what little facility I do have!

 

[frankb56]

I use to hate practicing anything. I guess it comes from the days when I was forced to practice accordion for 2 hours a day. Now, I have a different attitude....it's fun to practice!

 

[11top]

Everyday in the evening. Band rehearsal every Wed at 7:30. Practice for me usually amounts to trying something new for about 10 minutes, and then I start playing the same 'ol sh*t for the rest of the night. :laugh::dontknow:

 

[László]

I use to hate practicing anything. I guess it comes from the days when I was forced to practice accordion for 2 hours a day. Now, I have a different attitude....it's fun to practice!

Frank, you are the only person I've run into on a forum that also learned the accordion as a kid, besides me!

 

[László]

Everyday in the evening. Band rehearsal every Wed at 7:30. Practice for me usually amounts to trying something new for about 10 minutes, and then I start playing the same 'ol sh*t for the rest of the night. :laugh::dontknow:

Haha! I do the same thing more often than I'd like to admit!

 

[swede71]

I play for about 3-4 hours a day,mostly just noodling,bluesbox playing,some chord progressions and some ideas of my own.Somedays i practise to get something new into my brain...very hard these days.Vibrato is a very underrated technique and to me the best way to practise vibrato is just to play and get the feel for it.I started playing in early 80s and as many kids of that time i listened to metal and the whole shredthing that i still love.I guess for me and many other my age technique was blazing scales or sweeping arpeggios.Now i realise just strumming and fingering chords a technique as well.In the 80s alternate picking was the thing to do always,with the occasional 3 octave sweeping arpeggio.A big thing for me was discovering Hendrix,Zeppelin and Sabbath in the early 90s and stepping away from the "technique" craze and the sound of the 80s.Also Jeff Becks thumb technique was important to me.That influenced me to start using downstrokes or reststrokes more.That way i could get a more bluesy sound happening.Im a rocker guy that likes alot of different music.I believe in knowing yourself and go from there.For me its no use sitting around all day practise countryguitar or classical guitar.I have my rockstyle as a base and adds to that.Bits and pieces but always from a rockguitar style and attitude as the base.Also an alternative with a metronome is to practise or play to slow tempos instead of always increase speed.
Here is my 2 fav lessons on YT:

 

[clcwarlock]

Currently, I am at about 3 days a week, normally longer session on the weekends. I recently read an article from John Petrucci about practicing that said these steps

01. Have a goal.

Say to yourself, “During this hour I’m going to master this passage.” There’s nothing wrong with noodling—it can actually produce some of the best ideas—but you’ll get a lot more out of your practice time if you have an agenda.

02. Vary your practicing.

Don’t get stuck in a rut. If you started yesterday’s practice playing arpeggios, start today’s with scales. Also, try to make a song out of what you’re practicing to help break the tedium.

03. Use a metronome.

…or a drum machine or sequencer, if you have one. Whatever you use is fine; what’s important is that you learn how to play in time.

04. Go easy (even when shredding).

It’s all about training the tiny muscles in your hands. Start slow, relax and don’t press hard. When you watch your favorite guitarists play, notice how little their hands and fingers move sometimes. The economy of motion can’t be overemphasized.

05. Record yourself.

After you’ve practiced for an hour or so, turn down the lights and record yourself playing. Improvise and go nuts, then playback what you’ve recorded and listen for your strengths and weaknesses. We record Dream Theater shows and I’ll sit on the bus and listen to my playing—what worked, what didn’t. A lot of times it’s embarrassing and humbling, but that’s what you have to do to get better.

 

[Danerada]

This is some great stuff!

Thank you all for the ideas.