Practicing...

  • Thread starter Thread starter TelePaul
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TelePaul

TelePaul

J to the R O C
I'm trying to put together a practice regime to improve my playing. I've been playing a while now, but I probably should be better than I am. I rarely set aside time for specific exercises, instead I just play a bunch of songs I like or jam along to my MP 3 player. Sometimes, at a party for instance, I find it hard to play a song in its entirety if that song requires more than just simple chords.

What should I be doing? Do you guys sit down and work through specific notations note for note? I have alot of challenging tab books that I've dabbled in. Or should I concentrate on theory, and start by learning to read music notation? I'm not much a speedster on the fret-board either...

Just wondering what works for you...I've already decided to practice with a different guitar each night and that each practice should start with a tune-up.
 
I find a whole lot of really useful stuff on Youtube. Just about any type music, skill level, scales, chords, etc. Search and you'll find something you can use.
 
Hmm... I never practice either. It seems like it would be boring. I just play. Mostly just improvisational stuff without any accompanying music.
 
I practice--but not as much as I should. And I'll admit I lack discipline and focus, so I fail at anything like a grand scheme or a year long master plan. Instead I'll identify one thing I want to learn or get better at and practice that like nuts. Since I get bored easily, I always stop and apply what I've learned on the way, just to keep motivated.

For example: I want to get better at arpeggios as lead devices. So I figure out a bunch of arpeggios who's root notes walk up the major scale in a given key (obviously I'm using arpeggios from the same key.)

I just bang on those arpeggios, slow, medium then faster. FWIW--on something like this I start w/an electric but unplugged in a quiet room. After I get better I'll have some fun and add the hi-gain!

Now here's the part that makes it work for me. Even before I'm a GOD of ARPEGGIOS (I mean I'm still just starting) I'll record a chord progression with maybe some drums and bass, and I'll start jamming w/what I'm learning. First I'll force myself to ONLY use arpeggios--not realistic, but that's great practice and they sound better over a backing track. Then I'll play a more realistic lead--a lot of my normal approach but with the new arpeggios mixed in.

Next up, plain old practice again. More patterns, same patterns faster, whatever. Then jam with that. And on and on...

The mix of practicing and applying it in my playing right away so I can hear the growth keeps me motivated.
 
Kind of like what WhiteStrat said, when I'm working on something new I like to find a way to apply it to something. Practicing a part over and over gets boring pretty fast to me, but if i can find a use for it then it becomes more practical (in my limited thinking anyway.) My main problem with practicing is finding enough time to just sit down and learn something new. I've never been a fast learner so I have to work hard to add to my assortment of "guitar tricks." Sometimes the simple things are hardest to master while the complicated stuff just seems to flow, I never could figure out why.
 
start with some (ever so boring) scales accompanied by a beat box or metronome.
 
Start the day with a half hour of finger exercises and tremelo practice. Then put the axe down and lay off.

Later in the day spend about an hour on sight reading take a short break.

Next spend an hour working on sweep picking using the Wolfhart studies for violin. there are 64 studies, try to do one a week. I also have used classical clarinet studies for this purpose and classical flute studies ( good for the upper register. Take a break.

Next, scales for an hour and a half. (Not just playing them). You should learn the chords in each scale and be able to play them with each inversion in a few places on the neck. This is really important for your ear. Break for an hour.

When you get back work on learning the chords and melody to every tune you can in all keys. Concentrate on tunes that are commonly played. I used to disect the piano chart to popular tunes ... that is where the real music is. Chord charts can be wrong a lot of the time because they ignore the harmonic line.

One other thing ... the learning process can be greatly expedited by being able to read music ... worlds will open up. I have never been on a gig where the leader handed me tablature. Being able to read can be the difference between career as a guitarist and working as a retail clerk.

Yea there are a few players out there who got famous and can't read. The odds of that happening are remote and when you consider the number of monster guitar players these days you need some edge if you want to say employed ..... that is unless one is content to play covers for $50 a night in some bar. Believe me that gets almost as old as I am.
 
Henry Mars said:
Start the day with a half hour of finger exercises and tremelo practice. Then put the axe down and lay off.

Later in the day spend about an hour on sight reading take a short break.

Next spend an hour working on sweep picking using the Wolfhart studies for violin. there are 64 studies, try to do one a week. I also have used classical clarinet studies for this purpose and classical flute studies ( good for the upper register. Take a break.

Next, scales for an hour and a half. (Not just playing them). You should learn the chords in each scale and be able to play them with each inversion in a few places on the neck. This is really important for your ear. Break for an hour.

When you get back work on learning the chords and melody to every tune you can in all keys. Concentrate on tunes that are commonly played. I used to disect the piano chart to popular tunes ... that is where the real music is. Chord charts can be wrong a lot of the time because they ignore the harmonic line.

One other thing ... the learning process can be greatly expedited by being able to read music ... worlds will open up. I have never been on a gig where the leader handed me tablature. Being able to read can be the difference between career as a guitarist and working as a retail clerk.

Yea there are a few players out there who got famous and can't read. The odds of that happening are remote and when you consider the number of monster guitar players these days you need some edge if you want to say employed ..... that is unless one is content to play covers for $50 a night in some bar. Believe me that gets almost as old as I am.
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That's a bit too hectic - I don't really have time to devote four hours plus to practicing sadly.
 
TelePaul said:
That's a bit too hectic - I don't really have time to devote four hours plus to practicing sadly.
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then unfortuantely, you have absolutely no chance at going anywhere with guitar playing and should just quit.














:p

Adam
 
At one stage I had the luxury of spare time and was able to practice 2-4 hours every day. Not any more. Tell you what though, my playing improved significantly.
 
TelePaul said:
That's a bit too hectic - I don't really have time to devote four hours plus to practicing sadly.
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Yea .. I know. That is the routine I used. I wish that I could still do that but it would require a divorce. Cut the time down. The routine still works.

Even if you spend two hours a day it will help.

I kind of miss the old days when I played 18 hours a day. That was a long time ago.
 
marshall409 said:
then unfortuantely, you have absolutely no chance at going anywhere with guitar playing and should just quit.


Never quit. If you really want it. I listened to too many people that told me I couldn't do it ... that I needed a real job. Had I stuck with it the money I would be making from just teaching would be a hell of a lot more than I make now. I used to have 40 + students back in the '70s.
Fact is that I just may go back to it. It was the only time I was really happy.
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Henry Mars said:
marshall409 said:
then unfortuantely, you have absolutely no chance at going anywhere with guitar playing and should just quit.


Never quit. If you really want it. I listened to too many people that told me I couldn't do it ... that I needed a real job. Had I stuck with it the money I would be making from just teaching would be a hell of a lot more than I make now. I used to have 40 + students back in the '70s.
Fact is that I just may go back to it. It was the only time I was really happy.
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I'm pretty sure marshall409 was being sarcastic... (maybe he should've included some of these: :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:)
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Buy some "method" books and play through them. It takes discipline, if you don't have it then continue noodling, you'll be happier.

I recommend jazz method books - in the end its all about notes whether you play them horizontally - melody (scales & imp.) or stack 'em vertically - harmony (chords).

But... no pain, no gain. Simple as that!

K.
 
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I'm with HenryMars when it comes to daily practice routines. There is no substitute for hours spent playing scales and arpeggios. I remember the day some 30 years ago when at band practice, the "other" guitar player who had been "not as good as me" played an AMAZING solo. "Where did you learn that????" The answer was that he had been practicing his scales and arpeggios for only a few days and it had made a HUGE difference in his command of the board. Since that day I rarely miss my practice time. Has it made me a " shredmaster???" Maybe not , but I'm way better than I would be without the hundreds of hours I have spent on the guitar, and probably WAY-WAY better than you.


chazba
 
Petrucci's Rock Discipline was very useful on the technical aspect.
 
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