Practice Routine

Donald Hall · From: Ontario, Canada

What is a good practice routine,(hours per session)?

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Whatever it is you are practicing ,repeat it over and over again for weeks on end until it is not just executed properly , but you have a full mental understanding of what it is you are doing.

Don't wander..stay with the practice subject until it is mastered and understood.

James Morehead · From: Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.

Joe Wright suggest 8 hours per day---everyday. How much time you can devote perday is just what YOU can schedule---everyone has different opportunity here. How bad do you want it??? But what is very important is that you never let a day go by that you do not practice, even if you can only put the pics on for 20 minutes--do it everyday 30 days a month---you will progress. if you can do 2 hours every day, you will progress that much faster. 4 hours--better yet. I wish I could do 8 hours a day, but I'd have to yank the phones out of the walls. Tony is right, too. Practice until you play it without having to "think about it". I might add this. Give special attention to your physical form---how you handle your hands and body posture, so you don't ingrain poor habits. Remember, practice does NOT make perfect, but PERFECT practice makes perfect.

Moon in Alaska · From: Kasilof, Alaska * R.I.P.

James is correct in that you can get really good at praticing a bad habit. Another thing that I have noticed,,,,Pedal moves sometimes cause players to skip some grace notes that really ARE in the melody.
A good pedal move still sounds good.If you play a song over and over a certain way, it will start to sounding correct to you !!
I keep thinking a statement I read made by LLoyd Green..."The 3 most important things on playing steel = melody,melody, melody.
I think the 6th tunings can make us lazy..improvising
too much. OK..I like to bring myself down to reality ever so often...Improvising CAN be...FAKING IT.
I think when I am playing a song, it should be recognizable !!
Just my opinion,which is not shared by everyone !! LOL
Moon
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J Fletcher · From: London,Ont,Canada

So let's say you are working on a lick, or part of a lick, and it's 8 notes long. How would you practice it?
Just repeat the lick over and over for ten minutes at a time, every day until it's carved in stone. Playing it at the speed where you can phrase it best and not make mistakes. Repeat for a month or two.
Or is it better to play the lick five times take a brief pause, play it five times, pause, and repeat this process for ten minutes. Is there a most effective way to do this? Something I've wondered about.
I know repetition is the way to go, just wonder if there's a best way to do repetition...Jerry

Ben Jones · From: Seattle, Washington, USA

J Fletcher · From: London,Ont,Canada

I should add that I've found that playing a lick, or a song for that matter, with a drum machine, is an effective routine as the machine is relentless, and has perfect time. Just keeps on going...Jerry

Wayne D. Clark · From: Montello Wisconsin, USA

Add this to the mix. It is a known fact that if your practicing a lick, a phrase in a song. a picking sequence, What Ever, Repetition is good, but after awhile you begin to regress, However here is the key, if you will let it rest until the next day or the second day and go back to it you will be supprised how you have improved. The Reason? The Brain, Yes the Brain, it is building the memory while you are resting from the task. Practice on the item again, let it rest. Eventually it will be a no thought process.

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Jerry H. Moore · From: Newnan, GA, USA

This makes me feel a little better. To hear that it may take a month to achieve a lick. I know my wife is sick of me playing the same notes over and over.I may need a written excuse from the Forum to continue. Norm Hamlets intro to Big City is giving me fits. It starts off with the bar up and thats hard for me now to come down on the strings and keep it going. I can say it gets better and with reading it may take a month, I feel better. The licks I have learned that were very hard are now really very cheesy. I want to get some tracks now to jam with but don't really find any that I know all the songs that are on it. Still looking though.

J Fletcher · From: London,Ont,Canada

Hi Jerry
I have lots of licks that I've been practicing for years! Working on these licks has started me wondering what is the best way to practice. I've developed some practice methods because of this. Mainly involves zeroing in on the problem areas of the lick, and developing exercises that address the problem areas.Not always just repeating the lick over and over.
I've heard of the "Perfect Practice" idea, but haven't heard much expansion on the idea itself. That is, actual practical examples of "Perfect Practice". Anybody care to share an example of "Perfect Practice"?...Jerry

Jim Walker · From: Headland, AL

In the begining (January 2006) I practiced 8 hours a day, at about a year I practiced 8 hours a day. At 16 months I average 4 hours a day plus I play with bands every weekend. I found that the stage is where the real learning begins. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it.

JW
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David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

I know that in the fields of classical violin and electric guitar, every great player went through a brief one-to-two year period where they were playing 12 to 16 hours a day. John McLaughlin, Johnny Hiland, these guys still practice a minimum of 4 or 5 hours a day. Supposedly, there is evidence that practicing 16 hours a day for one year is better for your overall development than playing 8 hours a day for two years - something to do with synaptic nerve construction. Obviously, this kind of thing should only be undertaken under good guidance, because the possibilities of carpal tunnel and nerve damage exist from practicing wrong. I also think this mostly applies to younger people, because as you get older it's easier to "wear out" muscles, at least temporarily setting you back.

People who say you should take a break when your concentration is flagging seem to me to be missing an important point - you're trying to build your concentration too. Where else will it come from - watching TV? It really just depends on how badly the desire to be great burns within you - alas, something else that usually seems to fade with age, it's always easier to listen to somebody else do all the great playing.... I do advocate taking frequent breaks from any particular exercise, but not to stop, or watch "Spongebob" or something - work on something else for a while. I have a specific "speed" exercise written up for my guitar students that I've modified for my own steel use, but it's too lengthy to post - e-mail me if you want a Word attachment.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

I think the "break" implies when you are real tired ,getting weary, and it ain't happenin' any more without any chance of it happenin'.

there are times when I get into routine, which means every morning for about an hour..Playing the same things over and over and over...this can go on for weeks, playing the exact same phrases until they arrive naturally and begin to frame into OTHER phrases...but then all of a sudden one morning..uh..ohh..

no phrases, even the ones I know...

Time for a break.

For me a break may be a week off or maybe two weeks off from dedicated practice, that doesn't mean I don't sit and play, I do, but it is different. During these sessions I am going over routine stuff that I know I buff up on the gigs...and shouldn't.

A break could also be just taking a day off from the struggle...and sorry David, yeh..getting the TV remote in hand !

Last week I did a quick and dirty BIAB file for Danny Boy, I have been playing that for just sheer fun..I'm not sure thats actually dedicated paractice but it is something I have not done in years, if at all. And yes, E9th in F.

Playing this is a nice break from the normal rapid meter stuff I practice for days on end .

So, there's another definition of break I suppose. But I would agree, it's very hard to work the TV remote and play Steel at the same time Sad

But I am pretty good at eating Ice Cream and working the TV remote at the same time !

A. Roncetti · From: Toronto,Ontario, Canada

I like to get in at least 2 hours a day.

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