Help me make my pratice time more efficient

[Banana_phone]

Hi there!

So here is the deal:

I play in two bands, with one I rehearse daily (even if its only me and just one other member), with the other we rehearse 2 or 3 times per weak (wich means that some days I rehearse twice ).

Thing is, when I get home (or when I bring my bass to my job) I don´t quite know how to organise my pratice time. The way I´ve been doing it is to dedicate 10 mins to each song (17 total). I start the metronome and play dificult parts of one song for 10 minutes (slow, gradually raising the tempo), but I feel like it ain´t working that well.

Soo the question is, should I just put 1 hour of pratice for each band and focus on 1 song for 1 week during that hour? Maybe that way I can nail songs more perfectly and then start to only play it 10 mins per day before praticing the "song of the week".

The pratice routine would then evolve like this:

Week 1: Music1 - 1hour

Week 2: Music1 - 10min
Music2 - 50min

Week 3: Music 1 - 10min
Music 2 - 10min
Music 3 - 40min
Etc...

Of course after some time I would have to extend my pratice time soo that I could pratice each "nailed" music 10 mins and pratice "new" ones at least 30 min.

Do you think this will work better long term?

PS: Also, if you have another way of doing it that you think it´s better, share it please!

[paul_wolfe]

Hey

What are you trying to achieve???

By answering that question you'll probably find that you'll be able to work this out yourself.

Or if not:
Post here, tell us what you're trying to achieve, and how much time you have.

[Stumbo]

My question is: Why are you rehearsing with your band daily?

I suggest that you rehearse less and practice more so when you do rehearse, the rehearsals are more productive because you have the songs down (because you have more time).

[Banana_phone]

Thanks for the answers guys!


Q: What are you trying to achieve???
A: I´m trying to reach a point in time were I will always feel comfortable with all the musics from both bands soo I can get rid of pre-gig stress and know that I´m allways prepared for the next gig.

And yesterday I made the decision to start to pratice solfeggio (both with my instrument and without) every day soo I can begin preparing for a college course on Jazz that I wish to take sometime in the future. Ultimatly I want to achieve a state of continuous evolving in terms of bass playing (technical freedom) and musicality.


Q: How much time do you have?
A: About 5 hours daily.


Q: Why are you rehearsing with your band daily?
A: That is actually a very good question. Ultimatly I guess is because that if I don´t show up to a rehearse the other members won´t show up too (it´s just as weird to you as it is to me, believe), and since the drummer and the keyboard player don´t pratice at home (no time they say, one works in a mine with heavy machinery and the other is graduanting in visual arts) I guess I just go along with the flow and try to rehearse with them everyday for the good of the band... Sounds like something we (the band, not we here at TB lol) definitely will have to workout.


If you have any sugestion to get the most out of those 5 hours please let me know! Thanks again for helping me out!

[paul_wolfe]

If you've got 5 hours daily you should be able to get these songs learnt reasonably quickly.

If you find there are sections that are giving you trouble - then play those sections over and over, starting really slowly, and only increase the tempo when you KNOW what the moves you need to make are. Then start increasing the tempo.

But.

What is causing the pre gig stress? Is it that you don't feel you know the songs well enough? Or is it just 'nerves?' It's possible that you might get these songs nailed and still feel pre-gig stress, so be aware of that.

I used to get nervous before gigs - but once you've done enough of them this goes away and is replaced by a low grade adrenaline surge.

Learning Solfege is a good idea IMO, will help train your ears - what method are you using?

[capncal]

dude, i've got a similar problem. not with practice time, but with lame ass band members that whine and cry over every little thing and are the first ones to blow off a practice. and if you miss a practice, then they'll use you as an excuse for everytime they blow one off. they'll be like, hey man, i'm not the only one that cancels...

my advice to you as has been given to me on here and in other places. find a new band.

i wish i had 5 hours a day to practice by bass. i figure as long as i get fifteen good minutes in a day, i'm slowly getting better. but it's just like anything, the more you do it, the better you get.

rock on brother.