Some advice for practice routing when time is limited

[bherman]

Hi all - lots of great information in this forum, but I have a question that I could use some help with. My practice time is limited due to family, job, etc. I generally only have about an hour or less per day. I find myself trying to do too much - reading practice (method book or Jamerson book transcriptions), arepeggios, rythym practice (Rufus Reid book). Not enough time to do all things in an hour. So here's my question - is it better, in your opinion and experience, to focus on one or two things each day (ie, arpeggios/scales one day, reading the next, etc) or try to get a rounded session in? Any other suggestions for a 45-60 minute practice routine?

Thanks for the input....

[glocke1]

Im in the same boat, and actually posted this same question recently.

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer to this question, and as a matter of fact still have yet to decide how to spend my limited practice time, but lately I have been doing the following and it seems to be working well.

5-10 minutes of warm up, which consists of finger exercises (1-2-3-4, 4-3-2-1, etc), arpeggios, and intervals. Sometimes I will do these last two in all 12 keys, sometimes I will only do them in keys I know that I am week in.

20-30 minutes of reading, sometimes this from a method book (Jamerson, Rufus, etc), other times it is working in Real Book tunes.

Than the rest of my time is spent working on tunes I am playing with others, playing along to albums to work on ear training, or just playing and trying to come up with cool bass lines or patterns.

It's also not all set in stone, and sometimes I find myself using that hour for just general wailing on the bass, but I always try to fit at least ONE of the routines in.

Another trick is to just make more time. Cut something out of your schedule. For example, instead of spending 15 minutes looking up ways to practice on talkbass, turn the computer off and go play your bass..

[bherman]

Originally Posted by glocke1

Im in the same boat, and actually posted this same question recently.

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer to this question, and as a matter of fact still have yet to decide how to spend my limited practice time, but lately I have been doing the following and it seems to be working well.

5-10 minutes of warm up, which consists of finger exercises (1-2-3-4, 4-3-2-1, etc), arpeggios, and intervals. Sometimes I will do these last two in all 12 keys, sometimes I will only do them in keys I know that I am week in.

20-30 minutes of reading, sometimes this from a method book (Jamerson, Rufus, etc), other times it is working in Real Book tunes.

Than the rest of my time is spent working on tunes I am playing with others, playing along to albums to work on ear training, or just playing and trying to come up with cool bass lines or patterns.

It's also not all set in stone, and sometimes I find myself using that hour for just general wailing on the bass, but I always try to fit at least ONE of the routines in.

Another trick is to just make more time. Cut something out of your schedule. For example, instead of spending 15 minutes looking up ways to practice on talkbass, turn the computer off and go play your bass..

Yah, wish I could - at work sneaking time tho, can't use it for bass time!

Thanks for the above suggestions....

[Fergie Fulton]

Always practise you weaknesses. You become a better player when your weaknesses don't hurt you or those you play with.

Many younger players don't understand this...we all make mistakes, we all have a weakness, but it does not affect how or what we play if we minimalise it. It is not about improvement of what you hear, it is improvement in what you don't hear...mistakes, dropped notes, bad notation, misunderstood reading, technique flawed, thinking flawed etc, etc.
By reducing the harm they cause you...you become a better player, and a player other want to work with.

[g&lplayer]

Originally Posted by Fergie Fulton

Always practise you weaknesses. You become a better player when your weaknesses don't hurt you or those you play with.

This is some of the best advice on practicing i have seen on this site. I have found though, that with a lot of my students they have a hard time identifying their weaknesses. That is why I highly suggest getting some sort of feedback on you playing so that you know what to practice! Asking the internet for a practice routine won't do you much good.

Anyways, and hour to practice every day is plenty. As long as you CONSISTANTLY pick up that bass for an hour a day the sky is the limit in terms of how good you can get.

[chadhargis]

I am in the same boat. I take a lesson on Monday nights, and by the time I get home, I'm beat down tired. That leaves Tuesday through Friday. Many times I don't get home from work until nearly 7pm. By the time I eat dinner, spend a few minutes with the family, it's closing in on 8pm. My daughter goes to bed at 8pm so I try to get my practice time done before then. I hate practicing with headphones on, so I bought a small practice amp that I turn WAY down. But by that time of night, my brain is typically mush.

What try to do is weave three components into my practice.

1) Work on something that's hard for me - I do this for about 15 minutes or so. Yeah, not enough time, but I do the best I can.

2) Reinforce something I've got down pretty good - I take about 15 or 20 minutes to go over things I've not mastered, but have under my fingers pretty good.

3) HAVE FUN! - I take 20 or 30 minutes (or whatever time I have left) and just play. I don't think. I don't worry about anything. I just play. Sometimes I shut my eyes and play and just enjoy it. This is the time that makes me keep wanting to play bass. The rest is stuff I HAVE to do to get better, but the fun part is why I play. The amazing thing is, when I turn off my brain and just play, I'm not a bad player (for a newbie). I can play some things I have no idea how I know how to play.

Once I'm done with playing, I go upstairs and pretend to listen to my wife ramble on about things while I read my theory book, or something else music related. I'm often really tired by this time, and can barely hold my eyes open, so I end up reading some chapters more than once to get them to sink in.

By 10pm, I'm done. I watch the news and hit the sack if I don't fall asleep with a book on my chest.

The most important thing for me is the ENJOY playing. I know there is a lot of painful stuff I need to learn to get better as a player, but in the end it's all about loving music and loving playing. It's a dream of mine to play bass. Sometimes I can't believe I'm actually doing it.

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by g&lplayer

This is some of the best advice on practicing i have seen on this site. I have found though, that with a lot of my students they have a hard time identifying their weaknesses. That is why I highly suggest getting some sort of feedback on you playing so that you know what to practice! Asking the internet for a practice routine won't do you much good.

Anyways, and hour to practice every day is plenty. As long as you CONSISTANTLY pick up that bass for an hour a day the sky is the limit in terms of how good you can get.

An hour is more than ample, what is required is the fact the you do it regularly. 10 mins a day is better than 4 hrs every weekend.

To anyone seeking feedback you have to be prepared and identify two points.

1.What you want to hear..... that's advice
2.What you don't want to hear.... that's criticism

Someone offering advice you disagree with, can be taken as criticism. As such, criticism can be justified, advice can be ignored.

Is the glass half empty or half full??????

[bherman]

Good advice from all - it helps me realize that I need to stop worring about needing more time, and just be consistent and chip away at it and make steady progress. Will give some more thought to how to get feedback (advice and criticism!) from another player. As someone who has been playing for 30+ years, I have not gone the teacher route (used to study DB but not electric) so that might be my best option.

Thanks again to those who responded.....

[HolmeBass]

I try to focus on just one or two things per session, and then vary the focus from session to session.