Days off from practice

[Bass Catcher]

In your opinions:

How important is it to take a day off from playing bass? How often - once a week?

This summer I've found it harder to take days off because of how much stuff I'm playing in. Is this bad - or do your muscles need a break to recoup and grow?

Matt

[EFischer1]

Most musicians I know take a day off every week or two. In my opinion, it is more for sanity's sake than anything else. 30-50 hours locked by yourself in a room every week is enough to drive someone mad.

[Clay_Bass]

Ive been doing like 5 hours a day for the past month but these past two day ive had to only do like half hour becuase its so goddam hot and humid. My rosin is all melted inside the case and I have no clue how im gonna get it back out. 103 and tons of humidity is awful for staying in tune too.

[Bass Catcher]

Melted rosin is always fun when you get to a gig.

[Damon Rondeau]

My experience is that a vacation is wonderful for the brain, not so good for the hands. The brain comes back a little fresher. It doesn't take more than a few days, though, for the callouses to un-toughen a little bit.

[hdiddy]

I can't make the time to practice like you guys do but I like taking time off from the bass after practicing alot, even if it's practicing only a few hours a day. For me, a break day (sometimes two) gives my hands a chance to rest and recup. They feel physically stronger after taking a break like that, especially the left hand after doing lots of vomit exercises, arco, etc.

Also, I think I get some weird phenomena, ever since I was a kid: if I take an extended break of several days, somehow I come back and some of the bad habits I've collected along the way are somehow forgotten. They just disappear. Most of the good habits are retained, if not all. Does anybody else get this?

[Marcus Johnson]

Is there anyone else here who doesn't practice at all, and hasn't for many, many years?

I haven't had the time or inclination to do so for at least 20 years. I do formulate ideas away from the instrument, and then implement them (if I remember) on the bandstand, where I find myself most nights of the year. I'm not proud of this fact, just stating the way things are. I play alright, but can't help but wonder how things would be if I did an hour a day. Probably be a good resolution for me to break....er, make.

[Damon Rondeau]

Marcus, you're a paradise-based working pro who plays every day, who plays great from what I've heard, and who's played with all kinds of great players. Why would you change anything based on what we schlemiels think?

[Marcus Johnson]

I'd like to get as close as possble to the stuff I hear in my head before I'm done.

[Damon Rondeau]

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

I'd like to get as close as possble to the stuff I hear in my head before I'm done.

Hey, me too!

[damonsmith]

I practice multiple times in a day 2 - 3 40m to an hour sessions plus teaching keeps what chops I have up and adds decent progress. I have have kept a very steady but not over the top schedule since I started double bass 11 years ago. Since I rarely skip days I really welcome it now.
I take it easier on gig days - just warm ups and sight reading (even though I play improvised music, I find it helpful to "confront new material" since hopefully that will happen on the gig).
I'd say it depends on your practice style. You can make a lot of progress not practing very long if you never skip a day.
If you you are putting in 5 + hours a day taking it easy once a week might be ok.
Marcus, try putting in 20min a day (+giging) without skipping days and see what happens...
I guess we probably all have different ideas of what the difference between "practicing" and "playing" is.

[bikeplate]

HI

I gig so much that I literally dont pick up a bass between gigs. Pretty crazy. Thought it would never come to this but it is where Im at in my career

Rob

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Every day you practice you get one day better...

Every day you skip you get two days worse...

[bejoyous]

A musician's brain is the most important "instrument" he/she has. The physical instrument is just the tool to express musical thoughts.

Taking a few days off won't hurt you. It often flushes out a lot of cobwebs from your mind and you'll come back refreshed with new ideas and so on.

I took over 10 years off when I was disabled. In that time I continued to be a musician by singing in a church choir, learning a new career (being a music teacher) and studying conducting. I got better through many, many chiropractic adjustments. I picked up bass 4 years ago and what do you know, I'm a way better bass player now and am doing lots of playing.

It took about 3 weeks to build up my endurance from 30 minutes to 3 hours playing time.

[damonsmith]

I have had varying experiences. Sometimes I go on a non-musical trip or something and it "flushes out cobwebs" other times not.
I went away over last xmas and came back to a recording project with a great Israeli saxophonist and I had a tough time getting my playing to where I wanted it.

[mcnaire2004]

I take a day off every couple of days.

[Ale]

Yeah its good to take a day of , to rest and get other perspectives ..

[Anon2962]

Taking a day off once a week or once every two weeks is a good thing, IMO. As long as your not taking a day off every couple of days, you'll be fine.

[winston]

I play DB plus BG as well as guitar and a bit of keyboards. I find that taking a vacation from any instrument (as long as I regularly play/practice at least one of the others) gives me a fresh perspective when I return. That said, the DB is the most physical of all the instruments I play and regular practice (for me) helps my playing get closer to where it should be.

[Tritonis]

You're supposed to take breaks?