How much did you practice in the beginning?

cgworkman · #1 05-20-2005, 10:27 AM

How much did you practice in the beginning?

When I first started playing I was about 11 or 12 yrs old. I would come home from school and practice from about 4pm to 10 or 11pm almost every day. My parents were quite supportive - it did, however, keep me off the streets

(for a while...)

My oldest son who is 13 yrs old now begged me for a bass. I bought him a decent starter bass and he's been playing for about 2 yrs. He almost never practices. At first it really irritated me. Now it doesn't bother me - and I figure he'll do it if he has the desire and drive to.

I've exposed him to all the masters. Jamerson, Victor, Marcus, Stanley, Sting, Miles, Jimi, etc., etc.

Thus my question, how much did you guys practice in the very beginning?

Philbiker · #2 05-20-2005, 11:10 AM

I practiced often. I did not learn on my own though. I played in some casual jam sessions, and was in a band by the time I was 14 in 9th grade (I started playing at about 11). IMO for bass it's important to be in a band because it's a band instrument.

c-ba55 · #3 05-20-2005, 11:12 AM

I started playing clarinet in second grade, and practiced sporadically. Enough to keep up with other school-kids. The clarinet was somewhat foisted upon me. I liked music, and my grandfather was actually a pro woodwind player, but it just didn't connect with me all that well. Partly because there was almost no theory, so it was just playing an endless series of individual notes, which is kind of a draining experience.

When *I* chose to play bass, I started practicing pretty constantly. I was in a band with my friends, and we all wanted to play songs way beyond us, so we just practiced until we could play them. The theory that is necessary to play bass, that showed me how music fit together, finally started making sense, and I could *play*. The desire has to come from within. The student must have a goal to make music. And it has to be fun.

**embellisher** · #4 05-20-2005, 11:38 AM

When I started on drums, I would practice for 3 or 4 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week.

When I started playing bass, it was a couple of hours a day.

Meyekul · #5 05-20-2005, 11:40 AM

In the very beginning I didnt practice much. I started playing bass because my friends all played guitar, and drums were too expensive. Pretty much the only time I actually practiced was with my friends a couple times per week, but sometimes I would pick it up at home and try to figure things out. As I got better, I became more interested in it and started playing more. As a result, I got even better, and started playing more, and... well.. its a vicious cycle.

Squidfinger · #6 05-20-2005, 09:23 PM

In the beginning I averaged probably about 3 hours a day. Down to 1-2 now. What's wrong with me?

Aaron Saunders · #7 05-20-2005, 09:47 PM

NOT ENOUGH! Oh god, I barely practiced. It was awful. My practice time went *WAY* up last September -- I'd go to school, work (at McD's,) and play bass. Hours a day, 7 days a week. This continued pretty steadily right through until THIS September (I also got way more practice time after having been fired from McD's that November :P) when I was in a program where I had my instrument with me every day at school, often playing (almost) the entire time. This continued until January...didn't really have much desire to practice at home, because I got a lot of practice in at school.
Since the second semester started, my practice time has been focused almost entirely on all aspects of upright, jazz theory, and BG technique -- learning MG four finger plucking, VW's open-hammer-pluck and double thumping, etc. I play DB every day in class (80 minutes) and go 2-3 times a week during one of my two spare periods to do some heavily regimented practice on intonation, bowing, and pieces my teacher gives me. As a result, for the past four months or so, my progress on DB has been massive (relative to what it was -- nothing at all. I can hold my own in jazz and concert band, my intonation is getting better every day.) My BG improvement has been mainly focused on an improved melodic concept and a growing proficiency with a wide variety of techniques.

It helps so much to want to practice. You can't get anything done by forcing it, the desire has to be there. Right now, I'm jonesin' for some DB so much that by the end of the weekend, I'll be ready to go in for both of my spare periods and practice for almost three hours.

WalterBush · #8 05-20-2005, 10:04 PM

I'd wake up in the morning and get a few minutes in before school. I had a couple of music classes in high school, and I'd usually stay a few minutes after to jam with whoever was around. I'd just moved to a new town when I started, so I didn't have any friends, and no cable TV. I'd just sit and learn albums for 3 or 4 hours a night. It was great, and I wish I could do that now.

Jazzin' · #9 05-20-2005, 10:16 PM

Most of my practice comes from my school jazz bigband. I try to practice at home by myself, but what I can do alone is limited and not as fun.

Cúl-Báire · #10 05-20-2005, 10:50 PM

I used to and still do practice all the time- I have only played for about a year but I am getting quiet good- my bass teacher even thinks so :-) No where near rockstar yet though

Well I never practiced much, I'd play from time to time- over the last 4 or so months I have practiced quiet abit, sometimes form the time I get home till the time I go to bed, just playing, reading theroy- and tooling around and creating grooves. Generally 2hr a night although I dont play much on the weekend- my guitarist and I jam probably twice a month.

I am currently looknig for a band too.

Let your sun go at his own pace- he may have gotten to the stage where he cant progress in his mind- mental blockage type thing he will get over it though. I have gone through the same thing with my Mountain Bike Riding/Racing lately. You just dont seem to be progressing- but then it breaks through when looked at from a different light.