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Building Muscle Memory: Practice 6 Hours a Day???

#21
ZenG said:
I think it was Gorn,who in another post opined that there was a point of "diminishing" returns.

I subscribe to that idea in the context that you can reach a point in over-practising where your mind simply becomes bored and tired and doesn't even focus on the matter at hand any more.

Muscle memory doesn't take as long to acquire as most people think it does.

The important thing is that what you're learning registers in your memory.

Muscle memory is actually brain memory. Muscles don't remember anything.

If you don't play bass for a year, then you become "rusty". If muscles remembered things , you wouldn't be "rusty".
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Just my experience, but lots of times if I'm having trouble learning something I do best to just drop it, come back the next day and I can then play it. It makes sense from a neuroscience perspective in that the down time allows the nerve connections in the brain to form what the OP is calling "muscle memory". The six hours a day thing is like cramming for a test - not very effective in really learning something.
 
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#22
gln1955 said:
Just my experience, but lots of times if I'm having trouble learning something I do best to just drop it, come back the next day and I can then play it. It makes sense from a neuroscience perspective in that the down time allows the nerve connections in the brain to form what the OP is calling "muscle memory". The six hours a day thing is like cramming for a test - not very effective in really learning something.
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They used to give us these "crash test" courses at work for different things.

You learn the entire 3 month course in 6 hours at machine-gun pace.

A week later , none of our crew could remember anything for the most part.
 
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#23
When I was in my twenties I devised a practice schedule of five hours a day. It lasted for about six weeks before I realized I had created a recipe for burnout. I cut it back to three hours a day using one hour for reading practice, one hour for ear training, and one hour for technique. A few years after that I took lessons from a world famous jazz bass player who told me one hour a day, dedicated to working on your weakest points, was adequate for becoming "world class". I guess opinions vary.
 
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#25
RustyAxe said:
I listened to 30 seconds of that video ... he should spend MORE time in the books. Just sounded like high-speed wankage to me.
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Yeah his music is a little bit too much, though he is trying to stick to a theme. I enjoy some of his actual riffage, but actually original and interesting riffs with this guy are sort of few and far between imo. Just used him as an example because typically the dudes that spend all their time playing ridiculously fast poopie have to know something about practicing.
 
#26
the explode man said:
For my practice, I like to use Guitar Pro. I'll start at a BPM I can play the riff perfectly, and set it to jump at 2% intervals or so in a range. If it's a really hard riff, I'll set it at a range of 50%-60%. Once at 60%, I'll play it a bit. If it's perfect, then I'll go for 55-70 or something like that. If I reach a range I can't currently play it at, say 85%, for this example, then I'll set the repeater for a range of 75%-82%, increasing at 1% each time it's played. If I'm finding I really just can't get a riff nailed for that day, I'll move on to the next section and shoot to get it up to where I failed the last riff at. Once I've done that, I'll play one section into the next, at say 65%-75% and work on getting both sections and the transition comfortable.

For the next day, I'll try start it at 75% and aim to hit 85% for the individual sections. After that, I'll slowly try and push it up.

Once I have it down at 100%, I'll usually practice it at 90%-100%, increasing in 2% intervals. That way, even though I 'think' I'm hitting it at 100% bpm, it allows me to really nail the riff at a comfortable tempo and ensure that I'm playing it the same at 90% as I do at 100%.

How long does this practice take? It all depends on the riff. I don't think "6 hours at one bpm, then increase" is appropriate. In many ways, it's like training at the gym. If I am finding a riff/technique/section is easier, I don't need to spend so much time at a lower bpm, and I can move on to areas that need more work.
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I made a new thread based on my previous reply because that basically needs its own thread haha. Sorry.
 
#28
When I was doing this more seriously I practiced my lesson material, repertoire, exercises and reading 4 hours a day. You probably don't need to practice a single lick you want to memorize for 6 hours, because with all your regular practice you will develop heuristics that help you to master particular bits of performance "inside" whatever discipline you are working to master. You make the rudiments, framework, and cerebral pieces like theory and ear training tight and the rest is just little tasks that are accomplished by using all the above.
 
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#30
Schlyder said:
We practice things over and over, making sure we are 100% correct slow before fast.
Then, through thousands of correct repetitions, we can finally perform the skill at a peak performance level.
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I will spend time writing out the TAB, trying to fill in as much info as I can, like which finger I'm going to use, whether it's an upstroke or down(pick)....100% correct practice is the goal.
 
#31
i did that kinda stuff working on classical piano tunes for Contests in high school ... up to 4 hrs a day working on 32nd note runs here and there , and similar scales ...

i always found and read that working on hard passages right before bed let's the brain keep working on them after you go to sleep .. !?!?

i don't think it should take 6 hrs ... unless you wanna start on arthritis early .. !! " concentrated , mindful " practice is your best bet .. !

i started on piano at age 6 , ... arthritis started in highschool ... now approaching 60 , ... knuckles hurt , but gotta keep em moving ... !!
 
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#36
Dethlateer said:
Also, side question; he mentions it being important when practicing to use the absolute least amount of physical effort possible when picking and fretting. I play finger style bass. Would this approach work well with finger style or should I just pluck with a normal effort? Is he wrong and you should typically practice with a normal or even emphasized effort? Thanks
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I once studied classical guitar with a German born, "so-called" student of Andres Segovia. One of his primary educational tenets regarding playing classical guitar, (which in itself a rigorous pursuit filled with mandatory disciplines covering posture, breathing, hand positions and more) was efficiency.

Producing the most tone with the least effort was a clear goal.
The intent I think was in assisting in efforts to be accurate with note placement without physical fatigue as one becomes more adept, agile and faster via continued practice.

As an occasional teacher of bass, guitar and mandolin I find this principle of efficiency to be a solid, tenet that I have also espoused to students.

Interestingly, regardless of the physical discipline required to play classical guitar, the right hand position for a classical guitarist is very similar to that of a fingerstyle bassist - loose wrist draped over the top edge of the instrument enabling the fingertips to graze the top of the strings with maximum efficiency.
 
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#38
There is no short cut to improvement, you have to put in the time necessary to master music if you want to perform at a pro level. However, that amount of time is different for everyone. For example, I'm currently learning 50 songs for a new band. I need to learn the bass lines, vocal harmonies, synth bass (5-6 songs), and sing lead on 7-8 songs plus sing duet on 2 songs. Our first gig is January 28. I decided for my New Years resolution that I would keep a practice log to track my progress, a first for me. In my first week (1-1/1-8), I practiced for 13 hours. That's not including vocal exercises while driving back and forth to work (an additional 2 hours total). FYI, I've been a Bassist since 1990 and work a 40 hour a week day job.
 
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