Double Bass How long do you spend practicing each piece?

[CSBBass]

I've seen a lot of discussion about length of practice sessions as a whole on here, but I've always wondered how the divisions of that time really shake down for different people. This is mostly a curiosity thing, as I know people's attention spans can vary and some find different lengths of time work best for them, so I just wonder what the different ways of approaching this are. If this has been discussed elsewhere and I missed it somehow in searching/prior reading, feel free to just direct me there

How long do you spend practicing each piece of music in your practice session on average? Is it much different for solo rep (like the first movement of a concerto or some solo bach) and excerpts? How long do you spend on all of your solo music or all of your excerpts compared to the amount of time you spend on each movement or each excerpt? Do you increase the time you work on each piece when you have more time to practice, or do you increase the amount of music you're working on instead?

 

[David Potts]

There are some threads about practice around February 6th and 20th, 2013, that might help. All that I can stress is that you have some sort of warm up routine which ensures that each session first puts you physically and mentally into the right frame of mind to make serious progress then do smart practice. Choose "lumps' to work on that change tasks, take regular small rests between and keep questioning, analysing and judging success. Especially for clarity of articulation look down at your bow hand and strokes to see how the strings move and notes connect as you listen. Be note-sure and finger-sure of difficult passages, deciding whether the problems are in LH, RH or when combining them. Then do smart practice by ensuring that the brain is giving clear messages to your hands. Invent little similar exercises to help with fragments of difficulty and slow down difficult passages until you work at speeds that you do not make mistakes. The brain does not necessarily learn new tasks quickly!!

How you allocate time has many possibilities. Practicing intensely in "lumps" in a thinking, questioning way can be very tiring. Changing tasks helps maintain focus. In general I will probably put the bass down and take a break about every 45 minutes if I am concentrating hard, and get up and go outside for some fresh air or a cup of something.

Cheers, DP

 

[Andy Mopley]

What is this"obsession" with time spent on practice, I'll never know...What I do know, though, is that you know when you have spent enough time.

Now, to David's post, if we are talking "techniques" to employ, that's a whole different thread.
My 2c worth.

 

[neilG]

What is this"obsession" with time spent on practice, I'll never know...What I do know, though, is that you know when you have spent enough time.

I think that for a beginner, especially a child, you have to quantify their practice. "Practice until it's correct" is a concept, it's not measurable, while "practice these 15 minutes each", is quantifiable. As the musician learns how to practice and what "correct" is, time spent becomes less of an issue. Some students, and their teachers, never outgrow this, hence the "obsession".

How long you spend on a piece is only related to the amount of technical preparation you have, your expectation of how it's supposed to sound, and your degree of talent. Quantity of practice isn't part of the equation.

"Practice with your fingers and you need all day. Practice with your mind and you will do as much in 1 1/2 hours"
---Leopold Auer

 

[David Potts]

Not quite a whole new thread, Andy? How you practice and measure results should both influence how time is allocated for maximum effect especially if available time is an issue.

Neil, I am viewing this as an adult approach. I quite agree that encouraging children to practice is very different.

 

[Andy Mopley]

Beg to disagree, on the setting "time" - often, even with kids, it tends to make them concentrate more on getting past the allocated time than the quality of practice. Watch the clock so to speak.
I prefer to set goals. For example, be able to play a certain passage in time for an upcoming performance. Be able to play a B scale to a set metronome speed. Sure you need self discipline to do this, but works for me more so than a succession of "tick boxes" of 30m sets.

Regards

 

[Jon Stefaniak]

Yeah, this depends on the difficulty and occasion - I'll spend a lot more time on something that might not be as "hard" if is for an audition or something.

If there is a piece I never played before, I might listen to it, and play through every note (focusing on style and character) and spend the time to get any passage work under my fingers. If I know it well already, my practice might literally be a couple bars only.

Some pieces are really not hard at all, but nearly unplayable for only a bar or two. Sometimes the difference between almost there and perfect on a spot like that would be hours of work over the course of a week.. time might be better spent on other things.

 

[bassmastan]

I've seen a lot of discussion about length of practice sessions as a whole on here, but I've always wondered how the divisions of that time really shake down for different people. This is mostly a curiosity thing, as I know people's attention spans can vary and some find different lengths of time work best for them, so I just wonder what the different ways of approaching this are. If this has been discussed elsewhere and I missed it somehow in searching/prior reading, feel free to just direct me there

How long do you spend practicing each piece of music in your practice session on average? Is it much different for solo rep (like the first movement of a concerto or some solo bach) and excerpts? How long do you spend on all of your solo music or all of your excerpts compared to the amount of time you spend on each movement or each excerpt? Do you increase the time you work on each piece when you have more time to practice, or do you increase the amount of music you're working on instead?

At the beginning of my practice I try to reserve an hour for warmups/scales, and after that an hour of orchestral excerpts that are the standard repertoire. I then take my solo music, if Im learning something new, I dedicate atleast 20-30 minutes of solfege to internalize the rhythms and notes. I then like to spend a lot of time working things slowly, almost out of time, to really get it under my fingers. I could easily spend 2-3 hours on one passage every day for a month! (The last page of the Koussevitzky comes to mind), and then I spend an hour or two doing the same for excerpts I'm playing with ONNY or other orchestra. When I play through excerpts I always try to do it with a recording, and I always play my solo music with the piano score.

 

[neilG]

Beg to disagree, on the setting "time" - often, even with kids, it tends to make them concentrate more on getting past the allocated time than the quality of practice. Watch the clock so to speak.
I prefer to set goals. For example, be able to play a certain passage in time for an upcoming performance. Be able to play a B scale to a set metronome speed. Sure you need self discipline to do this, but works for me more so than a succession of "tick boxes" of 30m sets.
Regards

I think you missed my point, partially. I am not advocating blindly assigning time blocks. A beginner doesn't necessarily know what "in time" means, so you tell them to practice with the metronome for 5 minutes at a time. Once they develop a sense of "time", the clock becomes irrelevant.

 

[Andy Mopley]

I see your point now, Neil, thanks for clarifying.

It is an interesting tag line you quoted about practicing with your mind. Made me think that beyond the intrinsic technical nature of playing, there are a number of other factors such as:

• • The ability to concentrate.
  • The ability to control your motions accurately.
  • Eye-hand coordination.
  • Stamina.
  • Willpower.

which I personally sometime overlook in the pursuit of (playing) happiness. All these things can be practiced, outside of one's own performance space. I must admit I find the first one, at times, challenging.

 

[Anton Avis]

I've seen a lot of discussion about length of practice sessions as a whole on here, but I've always wondered how the divisions of that time really shake down for different people. This is mostly a curiosity thing, as I know people's attention spans can vary and some find different lengths of time work best for them, so I just wonder what the different ways of approaching this are. If this has been discussed elsewhere and I missed it somehow in searching/prior reading, feel free to just direct me there

How long do you spend practicing each piece of music in your practice session on average? Is it much different for solo rep (like the first movement of a concerto or some solo bach) and excerpts? How long do you spend on all of your solo music or all of your excerpts compared to the amount of time you spend on each movement or each excerpt? Do you increase the time you work on each piece when you have more time to practice, or do you increase the amount of music you're working on instead?

I am often very busy, but I use Sundays to practice. Recently, I have been spending ridiculous amounts of time practicing- 2 hours a piece- but I am doing my grade 5 on July 8th. With pieces, I would use any spare time you have to practice.