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How Much Do You Practice?

#103
I would like to bring up an element of practicing that is often overlooked. I can honestly say that listening to music is one of the most important aspects of “practicing” or furthering your progress on the instrument. What I mean by that is the last 10 years I have found myself using my free practice time immersing myself into the music I’m trying to learn at the time.
When I “listen” I try to imagine where the notes are on the fingerboard, the exact fingerings that I would use, and counting the subdivision of the music that help me understand the rhythmic devices at play. In my opinion no matter what level of player or style of music, this method is not discriminatory. I promise if you spend your practice time doing “concentrated listening” it will benefit you greatly!
 
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#107
ObsessiveArcher said:
Check out Rocksmith, either as the game on watch it on the Youtubes. It's a great learning tool.
Click to expand...

This is an option for those struggling to find the motivation to practise on their own. You feel as if you are playing along to the band and practicing songs stops it being boring. I'm always on the lookout for that next song that is just a bit too hard to push me to the next level. It works because it makes practicing fun. If you already have a solid regimen you are happy with then it probably isn't for you. If you find practicing alone boring, it is worth checking out. There are many many thousands of unofficial songs for it from classical to thrash metal and everything in between.
 
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#108
Having to learn songs for a band really spurs me on. Once I have the notes down I try to concentrate on note length, dynamics, articulation. I try to learn songs with bass lines I like even if not playing them in a band. I also like online lessons and YouTube. I’d probably play for hours each night either leaning something or just noodling as I find it hard to keep my hands off the bass! However, I have wife, dogs, duties so only manage to squeeze in 30 minutes a night.
 
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#109
Think back to school days. If you had a homework assignment, and didn't finish it, could you get a pass from the teacher by saying, "Well, I worked on it for an hour....". Same way with practicing. Get a reachable goal for yourself and go for it. Somethings might take an hour, some more some less. Somedays the brain is working on half power, some days 2x. Sometimes you pick a goal that is too big of a step. OK, break it up and have a go at one of the parts tomorrow.
Let the goal determine the time spent.
 
#111
I am in a weird point. I played constantly and regularly up until recently. I always loved jamming. I loved getting together with like minded people to just play together, even if it meant not ever going to play live. It was almost like feeding my soul. I used to practice frequently and always was learning new songs or writing and recording.

I was in a band until September 2016. We decided to part way amicably and we all were ok with it. A couple members went on to be with other bands and me and another member stopped. He still picks up the guitar but has no intentions of getting into another band. I think I have done the same but even more so.

I started playing an instrument seriously in 1982. I have been running headlong like that ever since and then in September I stopped. I have picked up a bass once while I was selling it to show how it sounded and that the neck was in good shape. But other than that, I haven't played an inspired note since the last gig and the last note of that gig in Sept 2016. In 2009 I suffered a fairly serious injury to my back and it has been getting progressively worse and I had always "grunted" through all our practices and gigs. But that last gig hurt a bit more and took a bit more out of me and i think my body said "enough".

Today I do more photography than anything but I am not doing it for money, I do it for me. I still have all my equipment except for 2 basses I sold to a friend that was wanting to learn. I sold him my two latest acquisitions and I kept all my main basses and guitars. I have a huge pile of recording equipment and P/A equipment and Amps and monitors that I probably will never use again unless I get some miracle cure.

But even before I stopped playing, I was really not much into practicing alone unless it was to learn a new song. I guess I got tired of being one of the few in the band that actually did his homework and tried to get better. Eventually I only did what it took to do my part and that was all. I feel that as you get older, your needs change, the hunger fades and eventually maybe you are a good enough musician that you don't feel you need to improve your chops, you just keep them fresh. It's up to the individual I guess.
 
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#112
armelind said:
I am in a weird point. I played constantly and regularly up until recently. . .
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Wow, that is an amazing story, somewhat inspirational. Sorry to hear about your back, hope that improves for you.

I totally get what you are saying. I stopped playing in a band back in the mid-90s I think. Life just kind of took over somehow, wife, kids, other things that took time and dedication. I have a couple of my old band members who are still slogging it out every weekend and I both envy them and wonder why they continue to do it at the same time. I do miss being on stage, but I don't miss the endless drama, fighting and egos.

Edit - I think, for me the biggest factor that pushed me away from the band situation was when I got sober. Suddenly you're surrounded by this entire industry of drunk/stoned people who have no desire to be sober and don't understand why you would want to be, not to mention every show is in a bar. So at some point I had to remove myself from that world for my own sake. So then I went through this period where I didn't touch my bass for roughly 15 years. Then my little brother passed away (he was also a bass player in local bands, way better than I ever was) and suddenly I found myself picking up my bass every now and then and just noodling on it. That turned into a little more often, that turned into "maybe I'll just pick up this used bass, I always wanted one of these", that turned into "how did I get all this gear?" And here I am now wondering why my fingers don't do what my brain tells them to and how I can get back to even remotely close to as good as I once was with all this "life" stuff still in the way.
 
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