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How much do you practice?

#21
I've been getting between 3 and 4 hours every day. Between the lessons, and the SOLID practice time, I'm feeling much better.
 
#23
Must be really nice to have that much time to practice.

Lately I've been getting in maybe 20 minutes every few days. (Lousy house, gotta finish this wall project before it gets really really cold).

its always nice when the planets align and I can get in an hour a day... but that doesn't happen too often. Damned life getting in the way!

For you folks pulling 3-4hr days, is bass your full time job?
 
#24
On Wed at rehersal about 2 hours, before mass on Sunday an hour as part of warm up run over, then mass. On the other days about 30 minutes. Between work and my kids I do not have time to spend hours on practice each day. I try to get the most out of the little time I have. Most of the time I do not even plug in. I just grab the bass and play it is loud enough that I can hear it without my amp.
 
#26
I practice twice a week with the band, 1-2 hours during the week, and 2-3 hours on Saturday. The dudes I'm playing with all have kids, are in school, have full-time civilian gigs, and significant others... My hat goes of to you busy folks getting practice in.

I have to apologize through, the rest of my prac time is spent on acoutstic guitar.

Darren

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Customized Mexican Jazz Bass, BadAssII, SD 1/4 Pounders, Ampeg STV6Pro/Tech 21 RBI
 
#27
DocBop said:
Get away from your bass and do something oral, drinks something, if you smoke do it, eat something, do something oral.
Click to expand...

I like how "do something oral" was mentioned twice.

I just play to drum loops to see what lines I can come up with on the spot, so in essence it's still considered practice because it helps me improvise. I also try out different bass line approaches to my band's songs, and that wouldn't considered practicing but rather experimentation. All in all, I spend like 5-6 hours a week with the bass.
 
#29
I practice no less then an hour a day... any less and I feel like a bum... I always try and hit the 3 hour mark everyday and there is a huge differance between playing and practicing, you practice things u cant do or cant do well enough.. youplay things you can already play flawlessly...I also play guitar, drums which I balance my practice time with I am also a full time student and private pilot, so anyone who says they dont have enough time is just a slacker who doesnt want it bad enough.. just keep practice as much as you can thats all that really matters and always try and better yourself
 
#31
Mark Wilson said:
Depends.
Usually 4-6 hours a day just working on stuff.
Some days, I practice up to 9 or 10 hours.
On top of that, I have rehearsals, classes and lessons.

I also put on a metronome with my room mate (a drummer) at 40 bpm and lock in for an hour or two before jamming with him.

All in all, my life is...Practice and Talkbass.
Click to expand...

Also, on top of THAT, when I'm not playing music, i'm listening to music and really trying to internalize it. sometimes, listening is the best practice you can do!
 
#33
Up until recently, I didn't practice much at all. But then I took a sub-gig and went from practically zero to 2 to 3 hours a night.

I may be taking the position in the band I subbed with, so my practice will go to it's normal 1 to 1 1/2 hours nightly to keep the fingers groovin' and to continually refine the parts I doing.

NOTHING makes a gig more fun and satisfying that being very prepared and well-rehearsed. The amount you can add to the show in general goes up exponentially with how completely comfortable you are with all of the material.
 
#34
I might be able to squeeze one or two hours a week of practice somewhere within my schedule, most weeks.

Six-month-old baby + one-year-old house = Very little free time... :)

Luckily, my playing doesn't seem to suffer too much from it. I don't play very fast or complex music anymore.
 
#35
ac11367 said:
I like how "do something oral" was mentioned twice.

I just play to drum loops to see what lines I can come up with on the spot, so in essence it's still considered practice because it helps me improvise. I also try out different bass line approaches to my band's songs, and that wouldn't considered practicing but rather experimentation. All in all, I spend like 5-6 hours a week with the bass.
Click to expand...

It comes from what is called Learning Cycles on how we humans learn and best practices on how to learn and remember. We are like animals and like being rewarded for doing things and that is the key behind what I was talking about.
 
#36
Along the lines of taking breaks to make practice more productive - yes - I agree whole-heartedly.

Not only do you need to 'shake it off' and clear your head a bit - ear fatigue is a very real thing and if part of your practice is learning songs by ear, you need to give your ears a break every so often to ensure you really hearing what you should.
 
#37
Now that I'm in music school, I'm rationing my time between theory, ear training, and actual practice.
Overall, my actual physical practice of the bass will get around 3-4 hours a day, and my theory and ear training (together) will get about 2 hours a day
 
#38
It comes from what is called Learning Cycles on how we humans learn and best practices on how to learn and remember. We are like animals and like being rewarded for doing things and that is the key behind what I was talking about.
Click to expand...

If I have a cigarette after about 30 or 45 minutes of playing I'm 10x more likely to go right back and play the thing that was most annoying on my practice schedule (for instance minor arpeggios in first inversion) and get it easy. Then I'll get through that and have another while noodling on the balcony with a headphone amp for 15 minutes.

The man knows what he is talking about.

Running scales and arpeggios while watching Californication, Dexter, South Park, Always Sunny or Heroes I don't count as practice time but it sure is helpful, I was able to knock out some really boring mechanical stuff that way and then since my bass was in hand, I would go back to my room and practice songs or things I need to hear when the show is over.
 
#40
I hardly practice anymore. I do 2± hrs a day every morning. Used to do 4 - 6 until a couple of years ago.
8 in college. Was trying to learn DB as well, so that took a LOT of time.

I'm not in any bands at the present, so my motivation is a little stifled.
I never counted band practice or rehearsals as practice time.

Mostly practicing jazz standards and blues.
 

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