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How much practice time do you...

P

pontz

Oct 31, 2003
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#1
...devote to your band. As apposed to your own personal goals.

I was playing in a cover band and once I learned the song, I never practiced them unless we were rehersing. I practiced what I wanted, scales, jazz tunes, etc.

I'm now part of a new band that is forming to play mostly original material. I'm excited about the project, but I worry that it is going to demand ALL of my practice time...writing and perfecting our songs?

Maybe that is okay for a while? Any thoughts?
 
#3
When I was younger, the band practiced 2-3 times per week for three hours each. But I practiced my personal stuff for roughly 4-5 hours per day. That kept me very busy and out of trouble through the teen years and by the time I was 17, I didn't know a bass player better than I, that is until starting to hang out here :spit:
 
#5
right now I am playing in 4 bands. since each band rehearses a few times a week at least, there have been recent weeks where I have done 9 rehearsals in one week and often two rehearsals in one night. Its definitely helping to get my chops stronger

at home I spend most of the time practicing and working on the music I love the most, Reggae
 
#7
When learning or composing new songs you will have to apply all the technical stuff you practice by yourself (scales, arpeggios, etc.).

Playing actual music is where the rubber hits the road.

When I go to audition for a gig, noone asks me to whip out a scale or play an arpeggio over two ocatves, they expect me to play songs.

As far as my own practice time, working on material for gigs ALWAYS takes precedence over general technical practice.
 
#8
jazzbo said:
Well, I play in a jazz band, and pretty much all I practice is jazz, so I'd venture to guess about 90% of my practice time. Jazz is so great in that in translates to most every other genre. The other 10% is probably latin rhythms and lines, if I had to guess.
Click to expand...

Not to hijack the thread here, but Im startin to get into jazz more an more. I have no clue of who the artists are, but can you recommend some stuff J.B.? I wanna start to play some of this **** too. So nothin too too out there just yet.
 
#10
Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus (monster upright player and composer), Miles Davis, Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, George Benson, Barney Kessel, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Dave Brubeck (check out his song Take Five -- AWESOME song, it's in 5/4 :D), Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Jaco, Pat Metheny, Jazz Mandolin Project, Jesse Cook, Oscar Peterson, Quincy Jones, Weather Report, Stanley Clarke, Al Di Meola, Jean-Luc Ponty (separately and as a trio), Count Basie, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw.
 
#11
I usually like to devote about an hour to doing 'drills' at the start of a practice session, then work on material from my bands after that.

I'm in 3 bands right now - 2 original and 1 cover - so the priorites fall with whoever is gigging the most in the immediate future. I've had times when both originals were jamming 3-4 times a week so I certainly didn't have much free time back then for personal practice.
 
#12
cassanova said:
Not to hijack the thread here, but Im startin to get into jazz more an more. I have no clue of who the artists are, but can you recommend some stuff J.B.? I wanna start to play some of this **** too. So nothin too too out there just yet.
Click to expand...

Ah ha Cass, I knew you would join the darkside! :D Well, there are a lot of amazing albums, but I'm away from home right now, so I'll chime in with some specific albums that I think are really good examples, and then I'll let you know where to get the charts.

Next thing you know you'll be selling the plank for the real bass, and joining the jazz legions for good!

;)
 
#14
Well I was in the same situation as you are now, I was in a Top 40 covers outfit a jazz trio and a original band just subbin in although my practice time was devouted to these three acts it helped me anywaywith my
a) listening skills both learnin songs and listening to your band members
b) learning all the skills needed to play those styles ie. slappin n popin on tunes or puttin the theory together when reading a jazz number etc

So really you are practicing by devouting time to your band

Oh by the way im not with those bands now because theyve found permanent players where as I am a player that subs in so be fortunate that you have a band but now I have time to practice so it works both ways I guess is what im trying to say


Oh forgive me if theres any spelling errors until then

GROOVE IS EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING MUST GROOVE
 
#15
Juneau said:
Its also in Db I believe or "5 Flats" :)
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I'm pretty sure it's in Eb minor (6 flats - relative to Gb major). You can certainly play the Eb dorian mode over the A section in Eb minor (which is relative to Db major) but the chords and melody on the bridge incorporate 6 flats (that ol' Cb - it's the root of the first chord of the bridge and the melody outlines a Cb major triad).

I think Miles Davis's recording "Kind of Blue" is a great introduction to jazz and is also a fantastic recording. Nearly every tune on there is a jazz standard and you're expected to know them in jazz circles. They are all but one in the Real Book. Paul Chambers plays bass and is arguably one of the most influencial bassists ever to pluck (or bow) a fat string.

-Scot
 
#17
30% scales and excercises

30% classical etudes and pieces

30% jazz stuff

I am a jazz player through and through but I feel that work on scales, arps, and classical etudes help with chops and intonation.

I also spend about 30 minutes a day reading music theory stuff (I'm a geek). Lastly, I try to spend some time almost everyday listening and transcribing.
 

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