• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Is 30 minutes practice time enough?

JordiL90

JordiL90

Apr 3, 2018
20
9
#1
Hello, I want to introduce myself, my name is jordi and I just picked up the bass again for the first time after months of not playing it. I have decided I want to become a professional bass-playing musician, with the focus on bass playing cover songs and later on do some record producing for myself and other musicians. Is 30 minutes enough to get started? For more detailed information I created a Practice Routine and also a practice Log so I can notate what went right and what I should be changing, etc, here:

https://2056c4d3-5c1c-4db2-b7a5-8f7...d/b26b48_7d102f6a64204e3498ec1df9d7f2c4bb.pdf

please let me know if this is the right approach I am taking, or atleast moving in the right direction, is maybe a better way of saying it?
 
#3
Not going to click that link, sorry. Can you post an image of it?

Developing professional skills at 30 minutes a day . . . . no, not going to happen. But that assumes you're starting with few skills, little experience, and that you're at least in your 20's. I don't know your situation or your age, so it's tough to give more of an answer.

Edit: Okay after seeing the reply above, I clicked the link. Gotta know how old you are. If you're 14 and just starting out, and you're balancing homework with practice, etc, then this isn't a bad start, but you'll want to expand quickly. If you're really serious, you need at least an hour every day. Preferably two. When I was a kid, I never put practice into a schedule, I just played and practiced almost every moment that I wasn't in school. Now that I've been playing for a living for quite a while, if I could go back, I'd change almost everything I did in terms of what I was practicing. I like that you're learning songs. That's important. Try learning by ear after you've gotten a few tabs down. Learning by ear is one of the bedrock, absolute mission critical skills for any pro. I can sit down and learn a relatively simple song (think most first dance songs at a wedding) in the time it takes me to hear it once through.

If you're out of high school, the uphill battle is a little steeper.

Edit 2: Ditch your warmup. Your scale slot is your warmup. Take those 10 minutes and put it into repertoire.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: smogg, 31HZ, Ekulati and 9 others
#4
I am currently 31. I have had experience with bass in the past. I want to practice 1 to 2 hours eventually. But at the moment I cant really play physically more than that. I can with breaks but not in one session yet. I wanted to start slow and build my way up, Its not important for me how fast it goes, I plan on doing it for a long time 10 - 20 years minimum.
 
#5
Okay, gotcha. Just be aware that you're going to need stamina if you want to go pro. I just finished a 4-day stretch of gigs, all of them were 4 hours, and the last one was on upright. My hands are pretty shredded, but I could still go and play another gig tonight if I had to. Not on upright, though. And not in Montauk . . . . . I've had enough 3-hour drives this week.

Where do you live? Can your market support another bass player making a living playing? That's a huge consideration.
 
  • Like
Reactions: legalbass and Deleted member 365158
#11
JordiL90 said:
Hello, I want to introduce myself, my name is jordi and I just picked up the bass again for the first time after months of not playing it. I have decided I want to become a professional bass-playing musician, with the focus on bass playing cover songs and later on do some record producing for myself and other musicians. Is 30 minutes enough to get started? For more detailed information I created a Practice Routine and also a practice Log so I can notate what went right and what I should be changing, etc, here:

https://2056c4d3-5c1c-4db2-b7a5-8f7...d/b26b48_7d102f6a64204e3498ec1df9d7f2c4bb.pdf

please let me know if this is the right approach I am taking, or atleast moving in the right direction, is maybe a better way of saying it?
Click to expand...

Not to be a smart schmuch, but 30 minutes is not enough time to be commercially acceptable, but on the on the other hand 30 minutes daily may not be enough, considering gigs are usually significantly longer. You need to build up that stamina and that takes time and repetition, much like an athlete.

Adding in the learning curve of mastering the music you will need to play out , it’s a challenge for sure, but it is doable and well worth the it. Best wishes and have fun.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JordiL90
#13
I had a teacher in the 90s who told me if i practiced 6-8 hours a day he'd have me ready for a symphony audition in 2 years (I was young adult with a lifetime of music education up to that point). With 4 hours a day, it could take an extra year or two, he said. With two hours a day, according to this teacher, I'd never be ready.

If you ever spend time at a music school, you'll discover the soloists, first chairs and symphonic principals all have one thing in common: they've consistently spent significant hours behind that Manhasset every day, to the exclusion of almost everything else.

Can you get "good enough" in 30 minutes a day? For some kinds of music, sure. As a first-call, working musician? Nope. Not unless you've got some kind of magic up your sleeve.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Groove Doctor, zenrad, Basslice and 16 others
#14
The reason I created this schedule is mainly for stamina, I plan on doing 2 30 minute sessions pretty soon. maybe in 2 or 3 months, if I can handle it then. Are there any apps for ear training for the bass? I also want to learn theory and reading eventually.
 
#15
I've always felt that lessons in which you're sitting with an instructor are good at 30 minutes per week, especially when you're first starting off. Any more and you might get put off and shy away from it. This timeframe is especially great for kids who might get frustrated, bored or intimidated with an hour-long lesson.

But practicing on your own is key -- and the sky's the limit on time. Play as much as you like as long as you're still having fun and have the time to dedicate.

Most importantly, realize you're not going to master it in one sitting. ;) Enjoy!

JordiL90 said:
Hello, I want to introduce myself, my name is jordi and I just picked up the bass again for the first time after months of not playing it. I have decided I want to become a professional bass-playing musician, with the focus on bass playing cover songs and later on do some record producing for myself and other musicians. Is 30 minutes enough to get started? For more detailed information I created a Practice Routine and also a practice Log so I can notate what went right and what I should be changing, etc, here:

https://2056c4d3-5c1c-4db2-b7a5-8f7...d/b26b48_7d102f6a64204e3498ec1df9d7f2c4bb.pdf

please let me know if this is the right approach I am taking, or atleast moving in the right direction, is maybe a better way of saying it?
Click to expand...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Basslice, BlueTalon and Huw Phillips
#19
To become a professional, you need to be able to put in more time and dedication than a hobbyist would do. 30 minutes sounds more like the time you would dedicate to something of rather minor importance.

What else are you doing the remaining 23h30 of the day? Are those other things more important to you than your professional education?

You can use at least some part of your commuting time to do ear training, studying theory and harmony, etc.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Lee Moses, SteveCS and Huw Phillips

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back