Keeping practice routines fresh..

[rob_d]

What are some ideas on here for keeping your practice routines effective without getting stale? If you change what you're working on each week, for example, is that enough time to get a lot out of it? If you stick with it longer do you lose interest and find it harder to stick to your daily practice?

 

[rodoherty1]

Hi Rob,

I suffer from Staleship (staleness, stalehood ?) as well. For the past few months I have been spending an average of 30/40 mins (of my daily 1.5 hour routine) scaling up and down the fretboard in a certain key. I try a Pentatonic scale (in different fretboard positions), 7th arpeggios (in different positions) and the modes (in different positions).

It has become a bit too boring lately so I'm trying to spice it up by doing some sight-reading followed by walking basslines or attempted soloing. Basically, an application of all the scale practice I've been doing.

I'm considering relegating scale-practice to every-second-day now. (i.e. Monday Scales, Tuesday improv, Wed Scales, Thursday improv, etc).

We'll see how that works for me ...
By the way, this isn't advice ... it's just a few thoughts.

Take Care,

Rob.

 

[Lovebown]

Here's my advice:

Transcribe. Take something that's not too on top of your head. Learn to sing it, then play it on your axe. Go slowly and get the phrasing and nuances right. Choosing something other than a bass solo or bass line is usually good...

/lovebown

 

[jazzbo]

I have a thread called Practice Practice Practice. Try a search on it.

Further, I think some people practice the same thing everyday because, well, it's what they practice, and if they're going to practice, they should practice what they practice. Right?

Not necessarily. First, practice what you don't know. If you keep running the same scale, the same way, the benefits start to diminish. You must challenge yourself. Whether it's with the Lydian Dominant scale, playing all arpeggios from 3rd inversion, transcribing a song, playing along with a song, or some technique. You must challenge yourself. When you do this, you can't be bored.

Also, if you're hurting for fresh material, it's time to get a teacher. (Truth is, it's always time to get a teacher). They'll give you plenty of new stuff to work on.

 

[Lovebown]

Originally posted by jazzbo

Not necessarily. First, practice what you don't know. If you keep running the same scale, the same way, the benefits start to diminish. You must challenge yourself. Whether it's with the Lydian Dominant scale, playing all arpeggios from 3rd inversion, transcribing a song, playing along with a song, or some technique. You must challenge yourself. When you do this, you can't be bored.

Problem is it's not always so easy to practice on what you DON'T know.

I think most people with a decent ear and perception of music theory can shed stuff in all keys and so forth...Get a basic repertoir and technique ... but taking it to the next step is hard...

Getting there will probably be a result of either

- a teacher opening up new possibilities

- focused transcription studies

or likely both.

/lovebown