life getting in the way of practice

Noodle improv. It's what I do when there isn't enough time to really do anything. I guess it would be more technical to say "work on technique" but I'm really just noodling around.

 

Wait until you have a kid! Fagettaboutit. I get to practice with my band once a week and gigs. I have virtually no time to practice at home. The boy loves bass, but if he hears me playing, he won't sleep.

Like anything in life, you make your choices and allocate time accordingly. It depends on how important it is to you vs other things. You cannot have it all. Life is all about trade-offs.

 

Im on the same boat, 4 hour daily commute, fulltime career, band practice, gigs, wife, son, church, workout, side job but I still get it in 3 hours day, I either wake up early and do an hour and do the rest st night, stay up late to get it done all at once or practice when I get home and take a nap get up at 2 am lol and finish.

however you do it, especially ifc your time is limited, the key is to stay focused and have a plan and also the pandora px 5 is amazing tool, especially as a headphone amp.

On weekend s I'm playing 6 to 8 hours.

 

I ran across this video (called Exercises away from the bass) by TBer Fergie Fulton last night. Food for thought on the physical side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab-dtzrAnkg&feature=youtu.be

 

For what it's worth guys --- all that work will eventually bring you to retirement. Kids raised, pension and Social Security coming in. And guess what? People want music in the afternoon so when you retire you can gig as much as you want, because all the competition, from the younger guys, are at work making a living and not available.

Practice enough to keep the dust off of your instruments and look forward to the kids being gone and money coming in from your pensions, etc.

O'h yes, I should thank all of you for stimulating the economy so my pensions do keep coming. Been retired since 2000 and loving every moment. Was going to paint the dock this morning, but, got up too late, decided to start that chore this afternoon....... I know, I know.......

There is time for everything........ maybe not at this moment, but, look ahead.

 

Couldn't have said it better. I'm 42, have two kids, wife, career and all the requisite busyness these things entail. The key for me is I try to get in a -consistent- 30-minutes/night on my instrument. Trying to cram 3 hours of practice a day into a busy life can just be downright disheartening.

You'd be surprised at what you can accomplish if you focus on shorter but really focused practice sessions consistently every day. Sometimes I miss out, but I've been fairly consistent doing this on a new instrument/technique for two years now. While the progress is slow, if I compare myself to when I started, I notice marked improvement. It helps to have supportive band mates who give me the "wow! that was cool" look when I integrate a new riff or line now and then.

There are riffs in my head that I tell myself--"don't worry, you'l have that down pat in about five years."

But in all seriousness, sometimes taking the long-range view helps combat that "I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere" feeling.

 

First, go to bed knowing when you are going to practice the next day. Not "I'll practice sometime tomorrow" but "I have an hour between 4 and 5 PM to practice".

As far as what to practice, that's a little hard to say without knowing where you are, musically. I have a daygig, two regular sessions a week, gig fairly frequently. I have a girlfriend (with whom I been cohabiting for 33 years now), a cat, a mortgage etc. So I only have about an hour in the mornings before I get on the train. So I spend about 15 minutes working on long tones with the bow, about 15 minutes working on the improv exercise I describe in the the thread REALLY Learning a Tune (I'm at accent two triplets, moving melody), about 15 minutes working on ear training and another 15 minutes on what I call "hobby" stuff - playing different melodies to standards arco, reading through Simandl etudes or Bach two parts (arco), reading through to learn tunes (melodies) that the session guys bring in (the latest was Ron McClure's APRIL IN NIMES, a contrafact on APRIL IN PARIS that's a real knucklebuster).
You do that every day, you make steady and consistent progress.

 

+1

Im 41, 2 young kids, own my own business, wife, house, etc etc, and I do it after everyone goes to bed at night. My wife has always been an early to bed/early to rise and I am the opposite, so I get 2-3 hours by myself every night and that is when I practice. For me it is about working on technique, but equally about blowing off steam, so I make sure I do it every night.

 

I'm frankly old and often tired by the time I get home, My practice time lacks the focus that I have at work because pressure and such does a good job of getting the adrenaline flowing. I'm beat when I come home much of the time. I wish there was some way of generating some of the focus I have at work, at practice
As it is I'm realistic about expecting taking up a new instrument at my age is going tio take a while -- 3 year plan.. Unfortunately it seesm every time I build a little momentum, I have soem other set of obkigations that pull me away.

 

Imo&e, the most efficient and productive use of time if you can do only one thing is to learn songs note for note by ear.

 

Well, I'm new here and at the age of 48 after many years of wanting to have decided to give it a go (I believe, anyway...)
I have always had a thing for the bass since I was a kid but never "found" the time to do anything about it. Now, that my son has been playing drums for about 4 years, I think it's a good time for me to learn, to play a little with him and maybe get involved with a church group sometime down the road or a bunch of old guys playing covers, if that is even possible.
I know at my age I have no expectations of touring the world so I'm not too concerned about knowing every scale there is out there, or
tattooing into my brain the deepest bits of music theory knowledge that there is to know.
I am practicing when I can by myself and will be taking lessons soon as well. For me, it's all about the expectations I have for myself I guess, right or wrong.

 

Either deliberately carve out the time or lower your expectations and take satisfaction with the time you can get, however small. (I've done both)

 

You are not alone, I am 40, 2 hour daily commute, fulltime career, wife, three kids = take them to karate, gymnastic, soccer, movies on Friday, church on Sunday, friends bla bla . Here is my schedule:

4.30 am, wake up
4:30-5.00 brew coffee, poo
5.00 - 5:30 pray time
5:30 -6:30 practice
6.30-7.00 take a shower, wake up kids and wife.
7 - 8 drive to work,
8-5 work,
5-6 drive back home,
6-7 cook dinner , talk with the wife, drink a beer,
7-10 play with kids, watch tv, read a book, have another beer.
10-4 Sleep time, usually I will wake up every two hours 12am 2am , 3am , I wont get out of bed but I will make sure that nothing strange is going on
4 30 wake up and follow the same routine

 

Overshare!

 

This is encouraging to read...

I'm 28, half done with a music degree, work 45+ hrs a week managing a coffeeshop and teaching lessons, married, almost 2yr old and twins on the way... the study of music and my instrumental pursuits keeps me sane. I try to get 30-60 minutes a day even when everything is insane (always). I feel like I'm learning more now than when I was touring and playing a lot of jazzy funky **** with Nashville folks during my time down south.

It's all about Goals imo. Where are you going with music? Are you on your way to lincoln center or just trying to satisfy the inner voice? When I finally learned that I was a technique and theory nerd and not an entertainer, it allowed me to focus on the parts of my musical existence that meant most.

I so feel ya on life getting in the way though-it's hard to develop a skill on a high level when you have the grind to attend to. I'm scared of trying to finish my degree with this litter of helions I'm about to have. I'm thinkin of it as practice insurance

Cheers!

 

Unfortunately, this is about all I manage most week days. Usually I'll pull out the metronome, sometimes play along with a tune, but "focused" practice is not easy when my brain is fried from a long day as a cubicle slave.

- Crap mo' stank...

 

To all fellow married people with kids,jobs and everything else.Here's what I did(it's either the smartest or dumbest thing I ever did). I somehow managed(or it was her idea as I have been told HaHa) to get my wife to learn the guitar.It might not work for everyone....and sometimes not me.But it does give you someone to jam with even if she's picking it up way faster than you are.

 

Hi I am new here,
But I have been feeling the same way as a lot of people in regards to not having enough practice time. No matter how hard I try to manage my time something else always comes up to snatch up more time. I used to get up at 4 AM to practice before commuting to work, and I actually was pretty consistent for a couple of years, but I eventually burned out. My reward for all this--I have two very musically talented boys. I find myself being thankful for what music skills I have now instead of beating myself for not being able to get more.