So Anyway, I'd suggest playing in a band setting.
And if you're not in a band, I'd recommend putting some effort into finding situations where you can play with other musicians.
Good Luck to you.
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Practice
- Thread starter icarus88
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So Anyway, I'd suggest playing in a band setting.
And if you're not in a band, I'd recommend putting some effort into finding situations where you can play with other musicians.
Good Luck to you.
I'll echo all who said to mix up your routines. If you're running through exercises half hearted, you're getting little out of it. I knew my scales and stuff from long ago, so for me running scales on the bass was just for getting my fret board figured out. Unless I'm figuring out some exotic scale for a specific song, I pretty much never run scales any more. I mostly just work out on material I need to know for gigs. When that gets old, I'll put on some music service (I use Pandora) and play along with whatever pops up just for fun.
And absolutely no harm in taking some time off. When I first started, I was playing/practicing 4-6 hours everyday - just couldn't get enough. Eventually, once I got to a plateau that was functional, I started taking days off here and there. I knew the material I needed to and if I didn't feel like working out, I didn't. Even if I am working something out that is difficult, I find that sometimes taking a day or two off the the instrument will actually allow my brain to process stuff (the brains is a scary thing). After a day or two, you might just find you can do something you were struggling with.
And absolutely no harm in taking some time off. When I first started, I was playing/practicing 4-6 hours everyday - just couldn't get enough. Eventually, once I got to a plateau that was functional, I started taking days off here and there. I knew the material I needed to and if I didn't feel like working out, I didn't. Even if I am working something out that is difficult, I find that sometimes taking a day or two off the the instrument will actually allow my brain to process stuff (the brains is a scary thing). After a day or two, you might just find you can do something you were struggling with.
There may be some basis for that. Learning new things involves what some call muscle memory, but is really building new patterns of neural synapses in the brain. Some of this occurs while we practice, but those neurons continue to interact and harden off the synapses when we step away and rest. Taking a break for a day or two on occasion may be a good thing. If you are hitting a wall in your progression, it may be necessary.
Unfortunately, I don't have the opportunity to play with the band because I'm a rookie.
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i was in this same boat about a month ago, sick of practicing/woodshedding for nothing..Was gonna case all the basses and cover the amps. Tho i planted a seed a month before that and told my friend who has a gigging/touring blues band, if anyone he knew anyone that needed a bassist....... get a random call by this gorgeous fitness instructor/singer with guit/drums who was getting together a show band "standard cover band radio hits 50-90's".Now im back to woodshedding these songs for the group, only a month and almost up to 30 songs now..ya just never know when somethings gonna change.
Does not apply to experienced multi year advanced bass players. More like go on vacation a week and back in the saddle in a day tops. Most important thing to becoming a better musician is inspiration. Taking a week, or even more off and cultivating other interests is good for your overall musicianship and you return fresh.
I'm lucky because I enjoy practicing so I don't get bored but I do get stuck in a rut of doing the same routine at times. I've been playing a long time and there have been seasons where life got in the way and i took breaks, sometimes long breaks, and those breaks may have caused a temporary back slide but I came back with vigor and fresh ideas.
I took 3 years off from playing almost completely. I got burned out and was riding motorcycles more. Just started gigging again around the past year or so. Didn't realize how much I missed it.
For practice I find a new song every week that I want to learn. I typically have it picked up within a couple minutes and then the next day learn another one. I still practice the one from the day before as well. Within a month I was back to playing all the stuff from my previous band (about 45 songs) plus another 10 or 12 songs that I learned that month. I don't pigeon hole my playing either. I randomize a Playlist and play to it. It will go from Booker T and the MGs to High on Fire. It's my favorite way to practice.
For practice I find a new song every week that I want to learn. I typically have it picked up within a couple minutes and then the next day learn another one. I still practice the one from the day before as well. Within a month I was back to playing all the stuff from my previous band (about 45 songs) plus another 10 or 12 songs that I learned that month. I don't pigeon hole my playing either. I randomize a Playlist and play to it. It will go from Booker T and the MGs to High on Fire. It's my favorite way to practice.
Call my buds over & we free jam every other week. All in dif bands but this is pure playing for hours.
Time off is often a good thing. Muscles and tendons need recovery time, and so do brains. I've often found that after drilling like crazy on something (drums or bass) for a sustained period of fime (days, weeks) and then walking away for a couple of days, I come back to it with better execution than when I left it. Your brain tends to solve problems in the background, and technique is just another problem to solve.
Obviously, the longer the gaps, the longer the ramp time to get back to a desired level. But time off is not a bad thing, especially if you're feeling burned out.
Obviously, the longer the gaps, the longer the ramp time to get back to a desired level. But time off is not a bad thing, especially if you're feeling burned out.
Not for me. What’s harmful is taking off weeks or months.
I don't think playing an instrument is like competitive sports, maybe at the highest technical level of "virtuoso" but otherwise if you study your instrument well you won't regress much.
I took a break from guitar longer than TEN YEARS and I forgot the songs I used to know by memory, but technique wise the only thing I lost was bending. I was not a virtuoso but neither a beginner, as an idea I played with my bands classic rock stuff like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Queen, plus I practiced (but never been solid enough to have the guts to play live) songs by Satriani, Vai and Dream Theater.
The key is to practice correctly for long-term benefits, then it's unforgettable almost like driving, riding a bike or skiing, but not competitively Hint: those who drive/ride/ski competitively achieve the greatest speeds, but also kill themselves more often (or at least get injured). Their extreme trainings make them compete at the very edge of their possibility which also means unreliably and risky. You don't normally want to be unreliable when you play music
Not at all. I would say it's even better. It allows you to learn even better by taking time instead of practicing without any feedback.
After years if sitting at a piano, and later bass guitar, with that ticking monster named Seth Thomas, I believe it needs to be outlawed by International Law as a torture device. Like Listerine, I hate it, but I use it.
For me, if I GOT to have a timekeeper for solo practice, I bought a BOSS drum maching, so at least I can use a kick, snare, and hi-hat as a timekeeper instead of tik,tok,tik,tok,tic,tok . . . . gotta go, the Metronome PTSD is setting in.
It's the equivalent of an athlete working out: Some days you'd rather take an a** whipping than go, but ya got to stay in shape. You CAN give yourself a day off occasionally, but you got to put the time in. You WILL thank yourself later.
For me, if I GOT to have a timekeeper for solo practice, I bought a BOSS drum maching, so at least I can use a kick, snare, and hi-hat as a timekeeper instead of tik,tok,tik,tok,tic,tok . . . . gotta go, the Metronome PTSD is setting in.
It's the equivalent of an athlete working out: Some days you'd rather take an a** whipping than go, but ya got to stay in shape. You CAN give yourself a day off occasionally, but you got to put the time in. You WILL thank yourself later.
Nothing wrong with taking time off from time to time but I would also encourage you to always have a side project going. Like go to the SBL site and work on their timing and groove course. Or learn to sight read if you can't already (it opens a lot of doors and new avenues to look down). Buy a book of etudes and learn them (they are great warm ups.) Things like that.
I'm working on learning Donna Lee and getting it up to speed. If I'm at a loss for what to work on I just pick that up and hash away at it.
I'm working on learning Donna Lee and getting it up to speed. If I'm at a loss for what to work on I just pick that up and hash away at it.
I get a cup of coffee and watch Netflix. Smoking is harmful…taking a couple of days off isn’t.
I work with bands and try to constantly learn new songs, sometimes when it's not even required.
I try to take Sundays off as a reset day if I don't have a gig. Some weeks I gig on Tuesdays, making Wed my reset day.
I almost always practice Thursdays to prep for weekend gigs.
I try to take Sundays off as a reset day if I don't have a gig. Some weeks I gig on Tuesdays, making Wed my reset day.
I almost always practice Thursdays to prep for weekend gigs.
Best way to stay motivated at anything is set a small goal for yourself and than move on to a medium sized goal until you have achieved that, move through the plateau of challenges you set for yourself. Set off on that path until you have reached the level of success you want.
