• 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.

Practicing each day

T

TheFrogPrince

Jun 4, 2009
56
1
#1
There's obviously a lot of things to incorporate when practicing. I'm wondering what to practice everyday and what one could practice every few days. If one has 45-60 minutes, what would you suggest practicing?

The one thing I'm thinking is a must is sight-reading each day and learning a new standard tune or two each week. What about transcribing and other bits and pieces? What sort of time would you suggest partitioning to each?
 
#2
I have been playing since 1968 ... I try to play/practice every day ...

Some of what I work on ...

1 - noodling ... loosening up.
2 - speed and precision exercises
3 - songs ... learning or relearning songs.
4 - technique ... slapping, pick playing, fingerstyle ... etc ...
5 - tone ... work on tone
6 - more noodling ... just playing every day keeps you loose.

I specifically try to avoid sight reading ... I follow the play from the right side of the brain theory and sight reading is a left brained task. Plus the sooner I commit a song to memory and get off of sheet music the better I play it.
 
#3
Ric5 said:
I specifically try to avoid sight reading ... I follow the play from the right side of the brain theory and sight reading is a left brained task. Plus the sooner I commit a song to memory and get off of sheet music the better I play it.
Click to expand...

O.k I don't want to come across as trying to start something, but NOT sight-reading? That's a first here. I agree with you that it's a left-brained operation, though.
 
#4
Every week my instructor gives me the following, if I was a better student I might get it all done each week.

1) An arpeggio/inversion/scale/pattern to play in various intervals 2nds, minor 3rds, 4ths and in various ways, down to up, up shift a second then down shift a second.... There are tons of ways to run these patterns and at this point I just mix up the method until I'm sure I know the pattern.

2) Some sort of finger workout, stuff like playing 1,2,3,4 - 1,2,4,3 - 1,3,2,4 - 1,3,4,2 -1,4,2,3 -1,4,3,2 - 2,1,3,4.....

3) A song usually from sheet or tab, sometimes I'll try transcribe something myself and bring it in..ext.

4) Some changes to play over, a new progression to learn, or a technique specific exercise, ext.
 
#5
One hour sight reading (good sight readers are invariably good musicians)
1/2 Hour Arpeggios and scales
1 hour walking lines through standards slowly enough to think out each note
1 hour jazz 'heads'
1/2 hour soloing concepts
Gig related stuff
 
#7
I practice every day and spend most of my time playing with songs recorded during band practice. I make notes next to the lyrics as I go along (which usually include scale charts - I'm a rookie still). If I play that song again after some time, the notes give me a kick-start on what works well and what 'intuitive' stuff does not work. If I play for example in F or Bb, I make sure that I'm equally at ease playing with the root chord on either the 3 or 4 string.

If I get itchy to try new stuff, I practice grooves from one of a few groove-books from my shelf.

As far as sight reading goes: pay most attention to what you'll use live. If you will only use chord charts live (like myself), then spend most time practicing from chord charts. And do practice without any sheets / charts now and again in order to train your ear. Rest assured the time will come when you need to play with on a song not scheduled for playing - you might even not have heard it before.
 
#8
Ric5 said:
I have been playing since 1968 ... I try to play/practice every day ...

Some of what I work on ...

1 - noodling ... loosening up.
2 - speed and precision exercises
3 - songs ... learning or relearning songs.
4 - technique ... slapping, pick playing, fingerstyle ... etc ...
5 - tone ... work on tone
6 - more noodling ... just playing every day keeps you loose.

I specifically try to avoid sight reading ... I follow the play from the right side of the brain theory and sight reading is a left brained task. Plus the sooner I commit a song to memory and get off of sheet music the better I play it.
Click to expand...



Theory is left brained' until you've internalized it. Then it just becomes natural. In order to effectively apply theory it needs to be second nature. You might not have needed it, and that's cool. I just wanted to clarify.

As for sight reading--it depends on what you're career goals are.
 
#9
All the above suggestions are good. However I'm surprised (well... not really, because it's nearly always overlooked) that so far no one has mentioned practicing their timing and groove. Wheather you read or not, and no matter how much theory you know, if your timing and groove is not kept up to scratch, it renders everything else useless. IMO a certain part of practice time should be put aside for timing/groove.
 
#14
When I'm not learning or improving on songs that I'm actually going to play live I play along with CDs almost exclusively.

My band plays primarily alt country and rockabilly, but I also try to play music outside those genres - blues, light jazz, funk, etc.

I am always looking for music that is a challenge to play - not too difficult, but if I can play it in my sleep I don't think it's doing me a lot of good.
 
#15
This is what I am currently doing. I practice about 5 times a week.

1) 10 minutes of right hand muting exercise- I use exercises my teacher gave me.
2) 15 minutes of left handed exercises- I use exercises my teacher gave me that are similar to the Bass Fitness book.
3) 5 minutes of scales. I normally pick a key and play though all the modes.
4) 15-20 minutes of Building a Walking Bass Line by Ed Friedland (this is a great book)
5) 15-20 minutes of transcription. I'll listen to some Reggae or Soul/R&B music and write out the line.
6) Sometimes if I am feeling Frisky I'll end with some Slap It! or write some original grooves. Other times I'll do some sight reading on Bach pieces.

The cool thing about practicing is that I always feel that there is more to do. I try to keep my sessions between an hour and an hour and a half so that I don't get burnt out. I also try to jam together with at guitar player every weekend. Sometimes I'll do Jazz or Blues, or originals depending on who the person is I am playing with. It's hard to keep motivated when you are a working professional with a family and no band but I keep it up.
 
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
#16
Heres roughly what I do but my musical goals are probably different than yours due to sight-reading not being necessary to my goals.

I do this 2-3 times a week
5-10 mins scales/warmup
10-20 mins techniques review (I do a couple different things)
15 mins working on a specific technique or new patterns (usually a speed thing)
5-20 mins learning new riffs/songs
Than spend a minimum or 10 mins writing new riffs or trying to finish songs or just noodling

The rest of the days I'll do this
10 mins warmup (scales, speed exercises)
Do a practice solo 5-10 mins
Write riffs, attempt to finish songs or record for as long as I feel like playing could be anywhere from 10 mins to 2 hours.

Also whenever I get a bass player/guitar mag I'll sit down and analyze the harmony and rhythm of the songs in the tab section.

I also tend to woodshed technique while playing online poker at the same time...works great if you play that sort of thing. The only thing I recommend to every is practice improvisation and WRITE SOMETHING EVERY DAY. Writing is its own skill that needs to be practiced.
 
#18
fearceol said:
All the above suggestions are good. However I'm surprised (well... not really, because it's nearly always overlooked) that so far no one has mentioned practicing their timing and groove. Wheather you read or not, and no matter how much theory you know, if your timing and groove is not kept up to scratch, it renders everything else useless. IMO a certain part of practice time should be put aside for timing/groove.
Click to expand...

+100 That was the forst thing I thought of when I first read this post. I practice timing everytime.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back