Why do you practice?

[Road Hat]

I practice every day, haven't missed in ages. Generally 90% is about being ready to perform, including always standing up, facing away from the amp like on stage, and going over tunes on our 100 song set list. The other 10% is learning new stuff. I joined a music-accountability group on one of our work channels about our practice schedules, and I'm the only one really sticking with it. I'd appreciate any tips I can pass along to these folks about practice motivation and reward.

 

[WG Plum]

Practice?

 

[tb-player]

Mental health. Playing/practicing bass is my happy place.

 

[Stevorebob]

Because I think I am making progress.

 

[Road Hat]

Because I think I am making progress.

Thanks for your feedback. Do you have a specific goal in mind that you’re progressing to, such as playing a specific song, or just progress in general, becoming more of a master of the instrument?

 

[12BitSlab]

I practice because I have specific goals that I want to achieve, because it allows me to escape from the everyday stress in my life (which is fairly substantial), and because it makes me happy.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

Motivations:

1. Get better at bass.
2. Stay social beyond middle age.
3. Avoid cognitive decline.

Rewards:

1. Play better music.
2. Stay happy longer.
3. Stay aware longer.

Methods:

1-3. Study music in general with bass as the primary instrument. Theory, reading, performance, composing.

 

[flannel cat]

making up for lost time at something i am starting to understand now, and rekindling a love for it that i see through an older set of eyes that doesnt mind doing the time to get it.

 

[J Wilson]

To endanger nearby people and animals with all the rust being shaken off and flung at dangerous velocities, and to fuel my long anxiety that I should be better at it after all these years.

But on the right day when the planets align, all of a sudden, I'm DOIN' it, and I enter an instance of missing time when ALL the musical endorphins are goin' off and it's just utter bliss for a few minutes, the best feeling in the world, better than anything else. Maybe I practice trying to conjure that massive rush from the ether one more time.

 

[lokikallas]

As you said I practice to show up prepared for gigs and rehearsals. Otherwise I see little point if I’m not scheduled to play somewhere.

 

[roccobass]

I practiced more regimentally when I had a tribute rock gig. It was funny, because I was the most rehearsed guy at practice. I just always had to “be ready” Lol. I’d chart out things and remind the boys. That gig ended. If I get another rock gig, I will probably be just as anal.

My jazz practices are more free form even though I use the real book. In practice, I will go over the more difficult ones from our set list or I’ll just pick a song I’ve never played and try to learn it and pitch it as a new addition.

All in all it is a rush to knock it all out. It’s about the only thing I’m organized about.

 

[two fingers]

I've been doing this for 36 years. These days I practice to learn new material.

 

[Hot Rats]

I got tunes to learn. that's about it.

 

[Hot Rats]

I've been doing this for 36 years. These days I practice to learn new material.

haa... you beat me to it.

 

[bherman]

These days, for two reasons (maybe a third in more recent years). 1) To increase my knowledge of music in order to play at a higher level , specifically as applied to the bass. This involves technique, theory, drills to increase my proficiency on the instrument (I play both double bass and bass guitar, both require very different skill sets) 2) to learn material for one of the bands that I'm in - the other is NewGrass and doesn't require much to learn the material 3) this is the more recent - as I get older (I'm 67), I need to practice every day just to keep my hands and arms loose and in good shape to play gigs, as they're more demanding than they used to be.

Honestly, in my opinion if you don't practice, its going to be hard to perform at a reasonably high level, for an extended period of time (2-3 hr gig). We chose a pretty physically demanding instrument with the bass.

 

[Isaac_James]

Playing music makes me happy. I don't really make money off my music (rather the opposite if you take the cost of all my gear into consideration, it'll take a long, long time to make that up at the rates we earn from shows). So I don't play music to feed my family, I do it to feed my soul. Both are important.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I practice every day, haven't missed in ages. Generally 90% is about being ready to perform, including always standing up, facing away from the amp like on stage, and going over tunes on our 100 song set list. The other 10% is learning new stuff. I joined a music-accountability group on one of our work channels about our practice schedules, and I'm the only one really sticking with it. I'd appreciate any tips I can pass along to these folks about practice motivation and reward.

I practice to learn songs and get better at playing them before a show. A show that is almost always far too soon for the amount of songs I have to learn.


All other times I play my bass, I'm doing just that, playing my bass. No goals, no idea of what to play, etc. Just playing my bass. I play my bass everyday. I practice when I have to learn something.

 

[arbiterusa]

To make the voices screaminbb hmmm nnmyn head stop if only for a moment

 

[SunByrne]

I practice because I have specific goals that I want to achieve, because it allows me to escape from the everyday stress in my life (which is fairly substantial), and because it makes me happy.

That right there is a great capsule summary.

 

[basshawk]

To become better... at bass, too.