If scales, scales. If cycle of fourths, cycle of fourths. If blues, blues. If Ray Brown lines, Ray Brown lines. I learned this lesson playing golf (do you want to get good at hitting balls at the range or do you want to get good at playing golf?) but sometimes forget it with my music. Life is short. My motto now is spend your time practicing the material you actually want to play and NOTHING else. Yeah, I know, I might end up with limited technique as a result. I’ll risk it. You can’t have everything in life. YMMV…
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You get good at what you practice
- Thread starter Geepers
- Start date
If one cooks a complicated multi-course meal with only one ingredient, it will fail. Better to have awareness and experience with as many ingredients as possible if one hopes to become a master chef.
I've apparently become really good at YouTube and munchies... 
True -- but not everyone aspires to be a master chef. Some of us are happy to be able to cook up a few simple but satisfying meals.
With this in mind, I actually agree with OP in part. For example, I only play in guitar-oriented rock bands, so I don't spend much time practicing in flat keys that I rarely come across. That said, though, I do find it useful sometimes to work on particular aspects of my technique in isolation rather than in the context of songs. For example, I often work on my pickstyle and left-hand muting techniques by just playing open strings. I don't play golf, but it seems to me this is a bit like spending time on the driving range -- and I have a hard time believing that one can't improve their golf game by doing so.
One will certainly improve one's long game by spending time at the driving range...but ask anyone who just biffed a 4-foot putt whether more time whacking balls with a #2 club at the driving range would've prevented that.
You also don't have to highly proficient in a given technique or style to play around, explore and come up with ideas. Once the material is written and green lit for a gig or recording, you should practice it to the exclusion of other stuff. That said, you do need to pursue a baseline level of proficiency such that your ideas are not hampered by your bad technique or lack of knowledge.
I can't execute a Phrygian scale at 160 bpm 8th notes in multiple octaves across the neck, but I can mess around with Phrygian and come up with cool ideas.
Interestingly this idea runs counter to the saying "don't practice what you can already play". there's wisdom in both.
I can't execute a Phrygian scale at 160 bpm 8th notes in multiple octaves across the neck, but I can mess around with Phrygian and come up with cool ideas.
Interestingly this idea runs counter to the saying "don't practice what you can already play". there's wisdom in both.
Pretty much that's the story of my life as a musician... especially the part about bad technique..LOL!!! But that hasn't kept be from having played thousands of gigs over the decades.
I agree that you do get much better gigging than at the proverbial "driving range".
Good thread.
I have a nephew who has focused only on playing basketball since he was young. He's fundamentally very good at basketball, but he has slow feet, isn't very tough, and otherwise is awful at every other sport than basketball. That's how I look at this scenario. It's fine for many to have a style that is your speciality, but I can't see how exploring other styles/modes/keys/whatever doesn't benefit a player in their area of focus.
At this point in my "career", I tend to be on the "play only what I need to prep" side of the coin. Full member in one band, a part time sub (20ish gigs per year) in another and a project still in the garage leaves me with over 200 songs (and growing) I need to keep fresh.
But I do, sometimes, try to sneak in a little bit of technique work when doing so. For example, when working out new songs, I consider if I can use a pick on a song (one of my weaknesses) or can I throw some slap on this (another weakness). Scale and arpeggio concepts can be refined playing blues songs - even if they don't end up being the actual lines I'll use.
But I do, sometimes, try to sneak in a little bit of technique work when doing so. For example, when working out new songs, I consider if I can use a pick on a song (one of my weaknesses) or can I throw some slap on this (another weakness). Scale and arpeggio concepts can be refined playing blues songs - even if they don't end up being the actual lines I'll use.
The way I got "good" was by playing in front of audiences. And it's not like I was trying to get better. It's kinda like getting fat: You don't notice what's going on until you realize it has happened.
mmmm, maybe, issue is that when you play bass for someone, they will play songs you don't like. The guy I play for does not like country music. So, we play 1 or 2 country songs. I love blues, we have 1 blues song, and its a train wreck when he plays it.
I play every weekend at this point. Usually a new tune or two. I work on being able to play what I’m going to play this weekend. When there are more tunes to learn a couple weeks out, I’ll work ahead.
If my technique is “limited” to only being really good at the music I play, I’m OK with that.
If my technique is “limited” to only being really good at the music I play, I’m OK with that.
This is what I did with disc golf. Couldn't throw a forehand past 150 feet, spent some time in the field working on form and technique, figuring out how to keep my elbow from requiring surgery, and now I have a consistent 380 footer that pushes 400 sometimes.
However, if I practiced poorly, I'd still be throwing 200 footers with a Tommy John surgery to my bills.
We can improve on anything if we practice correctly. I played so much pop and country music over the years I never practiced what I liked which was chugging in low tunings, and I'm improving each day.
However, if I practiced poorly, I'd still be throwing 200 footers with a Tommy John surgery to my bills.
We can improve on anything if we practice correctly. I played so much pop and country music over the years I never practiced what I liked which was chugging in low tunings, and I'm improving each day.
When we make playing mistakes and don't stop to correct them (repeatedly) we end up practising how to make mistakes and ingrain them into our playing 
I wanted to get better at playing a solo on a jazz standard. So I did just that, practice soloing. For 2 years. And 2 weeks ago at the jazz jam I got handed a solo and I did it. Before I had tried it and failed many times, but this time I was confident, knew the changes, had some fresh ideas that made the horn section turn their heads around. I don't play fast, or many notes, but I play nice ones. Now to practice speed, because I want to be able to play fast solos as well.
Now to practice speed, because I want to be able to play fast solos as well.
D
I used to think solos had to have some fast stuff somewhere. Not true, its impressive, but so is the groove.I wanted to get better at playing a solo on a jazz standard. So I did just that, practice soloing. For 2 years. And 2 weeks ago at the jazz jam I got handed a solo and I did it. Before I had tried it and failed many times, but this time I was confident, knew the changes, had some fresh ideas that made the horn section turn their heads around. I don't play fast, or many notes, but I play nice ones.
Playing/practicing different styles sharpens you. I flip flop between these and it is amazing how better my technique is. Yin & Yang.
-Polish hardcore/punk
-Punk metal/crust
-Thrash punk
-Oi/Street punk
-Black speed metal thrash punk rap
-Bossa
-Samba
-Latin jazz
-Gypsy swing
-Polish hardcore/punk
-Punk metal/crust
-Thrash punk
-Oi/Street punk
-Black speed metal thrash punk rap
-Bossa
-Samba
-Latin jazz
-Gypsy swing
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Problem is if someone is doing it wrong from the get-go...it can be very hard to break old habits 
That will never be the case if you keep pushing yourself. Eventually you’ll master what you’re practicing and you can move on to something else or build on what you’ve learned.
as an axample, two years ago I wanted to be able to walk. I am walking now but now I’m working on aspects of walking to “polish” my walk. Things I’m doing are incorporating pedals to build tension, triplets and other embellishments. Finessing when I play in twos and working on seamlessly alternating.
My Achilles right now is the song form. AABA, ABCAB and blues forms. I’ve been addressing this by singing as I play. You’re absolutely right about practice but you should always be building on what you learn. It’s like a house, if the foundation is good you can keep adding on.
