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Your Honest Practice Routine

B

BlakeJustBlake

May 20, 2010
69
2
37
Denton TX
#1
Here's how mine generally goes:

I'll usually start off with things that the guy giving me lessons assigned. Right now that's all DB stuff like going through a couple octaves of some scales and sight reading a few things.

That's unless I start off with the BG, but either can come first really. I warm up by going through an exercise I kind of thought up where I descend the fretboard in chromatic shapes, one fret per finger, down a chromatic shape, then each fret individually for four sixteenth notes all the way back up, alternating my fingering as I move up the strings (starting on the downbeat with my right finger alternated to my left and so on) then I move down one fret and start over on that when I get back up to the top, I do that, all sixteenth notes at about 60bpm (trying the whole go slow for awhile thing) paying attention to my left hand and right hand while I'm doing it.

Next I go through a scale, I work on one key a day, I go through all the shapes for each mode three times in order, the first time I say out loud the name for each note that I play, the next I go through it and say what interval it is in the scale, then the next time I sing it all in solfege. The next day I just run through that key again and then move on the the fourth of that key (going through the cycle of fourths) and I just run through each one that I go through additionally each time.

Usually by now I am tired of practising so I take a break and this all takes about, maybe 30 minutes to an hour. In between all of this I'll usually take small breaks by just messing around on the bass, not doing anything serious.

Then I'll usually come back and work on sight reading, I'll work on reading rhythms and then I'll work on reading notes and rhythms. After that, if I have the energy or will to do anything else then I'll do something like work on a song or work out of Chord Studies for the electric bass.

Most days I don't have the time to fit all of this in, and there are a lot of things that I'd like to add into my practice like more working out of the books I have, or practicing walking bass lines over some backing tracks, or a lot more ear training exercises. Most of my practice by metronome is done around 60-72bpm, except for sight reading on the DB which I do at around 40bpm.


I'm really interested to hear other peoples routines though because I'm sure there's something I'm missing, most of my practice is to prepare me for jamming with other people instead of any actual performance, because that's what I do most often and that's where I get my most joy.
 
#2
BlakeJustBlake said:
Here's how mine generally goes:

I'll usually start off with things that the guy giving me lessons assigned. Right now that's all DB stuff like going through a couple octaves of some scales and sight reading a few things.

That's unless I start off with the BG, but either can come first really. I warm up by going through an exercise I kind of thought up where I descend the fretboard in chromatic shapes, one fret per finger, down a chromatic shape, then each fret individually for four sixteenth notes all the way back up, alternating my fingering as I move up the strings (starting on the downbeat with my right finger alternated to my left and so on) then I move down one fret and start over on that when I get back up to the top, I do that, all sixteenth notes at about 60bpm (trying the whole go slow for awhile thing) paying attention to my left hand and right hand while I'm doing it.

Next I go through a scale, I work on one key a day, I go through all the shapes for each mode three times in order, the first time I say out loud the name for each note that I play, the next I go through it and say what interval it is in the scale, then the next time I sing it all in solfege. The next day I just run through that key again and then move on the the fourth of that key (going through the cycle of fourths) and I just run through each one that I go through additionally each time.

Usually by now I am tired of practising so I take a break and this all takes about, maybe 30 minutes to an hour. In between all of this I'll usually take small breaks by just messing around on the bass, not doing anything serious.

Then I'll usually come back and work on sight reading, I'll work on reading rhythms and then I'll work on reading notes and rhythms. After that, if I have the energy or will to do anything else then I'll do something like work on a song or work out of Chord Studies for the electric bass.

Most days I don't have the time to fit all of this in, and there are a lot of things that I'd like to add into my practice like more working out of the books I have, or practicing walking bass lines over some backing tracks, or a lot more ear training exercises. Most of my practice by metronome is done around 60-72bpm, except for sight reading on the DB which I do at around 40bpm.


I'm really interested to hear other peoples routines though because I'm sure there's something I'm missing, most of my practice is to prepare me for jamming with other people instead of any actual performance, because that's what I do most often and that's where I get my most joy.
Click to expand...

It sounds like you do a lot more than I do. I warm up my fingers doing the spider exercise. Then I practice the major and minor scales all over the neck. Then I practice major and minor arpeggios. Sometimes I play every note while calling out the names of notes (I use a diagram to cheat)

then I play my band songs. we only have 9 songs so far.

if I can't play one day.. I'll watch a few youtube lessons.
 
#3
When I was attempting to go to school for bass performance I would put in 8 hour days that went something like this:
1 hour warm up and scales
2 hours of playing along to records by ear
2 hours of reading
1 hours of song writing
1 hour of woodshed technique building
1 hour of odd time and general metronome stuff

Keep in mind, to pull that practice routine off you have to be an antisocial freak who has no job, relationship, or emotionally satisfying aspect of your life other than music.
I ended up switching majors, so now I just review modes and read until I get bored (like 20 min) then work on my band's songs for about an hour unless we have practice that day.
 
#4
It always changes but...
Right now I warm up on all the 4's on the C chapter Chord Studies for the Electric Bass about 20 Minutes.
One hour on some jazz licks, then moving them through some tunes, throwing in substitutions and the like.
Reading Studies, about 20 minutes, all out of time. I'll test myself later by attempting a piece I feel I can play at tempo.
20 minutes or so on walking lines.

Then it's on to learning tunes for the various bands.
 
#6
First, a mental warm-up:
  • I remind myself of the difference between practicing and noodling
  • I remind myself to practice, not until I get it right, but until I can't get it wrong
  • I remind myself to spend more time on my weaknesses or things that I find particularly challenging, rather than focus on the immediately rewarding skills that I already have
  • I remind myself to keep it fun, otherwise what's the point?
  • I remind myself that I will play whatever I practice. So if I practice scales, I will know how to play scales, whereas if I practice improvisation, I will be a better improviser

My routine:
  • Arpeggios, several main chords (maj7, 7, m7, dim, aug, maj6 etc) around circ 5 with smooth transitions via inversions
  • Improv along with Band in a Box tracks I created
  • Reading: random page selection out of the Real Book
  • Transcriptions of favorite lines/solos of stuff that I'm listening to
  • Review tunes on my group's active playlist

BUT... this is just what I've found works for me and my goals.
 
#7
15 min sight reading bass clef
10 min sight reading treble clef
30 min playing piano (I’m teaching myself how to play piano)
10 min eartraining (iPhone app)
30-45 min learning tunes (Depends upon the gigs, sometimes misc covers, sometimes Realbook)

I also play and addition 2-3 hours everyday with rehearsals, teaching, or gigs.
 
#11
@ Asher S good call on the mental warm up, I find myself noodling a lot.
My routine is pretty simple and not as thorough as what I see hear.
My routine is finger exercises practice along with a recording of some of our songs then sometimes practice the bass line with no accompaniment then every once in a while play along with some random tune on the radio.
 
#13
GianGian said:
About 2 hours of whatever comes to my mind, preceded by a 5 min warm up. Usually I play some songs and sing. I don't know how you guys can do all this stuff. It is way too tedious.
Click to expand...

I do endurance sports, makes this stuff seem like a piece of cake! Different personality types come into play, I don't find the 'work' aspects of learning an instrument too terribly tedious. After a while it all becomes a part of the routine of daily life. If anything I am working on becomes tedious I immediately stop. We are all rewarded if we push ourselves just a little bit past our zone of comfort, just do this gently, not until blue in the face.
 
#14
first wait for everyone to be gone so I can turn up the volume loud enough to hear it.Then run through "prayer of refuge" - Rise Against and "God Save The Queen" - sex pistols as a warm up. Then I noodle around for a while playing different notes and seeing how the sound together and in certain orders (basicly ear training). From there I pick a spot on the wall and stare at as I run through all the songs I know so I can break the habit of looking at my hands. I also try to walk around when I do this so I don't play so stiff.


When I don't have my bass I listen to the radio or CD's. Sing along to them so I can work on my vocals, listen intently to all the elements of the mix. Pick one instrument to single out in a song and focus on that. If I really like the bass riffs of a song I will listen to it pretty much non-stop tapping my fingers on my phone (while it's in my pocket) to work on my rythm/timing. Usually one finger per number (thumb -1, index -2, middle -3, ring - 4.) All while humming the bass line. This is constant through out the day.
 
#17
Some times I just practice in order to keep limber and burn off excess energy. So I'll run through scales, arpeggios and snippets of songs. Sometime's I'll play with tones and experiment with equipment and software settings. If I'm looking to expand my horizons, I'll start learning a new song I've liked for a while (usually some prog-rock tune) that has some bass licks or progressions that I haven't learned yet. There is so much good stuff out there that I could spend a lifetime just doing that! And if there's a song one of the bands is learning, I'll practice that.
 
#18
GianGian said:
I don't know how you guys can do all this stuff. It is way too tedious.
Click to expand...

It doesn't ever feel tedious because I always see improvement and so I'm constantly motivated. Also there's a very zen quality to practising these things.

Also regarding the difference between practising and noodling, I personally prefer messing around while practising. It adds a nice break while practising, has a good ear training quality to it, and adds a bit of fun. Usually I'll be noodling around with something that I'm practising, so it kind of adds a musical practice and it gives me material to start up on at jam sessions. Plus, when I've cooled down by messing around a lot, then I can get back into practising with a fresh mind. So, I see no need to avoid noodling.

One of the only things that I see that I might be missing out on is playing along with music and a lot more transcription.

Once a lot of people have replied I think it'd be cool to do is to put together everyone's practise routine into a big ultimate practise routine.
 
#19
I have ADHD, so any structured, extended practice routine doesn't work for me. A few minutes of the OP's practice routine and I'd be out walking the dog instead! I'll pick up my bass and run a few lines for a minute or two, then later on I'll play along to a song on my computer for a while. Or I'll practice some of my band's songs for a minute or two or three. Works for me!;)
 
#20
That definitely works. I only have to work in a structured manner because that's all I really have time for. I have a girlfriend that takes up a lot of my time, so whenever I have free time to practice I have to take full advantage of it. If I had all day open to me though I'd be practising just one thing and taking a break and then doing a little bit more and taking a break and so on.
 

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