What is your practice regiment?

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dogs (well animals) has got some great riffs :tu:

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My favourite practice regiment is the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Great Regiment. If you meant to say "practice regimen", then I have none. I practice for gigs and that's it. Before we went to Europe in 2017 we practiced for a good 6 months, so I was probably playing better than I had since the mid 80s, when I often had to play two parts and sing at the same time. These days I play or sing, I never do both at once because it would mean having to practice more, which is boring.
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I was tired of "playing" guitar - really noodling - for many years without improving, so I developed a strict practice regimen. However, I am interested in so many styles that my progress in any given one is painfully slow, sometimes taking years to learn a full song in any given style. Having a full time job has really hampered my musical progress as well :(.

Here is the current regimen (approximately one hour each day):

Mondays and Thursdays (jazz guitar):
1) Circle of Fifths warmup - 6th string scales (5 minutes)
2) Circle of Fifths warmup - 5th string licks (5 minutes)
3) Rich Severson walking bass blues comping (5 minutes)
4) Jazz standard rhythm comping with Band in a Box (5 minutes)
5) Jazz standard soloing with Band in a Box (10 minutes)
6) Garrison Fewell jazz improv book exercises (5 minutes)
7) Walking bass comping repertoire (5 minutes)
8. "Teach your guitar to walk" book exercises (5 minutes)
9) Trying to learn a Joe Pass song (currently Blues in G) (15 minutes)

Wednesday - Hammond Organ practice. Mostly using Tim Richards' Improvising Blues Piano book. Less structured.

Tuesdays and Fridays (metal/rock/blues guitar):
1) Warmup (5 minutes)
2) Repertoire practice (5 minutes)
3) New song rhythm practice (10 minutes)
4) Blues scales (5 minutes)
5) Blues licks TrueFire video lesson (5 minutes)
6) Slow Blues Power TrueFire video lesson (5 minutes)
7) Blues improvisation with Band in a Box (10 minutes)
8. New solo practice (10 minutes)
9) I Know a Little intro hybrid picking practice (5 minutes)

Saturdays and Sundays (acoustic guitar):
1) Fingerpicking warmup (5 minutes)
2) Country blues/ragtime repertoire practice (15 minutes)
3) New country blues practice (10 minutes)
4) Bach chorale practice (10 minutes)
5) Bach two part invention repertoire practice (5 minutes)
6) Goldberg Variation Aria practice (5 minutes)
7) New Bach two part invention practice (10 minutes)

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:hail:
“The American fascist would prefer not to use violence. His method is to poison the channels of public information.”
-Henry A. Wallace

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bharris22 wrote: Sun Dec 08, 2019 12:48 am I was tired of "playing" guitar - really noodling - for many years without improving, so I developed a strict practice regimen. However, I am interested in so many styles that my progress in any given one is painfully slow, sometimes taking years to learn a full song in any given style. Having a full time job has really hampered my musical progress as well :(.

Here is the current regimen (approximately one hour each day):

Mondays and Thursdays (jazz guitar):
1) Circle of Fifths warmup - 6th string scales (5 minutes)
2) Circle of Fifths warmup - 5th string licks (5 minutes)
3) Rich Severson walking bass blues comping (5 minutes)
4) Jazz standard rhythm comping with Band in a Box (5 minutes)
5) Jazz standard soloing with Band in a Box (10 minutes)
6) Garrison Fewell jazz improv book exercises (5 minutes)
7) Walking bass comping repertoire (5 minutes)
8. "Teach your guitar to walk" book exercises (5 minutes)
9) Trying to learn a Joe Pass song (currently Blues in G) (15 minutes)

Wednesday - Hammond Organ practice. Mostly using Tim Richards' Improvising Blues Piano book. Less structured.

Tuesdays and Fridays (metal/rock/blues guitar):
1) Warmup (5 minutes)
2) Repertoire practice (5 minutes)
3) New song rhythm practice (10 minutes)
4) Blues scales (5 minutes)
5) Blues licks TrueFire video lesson (5 minutes)
6) Slow Blues Power TrueFire video lesson (5 minutes)
7) Blues improvisation with Band in a Box (10 minutes)
8. New solo practice (10 minutes)
9) I Know a Little intro hybrid picking practice (5 minutes)

Saturdays and Sundays (acoustic guitar):
1) Fingerpicking warmup (5 minutes)
2) Country blues/ragtime repertoire practice (15 minutes)
3) New country blues practice (10 minutes)
4) Bach chorale practice (10 minutes)
5) Bach two part invention repertoire practice (5 minutes)
6) Goldberg Variation Aria practice (5 minutes)
7) New Bach two part invention practice (10 minutes)
Respect you're dedication.
I had similar routines for many years... not the organ/ piano stuff though.
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Jafo wrote: Sat Dec 07, 2019 8:31 pm 1. Listen to some Steely Dan (or any of the usual suspects, really).
2. Realize how awesome the guitar part is.
3. Try to play said part. Try.
4. Get depressed and angry.
5. Woodshed for days until I can play it half as well.
6. Swear off music for the rest of my life.
7. Listen to some Steely Dan... (GOTO 1, in other words.)

A similar pattern holds for keys and composition, but it's usually that Beato guy instead.
I used to have Steely Dan songs down cold. If I couldn't play one of their songs. I'd hire a teacher to transcribe it for me and walk me through it. The big problem for me was getting my band to do a Steely Dan cover. It didn't stop me from playing Steely Dan songs for my teacher or anyone in earshot. Times were different back then. From the 70's through the 90's I could always find fellow musicians or want to be musicians at work as I'd always be cooking and picking up gigs on the side. As well people did this thing... hanging out. Not necessarily bars, but at co-workers or at work-before and after shifts. Playing in front of people brings out ones best and even when it brings out your worst you are forced with a choice. Get better or give up.
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After participating in this thread.... I noticed that I should have been practicing more and ran off to work without any practice time in.
Synapse Audio Dune 3 I'm in love

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i use my right hand but sometimes i use my left and flip it over... it makes it feel like someone else is doing it
"There is no strength in numbers... have no such misconception... but when you need me be assured I won't be far away."

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bharris22 wrote: Sun Dec 08, 2019 12:48 am
3) Rich Severson walking bass blues comping (5 minutes)
Sometimes I think there are too many youtube teachers out there. But I do enjoy Rich Severson lessons. I've downloaded (paid) for a few of his.
4) Jazz standard rhythm comping with Band in a Box (5 minutes)
I've just started practicing drop2 chords using BIAB for backing tracks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeGXjZHXe_A
5) Jazz standard soloing with Band in a Box (10 minutes)
...Not enough time.
Take the time to learn the melody. You don't have to be great or inventive or build chords around it or add fills. Play the melody once then play solos on the second and third time. Fill up at least one hour a week of this. It should be separated from the rest of your practice routine. Then jam with a real person (even if you have to pay a teacher) I used to do this exact method years back, when I got Band In a Box back. In very short order I was remembering more standards and soloing consistently as well as gaining confidence. I'd be able to spin circles around my teacher who was a professional musician with multiple degrees in music.

As much as it pains me I've had to let a few things go with regards to playing. Keys, ukulele, bass, drums, tabla, harmonica. I also no longer play blues or country. The pop/rock stuff I can usually pull out of my hat again with a few tries (Beatles, Led Zepplin, Steely Dan, CSN, Eagles etc.
Synapse Audio Dune 3 I'm in love

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i read bharris22 regime, now i actually know what "shame" feels like :cry:

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I agree that 20 minutes a week of jazz soloing is not enough time. However, I am not ready to give up anything else (yet), and at this point I am trying to concentrate on fretboard positions and phrases that I can use to play along with any set of jazz chords. Have you seen the Garrison Fewell book? This is the key to unlocking jazz improvisation, at least for a beginner such as me. I can now at least play something resembling a solo with a little practice (starting with the melody, which I do). It is certainly not professional sounding, but I can play the changes and it at least sounds right.

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vurt wrote: Sun Dec 08, 2019 8:13 pm i read bharris22 regime, now i actually know what "shame" feels like :cry:
Well, I certainly don't mean to shame anyone! Frankly, I don't know if my strict regimen is the answer, either - I think there is probably a happy medium between structure and noodling that I haven't found yet. Plus, I don't know how much real progress I have made over the years working this way, but at least I am scratching the itch in all of the styles I am interested in on a regular basis.

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bharris22 wrote: Sun Dec 08, 2019 12:48 am
3) Rich Severson walking bass blues comping (5 minutes)
tapper mike wrote: Sun Dec 08, 2019 8:10 pm Sometimes I think there are too many youtube teachers out there. But I do enjoy Rich Severson lessons. I've downloaded (paid) for a few of his.
Rich Severson makes everything seem so effortless, it makes me want to play like him. I have bought several of his lessons, and I understand what he is doing, but effortless it is not :).

PS - for anyone wishing to practice jazz, I cannot recommend Band in a Box highly enough. No, it isn't as good as playing with a live band, but for practice it is truly unbelievable. A monumental software achievement, IMHO.

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About three to four hours a day, five days a week the last three and half years. But it's constantly changing, I make a point of changing it up a little bit every week to keep things interesting. Here's my exact routine right now, but it won't make much sense without explanations I'm afraid, and that's as it should be, everyone should be making the routines that work for them, based on their short, medium and long term goals. I'd be happy to expand if anyone has any questions on particular parts though.

- Wipe Down, Tuning & Finger Stretches
- Spider Exercise 150 bpm
- Finger Gym 80 bpm
- Find CGDAEBF 160 bpm 2 min & 1 min on G (do visualisation later in bed)
- Maj scale 80 bpm 16th notes
- Modes: Name Intervals for Maj & Min Pent Scales, Daily Mode In G, Open G, Barre Chords
- Modes: Play 1 string (150 bpm) and 2 string (149 bpm) patterns
- Modes: Harmonise & name chords in key of G with all three shapes
- Modes: Play all modes with chords 150 bpm
- Modes: Play all modes parallel in G 150 bpm
- Modes: Explore Daily Mode with drone (relate chord to mode)
- Modes: Switch between all Maj & all Min Modes in G with drone (relate chord shapes to mode)
- Minor Pentatonic Runs 134 bpm 3 versions (GET TO 135 BPM THEN ADD TOGETHER)
- Minor Pentatonic/Blues improv (with backing tracks 84 or 100 bpm, or free)
- Disappearing Metronome 60 bpm 16/8/4/8/16 Notes
- Strumming x 5
- Songs: 1) Sulis 3 x 2 min 55 bpm 2) Satie A & learn B 3) Anji A, B & learn C 4) Fine Horseman (Capo 2) 92 bpm
- Travis Picking Book: Two Chords or Patterns Per Measure - 6 Types (FINAL WEEK)
- Fingerstyle: 3 x 5 min
- Extra: New Andy Video & Rewatch Old Andy Videos
- Dicking about/more songs (in evening)

Yes, it's very heavy on the technique right now, but that's because I have a ten year goal of fast tracking myself to becoming a very good guitarist, and I play a lot of songs/have more relaxed/less structured dicking about in the evenings (which is just as important as the structured routine I do earlier in the day). That's also usually when I start to try and come up with my own stuff.

Things like the strumming, disappearing metronome and daily mode practise also change depending upon the day of the week. At weekends I just dick about when I feel like it/no structured routine.

Another note, this is purely acoustic, I only pick up the electric about once every two months.
Last edited by Hermetech Mastering on Mon Dec 09, 2019 11:54 am, edited 1 time in total.

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bharris22 wrote: Sun Dec 08, 2019 12:48 amI was tired of "playing" guitar - really noodling - for many years without improving, so I developed a strict practice regimen.
Exactly the same here, I was "playing guitar" for over a decade (been playing bass about 30 years, but very on and off), but only ever dicking about at home. A few years ago I wanted to really get better, so decided to start taking it much more seriously. I spent about a year doing the JustinGuitar Beginner Course, about another year doing his Intermediate Foundation, just to get all the basics down, and for the last year or two have been branching off more into my own thing, with acoustic fingerstyle and music theory my main focus.

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