How do you practice?

[idssdi]

Basically, I just had my zoom call with the gypsy jazz transfusion club and a guy who plays incredibly well came on and he just went he practices by practicing tunes and That's also how Robin Nolan teaches. Basically you take a song you want to play and out take like a backingtrack and play over it to find what does and doesn't work. I practice I similar a similar fashion, sitting down with a metro one doing scales up and down bores the crap out of me so I just learn tunes and pick up what I can(usually it involves some cherry picking) and with gypsy jazz I play over backingtracks(If I say I'm practicing gypsy jazz it's really just me playing over backingtracks). I do this because it works for me.

What works for you guys?

 

[Jesse Salmons]

Depends on what im trying to learn. If its a shredding solo, ill sit down with a metronome and work out the fast bits until i get them up to speed. Other than that, i really just play with a song and learn it that way, i hate tabs anymore. And if im curious about theory, ill analyze a song and see why it works.

 

[Ed Seith]

I use to listen to music all day( mixes or just loaded cd's) and I would sometimes hear riffs that I liked (they stuck out to me)
I'd than try to find a tab that sounded right and for the most part just learned the little parts I liked from many different songs.
I still do this now but, I'm more capable of playing something all the way through now ( if it's not too complicated and with sight reading )
I suck at scales and theory, I just always wanted to play even if I was playing a D chord and calling it an A it didn't matter to me.
More recently I just use chromatics to work on technique for both hands. It's not really melodic but it helps me accomplish what I'm trying to practice.
I think I only know the A minor Pentatonic, lolz. I thought the shape was the same all over the fretboard but I just did a lesson from the CAGED system and that threw that idea out the window. There's more but I can only use 800 characters

You're only limited to 800 characters in the comments on someone's status updates. Forum posts can be long.

 

[Ed Seith]

Right now, I mix warmups and improvement exercises into my starting session, which is usually about 25-30 minutes. A lot of it is alternate picking hand-sync stuff since that's the stuff I never bothered to develop properly. Definitely making real progress, and looking for solos I can apply it to that are at the right level for where I am. I end it with 4 straight minutes droning on downpicked 16th notes to build speed and stamina there, since I also never really did that (wasn't into thrash as a kid).

After that, I have bits of solos I'm working on that are aligned with those things - I have the fast bit in Critical Acclaim, what I call "Hammett Quads" (one of his older staple things from the first few albums), which I'm trying to master with an economy picking motion, and the opening pattern from Tesla's Modern Day Cowboy solo, which I learned really really WRONG many years ago, and I want to fix it proper. Once I've put in a few minutes with each of them, I either jam some fun stuff, learn a new song, or I've run out of time for the day.

I only do this Monday to Friday. On the weekends, I allow myself to do WHATEVER, as long as I play.

 

[Alicia Willis]

I get bored and/or frustrated easily, so I don’t set a time frame on myself and I take multiple breaks. So instead of sitting down and playing for hours straight, I’ll sit down and do like 15-20 minutes, take a break then do another 15-20, etc... multiple times throughout the day. Now sometimes I do play a lot at once (usually on the weekends) but I don’t force it on myself.
I usually start with some alternate picking exercises and work on vibrato a little and then play a song or work on chord changes. And watch a lesson or two on the school and play with papa

 

[Adin Shepherd]

My practice of late usually involves some hand synch alternate picking excercises, Troy Grady's 'Pop Tarts' lick, the Sweating Bullets solo, a few seperate left and right hand excercises and riffing.

One of these days I will get organized with an actual structured practice schedule.

 

[Alex__vngnz]

I start of with some alternate picking exercises, I play to metronome and get scales done as a warm up. I also make sure I’m sitting in a comfortable position. I try to learn my favorite songs too, it just keeps me engaged, if I feel demotivated I just practice songs I like, or learn new ones. Learning songs you really like, once you get them done, the result is really satisfying.

 

[lalolb]

I usually start with stretches and the warm-up routine from Petrucci's Rock Discipline.
Playing scales with a metronome also bores me. Although, I try to do that kind of exercise at least twice a week since those help me to understand/learn some music theory.

I have some song's sections that help me practice a certain technique. For example, Knights of Cydonia's intro is a good Tremolo Picking exercise.
When I feel that I have dominated that part, I start playing it in a slower/faster tempo and in different frets.

 

[Jesse Salmons]

Right now, I mix warmups and improvement exercises into my starting session, which is usually about 25-30 minutes. A lot of it is alternate picking hand-sync stuff since that's the stuff I never bothered to develop properly. Definitely making real progress, and looking for solos I can apply it to that are at the right level for where I am. I end it with 4 straight minutes droning on downpicked 16th notes to build speed and stamina there, since I also never really did that (wasn't into thrash as a kid).

After that, I have bits of solos I'm working on that are aligned with those things - I have the fast bit in Critical Acclaim, what I call "Hammett Quads" (one of his older staple things from the first few albums), which I'm trying to master with an economy picking motion, and the opening pattern from Tesla's Modern Day Cowboy, which I learned really really WRONG many years ago, and I want to fix it proper. Once I've put in a few minutes with each of them, I either jam some fun stuff, learn a new song, or I've run out of time for the day.

I only do this Monday to Friday. On the weekends, I allow myself to do WHATEVER, as long as I play.

You think you could make a video about your hand sync exercises? Thats something im riding the struggle bus on right now

 

[Jesse Salmons]

I usually start with stretches and the warm-up routine from Petrucci's Rock Discipline.
Playing scales with a metronome also bores me. Although, I try to do that kind of exercise at least twice a week since those help me to understand/learn some music theory.

I have some song's sections that help me practice a certain technique. For example, Knights of Cydonia's intro is a good Tremolo Picking exercise.
When I feel that I have dominated that part, I start playing it in a slower/faster tempo and in different frets.

Oh my god i totally forgot Muse was a band. I use to jam their stuff all the time when i was a kid thanks for reminding me

 

[Ed Seith]

You think you could make a video about your hand sync exercises? Thats something im riding the struggle bus on right now

I'm FAR from "there," but I can definitely do a video about what's helping me on my journey, for sure. After I do the Collab recording, I'll have a go at it!

 

[Jesse Salmons]

I'm FAR from "there," but I can definitely do a video about what's helping me on my journey, for sure. After I do the Collab recording, I'll have a go at it!

Awesome Ed! You the man!

 

[Ashley Willis]

I’m struggling with bends with vibrato which is why I picked the Crazy Train solo to cover. I think my biggest thing that I’ve seen and felt is I’ve been too gentle on the guitar and not twisting my wrist enough and digging in enough to get a really good grip. I’ve had multiple dreams about the neck on my Les Paul breaking or turning into like a wet noodle. Maybe it’s all subconscious

 

[Ashley Willis]

You got to feel "her" up, she will sing for you ^_^

Exactly!

 

[Ed Seith]

I’m struggling with bends with vibrato which is why I picked the Crazy Train solo to cover. I think my biggest thing that I’ve seen and felt is I’ve been too gentle on the guitar and not twisting my wrist enough and digging in enough to get a really good grip. I’ve had multiple dreams about the neck on my Les Paul breaking or turning into like a wet noodle. Maybe it’s all subconscious

Les Paul necks do have a habit of breaking around the nut, but that is NEVER from anything except dropping the guitar on a weak spot. Never forget that your guitar is a fairly solid and heavy piece of WOOD. They're pretty durable. They will not turn into a wet noodle when they get old like that other piece of wood.

 

[Manvir B]

I wake up, sharp , pumped and ready to be the next Steve Petruccgates, lunging my self forward in the most excitement to play guitar and further improve my knowledge of theory as well as technical skills so i can sweep at 151251251251bpm and tap with 20 fingers. I then look at my guitar.... ready to proceed with the day. Then I end up playing video games for the rest of the day .

 

[Mariler]

I do definitely prefer to take a song and use it to pick some theory or work techniques. I like to have some easier stuff like to relax and enjoy and practice things like playing standing up (which is still tough for me), and something more challenging to improve my bends, vibrato, hammer ons and pull offs or explore some more advanced techniques, like I did with sweeping in the 1st solo of Fade to Black. Next I'll move on to the other solo and see what I can learn from it.
I work on the challenging stuff using the metronome, but I prefer an actual solo than exercises that bore me to death. It's more rewarding in the end to hear myself playing a real song.

Right now, for instance, I'm using Fade to black too, to go over some theory, and try to memorize scales and arps positions and triads, try some licks, have some fun trying to improvise making sense... What I do is basically loop a section of the song and try to find out what is going on there and what would work.
In the case of Fade to Black my final goal is learn the full song, but along the way I will have learned and applied some theory and techniques, and I don't care spending a year around one song.
I record myself a lot too when I practice to listen to what I did and see what I need to improve.
For me it works better using as a reference a song I like. It's way more fun than picking some random backing track and play exercises that mean nothing to me.

 

[Chris Johnston]

My practice involves a lot of improv/ear training stuff just now and just practicing concepts. Usually I'll improv along to backing tracks on youtube or I'll put something down on my looper and jam to that. Ear training wise I try to see if I can hear a melody as soon as I sit down and try to find it as quick as I can on the instrument - which can have good and bad days!
If I'm practicing techniques, I'll either do short sits working with a metronome or I'll practice the technique to a jam track. One weird thing I tend to do if practicing a repetitive technique is I'll put on a really long interview with a musician I like and listen to it while practicing.

 

[chris_is_cool]

I do definitely prefer to take a song and use it to pick some theory or work techniques. I like to have some easier stuff like to relax and enjoy and practice things like playing standing up (which is still tough for me), and something more challenging to improve my bends, vibrato, hammer ons and pull offs or explore some more advanced techniques, like I did with sweeping in the 1st solo of Fade to Black. Next I'll move on to the other solo and see what I can learn from it.
I work on the challenging stuff using the metronome, but I prefer an actual solo than exercises that bore me to death. It's more rewarding in the end to hear myself playing a real song.

Right now, for instance, I'm using Fade to black too, to go over some theory, and try to memorize scales and arps positions and triads, try some licks, have some fun trying to improvise making sense... What I do is basically loop a section of the song and try to find out what is going on there and what would work.
In the case of Fade to Black my final goal is learn the full song, but along the way I will have learned and applied some theory and techniques, and I don't care spending a year around one song.
I record myself a lot too when I practice to listen to what I did and see what I need to improve.
For me it works better using as a reference a song I like. It's way more fun than picking some random backing track and play exercises that mean nothing to me.

Very similar for me, I much prefer learning songs to dry exercises. Thankfully, my teacher thinks the same way, so we spent the time learning songs, he gives me some exercises specifically taylored to the techniques used in the songs, we discuss the theory, the licks etc... I've had lessons for 3 months now, and after a couple of starting exercises, I have so far learned The Offspring - The Kids arent alright and Steel Panther - 17 girls (xD), and we are just starting with Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills. There is a solid sense of progression learning the full songs including the solos and slowly moving to more complex songs, and it is much more satisfying than grinding away on 100 alternate picking exercises and legato exercises etc...

Usually I just spend maybe 10-15 minutes per day on dry exercises, the rest is learning the songs, or using parts of the songs as exercise.

 

[Jamie London]

Well my general layout looked something like this:

Warm ups: stretches/scales (with click) 10-15 MIN

Previous days teaching refresher : 15 MIN

New Lesson/technique, etc (if comfortable with previous lesson/technique etc) (40-60 MIN)

Practice songs (new, old, original, whatever) 15-20 MIN

But this really is just a guideline sort of thing. Every day and practice session can be different and I usually shape it around what I’m currently learning which doesn’t always match up with this.
This is really just there as a reminder, to hold myself accountable, and some days I still do go by this model. The last few months I’ve really been slacking and in a slump, but fuck that, I got through it