Danster
05-15-2003, 10:19 PM
I’ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours… your practice routine that is. :D
I finally decided to get serious about my practicing, and stop just freakin’ noodling all the time. Seven weeks ago, I made of list of short-term and long-term goals I wanted to achieve with the guitar, and then I wrote down the things I would need to practice in order to get me there. After that, I made up a grid which has headings for the general categories I want to practice in, and a place for the date. I use one page per week. Then, as I practice, on the grid I write in the specific things I’m doing. For example, “7A (60)” in my “Manual Dexterity” column means I did picking exercise 7A (my numbering system) of Eric’s picking exercises articles at 60bpm. Below is what I’m currently working on. I do each of these every day typically, except for the "Performance", which is once a week, and the "Ear training", which is three times a week.
Fretboard learning: Minor pentatonic scales, major pentatonic scales. Practice naming (or playing) notes on fretboard.
Repertoire: I play whole songs from beginning to end. My ongoing goal is to learn one new song per week.
Performance: Once a week, I record myself as if I’m performing (I’m a living room player right now, but watch out world, I’m coming! :D). That is, I play songs from my repertoire, and if I goof, I keep going as if I was performing. (I don’t make small talk with the audience though ;))
Ear training: Currently using the Interval Ear Trainer at musictheory.net. They’ve really got some great tools there.
Rhythm playing: I’m going through the lessons in a book by Al DiMeola called “Scales, chords, and arpeggios” (or something like that).
Manual Dexterity: I’m working through Eric’s picking exercises articles.
Leavitt (Sight reading, and everything else!): This is William Leavitt’s “Modern Method for Guitar. Vol’s I, II, and III.” I typically do 3 or more exercises a day.
I usually practice twice a day—first for 30 minutes during lunch, and then at home for at least another 30 minutes, but usually more like 1-2 hours or more. I cannot tell a lie (oops, just did! :D), I don’t quite follow this scheme 100% every day, but for the most part I do. In between this planned stuff, I do noodle, or play fun licks, or jam with a CD or backing track.
I have tried structuring my practice before, but for some reason, it never stuck, usually it would last for maybe one week. Writing down the goals really helped me focus I think. And making the grids allows me to document my work and my progress, and that’s good for keeping me inspired. Another thing that’s been cool is that since I’ve started playing during lunch at work, I have realized the importance of being focused when you’re practicing. I work at a university, and there are private music practice rooms. Wow, I can get so much done there in just 30 minutes! At home, my practicing is not quite as focused, ya know, the TV, the kids, the phone, the refrigerator, etc.
Anyhoo, if ya wanna, tell us your routine.
I finally decided to get serious about my practicing, and stop just freakin’ noodling all the time. Seven weeks ago, I made of list of short-term and long-term goals I wanted to achieve with the guitar, and then I wrote down the things I would need to practice in order to get me there. After that, I made up a grid which has headings for the general categories I want to practice in, and a place for the date. I use one page per week. Then, as I practice, on the grid I write in the specific things I’m doing. For example, “7A (60)” in my “Manual Dexterity” column means I did picking exercise 7A (my numbering system) of Eric’s picking exercises articles at 60bpm. Below is what I’m currently working on. I do each of these every day typically, except for the "Performance", which is once a week, and the "Ear training", which is three times a week.
Fretboard learning: Minor pentatonic scales, major pentatonic scales. Practice naming (or playing) notes on fretboard.
Repertoire: I play whole songs from beginning to end. My ongoing goal is to learn one new song per week.
Performance: Once a week, I record myself as if I’m performing (I’m a living room player right now, but watch out world, I’m coming! :D). That is, I play songs from my repertoire, and if I goof, I keep going as if I was performing. (I don’t make small talk with the audience though ;))
Ear training: Currently using the Interval Ear Trainer at musictheory.net. They’ve really got some great tools there.
Rhythm playing: I’m going through the lessons in a book by Al DiMeola called “Scales, chords, and arpeggios” (or something like that).
Manual Dexterity: I’m working through Eric’s picking exercises articles.
Leavitt (Sight reading, and everything else!): This is William Leavitt’s “Modern Method for Guitar. Vol’s I, II, and III.” I typically do 3 or more exercises a day.
I usually practice twice a day—first for 30 minutes during lunch, and then at home for at least another 30 minutes, but usually more like 1-2 hours or more. I cannot tell a lie (oops, just did! :D), I don’t quite follow this scheme 100% every day, but for the most part I do. In between this planned stuff, I do noodle, or play fun licks, or jam with a CD or backing track.
I have tried structuring my practice before, but for some reason, it never stuck, usually it would last for maybe one week. Writing down the goals really helped me focus I think. And making the grids allows me to document my work and my progress, and that’s good for keeping me inspired. Another thing that’s been cool is that since I’ve started playing during lunch at work, I have realized the importance of being focused when you’re practicing. I work at a university, and there are private music practice rooms. Wow, I can get so much done there in just 30 minutes! At home, my practicing is not quite as focused, ya know, the TV, the kids, the phone, the refrigerator, etc.
Anyhoo, if ya wanna, tell us your routine.