what do you include in your practice regimen?

[SprintBob]

Originally Posted by rollypolly

My question is, at what point did you feel yourself turn that corner and do you have any tips or things to practice that you can recommend that I include in my practice time? Right now my practice is focused on CAGED positions, scales, triad reps, but is there anything else you'd do?

Just reinforcing what others have said here. While what you practice is good in your routine, most here would consider all of it “woodshedding”. I think you should be finding and playing songs 70-80 percent of your playing time and supplement it with the woodshedding routine you have. It’ll probably be much more enjoyable for you in the long run. I learn the most playing songs.


Good Luck.

[Gdjjr]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Playing repertoire and learning new pieces.

That's what I do-

[soma5]

I include recording. When I play it back, I can be as critical as I am when I hear other recordings. I can hear any areas where I don't play cleanly, where I speed up or slow down, or even fail to communicate exactly what I wanted to when I play something. It also provides some degree of performance anxiety so that I can be prepared to perform what I'm practicing. I recommend it highly. You can even use your phone so it's not like it requires a lot of equipment. If you also include video, you can see your "guitar face" and decide whether to work on that!

From a more mechanical standpoint, I like to include a metronome or "click track" so that I can learn and maintain good time. It is well worth internalizing a good sense of time.

Both things are inexpensive but to me they are invaluable.

[rollypolly]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. Maybe this can help other guitarists who are looking for practice ideas. I’ve implemented many of these, but agree I need to listen and play along with more music. I’m currently listening to and learning to play Freight Train in its original form by Elizabeth Cotten. Simple but deceivingly so - definitely takes some skill and practice.

I’m not sure If I agree with someone who said you shouldn’t do it if it feel like work. I’ve learned that with anything you want to master, you have to work at it and it will feel like work some of the time, but in your mind you know you’re doing the work for an end goal of improving. I might be alone in saying this but I enjoy the work, even boring major scales.

[Gdjjr]

Originally Posted by rollypolly

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. Maybe this can help other guitarists who are looking for practice ideas. I’ve implemented many of these, but agree I need to listen and play along with more music. I’m currently listening to and learning to play Freight Train in its original form by Elizabeth Cotten. Simple but deceivingly so - definitely takes some skill and practice.

I’m not sure If I agree with someone who said you shouldn’t do it if it feel like work. I’ve learned that with anything you want to master, you have to work at it and it will feel like work some of the time, but in your mind you know you’re doing the work for an end goal of improving. I might be alone in saying this but I enjoy the work, even boring major scales.

I kind of agree with the last paragraph, because, if it comes easy it isn't appreciated- if you have to work for it then you appreciate what you achieve, regardless of that achievement title.

But, there is the argument; if you enjoy what you're doing it ain't work

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Playing repertoire and learning new pieces.

I remember hearing radio interviews with two separate classical pianists, and they both said the same thing. They never practised exercises. They just worked on repertoire, especially the next piece they were intending to perform. That gave them all the technical workout they needed.

Like you, I guess, that's the way I've always worked. Of course, I suspect those pianists had done their fill of technical exercises as kids (no doubt because they were told to), but I still found it interesting that neither of them - now - practised scales or anything like that.

[tbeltrans]

To me, it seems a good idea to recognize that everybody is different and that one size doesn't fit all. I suspect that for every professional pianist who doesn't do technical exercises, there are those who do.

The same is likely true for guitar players. What seems like work to one player, may seem a comfortable routine for another.

There is room for a variety of approaches.

Tony

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by JonPR

I remember hearing radio interviews with two separate classical pianists, and they both said the same thing. They never practised exercises. They just worked on repertoire, especially the next piece they were intending to perform. That gave them all the technical workout they needed.

Like you, I guess, that's the way I've always worked. Of course, I suspect those pianists had done their fill of technical exercises as kids (no doubt because they were told to), but I still found it interesting that neither of them - now - practised scales or anything like that.

Similar to Horowitz and Rubenstein to mention two more.

[Joe Beamish]

I try lots of exercises, scales, licks, instructional videos and books….and I’m sure they help, but for me it’s all about listening to players I love and learning their songs. Pretty much one tune at a time, sometimes one note at a time. And then sometimes these songs have passages that are hard for me to get down pat, hard for my fingers to play smoothly, or hard to get into from the previous passage — and I will work on those transitions over and over until I feel good about them. This is when I try not to let my wife hear me, because I know it’s repetitive. But she never complains.

Short answer: I develop by learning songs.

[Gordon Currie]

Originally Posted by rollypolly

I’m not sure If I agree with someone who said you shouldn’t do it if it feel like work.

Many people who say that are well past the foundational skill-building stage.

I 'understand' it - as I've reached that place - but I don't agree with telling folks in their first decade to do what I (in my 6th decade) currently do.

I may no longer practice scales - but it's only because I did for years that I can enjoy that freedom NOW.

Always play songs to keep the fun and motivation high, and to establish a connection to MUSIC. However, if you never put in the time to improve foundational skills, your song playing may not end up as rewarding as it might otherwise be.

[islandguitar]

Hard to add too much more to what's already been offered!
My niche is original instrumentals, but also some instrumental covers. As I read the comments, I'm very much along the line of supporting my repertoire and advancing new tunes when they "arrive". That's to say I never know when that will be!
To help with this, I like to listen to a broad range of guitar players and let that sink in. Could be tiny little stuff that registers that I'll insert into my tunes. For example, the tune in my signature now was composed while listening to Tommy Emmanuel's "Antonella's Birthday". There was a chord in there that hit me hard, and I developed "Evening Rain" from that entire influence of a single chord.

I like having a project to work toward.....a recording to complete, or the rare times I play out....something that gives me focus and a desired destination. This tends to form how I'll approach practice.

If I'm working on composing and learning something, I'll take the "spaced repetition" route Tony mentioned. This is very helpful in memorizing as well as learning. the goal being "performance ready" and recording. This could be weeks, or months depending.
A lot of what I practice with my stuff is not only the technique of what I'm trying to do, but then assessing "how" my music wants to be played. In other words, phrasing and messaging to a level of my skill to be able to communicate that. Also, a part of my practice is to include other guitars and different keys to let my ear select what might work for a song. Often, using a different guitar will unlock things that hadn't occurred before, so this is quite intentional as I know it can bring results that are quite satisfying.

Of course 55 years ago, I was in a very different place with all this! Now I'm down the road a bit I guess you could say!
Good luck with developing your style and routine! Excellent thread

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by rollypolly

I’m not sure If I agree with someone who said you shouldn’t do it if it feel like work. I’ve learned that with anything you want to master, you have to work at it and it will feel like work some of the time, but in your mind you know you’re doing the work for an end goal of improving. I might be alone in saying this but I enjoy the work, even boring major scales.

Well, if you enjoy it, that's what matters! (I.e., it's not "boring". It might be repetitive and formulaic, but if you enjoy it, that's the opposite of "boring". Repetitive tasks can often be quite pleasurable.)

What I meant by "work" was the kind of work you don't much enjoy, but do because you have to (or think you have to). It's necessary, but it's a chore.

But of course, "work" doesn't have to be like that. "Work" can be an exciting challenge, something that fully absorbs you mentally, even if physically it can be quite tough. That's what guitar practice needs to feel like. You push yourself, but it feels good.
Maybe it only feels good because you're thinking about what you're working towards. But as long as that's a good feeling, that's the point. (Even so, you need to listen and think about what you are doing, not just have your "eyes on the prize" in the future.)

It should never be boring. If you find any kind of exercise boring, you don't actually learn anything useful from it, because either you start thinking about something else (so the learning doesn't "take"), or you just start hating the whole thing. And then you don't want to do it. Music becomes less of a pleasure and more of a chore. And if you don't do it - well, you don't get better! (And ultimately you might start thinking you're wasting your time because you're not "talented"....)

When it comes to things like scales - which you do need to know! - there are ways to make them less boring, if you need to. Essentially, that's to make them melodic.
Once you know the fingerings - so you can play up and down them confidently without putting a finger wrong - that's when to start applying "melodic patterns". This can begin with chord arpeggios (triads 1-3-5, 2-4-6, 3-5-7, etc, or 7ths 1-3-5-7, 2-4-6-8, 3-5-7-2 etc), or staggered 3rds (1-3, 2-4, 3-5, etc.), which you should run down as well as up, but can develop into infinitely complex patterns - especially once you start varying the note lengths.
E.g., when look up melodic patterns online - such as here https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-...atterns-im-136 - you'll always find them laid out as all 8ths, all 16ths, all triplets, whatever. Work with those for as long as you enjoy them, but try mixing up 8ths and 16ths, quarters and 8ths, and so on. Soon you find yourself playing melodies, licks, phrases you can use for improvisation.
IOW, they begin by testing that you really do know your fingering positions (by randomizing the order you play the notes) - but they end up with actually making music.

Here's one of my favourite complex melodic patterns (C major scale 7th position), which you should recognise as a seasonal favourite. First note is a dotted quarter, the next six are 8ths, and so on all the way (and remember: one finger per fret! Fingers 1-2-3-4 on frets 7-8-9-10, so starting with middle finger).

|----------------|----------------|---------------|---------------|
|8-----------8---|----------------|---------------|---------------|
|----10-9-10---9-|10---9-7-9-10-7-|9---7----7-9---|7----------7---|
|----------------|----------------|------10-----10|---10-9-10---9-|
|----------------|----------------|---------------|---------------|
|----------------|----------------|---------------|---------------|

|----------------|----------
|----------------|----------
|----------------|----------
|10---9-7-9-10-7-|9---7-----
|----------------|------10--
|----------------|----------

The last three notes are how the passage ends in this song (breaking the pattern), but as an exercise it could continue all the way down the scale - and then all the way back up again (turning the pattern upside down)!