Back in the saddle again - Practice Aids

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Originally Posted by masterofnone

This thread made me think of a funny (i think) thing that happened recently. I do some volunteer work that creates opportunities to get into conversations with folks I don't know. On one of these occasions, the subject of playing guitar came up. This guy was at least mid-sixties, maybe older and told me that he'd recently considered buying some type of practice aid that you used in your fretting hand. It was color coded in such a way that you could learn the chord shapes by using it. He was trying to decide if he should order one from the interweb. I didn't want to insult the guy (he did mention that he had a guitar, or access to one) but I had to ask him, "instead of that, why don't you just pick up your guitar and practice with it?" He grinned, but didn't have a real answer.
My experiences have caused me to think-lots of folks would like to play guitar but fail to understand the amount of effort/commitment it takes. Some folks may be "naturals" but I sure wasn't. I couldn't begin to know the number of hours I've spent with a guitar in my hands. A lot. Most the good players I know would say something similar.
So I would never criticize a person for trying to make better use of practice time by any means necessary, including loopers, phone apps, videos etc., but don't let the tools become the focus. Which one do i want? Who sells them cheaper? What do the reviews say? Some would disagree but I think most of what makes a person a good guitar player is going to happen while their hands are on a guitar!
People: "So, how long have you been playing?"
Me: "Uh, I started doing this a little over a year ago."
Some of them understand that I'm joking. The real answer is closer to 45 or 50 years. Sometimes the progress is painfully slow. Sometimes something clicks. In either case, If you love music, I don't know how it could be a bad thing to learn to play some songs you like. Good luck on your journey, and welcome to the forum!

Thanks for sharing your story, and for the kind welcome to the forum! As a 20-year doodler- I totally understand that getting decent is hard.....which probably has something to do with why I never became decent

I'm trying not to go down the rabbit hole of gear research/acquisition, but I commute 2 hours a day and have that time on my hands. After fixing up a few busted guitars (fun!) buying, trading, and trying things out at all the guitar retailers within a 2-hour drive (not many) over the last few months, I finally settled on this Yamaha that I think has a really nice sound and is comfortable to use. I'm ready to buckle down and get to work.

Based on recommendations, I think that I need to come up with a practice routine based on improving technique and learning songs that I'm interested in- possibly with the help of an instructor if I can find one. I can absolutely dedicate a half hour a day to practice. I just want to have the tools that will help me practice best and have fun/keep things interesting while I'm at it, without having to re-buy tools that will allow me to record myself at home on my PC.

Maybe I need to come up with a practice routine first, then see what tools, if any, would be most helpful for me to use?

[ReturnoftheZaq]

Originally Posted by beninma

You quickly get into spending money with this stuff (probably need an amp) but I really think the drum machine/metronome pedal + looper + amp is an extremely powerful tool that will pay dividends over time versus just using a phone, etc..

You could even build loops to play with just using something like Garage band, but you still need to have a way to record your guitar to do that...

I had a Beat Buddy + Ditto for a long time, but now I have a Boss RC-10r. I mostly use this with electric guitar, because for a long time I didn't have an amp that sounded good with an acoustic. This year I got a Fishman loudbox, so now I can loop the acoustic as well if I plug into that.

I went down this track from guitar lessons, which for years meant I focused on electric because it was easier to use those tools with electric, and it still kind of is. Not having these tools IMO is one of the bigger challenges if you're all acoustic.

I suppose if you literally have another player (who is as good or better than you) to practice with every day you practice that would be even better, but minus that (I have never had that) having the loopers + drum/metronome device means I'm working on keeping time every day.

Again money.. but all of it is quite a bit less than a 2nd acoustic guitar. A loudbox mini + an RC-10r + or similar pedal + cables will stay well under $1000 and opens up a lot of practice and performance opportunities, as you can also use the amp to play along with other people with louder instruments.

The RC-10r has a lot of overlap with the DR-01 plus RC-5r combo, but is less expensive. It doesn't let you super easily put in your own drum rhythms though. You can do it with the computer but it doesn't seem easy. But there are something like 600 in it already. For fast practice it's easier to just grab one then have to punch it in yourself. I have an electronic drum kit as well, so I could record my own rhythms that way, but I basically never do. For practice the stock rhythms in the RC-10r or a beat buddy are more than sufficient.

I really should have an amp....I feel like a goofball because in one of my recent trades I acquired a brand-spanking new Acoustisonic along with an entry level Martin that I practically gave away in another trade - I didn't see much of a use for it. Ah well. I'll keep my eyes peeled on the local craigslist and FB marketplace and especially be on the lookout for a Loudbox. The RC-10 looks like it has everything that I could want for practicing, thank you very much for taking the time to respond to my post and for your suggestion.

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Originally Posted by mike o

We all benefit from working on timing with metronomes. This is my go to for timing work. Drum patterns are very good for basic feels of music. Straight up clicks if you want to a get serious about timing. I use this on an iPad or cell phone with ear buds. You can hear the guitar easily. Minimum expense to improve your internal clock!


https://apps.apple.com/us/app/super-...te/id604175633

Thanks Mike! I'm not an Apple user but I think I've found maybe the equivalent in this Android app called Soundbrenner. I think it's more catered towards piano players, but it's got a built-in metronome with a tap button, so I'm going to give it a try!

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Originally Posted by JackC1

You can plug it into an amp (or any powered speakers). You don't need to plug in your guitar to use it; the amp is just acting as speakers.

However, I simply use my openback headphones with it (without any amps). I can hear the drums while playing my guitar (guitar isn't plugged in).

I don't have a pedal board, but I do have some other pedals. Normally, you'd put it at the end of the signal chain. (I've not used my other pedals in a long time because I've stopped playing electric guitar a while ago; and the acoustics I play don't have electronics).

Not sure what the use case is for plugging it into an audio interface; if I want to mess with a computer/phone, which is very inconvenient, I can get great drum tracks from the Internet.

I've always used this as a standalone tool with headphones. Kind of like a metronome replacement (much more interesting than playing to the metronome).

Great, thanks very much for clarifying for me. My practice space is the office, and since the computer is already there, and I don't have an amp as of yet....well, just trying to figure out the best way to set myself up. I appreciate your input!