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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Surf Musician »

Permalink Let's Practice Every Day

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I really feel for you Noel...seems like you gotta good handle on how to fill that hole with something constructive and creative.

Music gives us a way to spend our time making our world a more beautiful place...this is an opportunity for you to expand your knowledge and musicianship in ways you may not have imagined.

I know all of the really great guitar players are drawing inspiration from other instruments besides guitars and you'll be finding a fresh approach yourself.

The 5 minute thing is a great tip...I use that occasionally when I have something that takes so much concentration or is so boring that I just can't keep focused longer than that.

It seems like it builds upon itself as well and add stamina to your willpower if you keep after it.

http://blueruins.bandcamp.com

IvanP wrote:

blueruins wrote:

This year I turn 43 and I'm preparing to do what I should have done 15 years ago...
I'm quitting my day job to become a professional guitarist.

Wow! I'm the same age as you, and all I can say is: that takes some REAL GUTS! Congatulations and best of luck to you! I hope you're successful in pursuing what you love.

+1

Ryan
The Secret Samurai Website
The Secret Samurai on Facebook

Playing catch-up at age 60 isn't much fun... well, actually, it is fun but at my age time is the enemy.. I average 20-30 minutes each night but I'm just a beginner. Been working on Martin Cilia's "Dawn Patrol" for about 3 weeks now.. Pretty much got it. Gotta thank him for posting tabs and backing tracks!

I'm trying to work out a way to practice at lunch time at work.. Considering a headphone amp and connect my Kindle Fire to it so I can accompany backing tracks.. Any suggestions for a decent headphone amp? I'm lookin' at the Amplug Vox..

I'm afraid that if I practiced, I would become too good! All of you would become devoted fans. Since modesty prevents me from accepting such praise, I wouldn't respond. You would all think I had become a snob and hate me. Then, Brian would ban me from SG-101, and I couldn't BEAR that.

It actually does hurt when I laugh, you know.

elreydlp wrote:

I'm afraid that if I practiced, I would become too good! All of you would become devoted fans. Since modesty prevents me from accepting such praise, I wouldn't respond. You would all think I had become a snob and hate me. Then, Brian would ban me from SG-101, and I couldn't BEAR that.

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

elreydlp wrote:

I'm afraid that if I practiced, I would become too good! All of you would become devoted fans. Since modesty prevents me from accepting such praise, I wouldn't respond. You would all think I had become a snob and hate me. Then, Brian would ban me from SG-101, and I couldn't BEAR that.

And I could say i knew you when you were just Skip. Laughing

My guitar is in the shop for a few days (new pickups! woo!) so in order to keep practicing I had to pull out my classical nylon string acoustic. Man its so easy to play, and sounds so pretty!

Cant really surf on it, but I can bust out some spaghetti rhythms for sure. Dead Thread

Josh-you going to Surf Music Camp?

elreydlp wrote:

Josh-you going to Surf Music Camp?

No, but it sure was tempting.

I posted this thread one week ago and I've practiced every day, hopefully you have too. If you didn't, no biggie, just start again today!

You know the expression "practice makes perfect"? Well, as our friends in the Vatican would say, that's bupkis. Perfect practice makes perfect. I'm so much worse than I thought I was, and turning the metronome down was hard to do, but what's the point of going fast if you sound terrible? What's the rush?

Also my forearm hurts how do y'all do this for so long, dang.

Hot Summer Comes Again!
Let's Go Beach! Let's Go Beach!

SpaceFargo wrote:

I posted this thread one week ago and I've practiced every day, hopefully you have too. If you didn't, no biggie, just start again today!

You know the expression "practice makes perfect"? Well, as our friends in the Vatican would say, that's bupkis. Perfect practice makes perfect.

Congrats on the week!! Keep it up and soon it will be a year.

You're right about practicing perfectly. If you practice with shortcuts and biffs and crappy technique, that's how your body remembers to play it, and you will never get better.

You should check out Guitar Principles. Jamie Andreas writes books that focus on the proper muscle practice technique (rather than musical theory). I picked up one of her books on sale and it has helped me to relax and slow down during my practicing so that I actually hit scales right so my muscles will actually remember them right. Stuff like that.

There is also a book called Zen Guitar that is more about attitude and outlook than music theory. One of the things he stresses is the old Zen saying to "Do one thing right once", which, if you keep thinking that, you find yourself doing it right more often without having to think it (which is a Tau/Zen principle).

SpaceFargo wrote:

Also my forearm hurts how do y'all do this for so long, dang.
Gal-isthenics!
image

Dawn Patrol is one of my "when I pick up a guitar songs". Very pretty to play.

Between the Bass & Banjo lessons and messing around on the Guitar I too have played something with strings eveyday since you started this.
Some nights it's been on all 3 of them!

And on the plus side I was able to read the sheet music notes in that picture of Snoopy on the Piano.

"Maybe there aren't any surf bands; there's only surf music?" Tuck

i was out of town for about 6 weeks this winter and not playing during that time was not good for me. but, since then i've been playing everyday for about 30 minutes and it's coming back. i always play a tune start to finish and am working on one new tune. i like the 5 minutes at a time idea.

www.surfintheeye.com

I've been getting in at least 3 hours a day. However, I still find that a good portion of that time is more "noodle" time than really constructive practice.

All the time on your instrument is helpful, but the older you get the more you realize that big shot clock in the sky is running down and if this is your game you better make those seconds count.

I try to keep in mind it's also "playing" an instrument and to keep it fun.

I've seen a lot of players become just incredible in a very short amount of time. I know some of that is talent, but I assume a good portion is due to the quality of their practice time.

For those like me with little talent, I have to attempt to compensate with the hours.

http://blueruins.bandcamp.com

so.........yesterday some friends called and needed a fill in bass player for their practice. i own a bass but can only play fake bass, which i did for two hours with them. for some reason my guitar playing this morning seemed greatly improved. i don't know if there's a connection or not, but i'm going to give the bass a go several times a week for a bit to see if it helps.

www.surfintheeye.com

Intresting...keep us updated.

http://blueruins.bandcamp.com

So I sprung for lessons. On my 3rd week with lessons and I have not missed daily practice yet. My practice sessions started out about 10-15mins of chord/scale practice, then a break, then 10-20mins of song playing. This last week I'm able to scale/chord practice 30+ minutes and then start up song playing right away. The stamina has increased greatly in a short time. Skill/speed has increased a bit too.

Its so weird that now that I am in a structured lesson plan, I have 10000% more discipline when it comes to practice. I would say the desire is at the same level as it was, but I guess its just how I'm wired. Strange...

Carol, it makes sense that 2 hours of bass would open up your guitar fingers a bit. Its like after you go roller skating then put your shoes on and your feet are so light. Big Razz

Good for you Josh, you'll be up there on stage twanging away before you know it.
Guitar

Danny Snyder

Latest project - Now That's What I Call SURF
_
"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

I'm back playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

My $.02 here is that it is IMPERATIVE that for improvement, you must play or somehow immerse yourself in music every day. Be it gig or be it practice or be it composing or be it all of the above. Clapton used to practice simply holding the guitar and playing one note. Your whole being and soul has to be completely caught up in music on a regular basis for what you play to matter, right?! If you're not playing the guitar, think of playing the guitar. Chords, scales, rhythms, songs, random ideas, chicks, taking out the trash, TV...it doesn't matter...it can all be music.

Obviously, those of us here love surf music/musicians and offset guitars, Fender amps and reverb units from the 60s, but I think it's also really important not to get too hung up on any specific genre and its details, but focus on the general fundamentals of ALL musics. The two best things I ever did for my own playing were to learn to read music and to practice with a metronome. Reading is important because it gives you the ability to play, think and conceive of music away from any one particular instrument (I also believe a mastery of tab is vital if you play any fretted string instrument)and the metronome is important because the time (or the lack thereof) is the only thing in music that actually matters. Your favorite melody is a favorite because of the rhythmic placement of the notes...not the notes themselves or you would merely have a scale...

I really need to start taking lessons. It's obvious to me that my technique needs work and practicing bad technique isn't really going to help me in the long run. That being said, I've been making a definite improvement in my timing/clarity/speed from practicing so much. I've got a lot on my plate at the moment but I make sure to set aside time to be bad at guitar for 20 minutes or so every day and it's helping I guess?

Hot Summer Comes Again!
Let's Go Beach! Let's Go Beach!

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