Guitar practice survey

[GodOfRhythm]

Re: Guitar practice survey

I've been using that little notebook technique for two years now.

I just write down all new scales/chords and anything else down in it. And when I'm on the bus or waiting somewhere I start looking it and practicing it in my head, coming up with spin-offs etc.

[GodWentPUNK]

Re: Guitar practice survey

Practice??? Not too much. I spend my time learning songs for my band than actual practicing. On occation, I get my guitar and while watching TV go over some chops. All of my theory is long gone although I would like to start that up. But like everyone has already said, once you get married and have kids, you time is limited.

joe...

[Razor]

Re: Guitar practice survey

At 32, I just started learning the guitar this past June. I feel like I am coming along nicely while basically teaching myself. With a 60+ hour six day a week job, wife and kid, it's hard to find a lot of time to practice/play. Normally I get in a solid hour and a half to two hours a day during the week, and three to four hours on Sundays.

Since I'm still just trying to get the general theory down I have avoided solo's, and am just working on building finger strength, dexterity, and coordination and playing rhythm. Most of my practice consists of finger exercises, scales, and a half an hour or so devoted to learning a new riff. I try to learn three or four riff's a week, just to say I did it and keep my confidence up. I do practice a lot in front of the T.V., which I really think helps me because I'm trying to force myself to play without watching the fret board.

I certainly wish I would have learnt to play back in the eighties when I was in my teens, and tabs weren't as hard to find for the type of music I like. Plus, I figure I'd be the Lynch/Wylde clone I've always wanted to be by now if I had.

[2PlayIs2Live]

Re: Guitar practice survey

I've been playing since I was 10. I practice about 3-4 hours a day, Learning Mable's Fatal Fable "Jason Becker"
I tend to have song ADD though I can't stick to one song I get bored.

[Ace]

Re: Guitar practice survey

I've been playing since I was 13, I'm 26 now so that's 13 years, half my life. I practice about 1.5-2 hours a day just about every day except Saturdays and Wednesdays. Those days I have band practice and I play about 4-6 hours.

I guess I am a good player, I don't really view guitar playing as a competition, and everyone has a different scale that they have in mind when they are judging themselves. One guy thinks he's an excellent player because he can nail Master of Puppets right along with the album, and another guy says he's fair, because even though he's in a signed major-label band he's not as good as his friend John Lowery, who can do ANYTHING.

I can usually walk into a guitar store and blow everyone in there away, but I am friends with lots of guys in some of the best death metal bands in the world, and they can shred all over me like it's a joke. It's all in the ear of the beholder.

[Inazone]

Re: Guitar practice survey

I've been playing since I was 14...so I guess that's almost 15 years now. I played rhythm guitar in a band briefly, but ended up switching to bass and sticking with that for several years. I got back into guitar for songwriting purposes, and took over when the lead guitarist left in my last band.

In my current band, we practice each of our songs once, two days each week. At home, I don't really spend much time practicing. Right now we're in the studio doing an album, so we're not practicing at all, but we'll start rehearsing for live shows again once the album is done. Then it's time to start working on some new tunes...

I'd find it difficult to rate myself above average. I rely more on my creativity as a songwriter (who happens to play guitar) than technical ability.

[jgcable]

Re: Guitar practice survey

I practice on an average of 2 hours per day. I am 43 and have been playing since I was 14. I currently give lessons to advanced students only.
Regarding skill level... it depends. There are so many players that could clean my clock it isn't funny. Most of them are unknown too. I have been considered a shredder and a lead player since I was 16. My influences are Macalpine, Malmsteen, Lynch, Rhoads, Schenker, Roth and of course the one who started it all for me.... Ace. I can cover most of their recorded material. There are a few Macalpine songs I have problems with. That should explain where I am at.

[kmanick]

Re: Guitar practice survey

Skill level is such a hard thing to assess. I mean if you can shred Van Halen riffs, where does that put you next to someone who can shred Yngwie,next to someone who can shred Greg Howe riffs, next to someone who can shred Hollsworth, next to someone who can play Joe pass in his sleep? I think skill level is a very relative thing to assess and it's according to your audience. BTW I wish I could play all of those I mentioned in my sleep, not enough hours in the day to practice all of these different styles.

[jgcable]

Re: Guitar practice survey

well said kmanick.

[Accept2]

Re: Guitar practice survey

I have been playing since 1981 or 1982. I never practice. I used to practice all day long, 12 hours a day, and in the past few years I have played about 5 hours total for those years. As for skill level, I suck so bad, that when I turn up my amp, people run screaming, dogs howl, mothers get their children off the street, the homeless will preach the world is coming to an end, and any army guy in an earshot plots about how I can be used to subdue enemies, and interegate them with my playing..........
Oh, yeah, practice is important.............

[xenophobe]

Re: Guitar practice survey

When I was a teenager? Always.

In the last year or so? Never.

Sometimes I'll play my band's tunes once or twice a week. Sometimes I try to play some of the new material once or twice a week.

Rehersal is generally the only time I play.

Other than that, zip.

[bluebullet]

Re: Guitar practice survey

i practice all the time and i still suck. the only thing keeping me from being a great guitar player is a complete lack of talent.but i still like doing it so oh well.

[KevinDguitar]

Re: Guitar practice survey

I'm 36 and have been playing since around age 5. Right now in my current situation, I'm a single dad with my 3 kids living with me. I teach and play full time as a profession, which is a task in itself. But what I do is get up an hour or so before time to get the little ones off to school and I do the hour broken up into 15 or 20 minute blocks, each concentrating on a different area and then I usually squeeze another hour out in the afternoon between students and before they hit the door with homework, etc. At the end of a week, it seems that I make progress in all of the areas and stay more well rounded than if I had taken the hour and just pounded one thing into the ground. Hope this helps. Some really great info/knowledge of playing here. Thanks!