Practice before going to work
The other day I took my 3rd guitar lesson. Therefore, I’ve been playing/practicing for about 2+ weeks. At first, I thought that if I wanted to get really ‘good’, I’d have to practice everyday for 2 hours+! Silliness. I’m in this for the fun of it, just like my photography. If it happens that I practice 2 hours a day because I like it that much, then that’s what I’ll do.
During the week, I leave my guitar sitting out of its case on the floor with the music next to it. When I get the desire to practice, I do. If not, I just walk on by. What I have found is that in a given evening I’m likely to pick it up 3 or 4 times and practice 15 or 20 minutes at a time. I might be watching a movie and decide to stop in the middle, pick up the guitar, try a few things, and then go back to watching the movie. Of course this doesn’t go with the classic setting aside a time to practice, which is more like the old school work schedule.
I’ve been asked a number of times how much I practice my photography. Though I don’t keep track of the hours, I’d have to say that it is frequent. The camera is usually nearby, ready to be picked up, and ready to be used. I certainly don’t carry it everywhere, but there are too many times when I wished that I had, especially when I see some of the shots that Monte brings back! 
However, I do spend a lot of time shooting and even more time observing, but there is no schedule.
I believe that if you have something that you are interested in, be it music, or photography, or any other type of hobby, you’ll practice it whenever the opportunity arises, or if those opportunities are not arising enough, you’ll create room for them to do so. There is no fixed schedule of practice that one needs to adhere to.
Related posts:
15 Responses to “How often and when should I practice?”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
First of all that is an awesome image, must have taken that one while up north somewhere.
I seem to be reading a lot about practice, action, just plain doing. We never get better without it. At my age I have many regrets of things I’ve not tried, let alone practiced at. I admire your work ethics, your philosophy towards living life and trying to shoot different cameras.
I’ve read somewhere that dreams without action are only fantasy. I’d like to live my dreams. I also have no fixed schedule of practice either. I miss a day or two here but that is about all. Have a super day my friend.
Thank, Monte. I wish that I had taken that up north somewhere, but unfortunately, that was taken right here in good old, chilly, frozen, Charleston. As a matter of fact, I’m sure that I’ll be greeted with such a scene this morning. It’s 18 degrees outside and 15 degrees in Charlotte. I cannot remember there being a time when we’ve had such a string of cold weather. It’s been about a week now. Things are even freezing in Florida!
I don’t know if my practice is so much work ethic as it is fun. I have many regrets, as well. And, as I said in a previous post, I want to keep up with the guitar a day at a time for a year because I just hate that “what if?” feeling. As for the cameras, that’s just all out fun trying those different things.
It’s kind of hard to imagine you missing a day. Your camera seems to be a ubiquitous accessory! I’d be willing to bet that anyone who knows you would probably mention that as the first thing that they think about. I want to start carrying my Leica like that.
Paul, I don’t know if ‘practicing’ is the right term for what you do in photography. Of course you might use “practice” as a term for improving one’s skills, but that happens throughout all our photography, and I do know of litte exemptions maybe beyond reproducing a series of similar objects. I would say that all our photography is practicing, so there can’t be a schedule or a timeframe for it.
Where “learning” comes into play is when you rehearse new guitar riffs or play with light setups and tools. Here I guess it’s very individual and also depending on the environment – when there are no disturbances and you are a very systematic person you might set up a schedule and folow it. It’s probably worth the time quite often, but it’s not per se more successful than your method of learning/playing your guitar.
Good point, Markus. My guitar playing would certainly be in the realm of practice and learning, according to one of the dictionary definitions:
I remember reading about ‘vertical’ and ‘horizontal’ practice. Essentially, the ‘vertical’ practice is the hard stuff – going beyond your current abilities, trying something new, failing, trying it again – learning new chords, switching to finger picking from strumming, learning how to using lighting gear if you always use natural light, approaching strangers if you always shot still life, that sort of thing. Expanding your skills and growing.
Horizontal practice is doing more of what you can already do. Learning a new song, taking new pictures of new things, in a way that you’ve done before. Developing your skills but really more enjoying the skills that you have.
Both are good, but the vertical growth and practice is the stuff we often shy away from, because its hard, because we might fail, but often where the rewards are really found, if you are willing to be bad and make mistakes for a while.
I think your practice 10-15 minutes at a time is perfect for when you’ve just started playing guitar. You’ll learn something new each time, you won’t be reinforcing bad habits because you are tired, no reason to do more.
I think the best think I did was buy a cheap guitar stand, so that it is always out of the case, available, ready to play whenever I’m nearby.
On the motivation front, one of the best things I can recommend as someone a few weeks further down the line, is to learn how to record what you are playing. Then record it, no matter how good or bad it sounds. Put it somewhere, with the date and what it was, maybe some comments alongside. Keep it so you can look back on it. Particularly on the frustrating days when you feel you aren’t making any progress.
Ah yes – these are good denomitators for the different kinds of practicing. And re. the motivation: The recommendation to record things and keep them as a kind of documentary strikes a chord with me. Basically my blog serves that purpose, too. When I look back at the beginnings and what I do now, there certainly has been some development.
Excellent ideas, Gordon. Regarding the vertical practice, I do shy away from stretching myself sometimes and I wonder why. Why is it so hard to ‘fail’, even in private. I guess that it is just learning to let go of a particular perception that we have of ourselves.
You might find this blog ” http://intentionalpractice.wordpress.com/about/ ” The Practice of Practice interesting.
Also on practice ‘intervals’ http://www.notplayingguitar.com/2008/09/guitar-practice-routine-interval.html Same with photography I think. I can get into a mode where I need to carve out ‘hours’ to do anything, but 15 minutes at a time can build up. Even if it is just taking pictures with a cameraphone.
Thanks to your suggestion early, when I first started playing a couple of weeks, I keep the guitar out and ready to go. I practice for between 5 and 15 or 20 minutes each time. I find that I might do this 3 or 4 times in an evening. It’s a very enjoyable way to practice.
I read this post this morning but was on my way out and didn’t have time to comment — I’m glad I didn’t as it was a bonus coming back and reading all the excellent comments of others.
Now intellectually I understand the usage of the term “practice” as it applies to this situation.
However, personally as used normally the word “practice” sits a little unnatural describing my own daily photography. Normally I think of practice as something done in preparation for some event or activity — taking a few practice laps before the race, going to the driving range and practicing my swing before a golf game, etc. With my photography, which I do out of love and as a hobby, there’s no clear separation between “practice” and whatever follows. It all could be practice.
In Monty Python style humor, I wonder if there will be a grand moment of taking one “real photo” just prior to me kicking the bucket?
Simply thinking out loud.
So, what are you practicing? What did your teacher give you to work with?
I have four songs. Two of them by The Beetles: Let it be and Nowhere Man. And two other songs, Greensleeves and Ode to Joy by Beethoven. None of them very difficult, but rather difficult for a beginner.
I can almost play Ode to Joy all the way through with few mistakes because the notes are, for the most part, contained within 2 strings and 3 frets. Nowhere Man is probably the most difficult piece as it uses 4 of the 6 strings and 3 frets. Lots of different notes and finger movements. In this song, I make lots of mistakes, but I’m learning.
He is teaching me to, as he said, play, not strum. It will be a long while before I learn cords. It’s fun, though, reading music and actually hearing and recognizing a song, no matter how chopped up it is.
Paul when I first read this I thought about Allen Iverson and his “practice” press conference
Don
Reporter: “Could you clear about your practicing habits since we can’t see you practice?”
If I can’t practice, I can’t practice.
It is as simple as that. It ain’t about that at all.
It’s easy to sum it up if you’re just talking about practice.
We’re sitting here, and I’m supposed to be the franchise player,
and we’re talking about practice.
I mean listen, we’re sitting here talking about practice, not a game,
not a game, not a game, but we’re talking about practice.
Not the game that I go out there and die for
and play every game like it’s my last
but we’re talking about practice man.
How silly is that?
Now I know that I’m supposed to lead by example and all that
but I’m not shoving that aside like it don’t mean anything.
I know it’s important, I honestly do
but we’re talking about practice.
We’re talking about practice man.
LOL! Yeah, I saw the video remix of that and it was very, very funny!