How do long term players keep up the practice?

[Donovan]

I've been playing since I was in Jr. Highschool. I'm now 36 years old and I still play. I took some lessons when I started and learned to read music. I was in the Jazz band in my High school and rack bands with my friends. I also took some theory in College. However these days I mostly just bang around at home and play the stuff I've always liked. I'll usually put on Ozzy's Tribute CD and play along with that or some blues stuff that all sounds the same. I don't really have time for lessons now but I feel I've lost much of my ability. I have a hard time even telling you what note I'm on sometimes! I've always played in patterns because I'm lazy but that's also how my mind works. I see the scale patters and then connect them as I play to move around. Anyhow, I have lost a lot of what I used to know and that wasn't even that much.

As you get older or get good enough to pick stuff you want out and play it, what do you do to keep up the actual practice? I almost never practice at all anymore but I do warm up and run the major scale and modes then the pentatonic patterns up the neck then get lazy. After that I just play to a CD or whatever.

[shredder1]

I`m 58 in a few month, been playing since I was around 12, you forget things over time of course but can usually pick them up again, p[eriods of your life you will put the guitar down and stopped gigging, but it always comes back again with a vengence, i`m still learning and progressing and every so often I treat myself to a new guitar or something
Your brain loses memory much faster than your fingers

[karimagus]

I've seen many people cut the practising off once they are pleased with there level of playing. I mean at some level, a guitarist should define himself (tone wise and skill wise) and just start playing music or composing it.

I think the important part here is you playing to a CD, not the scales you rehearse.
Cheers!

[rob777vdy]

Originally Posted by Donovan

I've been playing since I was in Jr. Highschool. I'm now 36 years old and I still play. I took some lessons when I started and learned to read music. I was in the Jazz band in my High school and rack bands with my friends. I also took some theory in College. However these days I mostly just bang around at home and play the stuff I've always liked. I'll usually put on Ozzy's Tribute CD and play along with that or some blues stuff that all sounds the same. I don't really have time for lessons now but I feel I've lost much of my ability. I have a hard time even telling you what note I'm on sometimes! I've always played in patterns because I'm lazy but that's also how my mind works. I see the scale patters and then connect them as I play to move around. Anyhow, I have lost a lot of what I used to know and that wasn't even that much.

As you get older or get good enough to pick stuff you want out and play it, what do you do to keep up the actual practice? I almost never practice at all anymore but I do warm up and run the major scale and modes then the pentatonic patterns up the neck then get lazy. After that I just play to a CD or whatever.

ive been doing this for 15 years.im a ok guitarist but knowhere near as good as i should be for the time ive been playing,past caring now i just play for my own enjoyment ie flying allover fretboard playing scales very fast,sounds cool to me though and been playing same songs for years aswell just learn a new 1 here n there when i can be bothered,the average joe in the street thinks im awsome so that will ding dang do for me

[Mr. Killer]

I have the same problem. I'm 17 (yeah I know I'm too young) but I have the same "problem". 4 months ago, I could play everything as long as I practised enough (of course I can't play as goos as vai or petrucci :P, hopefully one day I will), but then I started studying at university. I didn't have any time to practice. Yesterday I picked up my guitar again, and suddenly I was making lots of mistakes!!

My personal opinion is that, to improve or at least stay in the same level, you must practice everyday, at least half an hour, but you must practice! But if you haven't played for years, no problem: a few days of practising will bring your skills back!!

Check some John Petrucci's interviews in youtube. The guy says that he must practice everyday in order to be able to play everything he must play. He even practices when he's not on tour or recording a cd!! That shows how important practice and discipline is.

[rob777vdy]

heres some good advice for all you up and coming young guitarists,LEARN YOUR THEORY its boring as sin but you will be a much better guitar player in the long run.i avoided the theory side because i found it complicated and boring.even if you dont want to write your own material its still very handy to know your theory.as the saying goes eat your greens.

[MattyG]

Some great posts here guys!!!
I go through phases of different guitar goals - for a month or two a year I get into classical/folk style and get the nylon string out.
Then I get back into jazz and start using my jazz box, then before I know it I'm back into shred/rock etc and playing my RG.

Also because of the demands of my job I have to practice the stuff I will be playing for a gig so I might be learning stuff I have no actual interest in being able to play - that can be a real drag when you are close to nailing a tune you love and you have to put it away to learn some concert dots that suck LOL.

I think the key to maintaining the practice is mostly having the compulsion to do it. Most of us here will be true players - musicians that simply have no choice but to play - being driven by an unrelenting, natural need to satisfy our musical needs.

[fretboardpyro]

I'm 32 now and have been playing 16 years and primarily play thrash, i took classical guitar lessons early on and did my gradings, eventually reaching grade 7. What i've found is the things i use in everyday guitar playing i use too much, bread and butter is fine but no one wants to eat it day in day out. To break the monotony i'll revert to a style that i wouldn't normally play ie jazz or blues to vary my vocabulary as sometimes whizzing through classical scales can be mundane and further to this you will often find a chord or progression that you wouldn't ever consider using.
other things i do are to keep at least one guitar close at hand, even whilst you are doing the most dull things you can practice, have one guitar set up different ie tuning or even just the string gauge can hold your interest as it will open new doors. Set yourself a task, ie find a song you really want to learn then tell someone what you are doing and then tell them that you want them to push you into doing it, you'd be surprised at how well that works. Also try picking your guitar up and playing in the style of your heroes, you'd be shocked as to how you will interpret this and just how much you can improve by doing this. lastly after you've done the serious bits of practice, take time to noodle randomly, it'll just take the aggravation out of it for you!
hope this helps some

[Martin L]

If you can still be inspired by music, I think the wish to keep up the practicing and the study of music comes by itself, but then, you also need the time to keep it up.

[GLG421]

It sounds to me like you've lost inspiration to play, but not the desire. I think we all dance around this Devil at some point in our playing.

I was in a rut for almost 20 years. Same as you. Played along to the same album (love Tribute). My inspiration came in the form of a brash friend of my daughter's who played bass. He'd bring over his Bass and make me play. So I started slowly getting my groove back on, then took Shredder1's tact. Started buying new equipment.

Over the past 4 years I've bought 11 pedals, 1 Amp, recording interface, and a JS1200. And I'm can't wait to get home and hit the strings for an hour or so.

A great tool I've been using for the last few months is a loop station. I'll lay down a very simple rhythm track, and then just play over top of it. It's done wonders for my improvisational skills.

I'm no world class guitarist. just a 38 year old hack with a song in my heart, and music in my soul. It'll always find a way back to the surface. Sometimes we need to be patient, other times we may need to force it to the top.


Geoff

[smooth55]

I'll second that it sounds like you're in a rut. Force yourself to play to different styles or just learn some new songs in the styles you already play can really help. Also, play with people whenever you can, again, regardless of musical style as long as it's fun. There's no substitute for playing with other musicians when it comes to forcing you to practice, re-defining your playing, and pushing your limits.
If that doesn't work, I've also found that new equipment, a concert DVD, or stuff like that can really re-excite the desire to play/force you to get your money's worth. For me, if I invest some money into something, I have to use it and sometimes just that principle gets me to practice when I might otherwise just relax and play video games or watch tv.

[dartvader]

ive been playing guitar for 3 years i wana be a rock guitarist i can already play steve vai and joe satriani tunes im happy there so fun

[sick-boy]

Sick-boy's secret to practicing:
Take the guitar into the toilet with you. Some people read. I take my guitar. My girlfriend was weirded out the first time she witnessed it. I believe, however, that it is the secret to nailing that "brown sound".
But seriously, there is always time to practice if you look at it correctly. And if you really love doing it, it won't be that hard to both find and make the time. Even if you are practicing on the toilet.
Sounds to me like you just need a little more self discipline. That's the hardest part in any hobby or pastime. I make myself play everyday, even if I've reached one of those annoying skill plateaus where it feels like you don't know where to go next or what to do. But I've found that just making myself practice everyday no matter what helps so that I can push past those points and start doing something new.
Just my two cents.

[MattyG]

Yea good point - I also find having a guitar in view, perhaps next to the TV is a good way of 'reminding' myself to practice.

A top brass player I met once told me:

'the hardest thing about practicing is getting your instrument out of its box'

So true

[rastachild]

Originally Posted by MattyG

A top brass player I met once told me:

'the hardest thing about practicing is getting your instrument out of its box'

So true

no doubt. sometimes i feel like i don't want to practice, but if i force myself to at least pick up the guitar and just mess around with it, i usually will start getting into it and then start practicing in earnest. it's like not thinking you are hungry until you take that first bite...then realizing you actually were hungry after all.

for me, the main issue i run into is getting everything done i want to do musically within the timeframe allotted. i write and record my own stuff, so that entails having time to work on songwriting, practicing technique to be able to play all the stuff that is part of the tune, recording time (getting the right takes), mixing and mastering. i do try to practice on the instrument daily, but when you are not a full time musician and have a day job it gets tough. i am lucky i don't have a wife or a steady gf at the moment, so i can devote most of my free time towards music. to complicate matters a little more, i am in a couple of bands. lol.

so i've found you have to stay as focused as possible and really push yourself to work on whatever you are trying to achieve. there may be weeks where i don't really work on technique much at all in a traditional sense, but if i'm working up a certain part to record, i may focus on getting my vibrato, bends and timing perfect so i can nail it with minimal effort when i decide to record.

anyway, if you are feeling burnt out, i personally would suggest to push on through it. i've had several periods in my playing tenure where i've put the instrument down for a year or 2 and i've regretted everyone of them.