PC-103 • Keep A Practice Shedule

[Indigo]

Lesson Link: http://justinguitar.com/en/PC-103-KeepAPracticeShedule.php

Questions...

[ggerland]

Hi Justin,

I am a little bit confused regarding your practice template.

What's the date column for? There's already a checklist for each day the week, so what do I use the date column for?
The answer will not change my practice-routine - but still curious about your intentions.

KR and keep up the good work - very appreciated!
Gido

[Dr Winterbourne]

I write the date I began to work on this stuff in the date column, and then mark off the days, starting with that date.

When I change something in the practice schedule, for example begin a new stage or whatever, I note the new date.

[marxxx3]

hi justin, i was wondering maybe u could put up some of your practice schedules ? maybe even the ones you were doing when you were doing 10hour workout

[Danne_p93]

Hey. Just wondering about a few things.

im 20 years old and have played for almost 5 year.
The only problem is that I never have practice seriusley, only learned a few scales and some songs.
The rest was just jamming.

Is it possible to get to "advanced" level with real practice like 3 to 5 hours like 6 days a week or is it too late? How long will it take me to get too player level (approximately)? I know is diffrent for diffrent people but like 2, 5 or 10 years?

I study to be a truck driver from 7 am to 4 pm monday to friday so I don't have all time in the world to practice. How do you guys do to get practice time when you working/studing and have a little bit of social life?

Thanks/
Daniel   

[Dr Winterbourne]

Follow the advice in this practice course, and if you can practice for one hour a day, good practice, you will notice improvement. Man, I wish I had started practicing at 20.

I dont know how good you want to get, but to get better, structured practicing like that advocated here i the best way.

[bradt]

Will you ever be a master? I don't know. Is ten years enough time to do it? I don't know that either. If you don't, it won't be because of your age.

It's natural to feel like you are starting late. You're probably thinking "Man I wish I had stuck with it when I was 15". In another five years you'll be thinking about how you wish you had started taking it seriously when you were twenty. Five years from that point you'll be doing it all again. A lot of us here have started much later than you, and would be over the moon if we could turn back the clock and convince our younger selves to start where you are.

Look at it this way. 10 years now you will be 10 years older anyway. It's up to you whether or not you will be 10 years better at guitar.

As far as practice time goes, just keep the guitar out and accessible. Don't tuck it away in a closet or in a case. Put it right out there in plan view where you can just grab it and mess around. You're much more likely to play that way; even if it's just for five or ten minutes at a time.

[Drubbing]

What is "advanced"? Being able to play like John Williams, Steve Vai or that 10 year old kid from Singapore on yootoob, or being able to play a whole host of songs you like, and rock out too?

Who knows how good you'll be in 10 years. But one things for sure, with organised practice you'll be a better player than if you don't bother. Guitar is a lot about getting there, not arriving. If you want to get "somewhere", structured practice is the best way to do it. I only see myself making progress when I organise myself a little, and put in the practice time.

Pretty hard with 3 young kids, but it's an hour or so I'd otherwise spend sat watching crap on the TV at night anyhow.

[zoglug]

Hey everyone,

After 6 months of following Justin's Beginner course in parts, and using youtube to find songs i like, i decided to structure my practice a little better in order to improve my playing. Im currently working on putting together a practice schedule, but wondered what way people prefer to keep it? Electronically, or the good old fashioned pen and paper way?

Cheers

Zog

[7255carl]

Hey everyone,

After 6 months of following Justin's Beginner course in parts, and using youtube to find songs i like, i decided to structure my practice a little better in order to improve my playing. Im currently working on putting together a practice schedule, but wondered what way people prefer to keep it? Electronically, or the good old fashioned pen and paper way?

Cheers

Zog

Hi Guys

i am loving the structured practice approach and seeing results in just 2 weeks, i like the good old fashioned paper and pen approach using the blank practice schedules supplied on this site, i also keep a track of my one minute changes in the same way, it is so motivating to see where you were a month ago and where you are now, I have never felt better about my practice

Carl

[Drubbing]

Paper or e records; either way bot are a pain. You either have to keep your e stuff up to date, or I make a mess trying to do the same on paper.

About the best thing going was the 1 minute changes app, which kept records and instantly updated after the timer goes off. But I don't have an android phone anymore, so have to go back to paper for that too.

If anyone has any good (simple) templates to work off to keep things straight, that would be great. I don't find justin's very helpful, as I can never seem to keep the info tidy, there never seems enough room.

[bradt]

I have a spiral notebook that I use to keep notes on my practice. I've sort of developed my own routine, and I just write the things down as I do them. Every so often I'll tear the pages out and clip them into a three ring binder that I have.

That way I can easily keep a section for song songs in the binder, one for ear training charts on graph paper, and the main part for my practice log. Plus it allows me to keep my practice kind of flexible and easily note how long I work on each thing.

It sounds like a lot of trouble, but it's actually pretty easy. I like to use paper because I write the things down as I do them. it's just easier to jot things down as I do them than to have to always be near the computer so I can stop and type.

[misterg]

I don't know if it helps, but I printed a sheet in the following format when I was working through the IM course:



The practice items are on the left (from Justin's summary at the end of each module), the time to spend, and any targets. The rest of the sheet is a month's worth of days.

When I did a bit of practice, I would shade in the relavant square (or write the number of changes, etc. in it if it was relevant). This was handy to make sure I covered all the items, even if I didn't do the whole lot every day. Also, by filling in the dates in advance, it becomes really obvious if you start missing days.

This is easy to set up in Word or Excel, etc.

I need to get back into the discipline of regular practice (as opposed to noodling around)  though 

[Drubbing]

THanks for that misterg. I always have trouble finding a way ot organise stuff on paper that works simply. I'll try that.

[watasch]

I don't know if it helps, but I printed a sheet in the following format when I was working through the IM course:



The practice items are on the left (from Justin's summary at the end of each module), the time to spend, and any targets. The rest of the sheet is a month's worth of days.

When I did a bit of practice, I would shade in the relavant square (or write the number of changes, etc. in it if it was relevant). This was handy to make sure I covered all the items, even if I didn't do the whole lot every day. Also, by filling in the dates in advance, it becomes really obvious if you start missing days.

This is easy to set up in Word or Excel, etc.

Thank you for the model you set up.  I can see already how I can modify it to meet my needs.  Always nice to have a forum where one can see different ideas that help with the process.
Watasch

[mouser9169]

Is it possible to get to "advanced" level with real practice like 3 to 5 hours like 6 days a week or is it too late? How long will it take me to get too player level (approximately)? I know is diffrent for diffrent people but like 2, 5 or 10 years?

Practice too much and you'll burn out. That said, if you really feel the desire to practice three hours a day, don't let a bit of discouragement stand in your way. I wouldn't do that every day, certainly not at first though.

I think Justin mentioned running a marathon somewhere - guitar practice is a bit of the same thing. If you want to be able to practice that long, you've got to practice your practice - If you can follow that. An hour a day isn't a magical number - it's just a convenient block of time most people can work with. If you feel you need more, do more. But get there doing a bit more at a time.

I will say that for most of the categories I wouldn't mess with the 5 minute interval thing. Rusty Cooley used the same method (and he practiced a lot more that an hour a day). 5 minutes seems to be the amount someone can go 'full out, full concentration' - a sprint, if you want to keep the running analogy going. If you want to do something for 15 minutes, do it in three 5 minute segments.

[Tharen]

Heya,

I've been playing electric guitar for a few months and I know the basic chords and few scales, aswell some tiny parts of songs and the A Minor Pentatonic Scale extension that I have been improvising into.

I've been trying to figure out myself a practice schedule for a day now, this is what I have come up with, any tips & advice would be appreciated.



I have yet to figure songs to learn for the Repertoire part, also the transcribing part is open for me, I figured I should first check out justins lessons for it so I have put it there aswell. The times are rough estimates and I would probably do the technique exercises in 2x5min bursts.

Thank you in advance,

Tharen

[jimkb]

Hi, I'm one of those who has picked up the guitar had a go and put it down again over the years. I've never kept a practice schedule before and always ended up playing something I could play and never really improved.

I've made an effort this time to keep a practice schedule and I have seen an increase in my playing ability. I always thought it was to much trouble before. Even if its just 1 minute changes keep a written record for the level your at, its worth it.

[justinguitar]

@Tharen - looks good to me.

@Danne - I still do my practice in 5' blocks other than transcribing and jamming!

[TheZachster5627]

Hey Justin i recently been experiencing "Repetitive Strain Injury" in my left hand. This was due to chord practice.
I was wondering if someone plays guitar the whole day, how long should he rest before playing chords again?
Thanks a million Justin!

[sophiehiker]

I think you should ask your doctor about that.   

[Flashmann]

Hey Justin i recently been experiencing "Repetitive Strain Injury" in my left hand. This was due to chord practice.
I was wondering if someone plays guitar the whole day, how long should he rest before playing chords again?
Thanks a million Justin!

As sophiehiker says,a Doctor might best answer that.....

I did something very similar to myself,a few months back....Got sore so on the top of my hand right at the wrist,from chord changes,that it was 5 days before I could pick up a guitar again...

Having two sisters in law that are LPNs,I went to one of them,rather than a Doc...Experienced advice for free.... ...She was of the opinion that I'd given myself a mild,(still painful) case of tendonitus,and to treat it the same as the two "officially" diagnosed cases I'd had,(work related) were treated...

You should stop NOW and recover,whether that be 2 days or 2 weeks....

I pushed through right up til when the pain literally MADE me stop.....Now,some 3 months later,although I've learned lots of new stuff,I am just now getting back to being able to practice for comparable lengths of time as before I hurt myself.....

Be very careful...

[Falco252]

Hey! Great video as always

I want to know, can I for instance, mix practice and fun? For instance I do 5min scales, 5 min spider, the whole with a lot of concentration, and then I play a song I "master" for 2 or 3 up to 5 minutes to relax then get back at practicing something.

I want to know if it's okay to do that, if it doesn't kill my ability to learn/concentrate of it's actually a good idea.

I'm not sure I've made my point(sorry I'm not a native english :/ ), but I hope you did I remember I was doing that when I was studying in school, 20min study then 2min relax etc...


Thanks again for the practice videos

[stitch101]

 Falco252  The whole idea of learning all this stuff is so you can play music. So if breaking up your practice
time by playing song helps you practice then that's OK. Justin even has a spot in the practice routine to
play songs.
http://www.justinguitar.com/images/RS_images/PracRoutine-1hr.pdf

[johnie0815]

Hello ,

sorry for my bad english, iam not a native

I have a little "problem" with the practice shedule.

The 5 minutes for technique, scales, etc. are okay for me. But for a solo or a whole song? If it is a really tricky one iam not able to learn more than 2 bars in 5 minutes.

So do you really practise songs and solos just for 5 mins/day?

Greets
Johny