How many hours to practice guitar?
- Thread starter meteor685
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TauSigmaNova
Guitarist Wannabe.
how many hours?
per day? week? month? year? in our life?
also, the hour will vary by skill level/by person due to some people needing less practice or some people practicing 'better' and getting more accomplished during their practice.
per day? week? month? year? in our life?
also, the hour will vary by skill level/by person due to some people needing less practice or some people practicing 'better' and getting more accomplished during their practice.
SpaceDock
Shred till your dead
Easily 10000 plus hours!
I've been doing it a long time though. Sadly still not as good as I would like.
I've been doing it a long time though. Sadly still not as good as I would like.
Berserker
Well-Known Member
Practicing the right things is far more important than how many hours you put in.
Ibzzus
Jangle/shoegaze-core
Soooo.. Would practicing a scale really slow on a metronome help me when I'm trying to shred that said scale? Does practicing things slow lay the foundations for playing stuff accurately and with precision when you increase the tempo?
Imagine I want to play like Rick Graham; when he shreds, his fingers barley leave the fretboard and every note is played perfectly. Where do I start? What does 'practicing right' mean in this scenario?
I have been playing for around 10 years now, on and off, I can play pretty darn well, it's just that when I shred, my right hand can't keep up with my left, or my left can't keep up with my right. Never really analysed the problem.
I catch on really quick and my fingers achieve a muscle memory quite easily, so I doubt i'll have to put in more than 2 - 3 hours a day.
Solodini
MORE RESTS!
Yup, slow down to synchronise your hands and make your motions as small as possible. If you're practising a scale, do it with different rhythms, accenting 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s et c..
Practise the scale in different size chunks: 121 232 343 454 565 676 787 878, 131 242 353 464..., 12321 23432... so your muscle memory is used to more than just running the whole scale. Smaller chunks will sound much more musical.
Practise the scale in different size chunks: 121 232 343 454 565 676 787 878, 131 242 353 464..., 12321 23432... so your muscle memory is used to more than just running the whole scale. Smaller chunks will sound much more musical.
i agree, nothing changed for me until i started learning my fav songs by ear.
jay_katana
Member
What is the number of hours you can spend practicing the guitar EVERY day, with no days off???
There is no need in large amount of hours. 2 hours per day can be enough, the key is in doing it CONSTANTLY, and managing this amount of time.
By managing I mean dividing the 2 hours into four 30min time-slots, where each time slot will represent a certain area. For example
1. Techniques (right/left hands) (30 min)
2. Chords/Scales (30 min)
3. Improvisation (30 min)
4. Songwriting (30 min)
Every day!!!
There is no need in large amount of hours. 2 hours per day can be enough, the key is in doing it CONSTANTLY, and managing this amount of time.
By managing I mean dividing the 2 hours into four 30min time-slots, where each time slot will represent a certain area. For example
1. Techniques (right/left hands) (30 min)
2. Chords/Scales (30 min)
3. Improvisation (30 min)
4. Songwriting (30 min)
Every day!!!
Solodini
MORE RESTS!
I've found it more effective for me to do multiple sessions 10-15 mins (or however much time I can find) per day, whenever I can in the day, which blends all of those elements Jay_Katana mentions, making it all part of general musicianship.
Decide on a key/harmonic concept/atmosphere/feel; maybe choose a technique to use with it; Write an idea (with a technique in mind, this becomes much easier based on more limited choices); work out how to play it; practise that; play about with it to try to improve it or see how you can change the feel of it (improv).
Repeat each time at the instrument.
Decide on a key/harmonic concept/atmosphere/feel; maybe choose a technique to use with it; Write an idea (with a technique in mind, this becomes much easier based on more limited choices); work out how to play it; practise that; play about with it to try to improve it or see how you can change the feel of it (improv).
Repeat each time at the instrument.
we have a pretty similar routine
Im soo trying this when practicing improv when i get home in 7 hours, currently im mostly doing motifs, tryin to start on the upbeat.
Is it possible to become a great guitarist when its just a hobby(which in my case it is)???
haffner1
Well-Known Member
When I was younger and had the time, I used to practice 6+ hours a day. That being said, that time was not always as well spent as it could have been, because I didn't have a teacher for most of the time. Now I can only usually get in about 2 or so hours, maybe more if I have an extra day off, but I have learned a lot in the intervening years so it is probably more effective now. I don't always have the same plan every time for what to practice, it really depends on what I am trying to improve on at the time, but it is usually best to at least touch on the areas mentioned above each day, even if only for 10 minutes or so each, so you don't get rusty and lose your chops while you are trying to expand into other areas. I don't know how many times I have gone off the path for weeks at a time focusing on some theory or another, progressions... modulations etc only to go back and try and apply it for real, only to discover that my picking is all screwed up because I have been neglecting it.
Solodini
MORE RESTS!
It's good to set yourself specific goals like that, "starting on the upbeat" or using a certain chord change, trying to apply a certain rhythm or time signature. Watch/read some interviews with Mattias Eklundh and you'll probably get some good ideas for things to try to achieve.
It's definitely possible, as long as you play often enough and challenge yourself.
Gothic Headhunter
Born on a Monday
That's a really good idea, I'm going to try this out
tender_insanity
Well-Known Member
I don't practise anymore. I just do recordings, but it's almost the same thing. Haven't had much time for anything since my daughter was born 
Luna Lee
Well-Known Member
When I saw Andy Mckee live he said that he rarely ever practices scales, chords etc. he said that he just counts all the hours he plays live as practice
The only time I do strict actual practicing (scales, techniques etc.) is probably only at most an hour a day.
But I improvise/write sometimes up to 7 hours a day if I have the time.
When I use to take piano lessons I practiced maybe up to an 1-2 hours a every other day but being more focused on guitar I know can go up to a week without practicing piano 
But I have been playing piano for about 10 years and guitar for about 4 so I usually won't warm up with my major scales
I really only focus on techniques that I am struggling with.
like "under strumming"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elOxW3wbz7A
The only time I do strict actual practicing (scales, techniques etc.) is probably only at most an hour a day.
But I improvise/write sometimes up to 7 hours a day if I have the time.
When I use to take piano lessons I practiced maybe up to an 1-2 hours a every other day
but being more focused on guitar I know can go up to a week without practicing piano But I have been playing piano for about 10 years and guitar for about 4 so I usually won't warm up with my major scales
I really only focus on techniques that I am struggling with.
like "under strumming"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elOxW3wbz7A
It seems to me like these days twenty min a day is the minimum for me to stay sharp on technique, 60 if I want to also be maintaining a repertoire of songs and keeping my improv fresh. More than that to actually make new progress.
And try to think of practice as partially a way for your hands to maintain or improve muscle memory, but also a way for YOU to *learn* things that will just stay with you forever. If you only work on that first part it becomes somewhat mindless and you miss an opportunity to let your practice have a more long term benefit.
And try to think of practice as partially a way for your hands to maintain or improve muscle memory, but also a way for YOU to *learn* things that will just stay with you forever. If you only work on that first part it becomes somewhat mindless and you miss an opportunity to let your practice have a more long term benefit.
Dusty Chalk
Well-Known Member
I'm guilty of that, thanks for bringing that up -- exercise the mind as well as the fingers.
