So i've read about ppl shredding and all during the jam session, and would want to know your practice routine that made u achieve that uber 1337 skillzorzz.

Basically I would want to see how different people have their own routines, and how well it worked for them.

and if u havent read, me and led zep have been too busy with our studies we didnt have time to play much...what more say practice.

Well, during uni, I could only practise for like, 30 minutes a day or something...... IF I find the time.

There was a whole thread on this..... look it up.

I am in my final sem of final year and I barely have any time to play anymore. I guess when I start working, I probably will have to stop playing.

Still, I try to learn a new song with challenging rhythm parts (I can only play rhythm, but good at it) everyday, figuring it out by ear if possible or minimal reference to tabs or notes. I think it is a good system since you are improving on your listening skills, groove, rhythm, beat, and also learning new styles.

Learning how to play Panama currently.

Its hard to find time to practice right now. The irony of this is that when I was a student, I didn't have enough cash to get a guitar let alone the equipment to practice on. Now that I am working and earning enough to fund my music equipment, I don't have the time to practice on them.

But I guess discipline is all it takes, trying to practice between 45-60mins a day. Since I am very new to shredding on an electric guitar, I started practicing on scales and some riffs to get the feel and proper picking techniques and fingering styles. Not easy especially since I came from a fingerstyle guitar playing previously.

ya...some people have enough talent to not practice .

For me i make it a point to find time to practice. Sometimes even to the point of delaying studying. Which is bad by the way . As for routine, i don't really have any. I put on some backing track and try to groove along or solo to it. And sometimes it's just me and my metronome building up finger speed and accuracy. And sometimes i just "waste" 2 hours trying out stupid stuff and techniques that i sort of invented myself or trying to copy other crazy almost impossible techniques used by the pros.

for me, i'll practice at least 40-60 minutes a day...from chromatic scales, am pentatonics, and ocassionally tapping and alternate picking...i still trying to fix and improve my fingering, picking and timing...as i tends to play faster and not following the tempo (my biggest flaw that i'll still trying to fix)...

sometimes, will play a couple of songs to try to apply the techniques...not really going to learn shredding until i get those simple technique down...

Not to say this....

Even virtuoso players like Vai.... also spend 8-11 hours practise in a day.. Kirk oso 8 hours ....

But of coz... they can get money of just playing guitar.. which this is oredi their income...

most of us are not full-time musicians like him.. nor we have a stable career like them now..

But I think one day constant 1 hour practise is good enough for most of us..
For me, I set around 2 hours practise in a day.. if really busy oso 1 hour..
But if I am free or boring that day, I may practise up to 5 hours....

whether it is long practise or short practise, most important we must get the correct practise

Practise makes perfect.. .. well, actually "correct practise makes perfect" sounds better

Can't comment on guitar but for the bass, the most important element to me is timing so I start from there.

I normally start with setting my internal rhythm. On some days I just start a metronome and listen to its tempo. I find that very soon my natural sense of timing improves. During the week I practice timing the countdown of the traffic lights while crossing the roads to make sure my "metronome" is set properly, silly huh.

My playing style is percussive in nature so I normally try and emulate the drums. Pop for snare, Slap for Floor tom, raking for rolls and ringing notes for crashes. It is then easy for me cos then everything to me is merely rhythms, beats and sounds. I just fit in notes to the timing and that's it.

Making sure I warm up me fingers with simple exercises first, I don't know alot of scales. Just the major scale and 2 forms of pentatonics. (now learning me modes hahaha) What I try to do in solos is merely syncopating the notes to add variety to the limited scales I know and making sure that the notes are appropriate to the feel and the direction the drummer and guitarists are going.

A short expose on my limited "technique."

Don't know how I actually sound but guessing from the last gathering, no shoes were flung at me, that must be a good sign.... wait a minute all the shoes were kept outside...eeek!

Keep on practising ya! You can learn tons on how to shred...just ask the "Trio of Terror"!!!! [add scary echo effect!]




edited: for typo and horrible grammar

This post has been edited by stefanong: Oct 16 2006, 08:58 PM

^^ Now thats how a pro talks. You were really good dude!

Yea man, what im trying to figure out till now is to find the best way to practice. Even through constant practice, I seriously suck and see no improvement. Its worrying me. Im curious about people I see online who has been playing for a little over a year but plays impressively. There's got to be a flaw in my practice..or technique...I dunno.

I know it'll come naturally through practice, but like davidlow said correct practice is the key.

as long as you're good at what you're playing, then dont care.
bb king cant play fast.
yngwie donut malmsteen cant play slow

but they play what they do good.

but to see improvement, maybe just pick a song and try to play it.
sure there'll be some part that you cant play, so just keep practicing til you can.

Hmm.. everdying has an excellent point. Not everyone can shred a bazillion notes per minute. Some people are really great in shredding but bad at improv. Some at improv but suck at sight playing. Maybe it's all about finding what you're good at/your niche and excelling in it.

Who knows maybe guitar isn't your instrument but the bass....hmmm think about it

well, if you want to impress people, the best thing to do is learn all the "looker techniques" -quote steve bailey-

learn what looks impressive. It doesnt have to sound good. It just has to look good. Practice that and only that until you can play it really fast. It doesnt have to be clean, nor accurate. It just has to be acrobatic. Like spinning your guitar around your body. Stuff like that.

Who cares about music when you have good acrobatics?

Either that or you do what the music industry does. If you're a girl go dance naked on stage and if you're a guy, get naked girls to dance on the stage. and bingo instant fame. (that comment was targeted at the music industry...no offence to any of you guys)

I play guitar for personal satisfaction. So far, not satisfied. I will be...when I am able to play Satriani covers. Seems like a long way to go.

correct practice makes perfect...learn step by step...

as long as I play as fast as David Gilmour then i'm really satistfied and happy...

For me, I just pick up the guitar and start doing any scales that i can remember. From there, i'll try to start a small riif of my own ... no "stealing" from any guitarist ... purely sendirian BHD riffs. I do one riff on day one and another at day 2 .... then join both at day 3 or something like that.

Besides that, I try to play and read the piano notes (which has no chords nor tabs) to futher improve my erh "reading skills" . Easier when playing in church, just look at the pianist's notes and play. No need to write chords down.

Play as fast as Gilmour? or as soulful as him? haha I wanna BEND and SHAKE like him... lol

the whole package man...he's slow but really into what he's doing