ok... so my question is basically about how i practice


when i started playing 8-9 months ago, i would sit and play and think of nothing else, but more and more alot of the things im playing just require repetition... things like pulloffs etc and i just run thru scales while i watch tv or do other things

is this ok? i mean i know it helps, that part is obvious, but does anyone have any facts relating to this issue. Take an excersize like scales, is it easier to learn if you are doign only that, or does finger mmemory or whatever even care that your paying attetion to waht your doing or watching tv at the same time

It's better to only have what is guitar related around you when practising. Watching TV is a distraction, and yes, you may be able to play guitar while watching TV, but it's not giving 100% attention to guitar - and that means you aren't improving 100% of your technique.

Switch off TV n stuff when playing - just have guitar and songs that you are playing too.

Practice is totally separate from playing.

If you're truly "practicing" you need to have a plan and a regiment to address and work on specific things with a long and short term goal.

You aren't hurting yourself or completely wasting your time by practicing in front of the TV, but you're likely not making effective use of your time, and you won't see the same type of progress.

well it was just a thought, i do it anyway because its comfortale to me play with something to do in between stuff so i dont stop playing and move entirely to some other activity., i mostly play, but after awhile fingers hurt(/e or get tired... ) or i get frustrated and i watch a bit of tv. i had sort of figured it was a bad habit but its not one i think im going to break any time soon.

i mean i practice sometimes with no tv but, if im just working on some random fingerstyle song or what have you, i feel like its more about repetition than me watching myself play in a mirror with a metronome, of course i am probably dead wrong either way though i still can learn that way albeit slower i guess. I do the same thing with my pc sometimes, i play for 10 minutes, then do something then come back to it..

i had just sort of imagiend there was many people who practiced new material like that

This post was edited by blunderwonder2 on Feb 14 2012 09:44pm

You should have as few distractions as possible while practicing technique. It's also good, specifically preparing for performing in front of people, to get used to playing with distractions - in front of a TV, while moving around, and whatever you can. It's helpful to learn technique, especially starting out, without distractions, and it's good to have dedicated practice time. Once you're comfortable with the foundations of your playing, you can supplement it with more casual practice - a friend did most of his sweep-picking practice while watching reruns of The Simpsons, since he had the technique down and just needed to practice for muscle memory.

If your hands/fingers are starting to hurt you should probably stop. Let me tell you though, if you just break your practice up into really intense short periods throughout the day you'll probably be a lot better of. Having the focus and foresight to have a really long practice routine takes time and a lot of experience. Practicing is an art as much as anything else...some people never get good at it.

The TV music work out only helps the muscle development and muscle memory. Probably not expanding too much of the musical vocabulary. There's a difference between shredding through scales and performing scales. If you want to really know what the best way to do it is, try an hour marathon, with no distractions. Get a piece of music and force yourself through it. There will be bumps but the experience of working hard at something will develop your learning aptitude in music. The next time you put a piece of music in front of you and you spend an hour on it, won't be as hard the second time, then even less the third and so on.

When I work on something, it's nothing but the music and the instrument and a coffee/cuba libre/beer. I stick with it until I'm satisfied and if I'm having no luck after a half hour, small break and back at er. In my early years, it was the same thing except 2-10 hours a day.