how do the true innovators practice playing the guitar? what did hendrix do? les paul, robert johnson, mark knopfler, albert king, jimmy page, george harrison, even people like ani difranco or dave matthews or jack johnson, how did they get the styles they did? i don't think they spent all their time grinding out scales... what kind of practice did they do?
btw, i'm not a beginner, but i'm not sure where else to post this.
I don't have an answer, but I would like to comment that, the great ones became so great because of their surrondings. Many influences probably came from many other people that they were touring with.
They've probably picked up techniques and manufested it into they own style. Just think of it as a game of broken telophone with the end message usually sounding alot different than the original.
I'm guessing their creativity, talent, and effort brought whatever basics into something great.
When Greats practice, I can only imagine them perfecting their techniques or trying to make a new repretoires.
8 hours a day, just like a job. that's what it takes!
All you know about me is what I've sold you. I sold out long before you ever heard my name.
I sold my soul to make a record, Dip sh#t, And you bought one. ~Maynard James Keenan~
Hendrix, when he was young, practiced with some mates every day, playing songs straight of the record. They would listen, play that part, hardly without speaking, repeat until they nailed that part, then went to the next part, until they could play the song perfectly. Seems to have paid off.
I just heard Harrison in an interview. Claims he never practices. But I suspect years of playing the clubs and with the Beatles may eventually have rendered practice superfluous. For years those guys played clubs in England and Germany and played something like eight hours a night.
Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon
Springsteen once said of his sister that she was popular in school, so there was no way she was going to sit in her room all day practicing guitar like he did. So I guess the answer in his case was "all day."
Blame it on the lies that killed us, blame it on the truth that ran us down.
My opinion is that it is just a genuine love of music.
If you really love it you live it.
Work for perfection everyday, everyday you will get closer
Every interview I ever read from the great ones said they practiced pretty much all day every day. Don't recall any specifics though. I remember reading one from EVH. He said he got up in the morning before school and practiced several hours and then again when he got home from school till bedtime. Good thing the guitar playing worked out for him, can't imagine he was much of a student.
It's how you exercise your imagination. Discipline of positive mind control, and don't let your mind wonder. One of the great things you'll gain is uniqueness. If you are thoroughly saturated in this state of mind, your playing will reflect it.
Joe
