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Your best practice/playing

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(@johnny-lee)
Trusted Member
Joined: 13 years ago
Posts: 48
Topic starter  

I've been thinking about whether or not there is a "better" time during the day to play/practice guitar or not. Or maybe even that there are certain times better suited for playing and other times better suited for practicing.

For example, I find that the first couple hours after I wake are NOT the best times to practice. I'm still kind of building up my energy for the day. It's not all there yet. My body may also be a bit stiff and that doesn't help with the guitar.

On the other hand, sometimes I practice really really late. Like right before I go to bed. And I notice that I often do my BEST practicing (and playing) during that time. I'm not sure why.

I'm sure it's different for everyone, but what do you guys feel works best for you usually?

~Johnny

My writings on playing guitar => No B.S. Guitar


   
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(@rparker)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5480
 

I normally do not play after waking in the morning until I've been up for a couple hours or so. However, I have done it. There's been more than one occassion where I've had some really decent morning sessions. Even before coffee. I just woke up feeling the strong urge to play. Most of the time, though, forget it.

I've think I've gotten into my longest and maybe best sessions in the early to mid-afternoon range. Say between lunch and dinner. Sometimes a passing storm system will keep me from sleeping and I'll play late at night through headphones. I normally awaken to the sound of my pic hitting my guitar and sliding against something. These late nighters are normally very much softer music. Noodling with some Jazz-ish chords. Maybe some very slow Country Blues.

I might play early evening a time or two a week, but the family is normally home then and I'm hanging out with them. If my wife and I are just hanging out and watching baseball, she normally has her lap top going and I'll be in the other comfy chair playing quietly. Nothing more than practicing, really. She may or may not even notice it enough to comment.

Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin


   
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(@minotaur)
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Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 1089
 

I usually practice in the evening after work. Sometimes I go for a couple of hours until it's either getting really late and/or I get tired and stupid and keep messing up. On weekends I usually start in the late afternoon or early evening. Very rarely do I play early in the day.

It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.


   
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(@anonymous)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 8184
 

anytime.


   
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(@dogbite)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 6348
 

I tend to practice in the afternoon and early evening. my cycle is similar to that of birds. I am up with the sun and shutting down after sunset. never was a night owl. the synapses don't fire very fast at three AM.
last week the only time our band could practice was at 9 AM. that sure felt strange. summoning up the fire to play hard rock was something. I found that I did play well, but my hands were stiff and took a bit of stretching to loosen up.
after the three hour practice I felt energized and did all kinds of hard chores.
rock at 9 AM is like really strong coffee.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=644552
http://www.soundclick.com/couleerockinvaders


   
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 cnev
(@cnev)
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Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4459
 

Pretty much anytime for me. On the weekends I usually wake up early and go downstairs and work on something for an hour or more depends on what I'm working on etc.

If I play for awhile in the morning alot of times I'll skp the afternoons and then play some more at night.

During the week it's only at night usually.

I don't really notice a big difference in my playing either way.

"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!


   
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(@vic-lewis-vl)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 10264
 

I'm exactly the opposite to Dogbite....I usually get to bed around the time the birds are waking up! Never have been a morning person.....

Practise time? I don't have set times, but usually the best time is when there's no-one around to interrupt - late at night, unplugged electric so's I don't disturb anyone. When the weather's nice, though - like it has been the past couple of weeks - it's acoustic guitar in the back yard time.

There's usually always a guitar handy - so if a record comes on the radio I like, I tend to pick the guitar up and play along.

:D :D :D

Vic

"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)


   
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(@kent_eh)
Noble Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 1882
 

I haven't discovered a best time yet.

I just have to squeeze it in between everything else in whatever time is available.
I'm seldom in the "best" frame of mind at whatever time that happens to be, but if I try to wait for an optimum time I'd never play anything.

I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep


   
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(@danooo)
Trusted Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 41
 

I wish there was a magical way to change my bands best time for playing. Salisbury Marlyands noise ordinance at 11 pm put a dent in my wallet a few weeks ago haha


   
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 PITA
(@pita)
Active Member
Joined: 13 years ago
Posts: 3
 

I've been thinking about whether or not there is a "better" time during the day to play/practice guitar or not. Or maybe even that there are certain times better suited for playing and other times better suited for practicing.

For example, I find that the first couple hours after I wake are NOT the best times to practice. I'm still kind of building up my energy for the day. It's not all there yet. My body may also be a bit stiff and that doesn't help with the guitar.

On the other hand, sometimes I practice really really late. Like right before I go to bed. And I notice that I often do my BEST practicing (and playing) during that time. I'm not sure why.

I'm sure it's different for everyone, but what do you guys feel works best for you usually?

~Johnny

Make sure you get enough sleep:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC129381/
Practicing a motor skill triggers a process of memory consolidation that continues for hours after practice has ended, and becomes manifest in an improved skill at later testing. We used a sequential motor task (finger-to-thumb opposition task) to show that, in humans, the formation of motor skill memories essentially benefits from sleep. Independent of whether placed during daytime or nighttime, sleep after practice enhanced speed of sequence performance on average by 33.5% and reduced error rate by 30.1% as compared with corresponding intervals of wakefulness.
PITA


   
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