Practicing

Jerryc41

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At one of our Wednesday night sessions a while back, someone asked me when I usually practice. After a bit of thought, I said, "Wednesday night from 6:00 - 8:00." Yes, I should play/practice more.

Yesterday, I was listening to public radio, and they were interviewing young musicians. This particular girl was fifteen, but she played the violin like a pro. The interviewer asked her how much she practices every day. She said she practices for five hours every day. Imagine how great I would play the uke if I practiced that much. Maybe I'll start today. : )
 
When I was a kid and able to spend hours guilt-free riffing away on guitar, I did. I had a lot of fun doing it, too. I wouldn't say I was practicing so much, though - more like I was just playing around. Now that I have significantly less available practice time (that doesn't come with guilt anyway), I'm practicing with much more thought and purpose. More dedication to the actual work of it.

Then I sit down on the couch to watch TV with the family and strum/noodle for funsies.
 
One of the great quotes I've heard (and I wish I could remember who said it) was, "Don't practice - Play!"

When I pick up one of my ukes, I play for 45 minutes to an hour, if I'm not interrupted. Sometimes I play new songs, sometimes I play the same thing over and over, trying different things, and sometimes I play along with YouTube videos, just because. I'll try different keys, different chords (1st, 2nd, 3rd position), or just moving my fingers around to hear something different. If I like what I hear, I'll keep doing it.

Some people might call that "practicing", but to me, it's just Playing, and enjoying myself.

And I'll do it 3-4 times a week.
 
One of the great quotes I've heard (and I wish I could remember who said it) was, "Don't practice - Play!"

When I pick up one of my ukes, I play for 45 minutes to an hour, if I'm not interrupted. Sometimes I play new songs, sometimes I play the same thing over and over, trying different things, and sometimes I play along with YouTube videos, just because. I'll try different keys, different chords (1st, 2nd, 3rd position), or just moving my fingers around to hear something different. If I like what I hear, I'll keep doing it.

Some people might call that "practicing", but to me, it's just Playing, and enjoying myself.

And I'll do it 3-4 times a week.

I like to do both. I'll take out a book of uke songs and play one after another. That's playing.

Sometimes, I'll work on a particular technique until I'm comfortable with it. That's practicing.
 
One of the great quotes I've heard (and I wish I could remember who said it) was, "Don't practice - Play!"

When I pick up one of my ukes, I play for 45 minutes to an hour, if I'm not interrupted. Sometimes I play new songs, sometimes I play the same thing over and over, trying different things, and sometimes I play along with YouTube videos, just because. I'll try different keys, different chords (1st, 2nd, 3rd position), or just moving my fingers around to hear something different. If I like what I hear, I'll keep doing it.

Some people might call that "practicing", but to me, it's just Playing, and enjoying myself.

And I'll do it 3-4 times a week.
This is what I consider practice as well. I'm not just about the ukuele. I'm into coffee shop gigs, open mics, playing at festivals, and I do some busking. That's why I play. I like to entertain people, or try to at least. The ukulele playing is just one part of the package. So most of my ukulele practice is in conjunction with other things, like putting together a good set list, singing, making an engaging presentation, memorizing songs, learning progressions, being familiar with all of my gear, learning to play with other musicians. All of that is practice to me as well. I seldom just practice the ukulele without tying it in with something else.
 
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I like to do both. I'll take out a book of uke songs and play one after another. That's playing.

Sometimes, I'll work on a particular technique until I'm comfortable with it. That's practicing.

That 15 year old girl who plays like a pro is probably comfortable with most techniques and is probably "playing" her violin for most of those 5 hours, which IS actually practicing because each time she plays a song, she is working on making it just right. Unless someone is aimlessly strumming, practicing includes BOTH practicing a technique and playing songs.
 
Practicing for many highly proficient musicians involves having goals and a plan how to get to those goals. Try to have a plan of what you want to improve and hone those skills. Playing and practicing can be valuable, but for different reasons. Try to do some of both.
 
The word is that Hendrix (and Stevie Ray Vaughn) had a guitar in hand for 10-12 hours a day.

Which makes you wonder how much time Jake spent with his uke before he broke out!
 
I'm either "just playing" or "working on" something. I don't use the word practice. Just playing = just playing something that I like for fun, or to relax before bed, or when I'm bummed out about something, or bored. Working on something = working on music for my next uke group jam, or uke group performance, or church music, or learning a new song. I have to play, at least a little bit every day. Not picking up my uke at some point every day feels like my universe is out of sync.
 
This particular girl was fifteen, but she played the violin like a pro. The interviewer asked her how much she practices every day. She said she practices for five hours every day. Imagine how great I would play the uke if I practiced that much. Maybe I'll start today. : )

The word is that Hendrix (and Stevie Ray Vaughn) had a guitar in hand for 10-12 hours a day.

I don't know what most peoples' professions are, but I think you would be spending many how hours a day "practicing" for your money earning job. The same applies for professional musicians and those training to be professional musicians.

While there are (a few) true prodigies and savants, for the most part everyone that has achieved a high level of competence at something has worked hard at it and has logged many, many hours of practice and application.

I've never heard anyone claim something like:

"I decided to start walking for 10 minutes after dinner most nights, and 3 months later I won my first marathon."

"After graduating from high school I decided to take up golf, and within 6 months I had made the college golf team."

However, I've heard many claims from musicians along the lines of:

"I bought a piano for Christmas, and since I didn't know the notes I taped labels on the keys. 6 months later I was playing in a band."

"I decided to try out drums. I bought a drum kit, started fiddling around in the basement a couple of evenings a week, and 3 months later joined a band."

"After high school I decided to learn guitar. 9 months later I was getting paid to play gigs."

Some musicians, unlike other highly accomplished folks, want to vastly underplay how hard they have worked to get where they are. I think it is really curious.
 
Well, I do occasionally play gigs, and farmers markets - both solo, and with a partner - and play with local uke groups.

I get paid on occasion, and sometimes play just for tips, sometimes just for the fun of it. I haven't done any straight busking, although I have been encouraged to several times. I just played at the Empire State Aeroscience Museum 30th anniversary, and donated what they offered to pay me back to the museum. (They saw me at a Farmer's Market, and asked if I was available.)

I've been approached by a local with a wedding chapel, who wanted to know if I might be available to play for some weddings (I said I need a couple of weeks notice if I need to learn new material, but only a day or two if it is already in my repertoire).

If I need to learn something new on short notice, I will practice. The music I can handle; singing, I need the words. I just can't seem to remember new lyrics very easily anymore.

When my partner and I are going to play, we will rehearse. Which can mean playing the same thing over and over for a couple of hours, and then play it again an hour or two later. Often, we will run through our two-hour set list twice, then try out a couple of other songs. Until her kids start sitting on our laps, asking for food.

Maybe that's practice, but it just seems like way too much fun to call it that.

-Kurt​
 
However, I've heard many claims from musicians along the lines of:

"I bought a piano for Christmas, and since I didn't know the notes I taped labels on the keys. 6 months later I was playing in a band."

"I decided to try out drums. I bought a drum kit, started fiddling around in the basement a couple of evenings a week, and 3 months later joined a band."

Well, they don't say how good the band is, though. LOL.
Or if they had any other musical training that might help them transition to another instrument.

If you could learn a few guitar chords and have a great singing voice, I could see someone getting paid gig after 9 months of playing those chords, especially if they have a great stage presence.

The Beatles first bass player kept his back turned to the audience, because he couldn't really play well. But, not only was he in a band, he was in The Beatles! (Until he quit to focus on his art, and then sadly died.)
 
I don't know what most peoples' professions are, but I think you would be spending many how hours a day "practicing" for your money earning job. The same applies for professional musicians and those training to be professional musicians. We really need to to stop seeing every professional musician or student professional musician as being like those of us who are amateurs and those of us who play for recreation.
Playing for recreation is a completely different activity to training or being a professional musician. For a start you never have to impress anyone else to earn income if you just play for recreation. That is a huge difference in approach.
People who work hard for their profession, especially young people, should be encouraged and nurtured no matter what the profession. Mechanics, doctors, musicians whatever. But you need to realise that you are allowed to have recreation with a musical instrument, recreation is about relaxing and self enjoyment and exploring your creativity the way you want to, it has nothing to do with the resulting noises or how long you practice, unless you want it to be about the hours of practice and the noise you make. If you want to practice long hours for recreation, that is your own noble choice, it says nothing about someone else who only picks up a uke when they at at the group activity or once a year.

I'm fairly certain no one here made any assertions as to what someone else should be doing with their ukulele, so I am unsure who you are preaching to.
 
I just saw Jake play a few weeks ago and was lucky to meet him after the show. I asked him how much he practiced when he was growing up. He said it wasn't really practice but he always had a uke in his hand whether he was at home or driving around in the back seat of his parents car. I thought that was pretty cool
 
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