 If you are like most of us musically minded wannabes, you may be conflicted on how to split your practice time.
For example you may juggling your practice time learning covers for your band, working on your own originals or striving for mastery over the instrument of your choice. I do all three! I remember when I began to really develop my chops, practicing only new licks and scales for soloing. I did get noticeably better at solos but as soon I joined the next cover band, I was off to learn new songs, and doing only that. I learned new songs but after awhile I began to slip back to old habits and my solos suffered. That’s when I realized that if I wanted to stay current with new material, be able to write some of my own and to keep developing as a player I needed a system. This is what helped me.
This system isn’t perfect and will vary a little day by day, but it does keep me focused on the big picture. Good Luck!
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 If you have ever felt like a slave to your music stand and lyric sheets to the point that you wouldn’t dare to perform without them. This tip is for you. I have had the pleasure of being lead singer in more than one cover band. I have had to learn and memorize hundreds of songs which for a while was quite difficult for me. I tried many tricks to help in this endeavor including countless ‘listens” to a tune, singing along as I read the words, as well as listening to each verse and then writing down the verse from memory over and over and…. However this did not do the trick. What I have found that works, (without an instrument in my hand) is to simply break the song down in pieces and learning it this way; sing with the first verse as you read the words, then turn the page over and see how far you can get. Repeat this process until you can get through the verse at least 6 times before going on to the next part. Take the next part the same way and so on.  I can’t promise this will work for you, but if you are struggling as I was it is worth a try. Good Luck and never quit singing!
 If time is not an issue then the answer to this question is simple, as often as possible and as long as possible. However if you have a particularly busy schedule you may be wondering what is the least amount of time you can practice your instrument and still get results.  I promise you will get a lot of different opinions on this subject depending on who you ask but I think most professionals would agree that frequency is the key here. For example, 15 minutes every day would be better than 2 hours twice a week. If you are a new player you are still developing dexterity in your hands which you need to fret and pick. Daily practice will make a big difference. In a perfect would 30 minutes per day should get you some amazing results. Try to pick the same time each day so it becomes a routine. I practice every morning before I go to the gym, no one is awake then and I don’t get any disruptions. Another benefit to practicing early in the day for me is that my mind is rested and fresh so I learn better in the morning. In the end, you have to work with the time you have, so be as consistent as possible, and practice as long as possible even if that means only a few minutes per day.   There are several factors that will determine the longevity of your instruments strings. The first of course is the Quality of the string. Always go with a trusted name brand that you recognize or that you have researched. This is as easy as reading reviews on the brand Also make sure to buy your strings from a trusted source. Name brand strings that have sit in a musky warehouse for 10 years might not last as long as a set of off brand strings that are new.
The second factor is frequency of use. If you play every day, don’t expect your strings to last as long as someone who plays infrequently. Your body chemistry can be a determining factor as well. If you sweat a lot when you play or if your body’s PH is particularly acidic, this will shorten string life as well. Other factors will be the climate in which your instrument is subjected, is it particularly humid where you live, is your instrument kept in its case when not in use? These are all factors to consider. Here are some simple tips to increase string life.
 One thing that many musicians and have in common is playing at high volume levels. As I talk to musicians that have been playing for a long time the one question that often comes up is do your ears ring all the time?
I spent my late teens and all of my 20s playing 5-6 nights a week in pretty loud bands. You know…the snare drum cracking, cymbals crashing and let’s not forget those guitar amps! Tinnitus, the ringing in your ears, is something that a lot of musicians deal with and it is incurable. I’m no doctor so if you have it you should defiantly see one to see what can be done. I can just tell my story. Off and on over the years I would come home from a gig with that ringing in my ears and it would usually go away the next day. As I got older I realized that I really should do something and started wearing earplugs. Well that didn’t last long because I felt I wasn’t hearing everything I needed to do my job as a musician. Then a few years ago I started having the ringing in my ears at random times, time to get more serious! I was a little late and it wasn’t long before the ringing became a constant thing. I am lucky and it is very minor but it is still there. There are a lot of earplugs out on the market that do a great job and lowering the volume level and letting most frequencies through. If you are exposing yourself to high volume levels you should go to a hearing specialist, they will be able to help you with preventive measures to help preserve your hearing. Remember you only have one set of ears!  There can be a big controversy about using a music stand while performing on stage, I don’t really want to get into that but rather what advantages there are to memorizing pieces of music.
I would say memorizing will improve your skill level. The only way to memorize a piece of music is through repetition and the more you play a piece of music the better you will get at it. This will also help to build your technique. Having your music memorized will also help with your confidence. If you are relying on a piece of music in front of you it’s easy to get lost due to nerves or distractions while you are playing. Distractions can range from a loud audience member to an equipment malfunction and everything in between. I can’t tell you how many times an audience member has come up to me during a song to request another song. If I am not completely confident in the piece I could get lost very easily. Another advantage is you have everything memorized you can interact with your audience better and have eye contact. There is an old saying. How do you eat an Elephant? One bite at a time! This applies to memorizing music. I memorize by taking a small portion and play it while reading a few times then I turn the music over and try it I do this until I can complete that passage with no Problem. Then I work on the next package and put them together. Before you know you have the piece committed to memory and you will be much more confidant in that piece of music.  There are so many picks out there it can be mind boggling to choose the right pick for you. Here are a couple of things to consider. Shape There are small picks out there that many people call Jazz or Mandolin picks, these are great for fast, precise picking. There is what has become known as a standard pick the most being the Fender F351. Most of us start off with this style of pick and can be used for just about any style. Another popular size is the oversized picks often in a Triangle shape. These are perfect for strumming chords. You should also consider the tip that strikes the string. There are both pointed and rounded tips. Rounded picks are great for strumming while the pointed tips are really good for picking individual notes. A favorite for ukulele players are the large tear drop felt picks. Thickness While there are many thicknesses available the most common are Thin, Medium and Heavy. As a general rule Thin and Medium picks are great for strumming chords while the heavier picks are great for single note lines. I have also found that most beginners prefer thin picks and as their skills progress their pick gets heavier. Remember there are no hard and fast rules. The best thing to do is grab a handful and try them out. Luckily picks are reasonably inexpensive so for just a few bucks you can try many different types. I am not tied down to just one type of pick sometimes I will use different picks for different styles or techniques. The most important thing when choosing a pick is to experiment and go with feels the best to you. Now go out there and take your pick!   One of my favorite things is the sound of brand new strings. Unfortunately one of my least favorite things to do is change my strings.
There are a few signs that will tell me it’s time to get those wire clippers and string winders out.
The best thing to do is to keep your strings clean and use your ears as well as keeping an eye out for the obvious signs of wear.  As the saying goes, timing is everything. This is especially true when playing a musical instrument. There are many benefits to using a metronome.
One of my favorite tricks with a metronome is to set it up so the click is on the 2 and 4 of a measure like a snare drum. This can be challenging and will really help you find the groove. I think that you will find that using a metronome is a fast way to improve your timing and feel which will really help you become a better player.  Many aspiring guitar players will at some time become interested in open tunings while others will play their whole life without ever venturing outside of standard 6 string tuning of EADGBE. I have personally found with cover songs that I can usually adapt any song in an open key to standard tuning. The advantage of this of course, especially if you only have one guitar, is that you are not constantly re-tuning to suit the song. However once you learn to play a song that was written in an open tuning, you can’t un-hear it. For example Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones originally recorded Jumping Jack Flash in Open E tuning. I played it in standard tuning for years, after I learned it in open E that is the only way it sounds right to me. Keith used open G tuning quite a lot as well. In a much simpler sense, when you tune to an open tuning you are tuning to an open chord. For instance “G’ would be DGDGBD rather than EADGBE. Now when you strum without fretting you still make a G chord, when you lay your index finger across any fret pressing all 6 strings you change the chord. What could be simpler? If fact a lot of the old blues masters who are credited with guitar mastery had in fact a very rudimentary understanding of their instrument but where able to create interesting music in open tunings sometimes with the aid of a glass slide made from a bottle neck. Many people also find playing around in open tuning very therapeutic because it is hard to play wrong notes making it easy to create beautiful sound-scapes. Here is a helpful link with depth on tunings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_tunings Check out the video below of The Rolling Stones Wild Horses played in open G tuning! |
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