May 17th, 2018

  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.

• Write down your Musical Goals that you need to practice for.
• Prioritize these goals.
  
• Assess your available practice time and segment your time so that you can round out your learning experiences.

I practice about 1 hour per day, the first 30 minutes I work on new songs, then I spend about  10 minutes on scales or new licks, any time after that I work on my own stuff.
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!