I find my days are too short to get all the practice I need in....I start with intonation, and then I play scales....but then just when it's getting interesting I have to do something else and it's a day at most before i can get back to my practicing and playing...I need more time in my life
Give up your day job. Live out in the wilderness, eating berries and hunting for survival. Then you'll have full 24-hour days to practice in (bar the time spent hunting and berry-picking, of course).
Depends upon how important your music and playing is to you. If it's top priority then anything and everything else has to take second place. But then you face all the practical choices of how to design and organize a 'right livelihood' that permits....there are people who sacrifice everything to climb a mountain or sail around the world or start a family or a business or whatever....most settle for something less demanding, but if you make that choice there's no point in grumbling and complaining that there's not enough time. I guess life is always too short, but it can be very wide
One thing that has always helped me is to have the instrument accessable in an instant. If it is safely away in a closet or under the bed, those few moments that present themselves for practice are lost. Guitar racks or instrument wall hangers or just a cheap version of the instrument on the couch or bed allow for those fleeting moments of opportunity. I rarely can be found andywhere without my whistle somewhere on my person. As the soup warms, as the wife shops, when the dog gets tired on walks, in line at the drive thru, waiting for road service, during global-warming-caused power outages....all these are moments for a tune or two....but only if the instrument is right there.
I've got my fiddle hanging from a wall hanger. I pass the fiddle to go to the kitchen....and pick it up for a few minutes and delay dinner. I cook dinner and decide to veg out and mindlessly watch TV...and first advertising break.....the fiddle calls me from the wall to be played. Two ad breaks later I turn the TV off because I now am over being tired and into trying to figure out that tricky fingering in the middle part of this tune I'm learning.....
Ditto the accessibility. I am a court reporter. On the days I'm at home preparing transcripts, I will edit a few pages, play a few tunes, edit a few pages, play a few tunes, play a few more tunes and wonder why my work isn't getting done...
My other thought is that maybe you need to reorganize your practice time. Possibly you are spending too much time on scales and intonation. IMO, they're important, but they'll only take you so far. My way of practicing intonation is to just play one tune slowly, paying attention only to the intonation. I suggest ten minutes or less of scales and intonation, and then spend the rest of what time you have being enriched by these wonderful, wonderful tunes.
When I can't get to my fiddle for a few days because of a big job, I remind myself that the music I love to play was written by people who often had to leave them instruments hanging on the wall for a few days while they got the harvest in or processed the catch.
I'm just a beginner, but I'll ditto on the accessibility. I've got a full time job, wife, 5 kids... I keep the recorder in the car. In the morning when waiting for my carpool buddy, I usually get 5 minutes + extra if he gets stuck behind a school bus. At home I leave the recorder and sheet music out on my dresser and often pause for a few minutes to play whenever I pass it or before bed. Any time I think I'm going to be waiting in my car, I definitely keep it with me.
Also, try to emphasize scales one day, intonation another, plain tunes another, etc. Idea being you don't have to emphasize everything all the time.
The reality is most of us won't become experts immediately, we have busy lives. Plan to stick with it in the long run and you'll find a year passes before you know it and if you were consistent in little chunks, you'll be amazed at how much you learned.
I carry a cheap (but nice-sounding) whistle around with me in my purse/bag everywhere I go (and use my good ones for actual practisin/sessions/gigs). It's come in handy on many occasions. You didn't specify what you play Shylock (maybe you're well-known on this site but I'm still a bit new so excuse my ignorance) but if it's whistles then I recommend doing that! But I'm assuming you're a fiddle player so carrying a fiddle around in a bag isn't the best of things to do...
I agree with what others have suggested; skip the scales and go straight to the fun stuff!
sbhikes, your life sounds amazing. Any tips on how to comfortably live without employment?
I'm a student, so whenever possible I find books online and play while I read. If you can get your bowstrokes to hit the down arrow, you can even scroll without stopping!
I actually had an awesome experience recently where I was hanging with my friend and walked into her drawing class with her, still carrying my fiddle. Usually I go to her college's practice rooms to play during the 3-hoursish class, but this time the teacher walked in a bit early and cordially asked if I might play for them while they worked, instead of having Disney songs off the CD player! I got to hang out and play 2 hours of tunes while they drew a naked lady in a chair. It was pretty intense.
Are the days too short for practice?
Are the days too short for practice?
I find my days are too short to get all the practice I need in....I start with intonation, and then I play scales....but then just when it's getting interesting I have to do something else and it's a day at most before i can get back to my practicing and playing...I need more time in my life
# Posted on April 24th 2008 by Shylock
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
You'll have plenty of time to practice when you retire.
# Posted on April 24th 2008 by Justintime
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
Give up your day job. Live out in the wilderness, eating berries and hunting for survival. Then you'll have full 24-hour days to practice in (bar the time spent hunting and berry-picking, of course).
# Posted on April 24th 2008 by Joe CSS
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
Depends upon how important your music and playing is to you. If it's top priority then anything and everything else has to take second place. But then you face all the practical choices of how to design and organize a 'right livelihood' that permits....there are people who sacrifice everything to climb a mountain or sail around the world or start a family or a business or whatever....most settle for something less demanding, but if you make that choice there's no point in grumbling and complaining that there's not enough time. I guess life is always too short, but it can be very wide
# Posted on April 24th 2008 by wolfbird
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
Who's grumbling?
# Posted on April 24th 2008 by Shylock
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
"....but then just when it's getting interesting I have to do something else...."
I start with the interesting stuff. I never get to the scales and intonation.
# Posted on April 24th 2008 by feardearg
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
Joe is.
Those berries he lives on are most unappetising
# Posted on April 24th 2008 by D.J.F.
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
start by playing tunes. They are just interesting scales anyway. And you can practice playing them in tune while you're at it.
# Posted on April 24th 2008 by llig leahcim
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
One thing that has always helped me is to have the instrument accessable in an instant. If it is safely away in a closet or under the bed, those few moments that present themselves for practice are lost. Guitar racks or instrument wall hangers or just a cheap version of the instrument on the couch or bed allow for those fleeting moments of opportunity. I rarely can be found andywhere without my whistle somewhere on my person. As the soup warms, as the wife shops, when the dog gets tired on walks, in line at the drive thru, waiting for road service, during global-warming-caused power outages....all these are moments for a tune or two....but only if the instrument is right there.
# Posted on April 24th 2008 by feardearg
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
Ditto the above.
I've got my fiddle hanging from a wall hanger. I pass the fiddle to go to the kitchen....and pick it up for a few minutes and delay dinner. I cook dinner and decide to veg out and mindlessly watch TV...and first advertising break.....the fiddle calls me from the wall to be played. Two ad breaks later I turn the TV off because I now am over being tired and into trying to figure out that tricky fingering in the middle part of this tune I'm learning.....
# Posted on April 24th 2008 by FiddleFancy
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
I have all my whistles/flutes between the keyboard and the monitor. If I can only play for 5 seconds I'll still pick up a whistle. Try that.
# Posted on April 24th 2008 by Pere
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
Ditto the accessibility. I am a court reporter. On the days I'm at home preparing transcripts, I will edit a few pages, play a few tunes, edit a few pages, play a few tunes, play a few more tunes and wonder why my work isn't getting done...
My other thought is that maybe you need to reorganize your practice time. Possibly you are spending too much time on scales and intonation. IMO, they're important, but they'll only take you so far. My way of practicing intonation is to just play one tune slowly, paying attention only to the intonation. I suggest ten minutes or less of scales and intonation, and then spend the rest of what time you have being enriched by these wonderful, wonderful tunes.
When I can't get to my fiddle for a few days because of a big job, I remind myself that the music I love to play was written by people who often had to leave them instruments hanging on the wall for a few days while they got the harvest in or processed the catch.
# Posted on April 24th 2008 by cathrynb
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
I don't bother cooking dinner, there's great takeout nearby! Saves loads of time.
Do you break up your practice throughout the day? A little in the morning, a little at night? Half-hour bits through the weekend?
# Posted on April 24th 2008 by kennedy
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
Skip the scales, intone while you play tunes, check, roger, over and done! Enjoy!
# Posted on April 24th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
I'm just a beginner, but I'll ditto on the accessibility. I've got a full time job, wife, 5 kids... I keep the recorder in the car. In the morning when waiting for my carpool buddy, I usually get 5 minutes + extra if he gets stuck behind a school bus. At home I leave the recorder and sheet music out on my dresser and often pause for a few minutes to play whenever I pass it or before bed. Any time I think I'm going to be waiting in my car, I definitely keep it with me.
Also, try to emphasize scales one day, intonation another, plain tunes another, etc. Idea being you don't have to emphasize everything all the time.
The reality is most of us won't become experts immediately, we have busy lives. Plan to stick with it in the long run and you'll find a year passes before you know it and if you were consistent in little chunks, you'll be amazed at how much you learned.
# Posted on April 24th 2008 by MikeJansen
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
I play the mandolin in traffic, it sounds unreasonable but you'd be suprised how practical it can be, especially in boston traffic
# Posted on April 24th 2008 by stevequincy
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
Bring a sack lunch or skip lunch completely and practice in a nearby park at lunch instead.
I quit my job and am living off my savings. Going to walk 1700 miles in the wilderness with my penny whistle close at hand.
Life is for living. Screw this working for some mythical retirement crap.
# Posted on April 25th 2008 by sbhikes
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
I carry a cheap (but nice-sounding) whistle around with me in my purse/bag everywhere I go (and use my good ones for actual practisin/sessions/gigs). It's come in handy on many occasions. You didn't specify what you play Shylock (maybe you're well-known on this site but I'm still a bit new so excuse my ignorance) but if it's whistles then I recommend doing that! But I'm assuming you're a fiddle player so carrying a fiddle around in a bag isn't the best of things to do...
I agree with what others have suggested; skip the scales and go straight to the fun stuff!
sbhikes, your life sounds amazing. Any tips on how to comfortably live without employment?
# Posted on April 25th 2008 by Glass of Beer
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
I'm a student, so whenever possible I find books online and play while I read. If you can get your bowstrokes to hit the down arrow, you can even scroll without stopping!
I actually had an awesome experience recently where I was hanging with my friend and walked into her drawing class with her, still carrying my fiddle. Usually I go to her college's practice rooms to play during the 3-hoursish class, but this time the teacher walked in a bit early and cordially asked if I might play for them while they worked, instead of having Disney songs off the CD player! I got to hang out and play 2 hours of tunes while they drew a naked lady in a chair. It was pretty intense.
--DtM
# Posted on April 25th 2008 by Dan the Man
Re: Are the days too short for practice?
You don't have to sleep.
# Posted on April 28th 2008 by zippydw