Effective Practice Methods
Practice is extremely important for anyone who actually wishes to get better at anything they do. But, the act of practicing something OVER and OVER and OVER again can be a daunting task. If you don't get it somewhat quick, most people tend to get frustrated and try out bad habits to make it quick and easy, only to fail anyway or get worse at it and give up eventually. It is because it is in human nature to want instant gratification. There's not many ways around that, except learning patience, but that's not what this article is about!
So, how can you practice more effectively and not seem like you're actually working? How can you make practice seem FUN even? It's easy! If you don know any fancy tricks, are just a beginner, or have a limited arsenal, you can still pull this off at any level regardless. You will even be unwittingly practicing many, many other areas you did not even intend on working on today! You have to practice in a musical way!
Start out first by picking a scale and/or mode you wish to work in. If you want to do a chromatic scale free-for-all and focus more on other things, thats fine! But to realy learn your theory and scales and modes you will need to choose them sooner or later. Next, pick the specific types of technique you wish to work on, be it a slap technique, a fingerpicking technique, tapping, chords, etc. Or again, mix it up and use em all! Like a free-for-all! Next pick a tempo (or speed), and groove with it, do not leave this feel once you get a feel for your song. Then, go right to town in that selected scale or mode, playing your heart out isolating whatever techniques you want to use. Keep going and going wherever you feel the song going! You will end up also working improvisational skill without even attempting to, which is great for songwriting, your groove will get better, and you will end up memorizing the patterns of the scales and modes rather quickly! Just remember, if you play a wrong note, keep going with the tempo as if it didnt happen! Always go as if you made no mistake and it will not be obvious! Now you're practicing musically, in a song form! It's much more fun than playing mary had a little lamb out of a lame book that you may not understand well anyway. And it's not a dry and dull way to practice..youll even enjoy it more!
So to recap:
1) Pick a scale or mode, or a scale IN a mode.
2) Pick the specific playing techniques you plan to work, or free for all and use whatever you want!
3) Pick a tempo you can easily groove to.
4) Play until youre blue in the face!
Hope this helps make your practice a lot more productive and fun!,
Mark McAnaney, Solo Bassist
So, how can you practice more effectively and not seem like you're actually working? How can you make practice seem FUN even? It's easy! If you don know any fancy tricks, are just a beginner, or have a limited arsenal, you can still pull this off at any level regardless. You will even be unwittingly practicing many, many other areas you did not even intend on working on today! You have to practice in a musical way!
Start out first by picking a scale and/or mode you wish to work in. If you want to do a chromatic scale free-for-all and focus more on other things, thats fine! But to realy learn your theory and scales and modes you will need to choose them sooner or later. Next, pick the specific types of technique you wish to work on, be it a slap technique, a fingerpicking technique, tapping, chords, etc. Or again, mix it up and use em all! Like a free-for-all! Next pick a tempo (or speed), and groove with it, do not leave this feel once you get a feel for your song. Then, go right to town in that selected scale or mode, playing your heart out isolating whatever techniques you want to use. Keep going and going wherever you feel the song going! You will end up also working improvisational skill without even attempting to, which is great for songwriting, your groove will get better, and you will end up memorizing the patterns of the scales and modes rather quickly! Just remember, if you play a wrong note, keep going with the tempo as if it didnt happen! Always go as if you made no mistake and it will not be obvious! Now you're practicing musically, in a song form! It's much more fun than playing mary had a little lamb out of a lame book that you may not understand well anyway. And it's not a dry and dull way to practice..youll even enjoy it more!
So to recap:
1) Pick a scale or mode, or a scale IN a mode.
2) Pick the specific playing techniques you plan to work, or free for all and use whatever you want!
3) Pick a tempo you can easily groove to.
4) Play until youre blue in the face!
Hope this helps make your practice a lot more productive and fun!,
Mark McAnaney, Solo Bassist
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