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Time spent playing........

Jam10Jam10 Posts: 654
edited August 2008 in Musicians and Gearheads
How do most of you spend your time playing guitar. I mean do you spend most of your time on technique, scales, and complex chords, do you spend most of your time learning cover songs and practicing them, do you write your own material most of the time or do you learn different styles or do you just mess around with different ideas and have some fun with it?
I find balancing everything is the toughest part. I spend a lot of time on technique but not enough time learning cover songs. I have to find a balance because I think you can learn a lot from playing covers and getting ideas from other artists.
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  • BinFrogBinFrog Posts: 7,309
    I do everything you mentioned. Practice scales, write material, practice covers, jam out with a looper pedal....whatever I am in the mood for. I have no set regimen.
    Bright eyed kid: "Wow Typo Man, you're the best!"
    Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    I don't practice NEARLY as much as I should this summer (ya know, I've been trying to have a life) but once school starts I can get into a routine.

    Basically most of my time is spent practicing improvising over different things, or practicing singing while playing acoustic.
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    i only get to play for maybe 20-30 minutes and maybe only 5 times a week these days.

    i'm spending most of it just learning little bits of favourite songs to try to get my fingers out of a rut and get some new ideas. i never was one for scales and all that (grew up doing that on piano and hated it). however, i really *should* get into doing that as well to really dedicate myself to improving. it's just hard when i don't have the time and there isn't much point.

    i'm taking oct/nov off my job so i'm hoping to have a bit more time to finish up some songs i've had sitting around for ages and maybe jack up the nerve to go back to a few open mics or something.
  • xtremehardy388xtremehardy388 Posts: 2,759
    When I'm alone, I'm usually playing covers. When I'm with the band, we just work on our songs. I think covers REALLY help my technique
    Grand Rapids '04, Detroit '06
    JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
    "Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
  • NovawindNovawind Posts: 836
    I also haven't been practicing this summer nearly as much as I should. I've been so happy after getting my RC-20 though. It's really inspired my creativity. What I've really been digging lately is using my chorus and volume pedals to make a synth-like backing rhythm and to solo over that.
    If idle hands are the devil's workshop, he must not be very productive.

    7/9/06 LA 1
    7/10/06 LA 2
    10/21/06 Bridge 1
  • xtremehardy388xtremehardy388 Posts: 2,759
    Novawind wrote:
    I also haven't been practicing this summer nearly as much as I should. I've been so happy after getting my RC-20 though. It's really inspired my creativity. What I've really been digging lately is using my chorus and volume pedals to make a synth-like backing rhythm and to solo over that.
    how do you do that?
    Grand Rapids '04, Detroit '06
    JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
    "Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
  • ianvomsaalianvomsaal Posts: 1,224
    Jam10 wrote:
    How do most of you spend your time playing guitar.
    I mean do you spend most of your time on technique, scales, and complex chords? YES
    Do you spend most of your time learning cover songs and practicing them? NO, only a tiny portion for my lessons.
    Do you write your own material most of the time? YES
    Do you learn different styles? YES
    Or do you just mess around with different ideas and have some fun with it? YES.
    Cheers . . . Ian
    ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
    <b><font color="red">CONTACT ME HERE</font>: www.myspace.com/ianvomsaal</b>
    ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
  • lucylespianlucylespian Posts: 2,403
    I play for a couple of hours a day usually, sometimes more on the weekend, sometimes I have a night off. I watch very little TV (we only have Austar, no free to air) , so that gives me 4 hours a day over the average person.

    I mostly work on songs. YOu can do all teh technique stuff you want by choosing the right song. I go through phases of doing a lot of metronome work, when I think I need it, or when a part of a song is giving me trouble. I also use the Tascam CD trainer often, to learn new songs or solos, or to polish things.
    I don't really practice scales too much. They are good for dexterity, and not much else.
    Over the last few months I have worked on cover songs for my band a lot, but this means I have neglected a lot of other songs I had been working on, so yeah, I think we all find getting the balance tough at times. The stuff I like to play for myself is not cover band fare for the most part, so I'm learning a totally different list for that.
    I find time to listen to music as well, in the car a lot, but also at home where I can concentrate better.
    I have also been spending time lately learning more about sing effects, whihc I wa aware of previously, but had never focussed on. PLaying in a bnad means it's time to get better at utilising effects. PLAying dry is OK, but plenty of songs really come to life wiht the addition of the right effect. BAb O'Reilly and Streets for example.
    It's a long road though and I don't expect to get to the end soon. I hope not anyway, it will get boring then. While I'm plugging away, every day is an adventure.
    Music is not a competetion.
  • PaukPauk Posts: 1,084
    I'm a bit of a casual learner. I keep meaning to learn scales and whatnot, but never get past the basics. Usually I just mess about with my own riffs or cover songs. If I find a song I can't play then I try and improve on whatever it takes for me to play that song. I generally advance by boredom, if it gets to the point where the same old techniques are boring then it drives me on to improve my playing and learn something new. Hopefully sometime that'll reach into music theory, but I don't think I'm really cut out to be a soloist. But that's okay, I've always prefered band jams to solos.
    Paul
    '06 - London, Dublin, Reading
    '07 - Katowice, Wembley, Dusseldorf, Copenhagen, Nijmegen
    '09 - London, Manchester, London
    '12 - Manchester, Manchester, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen
  • NovawindNovawind Posts: 836
    xtremehardy388 wrote:
    how do you do that?

    Take a chorus pedal, turn up the width and intensity, and set the rate up a bit but not all the way (2 o'clock or so? play with it). Set your guitar volume at 10, use a booster if necessary, and set your volume pedal at zero. Strum, then gradually move the volume pedal to full. Makes a nice synthy sound (at least for me. Also may help to back off the tone controls a little on your guitar and use the pickup of your liking (I like bridge).
    If idle hands are the devil's workshop, he must not be very productive.

    7/9/06 LA 1
    7/10/06 LA 2
    10/21/06 Bridge 1
  • xtremehardy388xtremehardy388 Posts: 2,759
    Gotta try this
    Grand Rapids '04, Detroit '06
    JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
    "Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    Novawind wrote:
    Take a chorus pedal, turn up the width and intensity, and set the rate up a bit but not all the way (2 o'clock or so? play with it). Set your guitar volume at 10, use a booster if necessary, and set your volume pedal at zero. Strum, then gradually move the volume pedal to full. Makes a nice synthy sound (at least for me. Also may help to back off the tone controls a little on your guitar and use the pickup of your liking (I like bridge).


    do it with an EHX POG and it's a church organ. way fun.
  • xtremehardy388xtremehardy388 Posts: 2,759
    exhausted wrote:
    do it with an EHX POG and it's a church organ. way fun.
    YAY!!!!!! I have wanted to find an organ type pedal...(who remembers that post from like two and a half years ago?) Thank you!
    Grand Rapids '04, Detroit '06
    JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
    "Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    xtremehardy388 wrote:
    YAY!!!!!! I have wanted to find an organ type pedal...(who remembers that post from like two and a half years ago?) Thank you!
    I think you can now get a micro pog.
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • NovawindNovawind Posts: 836
    Yeah, super simple and way cheaper than a POG. Micro POG has +1 and -1 octaves in harmony with what you play, very cool.
    If idle hands are the devil's workshop, he must not be very productive.

    7/9/06 LA 1
    7/10/06 LA 2
    10/21/06 Bridge 1
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    yes, i have the micro. it's missing the detune feature but it does really well. i still like the boss OC-2 for sloppy neil young type octave down though.
  • xtremehardy388xtremehardy388 Posts: 2,759
    exhausted wrote:
    yes, i have the micro. it's missing the detune feature but it does really well. i still like the boss OC-2 for sloppy neil young type octave down though.
    Fender Blender is good for that
    Grand Rapids '04, Detroit '06
    JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
    "Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    i didn't find that when i had one since neil uses an octave down effect (an old mutron i believe) but i can see how it might with some tweaking for some songs.
  • xtremehardy388xtremehardy388 Posts: 2,759
    exhausted wrote:
    i didn't find that when i had one since neil uses an octave down effect (an old mutron i believe) but i can see how it might with some tweaking for some songs.
    I got the perfect 'I Got Id' tone with it but I dunno...
    Grand Rapids '04, Detroit '06
    JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
    "Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
  • AnonAnon Posts: 11,175
    Jam10 wrote:
    How do most of you spend your time playing guitar. I mean do you spend most of your time on technique, scales, and complex chords, do you spend most of your time learning cover songs and practicing them, do you write your own material most of the time or do you learn different styles or do you just mess around with different ideas and have some fun with it?
    I find balancing everything is the toughest part. I spend a lot of time on technique but not enough time learning cover songs. I have to find a balance because I think you can learn a lot from playing covers and getting ideas from other artists.
    Pretty much all of the above except not so much time now on cover songs.
    I have not picked up my guitar or been able to listen to anything pearl jam related for three days. For the first time in my life i have not been able to immerse myself in my guitar and forget about anything going on around me. If anyone has a miracle cure for a broken heart let me know. I need it.
  • NovawindNovawind Posts: 836
    Give it a month. Breakups suck for about a month and then you get better. Best advice: don't turn to the drink like I did (doesn't solve anything). Find stuff to occupy yourself. Lately I've been going to the gym a lot more often and cooking for myself instead of eating out.
    If idle hands are the devil's workshop, he must not be very productive.

    7/9/06 LA 1
    7/10/06 LA 2
    10/21/06 Bridge 1
  • ianvomsaalianvomsaal Posts: 1,224
    Pj_Gurl wrote:
    Pretty much all of the above except not so much time now on cover songs.
    I have not picked up my guitar or been able to listen to anything pearl jam related for three days. For the first time in my life i have not been able to immerse myself in my guitar and forget about anything going on around me. If anyone has a miracle cure for a broken heart let me know. I need it.
    I was scrolling through youtube yesterday when I came across this little clip.
    I was like, hey maybe it's PJ_Gurl "back when she was learning to play guitar" :)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccEbuD5j5YY&feature=related - I'm really sorry to hear
    that you're hurtin'. Just remember that time wounds all heels (or something like that).
    Keep your head up . . . you'll land on your feet . . . guitar helps . . . I promise.
    Cheers . . .

    - Ian
    ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
    <b><font color="red">CONTACT ME HERE</font>: www.myspace.com/ianvomsaal</b>
    ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
  • lucylespianlucylespian Posts: 2,403
    xtremehardy388 wrote:
    YAY!!!!!! I have wanted to find an organ type pedal...(who remembers that post from like two and a half years ago?) Thank you!


    Rotosphere gets you a B3 sound. Did I mention the guy I know who has a mint , unrestored B3 in his home studio ??? Damn, I wish I could play keys properly. I'm going to his place on Sunday for a jam.
    This is his web-site, he told me it has been updated, will be working properly soon.

    http://www.recordingoasis.com/
    Music is not a competetion.
  • Jam10Jam10 Posts: 654
    Pj_Gurl wrote:
    Pretty much all of the above except not so much time now on cover songs.
    I have not picked up my guitar or been able to listen to anything pearl jam related for three days. For the first time in my life i have not been able to immerse myself in my guitar and forget about anything going on around me. If anyone has a miracle cure for a broken heart let me know. I need it.
    I think Ian said it best.......time heals all wounds. My mother passed away 5 years ago when I was 23 and that was and still is the most difficult time of my life but you just have do the things you enjoy doing and live everyday to the fullest. Play your guitar, listen to Pearl Jam and do other things you enjoy doing and you will feel better. Maybe even write a song. I'm trying to write a song about my mother, but I'm finding the lyrics to be the most difficult part. If you need anything just PM me and I'll give you whatever advice I can!
  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    Jam10 wrote:
    I think Ian said it best.......time heals all wounds. My mother passed away 5 years ago when I was 23 and that was and still is the most difficult time of my life but you just have do the things you enjoy doing and live everyday to the fullest. Play your guitar, listen to Pearl Jam and do other things you enjoy doing and you will feel better. Maybe even write a song. I'm trying to write a song about my mother, but I'm finding the lyrics to be the most difficult part. If you need anything just PM me and I'll give you whatever advice I can!
    I've written my best lyrics about people I love the most.
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • Jam10Jam10 Posts: 654
    keeponrockin wrote:
    I've written my best lyrics about people I love the most.
    Where and how do you start? I need help with lyrics.
    Thanks
  • Stone Is GodStone Is God Posts: 1,331
    Pj_Gurl wrote:
    Pretty much all of the above except not so much time now on cover songs.
    I have not picked up my guitar or been able to listen to anything pearl jam related for three days. For the first time in my life i have not been able to immerse myself in my guitar and forget about anything going on around me. If anyone has a miracle cure for a broken heart let me know. I need it.

    Sorry to hear about your pain. Have a drink, have a laugh, have a cry. Surround yourself with some friends. Grab a guitar and crank up your amp to "11" and rock out.

    There is no miracle cure, just time and trying to get back to normal.

    Just know that you'll get through and I'm willing to guess that there's a whole bunch of people in a whole lot of places that will help you get through.
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me.
  • xtremehardy388xtremehardy388 Posts: 2,759
    Jam10 wrote:
    Where and how do you start? I need help with lyrics.
    Thanks
    Write whatever you're feeling-whether it makes sense or not, write. I write my best songs in five minutes-in the heat of the moment.
    Grand Rapids '04, Detroit '06
    JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
    "Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
  • xtremehardy388xtremehardy388 Posts: 2,759
    Stone Is God wrote:
    Sorry to hear about your pain. Have a drink, have a laugh, have a cry. Surround yourself with some friends. Grab a guitar and crank up your amp to "11" and rock out.

    There is no miracle cure, just time and trying to get back to normal.

    Just know that you'll get through and I'm willing to guess that there's a whole bunch of people in a whole lot of places that will help you get through.
    Some of the best help I got when I went through my big break up was on this very forum.
    Grand Rapids '04, Detroit '06
    JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
    "Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
  • SnakeSnake Posts: 2,605
    I havent practiced as much as I should. Lately I just mess around with it, which is probably why it always sounds the same. Im lacking any creativity.
    Pirates had democracy too.

    "Its a secret to everybody."
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