A very good friend of mine sent this to me because I believe he thought I was getting out of hand recently. He may have been right. Way too much time on my hands. Read this it is excellent and may help you as it has me. It is very eye opening.  http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/how-many-hours-a-day-should-you-practice/

lol GRIZZ 10 years or 10,000 hours??????? lets move it to 10,000 hours in 5 years PERFECTO!!!!!

Great post... that's a lot of good advice to reflect on. I've always stressed about how 'effective' my practice time was being spent, prolly to my detriment really.
I did read once though that JD said he regularly practiced like 8 hours a day, so.....

Jake I read over a lesson workout by Steve Vai, where he called it the 8 hour workout!!! It was way off the chart

When I first started motocross I happened to be on one of the fastest at the track where we practiced. I had a number of riders ask me how I did certain things. This one professor at UGA that was riding with us how I did a thing. I told him just like he did. He said no, that's not so. I was so much faster than he was. He said "Preston, I can practice all afternoon and do it wrong and learn nothing. But practice it correctly and practice time is cut in half. I figure it's the same with music. Why wouldn't it be the same? Back to technique. Do it right and save yourself time. Do it wrong and work all day. There really is a right and wrong way. It's not just "what is most comfortable for you".

Preston, good to see you back. Your right by the way. For some people, some things come very naturally and they make it look SO easy. For others its a struggle on some things, and that is the reason and need to practice more, but in the right way. When I REALLY wanted to do something right I paid (pay) attention to the fundamentals first and asked questions, and then practiced my behind off. I've never got to the point where I was fully satisfied but I did and have gotten a lot of enjoyment out of some of my endeavors. 

Great post , Grizz. Even after playing many years, there's always ways to improve and grow with insightful  information such as this.

JAck

Way back in the 'days', I would practice five string banjo 3-4 hours per day. Then life took me off course and it went down to an hour or so, most days. I added other instruments (including reso) and they divided the time up, although you might argue there are some cross-benefits.

As the saying goes, 'Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect." With less time, I try to make it count. Sometimes the tendency is to play what I already know because that's comfortable to me. But I really should be breaking down the small things. For instance, I've been considering taking a Jerry Douglas simple rake and recording it, slowing it down, and mastering that simple thing. I think the details hold the key.

Wayne

I think I have wasted time by "just practicing" and "practicing mistakes". I am a little surprised that I do this, because I am somewhat of an analytical person. On Sat. I took a good look at a piece I was working on.....and analyzed it, then played it slowly and correctly. Wow!! It sound like it is supposed too!! I should have did that 6 months ago!!

Here is an "expert's" opinion

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/kluge/201202/will-10000-hours-practice-make-you-expert-anything

So....................who really knows!

And then, there's that little thing of "Is it the same if I practice or if Rob Ickes or Jerry Douglas practice?"

Wayne

I just thought this very, very interesting and helpful. But let us remember NOTHING is carved in stone except taxes and death. Now on to Flux. This is an excerpt taken from an interview with him some time ago. He was playing a 'horn then and had his deal with Gibson for a signature model as well. So that will give you an idea as to when it occurred. And i quote:

Q: Do you practice everyday?

JD: Yes, I try do to something everyday. I try to practice at least five
hours a day [this is not a typo - he's serious]. Unless I play always, I
can feel my muscles going weak. Dobro playing requires different muscles
from what you need for guitar. You use thumb and wrist a lot, like you
play bass. These are muscles you don't use in daily life so you must keep
playing to stay in shape.

Here is a link to the full interview. It has a lot of interesting material in it. IMO the interviewer asked all the right questions. http://www.chiefnoda.com/intvw/jd.html

I actually remember that interview by the Chief. The Chief used to be a fixture on a guitar forum I was on.

How old is it? JD refers to the late Gene Wooten (incorrectly identified as Rootin in the interview).

Good points about which muscles get used versus regular life or other instruments. Reso is definitely a different animal from ALL of the others imo.

Out of curiousity, does anyone know why JD went to a Beard?

Wayne

I was reading a discussion about the change to the Beard. Problem is it was all conjecture. Will we ever know exactly why? I kind of doubt it. It may have been he was looking for something in his sound that Paul was more willing than most to accept his input. But again only conjecture.

Here is something else that I thought was good, posted as a blog here by member Michael Hughes. http://www.resohangout.com/myhangout/home.asp?id=23681  Well worth the read.

If you really love and instrument, you're gonna practice hard. If you don't you're gonna hardly practice.

I can't possibly practice 5 hours a day every day with my schedule, but I find myself picking my dobro up every time I get a chance throughout the day because I'm just flat out gaga over it and haven't been able to keep my hands off of it for years. . But, I do know that I am much more productive when I have my game on than when I am distracted or tired. It's really a waste of time fore me to rehearse when I'm tired. I accomplish nothing. My best time of productivity is early morning after a good workout. I downloaded that VLC program last week and was trying to work out the solo to The Boxer from Flux's new CD. I was tired and I worked for a couple of hours at it with no satisfaction. I was beginning to think I'd never get it. I had to play out on Long Island Friday night and didn't get a chance to play again until Sunday morning. WHen I woke up, the Boxer solo was as clear as could be in my head. After coming back from my workout, I sat down on the porch and within 15 minutes I had it down as if I had played it forever. When you have that gut feeling that you really want to play, that's when you really need to work at it. WHen you don't, I don't see much value in it.

quote:

---

Originally posted by mike scott

Here is an "expert's" opinion

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/kluge/201202/will-10000-hours-practice-make-you-expert-anything

So....................who really knows!

---

But did you follow the link to here? http://www.creativitypost.com/psychology/debate/talent_or_practice_what_matters_more  If you read the posts and the "Debaters" you can really get depressed. Especially about talent vs practice and they bring up the savants. This never entered my mind. I think I'll go practice now, my brain hurts.

Edited by - Grizz on 07/02/2012 12:30:39

I don't want to change the topic here, just want to add that Chief Noda is a friend of mine. He was very active in the Flatpick List which was where Tut, myself and a couple other dobro players were at that time. There was no RN or RH then. Some of you may be interested to know that even though I was playing dobro then (just starting) Chief insisted on putting 2 songs on the FP List CD that was put out every year. That would have been 1991 or '92 and it sounds like this article was done in '92 or '93, JD wasn't using a McIntyre in '91. He also had his Jones at MerleFest in '91.
Chief Noda is an excellent finger style guitar player, you should check out his music.

That is the exact guitar forum I was referring to. I've been on that forum going back to about '91 or 2, I think. It's funny, I'm not really much of a flatpicker but I'm still registered with Flatpick L. I hadn't started the 'bro back then, it came later. I remember the Chief as being active in assembling the Plectrology CDs that were available then.

Wayne

quote:

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Originally posted by Dobrojan

I don't want to change the topic here, just want to add that Chief Noda is a friend of mine. He was very active in the Flatpick List which was where Tut, myself and a couple other dobro players were at that time. There was no RN or RH then. Some of you may be interested to know that even though I was playing dobro then (just starting) Chief insisted on putting 2 songs on the FP List CD that was put out every year. That would have been 1991 or '92 and it sounds like this article was done in '92 or '93, JD wasn't using a McIntyre in '91. He also had his Jones at MerleFest in '91.
Chief Noda is an excellent finger style guitar player, you should check out his music.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dobrojan

I don't want to change the topic here, just want to add that Chief Noda is a friend of mine. He was very active in the Flatpick List which was where Tut, myself and a couple other dobro players were at that time. There was no RN or RH then. Some of you may be interested to know that even though I was playing dobro then (just starting) Chief insisted on putting 2 songs on the FP List CD that was put out every year. That would have been 1991 or '92 and it sounds like this article was done in '92 or '93, JD wasn't using a McIntyre in '91. He also had his Jones at MerleFest in '91.
Chief Noda is an excellent finger style guitar player, you should check out his music.

---

Very interesting information Jan. I absolutely love the stories/memories you all have that have been playing so long. Not meaning you old by any stretch of the imagination. But then again all I do is just sigh and wish I had done this a long, long time ago. Thank you all. 

Wayne....I was told by another builder Jerry was talking to Paul about a signature model. He was looking at using his name to make money. Paul pretty much worked up a deal to suit him. He went to Tim and told him what he wanted to do. Tim said he would have to get others involved in building "his" dobros and that just wasn't in the cards. Tim wouldn't or couldn't produce enough instruments to satisfy what they figured the demand would be. So Tim told Jerry to go with Pauls deal. Paul has the facilities to produce more. He did and both of them are doing well. Tim's got a waiting list for $10,000 a shot dobros and Jerry is Jerry.

The issue with all the 3rd party chatter about Jerry's motivation is that only 2 people were directly involved in the discussion and there were maybe 2 witnesses. None of those folks are talking. Everything else is fiction.

All I can say is that Paul spent years with Jerry developing the signature family, including several prototypes that will never see the light of day. If money was the motivation any of those guitars could have hit the market with his name.

Three points of fact:

1. After leaving Tim and BEFORE Paul  Jerry had a contract with Gibson to produce a signature line. Y'all remember those guitars? Yes, they were made. Gibson has much deeper pockets then Paul and was quite willing to pay Jerry.

2. Before there was the signature line Jerry played s/n MA6-024 along with his Scheerhorn. This was the starting point in his guitar's development. I happen to remember the s/n because I borrowed the guitar for a couple of gigs.

3. Jerry and Paul go through great expense so that Jerry might play every guitar before release to a customer. It's not like Mike who can come to the shop. Sometimes we met Jerry on the road, sometimes he's fly into Baltimore for a day and he'd camp out at a hotel. There were those magic moments where he'd come to the shop for a day or 2..

Believe me Jerry knows exactly what he wants to hear and Paul is quite willing and able to give it to him.

Y'all are entitled to your opinions of course. I'm just relating some observations based on me witnessing events first hand.

cheers

h

Well, Howard, I would think that if anyone knew it should be you. Thanks for sharing.

interesting thread. I never considered right/wrong way to practice. now I am questioning myself on just what am I practcing? am I actually practicing what I want to learn or am I just honing what I already know? Am I actualy playing slow enough to get the new lick or am I just taking a whack at it? all good things to ponder. thanks for posting. I will be thinking on this concept for many a day.

Yesterday, I began working painstakingly on pick blocking; something I've studiously ignored over the years, having relied mostly on the left hand blocking. But with the left hand, if you're playing an arpeggio from say, the second to the fourth or fifth string, your left hand is out of reach to dampen the second string.

It amazes me how slowly I have to do this; like relearning the basics of reso. Which, of course, it just what it is.

Wayne

quote:

---

Originally posted by joyfulnoise

interesting thread. I never considered right/wrong way to practice. now I am questioning myself on just what am I practcing? am I actually practicing what I want to learn or am I just honing what I already know? Am I actualy playing slow enough to get the new lick or am I just taking a whack at it? all good things to ponder. thanks for posting. I will be thinking on this concept for many a day.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by captbanjo

Yesterday, I began working painstakingly on pick blocking; something I've studiously ignored over the years, having relied mostly on the left hand blocking. But with the left hand, if you're playing an arpeggio from say, the second to the fourth or fifth string, your left hand is out of reach to dampen the second string.

It amazes me how slowly I have to do this; like relearning the basics of reso. Which, of course, it just what it is.

Wayne

---

This is a great argument for beginners to get a solid foundation of the basics. Remember this post Wayne? http://www.resohangout.com/topic/28864

I thought I would put my 2 cents in on this topic. I am no where near where I want to be on the Dobro, but I'm very happy with the progress that I've made in the last few years. I started playing the Dobro January of 2007. So as of right now I've played a little over 5 years I guess. Here has been my practice routine or atleast my philosophy to playing. (Granted before Dobro, I played guitar since I was 16 and studied it in college. So I have some experience with focused practice for extended periods of time.) Here's just some things that I think have really helped me improve. I've never kept track of the hours I spend practicing. I just play when I want to play.

• I would literally take my Dobro everywhere. I would take it to work with me. (I used to teach in the bottom of a music store, and if a student wouldn't show up for their guitar lessons, I would practice.
• I would stay after work when everyone would go home, and practice.
• I would take my Dobro on any trips with me, and play it there.
• I would get up every morning and play before work.
• I found nearly every jam in my area and would attend them as much as I could. If there were songs that I didn't know I would write them down, and then try to learn them that week.
• I got interested in festivals and workshops, and started travelling around the country and would jam at the festivals. I remember really only knowing 2 songs when I went to the Bean Blossom Festival, but I would keep track of any song that I didn't know, and try to learn away from the jam or when I got home.
• It was around this time too that I started recording YouTube videos. I did it at first, not to change my life or start a new business, but my initial goal was to learn simply ONE NEW LICK EVERY SINGLE DAY. So I recorded just that for a month. My LICK OF THE DAY videos on YouTube were simply a way for me to share what I was learning.
• I also found that with me writing out all my licks and arrangements of songs with Guitar Pro 6, it helped me to never forget or atleast be able to go back and review everything that I was learning.
• Now I try and practice as much as possible. I love to play in the mornings and throughout the day.
• Now I'm much more into learning about the recording process and trying to write and record my own original tunes. So as much as I can I setup all of my recording equipment and try to come up with music that brings together everything that I got going on in my head.
• I also REALLY LOVE TO JAM ALONG TO PANDORA.COM
• I pick an artist like say Randy Kohrs, and just jam along to any song that comes on. I do just like I show in my videos. I find the key of the song, and try to make up licks that would fit over the song. It's great for your timing and developing new ideas. Sometimes I'll hear things and pick it up and try to play what he played.
• I think over all I try to keep practice fun and creative and it seems to really work to keep me motivated and wanting to practice.

I hope that helps some out there! Practice should be FUN!!! Try and make it fun and useful. You should always walk away from practice feeling like you've learned something new or gotten just a tiny bit better. Try not to think or feel negative thoughts before, during, or after practice. WE ARE DOING ALL OF THIS AS A PASTIME....FOR FUN!!!!!! NEVER FORGET THAT!!!

~Troy~

Edited by - LessonsWithTroy on 07/05/2012 09:30:25