Practice too long

1

Is their such a thing a practicing to long in one sitting?

2

if your mind is wandering and you stop paying attention, then it is time to take a break.

3

Yesā€¦ Practice when learning should be relatively short and targeted

Its fine to go jam for a while and play but if you are trying to learn something new do 5-15min of it and take a break

4

Depending on how much longer you play than usual, and on how much youā€™ve been playing recently, it could also be a recipe for a repetitive stress injury. Be sure to monitor pain in your wrists, joints, and so on. And if youā€™re a beginner (and even if youā€™re John Lennon playing Helter Skelter), mind those fingertips!

5

It was Ringo who yelled ā€œIā€™ve got blisters on my fingers!ā€

6

Never let the drummer try your guitar

7

It wasnā€™t from guitar. Helter Skelter needed very hard drumming. For the album version, eighteen takes of approximately five minutes each were recorded, and the last one is featured on the official LP. After the eighteenth take, Ringo flung his sticks across the room and shouted, ā€˜Iā€™ve got blisters on my fingers!ā€™

8

Thanks Mark! Iā€™d much rather make that mistake in this friendly group than elsewhere! Youā€™ve saved me from sure embarrassment. :rofl: It makes me even happier to know it was Ringo who said it.

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9

I doubt anyone would consider it an embarrassing mistake. I think most people arenā€™t aware of the story.

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10

Michael hits the nail on the head for me. If my attention starts to drift or I start struggling then itā€™s time to change what Iā€™m practicing or to have a break. I find I go through a ā€œwarmupā€ period where Iā€™m getting into the groove, a period where it all comes together or at least starts to, then comes a point when I start to notice quality dropping off.

Could be Iā€™m not landing tips of fingers, getting a bit of buzz or muting, shoulder or wrist getting tense, timing falls offā€¦ Any of those things if I try to fix but the fix donā€™t stick, thatā€™s my time up signal. If I keep practicing when itā€™s heading downhill, thatā€™s what will stick so better not to go there.

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11

Definitely, you need to be focused and fresh, Iā€™ve never practiced longer than 15 mins at a time but often practice 2 - 3 times a day!

12

100% this. And for me this might only be 10 minutes. On days when I have time I might come back to it later in the day and have another go

The thing about practice is itā€™s about embedding good habits in your brain and once Iā€™ve reached that peak in my practice and start sliding down the other side then itā€™s time to move on. It doesnā€™t necessarily mean I put my guitar down, just that Iā€™ve taken in as much new information as Iā€™m going to digest in that session. Assuming I have time then Iā€™ll start playing some of the songs I already know

13

Focused practice? Maybe 15 minutes. Playing? Play until you are played out.

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