I am wondering about how some folks set up their “song practice” routines apart from regular “skills and technique” practice routines.
I am aware of practice routines, timeboxing, the 6 different areas to practice and that your practice routine should “match” the types of songs that you want to play. (no point in practicing power chords if you want to play boom chucka country).
And, of course, for songs you want to learn them in parts - intro, verse, chorus, lead, bridge, outro. And, you want to learn songs of different skill/difficulty levels.
I don’t think 5 minutes of timeboxing to work on a song/song part is enough.
I think I am trying to find out more how folks “time” their song practice routine.
For example, for one hour I am going to work on these 3 songs for 20 minutes each.
Or something to that effect.
And, do you work on those 3 songs for several days in a row or skip days until you get them down?
How many songs do you realistically try to learn a month? Of course, that varies by guitarist and level.
Do you set up a daily, weekly, monthly calendar of songs (examples to share would be great)?
I never stick to my song practice list like I do for my “skills” practice which I typically follow. I get distracted and half-learn songs and then see another song on YT I want to try instead or find some other way to play a song etc.
I have a schedule and discipline for skills practice, but not for song practice.
I combine my song practice with my skills and technique. This is one area I’ve disagreed with Justin in that he’s said just playing ones repertoire doesn’t improve ones skills. I look for new techniques to add to existing songs when playing them.
For you, it sounds like you are looking for more structure than what I, for example, use. If that works for you go for it.
Hi Andrew, For me I limit myself to learning a maximum of 3 new songs at a time. They are in a practice set of 3 songs in 20 minutes. No new songs get added until one is ready to be removed from my practice set list. These songs in this set list can include ones that I know but want to improve. I play that song list in every practice session (excluding the odd 5 minute session if I don’t have time for a complete practice one day)
With my repertoire of songs, I divide them up into set lists of 15 minutes each, i.e. 3 or 4 songs per set.
I put all the country ones together in set lists C1 to C8 and all the rock and roll ones in sets RR1 to RR8 and all the pop ones in sets P1 to P8 and try to play 2 sets per practice session for example C2 and R2.
Reading this back it seems more complicated than it actually is as once the set lists are compiled, there is nothing more to do to them other than play them in order over several days.
I also agree with Tony, playing your repertoire is good practice as you gradually improve the songs with playing them, such as adding fills and better strumming.
If you want to commit to a song, just make a promise. For example, declare a song premier here or on YT, or on FB, or wherever, in a month and put out your performance in time. Without particular goal, which is an actual performance, we all tend to just noodle on the instrument.
I have an approaches similiar to both of the Tonies’ () or a kind of mixture: For new songs, I normally do not work on more than 2 or 3 different ones at the same time. If they are completely new, I try to break them down and put the basic parts into my skill practice routine, i.e. learning the Strumming pattern first as part of my rhythm practice (same for fingerstyle, where applicable), or if a certain technique is required, I will put that into the routine as well.
Once that basic part of the song is down (i.e. the guitar part works out) I move it to the “repertoire - new songs”-part of my practice routinge and gradually add the singing there, too. I keep it in that section as long as I know the song from start to finish by heart. Then it will be added to my “Repertoire Revision”-Section of the practice and will be played alternating with other songs of my “Songbook” to keep them fresh on the one hand, or also sometimes to add new skills/embellishments I learned from other songs or regular practice - so the songs grow along with me.
Depending on the difficulty/complexity/required skill for a certain song, I work on it consecutively for either a few days, weeks or even months. If I notice during initial practice phase that one is too challenging for the moment, I push it back to my Dreamers list, pick another one and refer to the song later again, when I might closed the skill gap required.
This sounds very familiar to me. Consistently learning the same set of songs until I feel satisfied, is a hard thing for me. I get easily distracted by new songs. And I love these first moments when working on a new song .
After a while, particularly when there are some difficult parts in it, I pause practicing this song for a while to come back later, hoping that my skills have miraculously improved . Sometimes, this tactic works and sometimes not.
At the moment, I’m working on three songs regularly. Every song has its own challenges. The first one has a chord I’m struggeling with, the second one has a tricky picking pattern, and the third one - well, I guess it’s simply way above my current abilities .
And there are three other songs, I’ve been already working on and off for quite a long time. They will get ready - someday, somehow…
So, as you can see, no strictly structured practicing here. But the confidence, that I will reach my goals .
Sounds familiar to me , Nicole. Personally I think it’s good to have a more difficult song to learn because it encourages me to research those aspects that really challenge me; by watching and listening as to how other people approach particular techniques.
I also park songs to one side sometimes. Some I come back to, some I might, and others are unlikely because the song is no longer of interest.
There’s little in doubt about you reaching your goals, seeing how much you have achieved so far …
I see where you coming from on that, Tony; I would turn it slightly. In my short guitar life my playing is fairly simplistic, and as I learn more technique and “musicality”, I do revisit earlier songs, eg. the 1-4-5 type, and try adding some embellishments like : H/O, P/O, walks, different chord voicings. I wouldn’t cllaim huge success but the process helps consoldate the learning process, … that, and it’s fun. …
I usually have 3 songs on the current to-learn list, and a few don’t make it to completion. Having a few on the go, helps keep focus on particular aspects of learning a song; 15-20 mins then move on and revist later.
I don’t know who, but it’s been said that one carries on learning something even when it is not the task in hand.
I am in the same camp as @NicoleKKB on this one - more freeform and less disciplined than ideal. I have a too large library of saved song tabs which I’ve sorted down to a “practice list” of about 20 songs and an “aspirational” list of a dozen more that are above my level yet. I keep a Spotify playlist of the practice songs to play along with. I have a handful of songs I’ve learned pretty well and am working to play with consistency at tempo and add some embellishments. Sometimes I’ll scan down the Spotify list and say, “Oh, I want to try that one now.” Other times I’ll hear a song somewhere and say, “Oh! I can learn that one!” and then noodle away some time there, not the practice list. Yes, I should focus on doing a few things well rather than many things just ok. Justin has drilled that into my brain. But I’m getting better all the time and having fun, and do play to work on an AVOYP in the next few months.
) or a kind of mixture: For new songs, I normally do not work on more than 2 or 3 different ones at the same time. If they are completely new, I try to break them down and put the basic parts into my skill practice routine, i.e. learning the Strumming pattern first as part of my rhythm practice (same for fingerstyle, where applicable), or if a certain technique is required, I will put that into the routine as well.
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. Sometimes, this tactic works and sometimes not.
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, Nicole. Personally I think it’s good to have a more difficult song to learn because it encourages me to research those aspects that really challenge me; by watching and listening as to how other people approach particular techniques.
