Hi folks just wondering how much time folks dedicate to practising their instruments. I know there are limitations with circumstances in giving time to practice but I am just curious!
How much practice time would you devote for example if you consider a beginner level, intermediate level and an advanced level ?
Cheers
pkev
Practice time
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Black Mage
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I just play what I can, when I can, and when I feel like it. If I added it all up, I'd say that I probably prectice about and hour-and-a-half to two hours per week on a good week.
"Playing the whistle is nothing impressive. All one has to do is cover the right holes at the right time, and the instrument plays itself."
I'm in the "what I can, when I can" camp - but it's a rare day when I don't get in at least half an hour, and I probably average double that. *Any* practice beats no practice, especially at first. But getting in a good block of time on a regular basis (with smaller random blocks of time throughout the day) works a lot better than just random blocks alone.
I play flute and whistle - there's a large crossover effect, especially from flute to whistle, but going both ways.
For me, it seems that practice time on flute helps whistle nearly as much as the amount of time playing whistle. Doesn't work as well the other way, but even if whistle doesn't help develop my flute embouchure it still helps with learning tunes and timing. So I play flute during my "long" practice session, and keep whistles close at hand for those smaller random blocks of time.
It's also a good idea to spend a lot of time *listening*. Try to get recordings of the pieces you're learning (and as much other good music in the style as you can find!) and listen to them. Get the tune, and the timing, firmly in your head. There's a big difference (one I'm still working on myself) between playing the *notes* and playing the *tune*! I drive my family a little nuts by getting MP3 clips of tunes I'm learning and looping them over, and over, and over, and over . . . maddening, but it really helps.
Disclaimer: I don't claim to be an expert player. I've been playing about 3 years; though my skills are slowly improving I've still got lots of areas that need more work. What I'm doing works for me but YMMV, take with a large grain of salt, etc. Weasel words.
I play flute and whistle - there's a large crossover effect, especially from flute to whistle, but going both ways.
For me, it seems that practice time on flute helps whistle nearly as much as the amount of time playing whistle. Doesn't work as well the other way, but even if whistle doesn't help develop my flute embouchure it still helps with learning tunes and timing. So I play flute during my "long" practice session, and keep whistles close at hand for those smaller random blocks of time.
It's also a good idea to spend a lot of time *listening*. Try to get recordings of the pieces you're learning (and as much other good music in the style as you can find!) and listen to them. Get the tune, and the timing, firmly in your head. There's a big difference (one I'm still working on myself) between playing the *notes* and playing the *tune*! I drive my family a little nuts by getting MP3 clips of tunes I'm learning and looping them over, and over, and over, and over . . . maddening, but it really helps.
Disclaimer: I don't claim to be an expert player. I've been playing about 3 years; though my skills are slowly improving I've still got lots of areas that need more work. What I'm doing works for me but YMMV, take with a large grain of salt, etc. Weasel words.
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Wombat
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I play a lot of instruments so I'm not in practice on all of them all the time. Currently I'm working on whistle, concertina and guitar. Guitar practice has carryover to some extent to mandolin and bouzouki.
I suppose I average about half an hour a day on each. Sometimes I do more, maybe an hour on each. I'll doodle on all three and flute and keyboard whenever I have free time.
It's probably time I started doing serious keyboard practice again for a while. If I do, something else will have to suffer. On all instruments I'll get rusty if I don't practice but a week of steady work will see me back to roughly where I was when I lapsed, possibly even less than a week.
I suppose I average about half an hour a day on each. Sometimes I do more, maybe an hour on each. I'll doodle on all three and flute and keyboard whenever I have free time.
It's probably time I started doing serious keyboard practice again for a while. If I do, something else will have to suffer. On all instruments I'll get rusty if I don't practice but a week of steady work will see me back to roughly where I was when I lapsed, possibly even less than a week.
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Mitch
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I've heard this from a number of top teachers and players, about various instruments, and have used it myself with good success - it goes like this:
"Always set the same time each and every day to practice and hold yourself to it religeously. For a beginner it should be no less than 10 minutes and no more than half hour per day until the basics are mastered and the body becomes comfortable with the new posture and actions. It may be broken into 2 or 3 sessions - so long as start time is the same each day for each session. The reason for this is that the mind and body integrate the rhythm as part of your daily life and are automatically prepared each time - this saves time, also the unconscious will have prepared insights and improvements that manifest in the practice session. If the daily rhythm is broken then the fast-track gets de-railed. For a serious professional, the session should always start at the same time but may be as little as 5 minutes or as long as 4 hours depending on the amount of performance being done. Performance is better than practice"
It's just a bunch of opinion but never hurts to try for a week or 2 to see if it works
Hope it helps
"Always set the same time each and every day to practice and hold yourself to it religeously. For a beginner it should be no less than 10 minutes and no more than half hour per day until the basics are mastered and the body becomes comfortable with the new posture and actions. It may be broken into 2 or 3 sessions - so long as start time is the same each day for each session. The reason for this is that the mind and body integrate the rhythm as part of your daily life and are automatically prepared each time - this saves time, also the unconscious will have prepared insights and improvements that manifest in the practice session. If the daily rhythm is broken then the fast-track gets de-railed. For a serious professional, the session should always start at the same time but may be as little as 5 minutes or as long as 4 hours depending on the amount of performance being done. Performance is better than practice"
It's just a bunch of opinion but never hurts to try for a week or 2 to see if it works
Hope it helps
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pkev
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Practice time
Here’s my own take on it
When I first started I was 14 and got totally hooked straight away which basically meant that I sacrificed whatever else I was doing to play music. I became really obsessed with it and would practice 2-3 hours a day after school and 4-5 hours on
a Saturday & Sunday. This meant that my sport & leisure activities and for that matter `courting` activities, took a back seat for a few years.
Even when I started working I still put in a good 2-3 hours a day but would play different instruments as well. ie Mandolin, guitar, keyboard, etc
Getting married and having 3 kids put the kybosh on practicing a bit but I could still manage 3-4 hours a day or to be more accurate 3-4 hours between 10 at night and
2 am after kids and wife went to bed.
I don’t do as much practice now cos I’m either teaching, rehearsing & gigging with various bands, or messin around with my home studio.
I have never been a full time professional musician just semi professional which suits my family circumstances. Although I have had various opportunities to play professional, I just never thought it was wise cos my wife would have divorced me for sure (maybe there’s still time!)
Anyway to conclude, whether the practice time I have put in justifies my musical ability, I care not a jot as I have enjoyed it so much and it has given me the opportunity to play the music I love.
My advice then, practice as much as you want to or have the opportunity to play
Cheers
pkev
When I first started I was 14 and got totally hooked straight away which basically meant that I sacrificed whatever else I was doing to play music. I became really obsessed with it and would practice 2-3 hours a day after school and 4-5 hours on
a Saturday & Sunday. This meant that my sport & leisure activities and for that matter `courting` activities, took a back seat for a few years.
Even when I started working I still put in a good 2-3 hours a day but would play different instruments as well. ie Mandolin, guitar, keyboard, etc
Getting married and having 3 kids put the kybosh on practicing a bit but I could still manage 3-4 hours a day or to be more accurate 3-4 hours between 10 at night and
2 am after kids and wife went to bed.
I don’t do as much practice now cos I’m either teaching, rehearsing & gigging with various bands, or messin around with my home studio.
I have never been a full time professional musician just semi professional which suits my family circumstances. Although I have had various opportunities to play professional, I just never thought it was wise cos my wife would have divorced me for sure (maybe there’s still time!)
Anyway to conclude, whether the practice time I have put in justifies my musical ability, I care not a jot as I have enjoyed it so much and it has given me the opportunity to play the music I love.
My advice then, practice as much as you want to or have the opportunity to play
Cheers
pkev
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shadeclan
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I practice in 30 second intervals at stoplights - my playing sounds like it too! 
Sometimes, I get in some playing time at home. On Sundays, when I make pancakes or waffles for dinner (yes, I meant dinner) I will "whistle to the cakes" while they're cooking (whistle spit is my secret ingredient! )
I just keep the whistle close at hand and pick it up when I have a free moment. My modified backpack helps me do that - I take it everywhere and the whistle into the bargain. Unfortunately, this spawns comments like "nice Man Purse" and such, but I don't care as long as I have my whistle (keys, wallet, tools umbrella, tutor book . . . geez!) close at hand.
Sometimes, I get in some playing time at home. On Sundays, when I make pancakes or waffles for dinner (yes, I meant dinner) I will "whistle to the cakes" while they're cooking (whistle spit is my secret ingredient!
)I just keep the whistle close at hand and pick it up when I have a free moment. My modified backpack helps me do that - I take it everywhere and the whistle into the bargain. Unfortunately, this spawns comments like "nice Man Purse"
and such, but I don't care as long as I have my whistle (keys, wallet, tools umbrella, tutor book . . . geez!) close at hand.We've got a date with destiny . . . and it looks like she's ordered the lobster!
-Shoveler
-Shoveler
I dont practise as much as I would like to, or as much as I should becasue I have so much else going, I also have a bunch of instruments that I have to practise, so most of time goes to the clairnet which is my number one and trumpet which I'm slowly learning. But for the whistle its easy to pick it up for 10min and play a couple of tunes each day. And to answer you question I've heard that for a beginner that playing 10-20min each day is good, really any amount is good, just so as long as you play! and have doing it
-Music is a magic beyond everything-
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dotyj
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I've only been playing for 10 days now.
During the week I try to get in at least an hour a day in. I try to squeeze in 10 to 15 minutes in the morning before work. If I come home for lunch I try to get in 15 to 20 minutes. After work I try to get in 45 minutes to an hour.
On weekends I tend to put in a couple of hours a day depending on my schedule of other tasks and chores.
The practice is paying off.
My big problem is that I love pennywhistle notation and haven't spent near enough time learing proper music notation, but I'd rather play than spend time figuring out those pesky notes.
During the week I try to get in at least an hour a day in. I try to squeeze in 10 to 15 minutes in the morning before work. If I come home for lunch I try to get in 15 to 20 minutes. After work I try to get in 45 minutes to an hour.
On weekends I tend to put in a couple of hours a day depending on my schedule of other tasks and chores.
The practice is paying off.
My big problem is that I love pennywhistle notation and haven't spent near enough time learing proper music notation, but I'd rather play than spend time figuring out those pesky notes.
I drank what?
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Mitch
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1.5 hrs broken into 50 bits - at least we can look forward to when their attention span exceeds 1 tune ... in about 20 years, or so I'm told:lol:Wanderer wrote:I used to practice 3-5 hours a day, but since my son was born, I don't really have time for that any more..now I average 30 mins to 1.5 hours a day..
