How much do you practice?

[PhilO]

Hmmmm....practice...Nope, don't know if I've ever "practiced". I do play a lot though.

Doc


Warning:
Doc Jones is a bozo and really ought to "practice". New whistlers and serious musician wannabees are encouraged to ignore his comments entirely.

Agreed Doc, you're an idiot not to be trusted with the care and management of musical instruments (well, maybe bodhrans). I'm sending someone over to confiscate the whistles.

Philo

[TheSpoonMan]

I can honestly say I practice way too much. In the sense that I play the tunes I know over and over and over again- beucase I love them so much, but I learn new ones very slowly, and eventually after I've played for almost eveyr spare moment every day for a week or two my internal rhythm just... dies... and I can't play anything right, can't learn anything new, and have to fast a bit, just play like half and hour to an hour a day till my brain's thawed out.

[Doc Jones]

Hmmmm....practice...Nope, don't know if I've ever "practiced". I do play a lot though.

Doc


Warning:
Doc Jones is a bozo and really ought to "practice". New whistlers and serious musician wannabees are encouraged to ignore his comments entirely.

Agreed Doc, you're an idiot not to be trusted with the care and management of musical instruments (well, maybe bodhrans). I'm sending someone over to confiscate the whistles.

Philo

Pre-zactly the reason I located my flute and whistle mega-store in the backwoods of Idaho. Otherwise I'd have been raided years ago.

Doc

[Tristan]

Nearly half of you practice at least 20 min *every day*?

Wow. No wonder I'll never stack up.

I love playing, but between work, consideration for roomates/neighbors (don't even have the whole 'family' thing yet) and other interests, I just can't imagine playing that much, on a consistent basis.

I may have some weeks where I'll put in 30-90 minutes for several days, but I'm not sure I've ever gone a full 7 day stretch of playing every day.

A poser I am and will continue to be.

[Fighting For Air]

I'm a beginner, that is, I started playing ....

Hey wait a tic... are you the same Arno that's on the Elistalk Forum?

[Fighting For Air]

Hmmmm....practice...Nope, don't know if I've ever "practiced". I do play a lot though. ...
Doc

Wait another tick... Southern Idaho, huh...? I grew up in Nampa, went to school at BSU, now live in Salem, Or and go back to Boise all the time to see freinds and family. In fact... going back there over Thanksgiving and Christmas.

What's up with the whistle store you mention? Nevermind... followed the link in your signature line... I'm an idiot.

[LorenzoFlute]

i always play when i dont have homework and when i'm not on the computer... so from about 1 to 4 hours a day, or sometimes maybe more. but i dont play always the same flute: usually i start playing the tin whistle, then when everybody have enough of the loud and high sound of it i move to the flute.

[falkbeer]

I play tunes a lot, I practice little.

I should do the opposite.

Well... isn´t playing tunes practising? i.e. unless you are playing/performing in front of an audience! You dont´t have to play scales up and down for one hour to feel you are really practising!

[Loren]

Well... isn´t playing tunes practising?

No, it isn't really, not unless you are actively working to improve something specific while playing tunes. Doing something you can already do, out of habit, isn't practicing, it's simply playing, and doesn't necessarily lead to much, if any, improvement.

Practicing OTH has a specific focus that is designed to lead to improvement in one or more areas of your playing. Practicing is the act of actively working to improve, while simply playing or noodling, is something different, usually done for pure enjoyment, which is a no less good or valuable thing, it's just a different thing.

Loren

[BoneQuint]

Well... isn´t playing tunes practising?

No, it isn't really, not unless you are actively working to improve something specific while playing tunes. Doing something you can already do, out of habit, isn't practicing, it's simply playing, and doesn't necessarily lead to much, if any, improvement.

Well, I have to play through a tune a LOT before I can do it without mistakes, and with fluidity. Spending half an hour running through one tune over and over is very helpful to me. Even when I can play it well, I try to work in some variations, or play with the dynamics and speed, or whatever. I consider all that practicing, even though it can be fun too. (Not all medicine has to taste bad!)

[falkbeer]

Well... isn´t playing tunes practising?

No, it isn't really, not unless you are actively working to improve something specific while playing tunes. Doing something you can already do, out of habit, isn't practicing, it's simply playing, and doesn't necessarily lead to much, if any, improvement.

Practicing OTH has a specific focus that is designed to lead to improvement in one or more areas of your playing. Practicing is the act of actively working to improve, while simply playing or noodling, is something different, usually done for pure enjoyment, which is a no less good or valuable thing, it's just a different thing.

Loren

I remember when I was just a young lad and I liked to play football (soccer). A group of friends and lads from the neighbourhood formed a team and played against other boys. We never practiced! We just played maches. But still we managed to improve our game. So in the end, playing and having fun must be practising too - right! I think playing tunes and having fun with friends is one of the best way to practice an instrument and developing you musical skills!

/ all the best Falkbeer

[Key_of_D]

I like to practice as much as I can, and where ever I can.

[BillChin]

I play a little virtually every day. Have for the entire time I have been playing whistles, which by now is well over decade. For the vast majority of people, a little every day will result in more improvement than a bunch once a week or ten days.

Whistles have a tremendous advantage over most other instruments in that they can be taken just about anywhere, and are quiet enough that a person can almost always find a place to play for a few minutes. If not, air whistling (blowing over the windway instead of into the fipple) is one way to go.

[anniemcu]

... air whistling (blowing over the windway instead of into the fipple) is one way to go.

Tha's my fave for quiet play ... I can still practice while hubby's on the office phone and I'm waiting for some pages to load or a job to print.

[Loren]

I remember when I was just a young lad and I liked to play football (soccer). A group of friends and lads from the neighbourhood formed a team and played against other boys. We never practiced! We just played maches. But still we managed to improve our game. So in the end, playing and having fun must be practising too - right!

Well, it's an interesting thing: The sort of situation you're talking about, playing in a group sport, is different from solo playing of an instrument: Playing an instrument by yourself, you're not forced to react to and learn from different outside stimuli, as you did when you played football. Playing games in sports, is indeed a form of practice, and can indeed lead to significant improvement, but it is a very different animal from sitting in one's living room alone, and just playing through the tunes one already knows, if you see what I mean.



Loren