Practicing Music with a Confined Schedule
Practicing Music with a Confined Schedule
Practicing Music with a Confined Schedule
Q: Here’s what I own:
- Music Theory Workbook for Guitar Volume One
- Music Theory Workbook for Guitar Volume Two
- Jazz and Blues Bass Lines
- Comping Styles for Bass Guitar Volume Two: Funk
- Single String Studies for Bass Guitar Volume One
- Single String Studies for Bass Guitar Volume Two
- Rhythm Primer
- Fanatic’s Guide to Ear Training and Sight Singing
- Ear Training One Note Complete
- Big Metronome
What kind of schedule would you recommend for someone who works two jobs and has a wife and three kids? I can give a committed hour everyday in addition to time in my car (delivery job). What would you recommend I do when I have additional time (very sporadic)?
A: In your situation practicing in your head is the best solution. It is common knowledge among classical musicians that you can learn a piece of music or for that matter anything in music by visualizing it in your head. Many classical musicians don’t even play a piece on their instrument before performing it live in front of an audience. You can use this technique to help you work on music when driving a car or waiting for a light to change. Of the books you have you could use any of them to practice in your head. For instance you could think through and finger in your mind any scale or arpeggio from the Music Theory Workbook for Guitar Volume One. You could memorize a bass line from the Jazz and Blues Bass Lines or Comping Styles for Bass Guitar Volume Two: Funk book or you could work on hard rhythms from the Rhythm Primer. You of course can listen to the ear training and sing notes over the Fanatic’s Guide to Ear Training and Sight Singing CD as you drive. (You might want to get a chromatic pitch instrument to help you check notes.)
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Just remember that mental practicing is exhausting when you first start it. It takes months before you can do it for any length of time. As it develops you will find it to be the most efficient way to learn. I would then spend your hour or instrument practicing playing the things you have mentally practiced or use the time to improvise with the scales you are learning in the Music Theory Workbook for Guitar Volume Two.
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It is also recommended that you read Bruce Arnold’s Blog at his artist site. It contains more discussion of the musical topics found in these FAQs as well as other subjects of interest. You will also find the “Music Education Genealogy Chart” located here which shows you the historic significance of the music education products found on the Muse Eek Publishing Company Website.