Practice

[Clay Anderson Johnson]

Practice is a term which means different things to different musicians.  It is often used interchangeably with rehearse although they are different concepts.

 

It can mean:

• Playing scales
• Playing pieces to learn them
• Repeating chord repetitions or patterns or single note riffs or melodies
• Improvisation

 

I started by learning popular songs and playing them.  I advanced by learning scales and playing them.

 

Now I practice either with improvisation or attempting to spontaneously play a song I have never played before.

 

What I don’t do for practice is repeatedly play a song I wrote because I know that song. I do rehearse playing it before recording or rehearse it with a band before a live performance.

 

What is your idea or version of practice?

Edited January 31, 2022 by Clay Anderson Johnson

[Mahesh]

46 minutes ago, Clay Anderson Johnson said:

Practice is a term which means different things to different musicians.  It is often used interchangeably with rehearse although they are different concepts.

 

It can mean:

• Playing scales
• Playing pieces to learn them
• Repeating chord repetitions or patterns or single note riffs or melodies
• Improvisation

 

I started by learning popular songs and playing them.  I advanced by learning scales and playing them.

 

Now I practice either with improvisation or attempting to spontaneously play a song I have never played before.

 

What I don’t do for practice is repeatedly play a song I wrote because I know that song. I do rehearse playing it before recording or rehearse it with a band before a live performance.

 

What is your idea or version of practice?

 

I must say I've been guilty of those terms being interchangeably myself. And for what it's worth, I agree with you. Rehearsing a song seems more appropriate as opposed to practicing a song. Though I must say, these days the line between the two has gotten blurrier and blurrier. 

 

I have OCD. So it means that when I'm recording something, I need to get the take absolutely right. That means my recording sessions last for hours, non-stop. I used to think of it negatively. But lately, I've been looking at it as a practice of applying vocal technique in live performance situations. So I don't mind sitting through those 300 takes. 

However, I must say when I'm prepping for a gig, I never do anything beyond playing it a couple times after running through specific parts or changes prior. Rehearsing it is!

[Clay Anderson Johnson]

22 hours ago, Mahesh said:

have OCD. So it means that when I'm recording something, I need to get the take absolutely right. That means my recording sessions last for hours, non-stop.

 

I associate recording with perfect playing. This comes from meeting budget since studio time and professional musicians are expensive. My background is as a backup player not as an artist.

 

If you make a mistake playing in a traditional studio setting everyone there gets paid while you correct your error. That's $300 an hour for every union player there plus whatever the studio fees are. This may result in a very angry producer.

 

I don't have OCD. I have a mindset of expecting to get it right in as few takes as possible. First time is ideal. This why I don't record as a fun activity or every time I play. My mental association with recording is as the most serious of work activities to be accomplished as quickly as possible.