BC-139 • Stage 3 Practice Schedule

[justinguitar]

Questions...

Lesson Link: http://justinguitar.com/en/BC-139-PRACTICEstage3.php

[Chutzpah]

As ever Justin, cheers  

I presume the one day delay was due to your frolics at a certain well known tennis tournament?

If so, I'm sure we can forgive you 

[justinguitar]

As ever Justin, cheers  

I presume the one day delay was due to your frolics at a certain well known tennis tournament?

If so, I'm sure we can forgive you 

Yep - it was. And now I am editing the site with the telly on watching more!

[eenymo]

I'm loving all this good practice advice.  So glad I found your website it has made a real difference.  Only problem is...at the moment I am only able to practice for about 15 mins max because my fingertips are in agony after the first few mins! It feels like every time I press on a string, a knife is cutting into my finger.  My question is this - I would really love to practice for a lot longer than that each day, ie a couple of hours!  How long will it be before my fingertips harden enough to not be sore any more so I can practice 'properly'?  Every time I just start to get into it, I have to stop at the minute.  What would be an average time? I have been practicing properly (ie every night!) for 3 nights now (before I found this website I didn't really have a clue where to start...)
Cheers!!

[Tourniquet]

I'm loving all this good practice advice.  So glad I found your website it has made a real difference.  Only problem is...at the moment I am only able to practice for about 15 mins max because my fingertips are in agony after the first few mins! It feels like every time I press on a string, a knife is cutting into my finger.  My question is this - I would really love to practice for a lot longer than that each day, ie a couple of hours!  How long will it be before my fingertips harden enough to not be sore any more so I can practice 'properly'?  Every time I just start to get into it, I have to stop at the minute.  What would be an average time? I have been practicing properly (ie every night!) for 3 nights now (before I found this website I didn't really have a clue where to start...)
Cheers!!

2-3 weeks of consistent practice. You'll likely find they start of as quite sizable callouses but as you refine your technique over a few months they'll get much smaller.

[Shu]

Yeah like he said, after a few weeks you will easily be able to practice much longer, but keep in mind not to overdo it, stop if it hurts(like painfully, not just a littel sore). I got evil blisters once after practicing string bending too much, couldn't play at all for a few days. 

[JoeShmo]

Hey,

Silly question of the day here.

Considering the simplicity of the beginery songs listed here, and the shear number of songs there are to learn, and assuming the practice time is available, is it better to spend 3 minutes a day on 5 or 6 different songs, or 15 minutes a day on 2 or 3 songs?

Regards,

[dj4]

Silly question of the day here.

Considering the simplicity of the beginery songs listed here, and the shear number of songs there are to learn, and assuming the practice time is available, is it better to spend 3 minutes a day on 5 or 6 different songs, or 15 minutes a day on 2 or 3 songs?

I think where you need to be heading is to make progress that you can measure on at least a weekly basis, note down in a book what you can manage (how many chord changes per minute and what chords they are, etc.) together with the date. 2 x 15 minutes per day seems to be the best for me, 30 mins in one go is maybe a bit much although that seems to be the minimum time most teachers list for lessons. I find I often don't make any progress in 15 mins so I come back later and have another go, it's unusual not to make some headway each day or two.

3 minutes in a session I feel is too short, you won't make steady progress as it can take longer to do a brief revisit of yesterdays work. I am at that early stage where somethings are slow and tedious and I don't seem able to make headway with them, so I leave it for another day and have a go at something else rather than stalling and not making progress. Recently I've done minor chord practice, chord changes to a metronome, playing scales to a metronome, strumming/rhythm, plus trying to tease around 4 "strummed" tunes to sound correct. I also keep going with "Apache" by The Shadows, it initially seems hard but has some easy parts and after only 3 weeks from scratch I can play it from beginning to end, admittedly with a few stumbles, but through a practice amp with an echo effects pedal it sounds good and reminds me why I am learning.

[JoeShmo]

Thanks,

I'm kind of a house husband.  I'm on semi permenant medical leave from work. So wife works while I care for 3 toddlers.  It can be difficult to find large blocks of time to practice, but the day is full of little 5 minute windows.  Sometimes I'll sit down and fret a single chord for a couple minutes picking out the individual notes looking for hidden treasures.

I've been keeping a practice note book for a month or so now.  It's great help.  In addition to the obvious stuff I write down strumming patterns, tabs for little two beat riffs I come up with, wierd little chords I find on the net.  All kinds of stuff.  I also try to make notes on the particualr
problems I'm having or on the rare occasion when I do something cool.  It helps keep me sane

Regards,

[Das Ei]

Hi guys.
Especially if i play the D chord fast, i sometimes feel the strings swinging. But they sound clean. Is this okay or have i to practise this?

[Tourniquet]

Hi guys.
Especially if i play the D chord fast, i sometimes feel the strings swinging. But they sound clean. Is this okay or have i to practise this?

can you elaborate?

[Das Ei]

Hi guys.
Especially if i play the D chord fast, i sometimes feel the strings swinging. But they sound clean. Is this okay or have i to practise this?

can you elaborate?

I am not sure how i can this explain in the best way in english.^^
OK i try it.
If i play the chords i sometimes feel them a bit swinging on my fingers but if i pick the string it sound good. It sounds clean and not muted. But if i change from one chord to another i sometimes feel the string a bit swinging. I would say it tickle a bit. If the strig is swinging it touches a bit my finger. I hope you understand now. If not i will try it to explain one more time in an hopefully better way to you to understand

[MadCat]

Welcome to the forum! 

Do you mean another than the fretted string is slightly hitting your finger? 

I would sort this out as the string will not ring out free and you loose sustain.

You're from germany, right?

[Das Ei]

Welcome to the forum! 

Do you mean another than the fretted string is slightly hitting your finger? 

I would sort this out as the string will not ring out free and you loose sustain.

You're from germany, right?

Yes i am from germany.
An example. If i play the D chord my third finger is on the B string on the third fret. If i switch from the A chord to the D chord i sometimes feel the E string touching my third finger very soft. I hope you know what i want to say now.^^ 
Especially if i play Peggy Sue that happens.

[Tourniquet]

you either need to adjust where your finger is coming down to form the chord or have you finger come down at a higher angle. little adjustments like this are all part of learning.