Practice Session Frequency

[MicroConga]

Hi everybody ,

I have a question about practice sessions frequency. I can't rehearse no more than 6 or 8 hours a week. In your opinion, what is the best way to practice: spread short sessions all over the week (ex: 3 or 4 x 2h/session) or concentrate hours in a short number of session (ex: 2 x 3-4h/session) ? I should appreciate any advice or comment. Thanks

Marco

[120decibels]

Hey Micro-

It's a matter of personal preference. In my time as a percussionist, I've had opportunities to practice 4 hours a day, seven days a week and situations where I couldn't get more than about 20 minutes a day in. You have to figure out how to make the time that you have productive and fun.

I'll share a couple of my strategies. When I was practicing a lot in college, I'd do two two hour sessions a day. I'd spend the first 30 minutes warming up and then I'd practice whatever I had to do for lessons and performances. This usually involved practicing multiple instruments (i.e. snare drum, marimba and drum set).

However, in the six years that I have out of undergrad, I've been working a full time job, married, etc. I've found that I can put together 5-6 1 hour practice sessions in a good week. In a bad week, I can only put in about 20 minutes a day. Since I am mostly playing latin percussion now, I can limit these sessions to one or two instruments (i.e. bongos and congas). I've had to learn how to make these sessions effective.

My strategy here has been to warm up with about 1/4 of the time. If I'm practicing for an hour, this means that I can get good and warmed up. I use some of Gio's and Jerry G.'s exercises to warm up, and that helps me build my independance and chops at the same time. After that, I spend some time on the material from my lessons, and some time playing along with CD's. On the 20 minute days, I try to focus on my lessons.

Outside of my practice sessions, I'm constantly listening to CD's and thinking about how different players approach different situations. It is amazing to me that after listening to a tune for a while, I can just sit down and replicate a lot of what the player on the CD played. Also, I hear other players in my playing when I haven't even practiced their licks. This tells me that it was time well spent!

I hope this is helpful. The bottom line is, figure out how you're most productive or how you can adapt to the time that you have.

My $0.02,

Zach

[Michael S]

My practice sessions can be even fewer and far between than 120d's. I find that, if I don't have much time to practice, I am best served by concentrating on the basics, such as rudiments, warm-up excercises, and time-keeping. This is the repetitive stuff that becomes second nature only through repeated use. I use the same principle when practicing my keyboard; if I only have 20-30 minutes I will spend it doing the Hanon and scales. When rudiments and scales become part of your sub-conscious, it will free you to be expressive and improvisational.

[muddy323]

the more i practice, the better i can interpret different solo's and rhythm's. which i try at least 4 times a week to practice...i start with rhythm afro,latin,funk,jazz...than i work on time shifting...then i try and steal solos from CD's and try and make them my own sound....use congaplace.com for every conga rhythm known to man...they are the best



Edited By muddy323 on Jan. 23 2003 at 22:53

[Juancao]

I was studying Latin percussion with an instructor for awhile and he would really stress the importance of practicing as often as possible even if it was only for short periods of time. The other advice he gave me was to focus on a limited amount of material so you are not spreading yourself to thin and not really getting the rhythms down.

[MicroConga]

Hi everybody ,

Thanks all for your comments and advice. It brings me material to make my own '"salsa". By trial and error, I'll find (hope so) my way to practice the most efficiently as possible.

Thanks again.

Marco