What are you practicing?

Just thought that this might be helpful for everybody. Seeing what others practice, and with what intention to maybe develop new ideas for the own daily exercise.

So to get it rollin':

At the moment I'm playing Arpeggios, up and down in every position on the fretboard, and, and over different chord changes. My aim is to be able to improvise very jazzy licks, like in many many Bigband-standards, or some of the stuff Setzer does on Lonely Ave.

I'm practicing Blues Harp and Double Bass right now.
I got blisters on my right fingers...

I work through this book at least once a day:

Jimmy Bruno Scale Book

It's the best thing to develop speed and left hand technique for those killer solos.

Some Charlie Parker stuff. He's killer

I've been transcribing a lot of 50's rockabilly recordings as well as some Stray Cats songs that I've been trying to learn since oh, i don't know.......FOREVER Also, started to learn the Bebop Scale and other jazz stuff.

I dont ever really practice. I just play songs, pick out licks I like, and use them when I play. works great for me.

mjcodina wrote:

I dont ever really practice. I just play songs, pick out licks I like, and use them when I play. works great for me.

I think you take it one step further than I do, usually I just pick out the bits I like and then put them in my bank o' chops!

well when i was first learning i learned every... single... bit, now i kinda just do what you said

Started working on a tab couple days a go for Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square,
a version where Setzer sings and plays gretsch only, easier that way what with the
jazzy chords and all.

Of course, I should try to find sheets for the song too, but only after I've done the tab.
It's more interesting to use ears to learn than piece of papers, still.

And it's funny to see how much off I go when I get to see them sheets.

First post on these forums.

Today I was playing Stray Cat Strut to brush up on it. It is rather fun to revisit tunes you learned awhile back to see how you play it now as opposed to then.

Normally, I'd say I practice tunes more than rudiments. I spend some time on those but not as much as I should.

Tunes I keep in my daily playing are Georgia on My Mind, Why Don't You Do Right, Rock Around the Clock, Sleep Walk (original, Setzer's version and the way I play it) and Stray Cat Strut. I will occasionally pepper in All of Me, Beyond the Sea and Autumn Leaves.

The problem with practicing Setzer tunes for me is, once I start playing them, I can't stop. The feel and swagger in his playing just make it WAY too much fun.