# How many hours to practice guitar?



## meteor685 (Nov 6, 2014)

How many hours did you guys practice to get to ur skill level??


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## TauSigmaNova (Nov 6, 2014)

how many hours?
per day? week? month? year? in our life? 

also, the hour will vary by skill level/by person due to some people needing less practice or some people practicing 'better' and getting more accomplished during their practice.


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## SpaceDock (Nov 6, 2014)

Easily 10000 plus hours! 

I've been doing it a long time though. Sadly still not as good as I would like.


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## Berserker (Nov 7, 2014)

Practicing the right things is far more important than how many hours you put in.


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## Ibzzus (Nov 7, 2014)

Berserker said:


> Practicing the right things is far more important than how many hours you put in.



Soooo.. Would practicing a scale really slow on a metronome help me when I'm trying to shred that said scale? Does practicing things slow lay the foundations for playing stuff accurately and with precision when you increase the tempo?

Imagine I want to play like Rick Graham; when he shreds, his fingers barley leave the fretboard and every note is played perfectly. Where do I start? What does 'practicing right' mean in this scenario? 

I have been playing for around 10 years now, on and off, I can play pretty darn well, it's just that when I shred, my right hand can't keep up with my left, or my left can't keep up with my right. Never really analysed the problem. 

I catch on really quick and my fingers achieve a muscle memory quite easily, so I doubt i'll have to put in more than 2 - 3 hours a day.


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## Solodini (Nov 7, 2014)

Yup, slow down to synchronise your hands and make your motions as small as possible. If you're practising a scale, do it with different rhythms, accenting 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s et c.. 

Practise the scale in different size chunks: 121 232 343 454 565 676 787 878, 131 242 353 464..., 12321 23432... so your muscle memory is used to more than just running the whole scale. Smaller chunks will sound much more musical.


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## Maniacal (Nov 7, 2014)

When I was practicing a lot I did about 6 hours a day of focused practice. I must be well over 10,000 by now


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## meteor685 (Nov 7, 2014)

Berserker said:


> Practicing the right things is far more important than how many hours you put in.



i agree, nothing changed for me until i started learning my fav songs by ear.


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## jay_katana (Nov 12, 2014)

What is the number of hours you can spend practicing the guitar EVERY day, with no days off???
There is no need in large amount of hours. 2 hours per day can be enough, the key is in doing it CONSTANTLY, and managing this amount of time.
By managing I mean dividing the 2 hours into four 30min time-slots, where each time slot will represent a certain area. For example
1. Techniques (right/left hands) (30 min)
2. Chords/Scales (30 min)
3. Improvisation (30 min)
4. Songwriting (30 min)
Every day!!!


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## Solodini (Nov 12, 2014)

I've found it more effective for me to do multiple sessions 10-15 mins (or however much time I can find) per day, whenever I can in the day, which blends all of those elements Jay_Katana mentions, making it all part of general musicianship. 

Decide on a key/harmonic concept/atmosphere/feel; maybe choose a technique to use with it; Write an idea (with a technique in mind, this becomes much easier based on more limited choices); work out how to play it; practise that; play about with it to try to improve it or see how you can change the feel of it (improv).

Repeat each time at the instrument.


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## meteor685 (Nov 12, 2014)

jay_katana said:


> What is the number of hours you can spend practicing the guitar EVERY day, with no days off???
> There is no need in large amount of hours. 2 hours per day can be enough, the key is in doing it CONSTANTLY, and managing this amount of time.
> By managing I mean dividing the 2 hours into four 30min time-slots, where each time slot will represent a certain area. For example
> 1. Techniques (right/left hands) (30 min)
> ...



we have a pretty similar routine


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## meteor685 (Nov 12, 2014)

Solodini said:


> I've found it more effective for me to do multiple sessions 10-15 mins (or however much time I can find) per day, whenever I can in the day, which blends all of those elements Jay_Katana mentions, making it all part of general musicianship.
> 
> Decide on a key/harmonic concept/atmosphere/feel; maybe choose a technique to use with it; Write an idea (with a technique in mind, this becomes much easier based on more limited choices); work out how to play it; practise that; play about with it to try to improve it or see how you can change the feel of it (improv).
> 
> Repeat each time at the instrument.



Im soo trying this when practicing improv when i get home in 7 hours, currently im mostly doing motifs, tryin to start on the upbeat.

Is it possible to become a great guitarist when its just a hobby(which in my case it is)???


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## haffner1 (Nov 12, 2014)

When I was younger and had the time, I used to practice 6+ hours a day. That being said, that time was not always as well spent as it could have been, because I didn't have a teacher for most of the time. Now I can only usually get in about 2 or so hours, maybe more if I have an extra day off, but I have learned a lot in the intervening years so it is probably more effective now. I don't always have the same plan every time for what to practice, it really depends on what I am trying to improve on at the time, but it is usually best to at least touch on the areas mentioned above each day, even if only for 10 minutes or so each, so you don't get rusty and lose your chops while you are trying to expand into other areas. I don't know how many times I have gone off the path for weeks at a time focusing on some theory or another, progressions... modulations etc only to go back and try and apply it for real, only to discover that my picking is all screwed up because I have been neglecting it.


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## Solodini (Nov 13, 2014)

meteor685 said:


> Im soo trying this when practicing improv when i get home in 7 hours, currently im mostly doing motifs, tryin to start on the upbeat.
> 
> Is it possible to become a great guitarist when its just a hobby(which in my case it is)???


 
It's good to set yourself specific goals like that, "starting on the upbeat" or using a certain chord change, trying to apply a certain rhythm or time signature. Watch/read some interviews with Mattias Eklundh and you'll probably get some good ideas for things to try to achieve.

It's definitely possible, as long as you play often enough and challenge yourself.


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## Gothic Headhunter (Nov 13, 2014)

Solodini said:


> I've found it more effective for me to do multiple sessions 10-15 mins (or however much time I can find) per day, whenever I can in the day, which blends all of those elements Jay_Katana mentions, making it all part of general musicianship.
> 
> Decide on a key/harmonic concept/atmosphere/feel; maybe choose a technique to use with it; Write an idea (with a technique in mind, this becomes much easier based on more limited choices); work out how to play it; practise that; play about with it to try to improve it or see how you can change the feel of it (improv).
> 
> Repeat each time at the instrument.



That's a really good idea, I'm going to try this out


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## tender_insanity (Nov 14, 2014)

I don't practise anymore. I just do recordings, but it's almost the same thing. Haven't had much time for anything since my daughter was born


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## Luna Lee (Nov 29, 2014)

When I saw Andy Mckee live he said that he rarely ever practices scales, chords etc. he said that he just counts all the hours he plays live as practice  
The only time I do strict actual practicing (scales, techniques etc.) is probably only at most an hour a day. 
But I improvise/write sometimes up to 7 hours a day if I have the time.

When I use to take piano lessons I practiced maybe up to an 1-2 hours a every other day  but being more focused on guitar I know can go up to a week without practicing piano 

But I have been playing piano for about 10 years and guitar for about 4 so I usually won't warm up with my major scales 
I really only focus on techniques that I am struggling with.
like "under strumming"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elOxW3wbz7A


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## SqWark (Nov 29, 2014)

When I was 14 I could practice 8-10 hours a day. Can't seem to come close to that as a grown-up and honestly not sure I'd want to even if i could. 4-5 hrs is a good day of practicing for me nowadays.


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## Overtone (Nov 30, 2014)

It seems to me like these days twenty min a day is the minimum for me to stay sharp on technique, 60 if I want to also be maintaining a repertoire of songs and keeping my improv fresh. More than that to actually make new progress. 

And try to think of practice as partially a way for your hands to maintain or improve muscle memory, but also a way for YOU to *learn* things that will just stay with you forever. If you only work on that first part it becomes somewhat mindless and you miss an opportunity to let your practice have a more long term benefit.


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## Dusty Chalk (Nov 30, 2014)

I'm guilty of that, thanks for bringing that up -- exercise the mind as well as the fingers.


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## WinterRider (Dec 30, 2014)

Coming at it the other way - I have a 9 to 5 job and three kids, so I can only manage 15 mins a day with maybe an hour at the weekend. How good can I expect to get? So far it's got me to knowing lots of scales and chords and being able to improvise a little bit, but I'm still not producing anything you'd want to listen to.


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## KJGaruda (Dec 30, 2014)

A lot of people seem to think that when you practice guitar or any other instrument you have to cram it all into consecutive hours. 

As you gather more adult responsibilities your hours of consecutive free time is lessened. I've found the best thing to do is, if you have a half-hour or full hour free, to practice _effectively_ for that hour. Another free hour later on in the day? Do it again. Wash and repeat.

Basically as long as you're practicing things correctly, you can grow in leaps and bounds.


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## Solodini (Jan 5, 2015)

WinterRider said:


> Coming at it the other way - I have a 9 to 5 job and three kids, so I can only manage 15 mins a day with maybe an hour at the weekend. How good can I expect to get? So far it's got me to knowing lots of scales and chords and being able to improvise a little bit, but I'm still not producing anything you'd want to listen to.


 
Pretty good. If you can add the odd load of 5 mins here and there through the day then that'd help lots, too.


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## Januar74 (Jan 20, 2015)

I only have 30-50 minutes a day, and my only goal for now is to learn play fast, at 170 bpm six notes per beat....


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## jonsick (Jan 21, 2015)

Minimum, I do an hour of proper practice per day. Though really I'm only just getting warmed up by that point so it's disappointing to have to leave it.

On a proper day, an hour warm up, an hour of actual practice and an hour of messing. So ideally three hours. Then after that it's up to you.

Modellers are great for actual practice and nobody wants to hear you running through modes to a click or trying to figure out where X harmonic is on your guitar. But I always add in some practice with a real amp. It just reacts completely differently.


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## EcoliUVA (Jan 21, 2015)

2-4 hours per day, every day for 7.5 years now, dicked around with shitty "practice" before but I don't really count that. In the beginning it was basically all technical with a bit of basic theory mixed in. Now it's minimum 1 hour technical/day, usually more, but I do a lot more writing and applying these days. Usually work on furthering my technique if I hear something I like in my head but have trouble applying it, as opposed to previous years when I would push my technique just for the sake of it. Still not happy with my technique level, but I've accepted that I never will be and should just keep plodding along with it.

Session lengths depends on what's happening in the day. I spend time with my wife every day, so I tend to work around her schedule. I haven't found that anything other than focusing intensely for as long as possible really matters, but I like to do that right before bed to get it in my brain so sleep can sort things out for me.


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## MattThePenguin (Jan 23, 2015)

I just learn a song that I think will challenge me. I practice it an hour a day, to a metronome ALWAYS. 

An hour a day is all you really need. Marty Friedman said so so it must be correct, right? 

Marty Friedman... what a guy... 

brb Holy Wars


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## jonsick (Jan 23, 2015)

MattThePenguin said:


> I just learn a song that I think will challenge me. I practice it an hour a day, to a metronome ALWAYS.
> 
> An hour a day is all you really need. Marty Friedman said so so it must be correct, right?
> 
> ...



I'm sure I read somewhere (maybe in the 90s) that Slash practiced several hours per day.

I would say it's more "Practice as much as you need to" depending on the player.

NB. I saw Marty Freedman recently. Colour me disappointed.


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## Aion (Jan 23, 2015)

jonsick said:


> I'm sure I read somewhere (maybe in the 90s) that Slash practiced several hours per day.
> 
> I would say it's more "Practice as much as you need to" depending on the player.
> 
> NB. I saw Marty Freedman recently. Colour me disappointed.



Slash is a great example of a musician who you can tell has kept practicing since becoming famous. His playing in recent years has been fantastic and way more intricate than what he was doing in the early GNR years. He's my example of how a musician can clearly develop even after they've become famous. But yeah, you're right that it really depends on the person. Supposedly Liszt practiced for 10 hours a day for ten years and then never practiced again. Meanwhile Chopin told students to never practice for more than two hours a day. It all depends on what you define as practice and how long you can practice effectively.


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## meteor685 (Jan 23, 2015)

i just say .... it, and practice with whatver time i got, i just dont watch a lot of tv, or party much...


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