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Thread: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

  1. #1
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    Default Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    Is there there a certain time of day that you seem to be able to make more progress with practicing ? Mine is morning hours . I just can't seem to keep focused enough in the evening to make much progress. Of course, I do have sleep Apnia so I'm usually awake between one and two in the morning ! Went through numerous sleep Apnia overnight procedures with not much success .
    Last edited by yankees1; Dec-07-2018 at 6:35am. Reason: spelling not correct in topic heading

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    but that's just me Bertram Henze's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    The morning for progress (but alas, my neighbors wouldn't survive that), the evening for checking how well ingrained a tune really is (if I can play them half asleep, I can always play them). The latter often goes with intentional concentration hazards like watching Russian dashcam videos while playing.
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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    As is of true of the best time to go fishing...when you can.

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    Registered User Dave Hicks's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    Right after breakfast.

    D.H.

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    Registered User Toni Schula's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    Depending on the genre. E.g. I would practise J.J. Cale songs after midnight

    Honestly I believe the morning would be a great time to practise but I usually do not find the time till evening.

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    formerly Philphool Phil Goodson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    Physical technique stuff in the morning.
    Memorization stuff in the evening. (Sticks better if I sleep after memorizing.)
    Phil

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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    when no one is home.

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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    I like the 3:30am idea. That way the family and neighbors have something to complain about besides how the mandolin sounds.

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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    I agree morning is usually best for me, although sometime life just won't allow it, on the other hand there have been days when I started practicing before 6 am and did not stop until well after 11 am ( at the beckoning of my family to come out into the light), so it balances out in the end I guess.
    Twards the end of they day I do find I am less focused, but sometimes I do practice late in the evening, I usually do this when I am working on particular phrase or technique, repetitive kind of exercises.
    In the morning I tend to play tunes and experiment with melodies and chord changes more.
    So I guess I am with Phil a few posts up.

  14. #10
    Registered User foldedpath's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    Afternoons for me, somewhere in the 3pm to 5pm zone. Mornings might be theoretically more efficient, but as I get older, I have more trouble getting my brain completely up to gear until later in the day (he says, typing this groggily at 6:30am).

    Another reason -- the local Irish sessions I attend take place in the afternoon or early evenings, so practicing around that time means I'm in a similar cycle of the day. It also means I can have a beer or glass of wine when practicing, which isn't a great idea in the mornings, and is also a way of simulating the conditions of the local Irish sessions.

  15. #11
    Registered User Bob Buckingham's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    I practice in the morning, afternoon or evening or all three. I love to play music and only do it on the days I eat.

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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    My best time is actually starting around 9pm until around midnight. I find that practicing at that time establishes a cycle that is very conducive to playing in professional venues. But I'm always the outlier. Blessings

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  19. #13
    Doc Ivory Doc Ivory's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    For me it's late afternoon around 4pm then after dinner till about 7 or so.
    Those are my "golden" hours for playing.
    Doc Ivory
    -Play loud, live long..

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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    I like to practice right after work and before I have totally relaxed. Mind is still sharp and in problem solving mode, and I have been itching to get behind a mandolin since I woke up.
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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    I think I once heard a quote from Dave Apollon that said morning was the best time to practice (and that the right hand was more important than the left).

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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    Between beers one and three.
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    Registered User mbruno's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    I strive for 3 times a day. Usually I get 2 times though.

    20 - 30 minutes in the morning before heading to work. Usually this focused on a single thing I'm practicing but almost always is a "slow" practice (metronome set under 70 bpm - usually around 40 - 50 bpm).

    60 - 90 minutes in the evening when I get home. This is more varied where I either continue from the morning, find something new, just have fun etc. This almost always starts with a simple right hand practice - systematically moving from single down stroke quarter notes to unmeasured tremolo. Once that's done, most often it's time to run through a song or two in the key of whatever I used for right hand practice

    20 - 30 minutes before bed. Usually just playing tunes that I've practiced in the evening or something my girlfriend likes to hear. Depends on the day
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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    Mid morning in the garden on days there is sun. Most winter days here are comfortable with just a light fleece hoodie. Fiddle tunes mostly. Yes, a nice sunny bench. Then noonish I work in my studio on scales and arpeggios. Late afternoon I work on bluegrass chops. Double stops worked into melody lines. Then late night, 11 or so, I bring out the Gibson A1 and work on an Irish tune or two. O'carolen goes well late in the evening. I try to play all my mandolins every day.

    In between I do enough chores to keep the other half happy, and there is usually an after lunch nap with the dogs. They don't like to sleep alone. Can you tell I'm retired?
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  26. #19

    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    I'm all over the map.

    I find if I am tired, my playing gets sloppier, but more expressive, sometimes much more so, its like my inhibitions drop.

    And when I am fully rested, fed, etc, my playing is at its best technically, and I can learn faster.

    And I have good days, bad days, and blah days in between, but I always seems to derive benefit from playing. Sometimes even taking a day off seems to help, I can't explain that one.
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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    When not posting yet another 'how long is a piece of string' thread.

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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ron McMillan View Post
    When not posting yet another 'how long is a piece of string' thread.
    I don't get it Ron ! Enlighten me !

  29. #22
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    For me - any time is the right time !. I just like to play,especially if i'm working out a new tune,
    Ivan
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  31. #23

    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    Here it is 10pm and I've put in an hour of practice so far. I think I'll quit for a while. Morning would be the best time as far as learning goes, but I only have time at night most days.

  32. #24
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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    Afternoon is best (3pm to 5 or 6PM,) followed by early evening (7PM to 10PM or so.) This makes sense for me, as I worked afternoon shift for most of my working years, and my brain is "trained" to work then.

  33. #25
    Registered User Strabo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best Time of Day to Practice ?

    I am smarter and stronger in the morning so I make more progress then and have greater stamina for dealing with challenges and difficulties. In the evening I like to play music, and I feel more inspired and expressive. Sometimes I hate to quit when it gets late.

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