I’m a really new, inexperienced player. Started in may 2021.
Starting at 50 with no previous musical experience was a challenge. One of the things that bothered me was my inability to practice until my fingers bleed, because hurty hands suck.
So i started waking up an hour early to have a morning practice. This has now fully become a big deal for me, as i find that in the early mornings my brain is as good as it’s going to get for the day.
Meaning i seem to learn better early in the day.
Because I travel for work and I am consistently on the road, my regular practice schedule is around 0430-0530 while drinking that second cup of coffee. Weekends are different when I’ll practice later in the morning and/or afternoon.
I’ve been 100% remote since Covid. I start work at 9:30 am. Most of the time I get out of bed at 9:25 . It would be nice to get up early and practice, but it ain’t happening! I’m a late night practice kind of guy, sometimes until midnight or 1 am.
I agree on both but can’t manage at the same time. If it wasn’t for the last second I’d never get out of bed. Lol. Coffee is a must. If I have any energy left after work and cooking dinner every day, I have those go to songs to run through and stay loose. I really should be putting in more time. AM would be a great time, but I stayed up till the AM before I went to bed soooo…. I’ll try it @autumnsdad1990.
Nothing beats waking up everyone else in the house when you first plug in for the day. My family’s been very grateful we moved to a space with a well-padded basement, a few months ago!
Early in the morning has always been the best time for me to do most anything, including practice bass. I have been known to wake up at 4 am and head to my music room to practice a song I’ve been working on. Miracles happen for me in the wee hours.
Conversely, the learning part of my brain tends to flame out around 7pm, so I don’t do much after that.
Everybody is wired different, and that’s how I’m wired.
I read somewhere that for most people, their brains are most active and conducive to learning in the morning and grow less active as the day wears on. So, it’s better to schedule math classes before lunch, and phys ed classes after lunch, etc.
Yes, but not in the same way.
Coffee is my drug of choice, and always was on tour as well.
It’s my lifeline.
It didn’t get me through so many morning rehearsals as it did morning drives, too early van calls, and late night sets.
But I love that you’re making the schedule shift and finding ways to get the bass time in!
…when you mentioned coffee and bass… so many memories flooded in, had to post.
It’s great that so many people out there are into this. I find that in the mornings it’s a little more free form practice. I try to learn something new, maybe dance a little while i play. I’m a traveling worker, so i can’t hit the volume at 0400-gotta use the headphone amp.
But The thing about learning better in the morning really works for me. For instance, last night i was failing at white wedding by the incomparable mr. Billy m.f. idol. Got disgusted and put it down. This morning in an hour im halfway through square hammer by ghost.
It’s kind of a remarkable difference.
Normally I wouldn’t have the time, but I may start adding this to my morning routine, especially on work days. My daughter usually has a nurse that works overnight, except on weekends (and right now since her daughter was in the hospital with COVID) and she stays until 6am, so I wake up Tuesday-Saturday at 5:30am, get report from her, feed the dogs, take my shower and eat breakfast before going back to bed at 6:30 since I’m tired all day if I don’t get enough sleep…but what I think I’ll start doing is adding a half hour of practice from 6:30-7…a half hour isn’t going to kill me…then I can have my 1 cup of coffee then instead of just before 9 when I’m getting ready to leave.
I am best at work before 2pm, after that I am toast.
My brain works best in the early morning, however, not for music.
I think it has to do with playing sax, where mornings are a beeotch trying to play sax in any way shape or form. Late afternoon, or after dinner is best for sax, and bass, however, bass can go to the wee hours of the night before I know it and keep going strong. When I first started, i could easily look up and see it be 1, 2 or even 3 am noodling on bass.
Sax I get 60-90 good minutes tops, maybe another 30-45 if a break in between of a few hours.
I can dig it. I love the morning workout. Again, it’s a little more free form on account i dont worry so much about posture, absolutely correct hand position. precise note length, et cetera.
I just try to make it fun and learn something new. Today was the ocean by led zeppelin, because what an opener! Couple funny little tricks to makes that happen.
Again, i only been trying this for 9 months. I can barely play, let alone play well. But i think anything that keeps motivation high and keeps the instrument in your hands is good stuff.
You only been playing since January of this year? That’s when it showed you joined. Killing it, bruh. If that’s your progress in less than a couple months, you are well on the way to being a great player. I can’t really get what you were playing, I’ve got a degenerative neurological issue, so memory is a real problem, but it sounds familiar. Keep plucking, it’s gonna be good.
. It would be nice to get up early and practice, but it ain’t happening! I’m a late night practice kind of guy, sometimes until midnight or 1 am.
