sooooo much info soooo little structure!

I have been practicing everyday for months and months. I know the major and minor pentatonic, ionian, aeolian, and lydian scale and play along with backing tracks. There are like 4 songs I know and have been practicing them since january but still cant seem to stay in time and I really struggle if I try and sing along while i play. I need some guidence on a practice plan so I can stop jumping around and wasting time and forgetting half of what i learn by the time i come back to it.

Hi Ryan,

I started in January. I can share what I do but by the sounds of it you are way ahead of me.

My practice is very structured. I commit an hour each morning before work. My routine is based on learning chords, transitions, licks, and songs. I keep a journal of what I want to work on next day.

To determine what chords I am interested in, that's easy. I learn what I need to learn to play the songs I want to play. So far I've learned maybe 12 and I have no intention of learning every chord.

Licks are based on scales. Nothing fancy, just easy stuff that seems to sound appropriate to the backing track. But again, you are ahead of me here. You know way more scales than me.

Songs are based on what I like.

Timing:

I am learning that 3 aspects are very important.

1) I do use a metronome when doing scales.

2) I am forcing myself to count out loud along with the instructor

3) I use the loop function heavily. I will stay and stay on a section and play along with it endlessly until I have it down in time with the instructor.

Lastly, in my practice, I will give a little time to reviewing something I learned a few months ago. Just to see if it sunk in. So far so good.

Good luck

Originally Posted by: ryanharbin6153

I need some guidence on a practice plan so I can stop jumping around and wasting time and forgetting half of what i learn by the time i come back to it.

Problem as described sounds self induced and attitudinal to me. Unrealistic objectives or expectations of rate of assimilation/progress. Understand you want to demonstravely max the latter, but we're human, individually so, not automatons.

Perhaps try playing rhythm guitar with songs for a while to develop that missing sense of melody and timing if you currently don't have that natural sense for them until you do?

IMPE singing and playing together though it looks easy isn't, nor is it an inherent natural ability in most people. And unless a naturally gifted prodigy vocally, which certainly isn't me, singing is actually a skill all of its own.

Playing lead, which is apparently your focus, and singing is very difficult. That's why most lead singers in guitar bands are either dedicated front of house and lead singer only, or if they do play a guitar performing live, it's rhythm whether chords or fingerstyle melody. e.g. John Lennon, Ray Davies, Paul Rodgers, Barry Hay. The lead guitarists of those bands, e.g. George Harrison, Dave Davies, Paul Kossoff, George Kooymans seldom sing live other than harmony and backup vocals. Overdubbing in the studio is a different matter entirely.

For me playing and singing the vocal requires A. thorough rote recall through applied memorisation of both A. the lyric and B. musical part you will be playing, then C. actual focussed practise over and over until they're so familiar and co-ordinated to be 'no brainer' seemingly as automatic as walking if we want to present either an individual song or the set list. As amateurs, factor in a 25 to 100% load shedding fudge factor live in front of any subjectively critical audience depending upon the individual's ego's level of self-consciousness.

Different from William MG. Although by nature I am disciplined, I start out structured, but in the final eval I find I just play a lot. I play songs pretty much every session - after I finish the primary objective, regardless the lesson plan, and every day because I have lots of available time. Blessed with natural rhythm, some of which I attribute to prior experience in my formative years with drums. But, the sense of timing, melody and rhythm was always and is definitely natively inherent with me. OTOH, I have to work very hard and consistently on tactility fingering scales and adapting licks.

I love ManXCat's scientific approach and explanation of everything Guitar ! Seriously, but also LOL! Not just on this post, but everywhere.

What a great community of guitar-lovers!