Do you have a practice "ritual"? (not WHAT you play, but HOW/WHEN you play)

A common thought in songwriting is to do it every day using a routine to ensure that you do, much like your pre-pandemic one. I am retired and would like to say NOW I have a routine. I can do it almost any time of the day or any day of the week. Alas, still not the case. In fact, while working I was more apt to have one as the work routine left only a few options. On Saturday, I’d play in the kitchen before everyone woke up. During the week it would be after everyone went to bed. I was a strictly an acoustic player then.


I haven’t really figured out a good time and stick to it. Perhaps my motivation isn’t what it was? That could be a different thread topic.


When I do sit down, I’ll let mood dictate which guitar and amp (or no amp)to start with and then begin. Usually it’s a few runs, a few select chord progressions and maybe a familiar song or two. If I’ve been working on a new song, I may start with that. Sometimes I start too late and the energy just isn’t there. Other times I lose myself in the music and that is a magic time.


I have found that songs written (or played) in the morning hours are more positive than those done late at night.

 

I have sometimes thought that perhaps the morning is fun of hope and energy whereas the night has witnessed the fatigue and realities of the day.

 

Im an evening guy. Morning ritual is already full with quiet time, daily planner, coffee, mental prep and then getting the family and pets sorted before im out the door. Work has to come first , so even on non teaching days i have to work on my primary career (im a painter). Dinner with the family is sacrosanct. So after dinner, 7.00-10.00 is negotiable time. If im not needed or its an everybody do your own thing night then i go to my studio and play. Weekends i play whenever i can. Saturdays are often spent recording or mixing tracks for the bands im in. Or saturdays are good daylight times to tinker, clean, string change, check humidifiers etc. so no strict routine but mostly playing at night and doing more technical things or recording on weekends.
If i were retired though ...... ahhhh that would be a different story

 

I am fortunate to be retired and have a modest art & music room I can practice in without being too disruptive to the rest of the house, so I try to practice at least an hour every day, usually starting about 10AM, sometimes two hours if I’m really focussing on a music problem, but since Covid, always before noon. As noted above, energy and interest drops for afternoons and evenings. I think it is influenced by playing alone. Before Covid I’d jam practice any afternoon or evening if friends were available. Having a jam partner is a big motivator.

 

Every morning, seven days a week, from 7:30 to 8:30. (Post-coffee.) The routine helps make practice a reality for me. What I've had trouble with is working in the additional time needed to get good at it.

 

Since I do most of my playing on recordings I play just about every day.
I don't really have a routine other than to practice the parts I'm going to be recording on that day. If I'm tracking for a customer's song I will work out the parts pre-session so I'm prepared. If it's my music I will often work the parts out as I go along. On some projects my playing can be more of a jam where nothing is really worked out. It's just "play and see what we come up with". Those types of sessions can really be fun even if it doesn't work out....
When I was gigging (pre-Covid 19) I would always work out my parts (or learn the song) at home before the band got together for practice. I hated wasting time at practice waiting around for someone to learn their parts to a song. Over the past 40 years I never played a gig without practicing - I guess that's what I would call my only routine....

 

Ritual?
I play when the mood strikes me.
I will often use a little warm up riff, just to get the fingers in gear.

 

No ritual for me, or something like @wabash slim mentions just above...

A+!

 

I hardly ever play in the middle of the day, and not even because I’m busy; even when I’m off with nothing to do I just don’t pick it up. My best times are daily when I’m having the morning coffee and a couple hours before bed when I’m winding down.

 

just had the funnest session. more so a bass player..just did the bass line to Pump Up the Volume & put it in a looper & totally went nutz over it with leads.

I have 2 loopers..do 1 -2 original songs every week..so something is cooking all the time..get verse-chorus situated..then beat on the drums..soon as i have a theme..into Reaper we go..

 

I took up disc golf a couple of years ago and in good weather we play between 3 n& 4 times a week. depending on the course and weather and how many rounds we play for about 3 hours each time. We do play in the winter but temperatures and snow conditions limit it. The time spent there takes away from the free time I have to play. However, if I played guitar that much I certainly would get better. We do talk about music a lot though.

 

Never had one, even when I was almost playing daily. I don’t really have rituals unless you count a cigarette with my coffee.

 

I usually tune my guitar.

 

I make a point to differentiate between grabbing a guitar and playing, which I do every day and Practicing. When I Practice which I do every 2 or 3 days my intent is to learn something (song, scale, chord, chord progressions etc) and when I learn it well enough I incorporate it into the times I sit down and play. I don’t try and learn a lot at one time either.