The Joy of Guitar Practice

[@andrefludd]

A few things I forgot to mention: 1) 15 to 30 mins of practice is plenty and useful! Not everyone needs 2 - 3 hours straight everyday. In fact, this is too much for most people. 2) Sometimes if I have the time later in the day, I'll have a second practice session as a "reward" to myself. BUT I learned if I have this as my primary session, I often missed out because the day got too busy. That's why I always do it first to start.

[@jprestonian]

Your content is very helpful to me, Andre. You seem to be a solid guy, and I admire what you're doing.

[@Robstafarian]

I volunteer to discuss choosing guitars when one has a physical disability, as it will be quite a while before I can make a dedicated video on the subject (for my new channel).

[@GlennMichaelThompson]

The Joy Of Guitar Practice... great topic! Definitely similar to practicing any craft, art or discipline. Cheers! BTW I sometimes find it difficult to decide what to practice from the endless choices available!!! After 45+ yrs of playing & practicing, there's more choice now then ever before. (more vids like this could be very cool)

[@IdealDiscipline]

This video is great, Dr. Fludd. I'm about six months into my guitar journey, which started with me dedicating 30 minutes every morning after the gym, with the mindset of "I have to do this to get better." Now, my mentality has shifted to "I want to do this to get better," and I often find myself practicing twice a day because of it. Although my practice sessions are shorter, both my family and I have noticed significant improvements not only in my playing but also in my overall enjoyment of life.

[@StupidGuitar]

Videos like this are why I love this channel

[@andrefludd]

Thank you! I’m going to do this more. It’s nice to just talk sometimes without having to worry about editing, the algorithm blah blah

[@rhoff7272]

It comes off like more of a conversation too, really liked this one

[@maselbas]

I get that. Phone alerts going off, getting home from work and just wanting to do nothing but relax, the dog bothering you to take them out, the spouse not letting you get practice in. It gets a lot harder when you get older and have more responsibilities. Those moments you get when you have that self isolated practice and in your moment, it’s great.

[@14fluffies]

I practice every single day and after every practice session, I come away with a new idea or perspective. It's important to always practice at least a little bit each day to keep your musical mind engaged.

[@andrefludd]

Absolutely!

[@sarahtonin3743]

Really appreciated hearing your thoughts on this, Andre! Personally, I think learning is some of the most fun you can have as long as you have the right material. That's part of why I'm so excited I finally got the cash to purchase your course, as I've always felt that your teaching style makes so much more sense to me than any other guitar educator out there. Looking forward to telling people my teacher was Andre Fludd a few years down the road haha.

[@andrefludd]

Totally agree! Looking forward to seeing you there when the time is right.

[@paulrich6307]

Excellent talk and video. I liked your thought about just getting 1% better every day.

[@ManuelSanchez-kr7xw]

Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge and experience with us. I enjoyed the video very much

[@andrefludd]

Thanks for listening!

[@AfroRedMusic]

I usually don't outside of gigs but both improving my solo phrasing and language; as well as this death metal band kickin my ass and literally combining everything I've ever learned and pushing me past my limits; has got me motivated to get back into it regularly!

[@andrefludd]

Death metal will do that to you hahaha

[@AfroRedMusic]

@@andrefludd 😂 man!

[@jedmarsillo]

Great thoughts in this video Andre. It really resonates with me. I generally practice in the evening when I have the most free time. I may just try switching it up after hearing your thoughts on morning practice though. Whenever I play guitar I always feel as a weight has been lifted off of me. It is truly one of the greatest feelings.

[@andrefludd]

Yes that weight being lifted feeling! If you ever have a chance check out the book the war of art. I think you’ll love it if you liked this little chat

[@rhoff7272]

Great episode, i practice literally right after i wake up every week day, usually after breakfast on weekends, this was spot on

[@andrefludd]

Thank you!

[@jprestonian]

Thanks

[@andrefludd]

Thanks! Much appreciated

[@simonpark843]

Another excellent video. Thank you so much.

[@andrefludd]

Thanks for listening!

[@JohnShalamskas]

I gladly watched (listened in the kitchen) all the way through, because Andre had such great insights to share. The more you do the right thing, the easier it is to continue doing the right thing. The more you do the wrong thing, the easier it is to continue doing the wrong thing. Now I shall wash my hands and play my guitar.

[@ChrisBrown-oo4bf]

Just wanted to say thanks. i needed this today, and it got me going. Sometimes, you just need a kick in the *** to get you back on track. As always, very insightful and interesting.

[@andrefludd]

Glad I could be that kick for you!

[@philliphanford2792]

I really enjoy your mindset, TY.

[@andrefludd]

Thank you!

[@mikejna]

Many great insights in this vid. Thank you sir!

[@patricktelfort]

Super insightful.

[@andrefludd]

Thanks!

[@lonewolffgrey8983]

sweet deep thoughts dude...diggin it..

[@andrefludd]

Thanks!

[@AustinMayan]

Really cool to hear a BJJ overlap here. From one guitar playing grappler to another, thanks for this video.

[@andrefludd]

Two best things in the world 🤙

[@AdrianFarrell]

Because I'm not a professional musician I think I enjoy practice more as it's a wonderful escape and almost a Zen like existential practice in it's own right, rather than having to achieve a certain thing in a certain time.

[@immikedurrett]

Late comment: as I’m recording and practicing guitar more, I’m enjoying feeling and hearing the continuous improvement. It’s very gratifying, and I agree with your performance vs. practice mindset. I honestly hate live performance.

[@adelok]

Yes indeed coffee and scales in the morning

[@SunnyOfficialYT]

I wasn't aware of how I felt about morning practice until you mentioned it, the morning is the most satisfying part of the day because I jump straight into doing my vocal exercises and piano practice before leaving my the room to do anything else. At first, I saw it as a practical and efficient habit to get my warmups out of the way before the busyness of the day takes over. But it sets a positive tone for the rest of the day and main sessions later.

[@andrefludd]

100% I wish I developed the habit when I was younger.

[@swatchcovers5401]

I always practice during the day. something about the natural light, some coffee and being able to see what i'm doing is just more comfortable.

[@andrefludd]

I practice with my coffee as the sun comes up. The coffee is a must

[@Lordofmrak]

Interesting, I was at the Sri Chinmoy Memorial concert, and was impressed by the sound of those guitar-like instruments (not sure about the name) and how skillful are the artists playing them. Impressive culture.

[@andrefludd]

The level of talent in Indian classical music is crazy. There’s a reason all the jazz guys were so into it

[@elderozone]

Watching this at two o'clock at night while feeding my one month old kid and I'm sure that it will be a while before I can get any practice done, let alone in the morning. You do make an excellent point though: I too made the biggest gains when I used to get up early to practice before school and work, it's as if the quality is multiplied during that time of day. Thanks for the video and for the company!

[@andrefludd]

Thanks for listening!

[@lunamatic9775]

Great perspective, spending time thinking about practice is pretty important to incorporating it into your daily routine. Usually I will exercise first thing in the morning and practice after work. This is because I want my daughter to see me practicing and I also have something to look forward to after work. The only drawback is if a musical idea pops into my head while I'm at work, I won't be able to do anything about it until later. Might be worth switching things up at least 1 day a week and see how it turns out. As far as figuring out things to work on, keeping a journal and having it easily accessible is pretty essential. A number of years ago I switched from a handwritten one to a google doc where I save links to articles and videos. Makes it easier to reference when I travel for work and don't have a guitar nearby.

[@andrefludd]

I love that you want your daughter to see you practicing. I’ve been thinking about the same thing a lot as we start planning for a family. (Also hoping for a daughter.)

[@Kevinschart]

When I played football I used to love practice and couldnt understand why the other guys hated it. For me it meant I got to do football things 5 days a week instead just once on game day. I like to refer to my guitar practice as my guitar discipline. It's simply the way I live my life.

[@nicholastotoro7721]

I diddle and jam every day. My bandmates give me material to practice. When I'm writing, it's difficult for me to come up with something that's not "me," for lack of a better way of putting it. When I approach them with it, they give me other parts and arrangements. That forces me to practice and improve so much more than exercises. It moves my ear and my soul.

[@andrefludd]

I basically never do “exercises” in my practice either. That’s actually a good idea for another video like this. Exercises a good for getting better at exercises but usually not the path to good music.

[@nicholastotoro7721]

@@andrefludd It is!!! A lot of people "evolve" into that, but it doesn't seem as intuitive to do that for... reasons... 🤣

[@jprestonian]

I feel like I need... a shower guitar.

[@andrefludd]

I take fast showers otherwise I’d have one. 😂

[@JohnShalamskas]

"If I don't practice for one day, I notice it. If I don't practice for 2 days, my band-mates notice. If I don't practice for 3 days, everyone notices." I can't recall which pro guitaist said this, but it's true. You have to keep sharpening your skills or they fade away. This is true for everything you do. Playing music also strengthens mental health and general well-being. Besides, you'll lose your calluses if you stop playing for a week.

[@andrefludd]

I’ve heard this attributed to a lot of different players across genres even. I still don’t know the true origin

[@Jackie_Rosewood]

Such an amazing and motivating and informative video! Just what I needed today! Thank you! Hope you have an amazing day!! (Of course you will you played guitar) 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸

[@andrefludd]

Thanks for your comment! I didn’t get my 2.5 hours today, but I did get 1 hour and 20 minutes before I had to work.

[@jprestonian]

I bet Matteo Mancuso practices. His baritone guitar stuff is going places.

[@heiho781]

It’s like meditating but with guitar

[@matiaschaparro823]

I do work 1st thing in the morning, I use guitar as something to "reward" myself with or to decompress after a long session - That works well while also following Guthrie Govan's Cutting Edge Technique 1

[@andrefludd]

I should have mentioned that I try to do that too! At the end of the day I’ll reward myself with even more guitar if I have the time

[@matiaschaparro823]

@@andrefludd Yess, having that to look forward to is such a plus

[@riangarianga]

As the old proverb says, the journey is the reward.

[@andrefludd]

Yep!

[@MetalAddict38]

I find that practicing in smaller intervals helps me. 20 minutes then 10 minutes doing something else then back to 20 more minutes. Morning is definitely a good idea.

[@andrefludd]

Yep! I didn’t mean to imply it needs to be long. I mention it later but even 15-20 mins to start your day can really change everything

[@lou.yorke.x]

Practice is performing without an audience.