Why You Don't Have A Practice Routine 

Really, sometimes it is very hard to practice consistently in the face of so many things we need to do. But I have a very interesting story about practice. I went to a Chick Corea solo concert here in Brazil and in the end we met some friends still in the living room. We talked for a few minutes until almost the entire audience had left. Suddenly, Chick Corea himself enters the stage out of nowhere and, as they still had some workers on stage, he asks for permission because he needed to practice. After the concert he went to practice! What a level of dedication!

One other thing- sometimes it’s because other things in life come up. My grandma almost died a little bit ago, and I needed to go help her a lot. My piano practice routine became just “whenever I can play, I’ll play.” And I think that’s ok. When life slows down again, I’ll play again. I think that’s part of the Grace thing. The other thing I thought of: keep yourself from catastrophizing. When you miss a few days, you can oversell it and think “I’m miles behind now!!!” And rather than motivating you, it can overwhelm you. Sure, missing a few days or even weeks isn’t great, but it’s not like it’s the end, or you are undoing months of training- you just need a little dusting off.

I'm so glad y'all started jamming at the beginning of these, it sounds incredible every time

I've never really had a practice routine but I'm always practicing. It's been great for my musical development in the last 25 years but not that great for my life outside of practicing (despite being a full-time musician with no other jobs). I'm often late to just about everything, most of the time because a certain passage just doesn't sound right and I need to keep drilling it. Also, despite it being my job, nothing helps me unwind better than working on music and often when I'm procrastinating on important things I need to do (sometimes even stuff like eating), I just play for hours. I don't have much of a "life" outside of music and one of my biggest issues is playing way more than listening to music (which is super important). I don't regret any of it, as I'm excited to be the musician that I am, but I do need to work on being disciplined about other parts of my life. I've lost contracts and jobs for being unreliable and it's always because I feel like I need "5 more minutes" on the instrument and it turns into 30.

Good heavens. These intros are an absolute TREASURE! I'm so grateful to have found this podcast!

In my career as a teacher (not music) I happened upon a big picture school. They would emphasize that exploration was vital to the process of inquiry--and that mistakes were opportunities to grow and learn from your process. I have to remember that--both as a teacher and a perpetual student. Consistency and structure are important, but so is listening to your inner muse and respecting what your attention--or lack thereof--is trying to tell you for that particular day of practice. That, and never underestimate the power of SLOOOOOOOOW practice. There's a lot out there--especially in guitar world--about the necessity of playing at tempo to practice proper technique. While there is truth in performance tempo practice--not all technique is physical. Sometimes you gotta practice slow enough to make those single lines happen with intention. Sometimes you gotta practice slow enough to really hear the harmony as you play--especially if you can't comp for yourself. Sometimes you gotta practice slow enough to hear how what you play relates to how you hear the time--the rhythm--the pulse--the downbeat of the measure. And sometimes, you gotta trust that Spaceman has the best speakpipes this side of the universe ;) Call up Digging the Greats and PDBass and make that collab episode happen. We all love a good "cross-over" episode, just ask Mr. Peanutbutter.

I’ve been able to find at least 5-10 minutes every day (but often not much more than that), and while that is an accomplishment in itself, it is just enough to not regress. It is certainly not enough to make any meaningful progress, which as a relative beginner can feel frustrating and discouraging. Know that many of us need to hear these pep talks over and over.

I recognize myself in many points. I was to cocky for a long time to have a practice routine, but those years are behind me. My biggest struggles are definitely that I don't plan enough, because I'm overwhelm, or I plan too much, which once burned me out. Maybe I'm a perfectionist, which cause an overwhelm state. I'm looking for the perfect routine while I see a lifetime of different things to practice. Then, I have a weird relationship with procrastination, as I procrastinate non musical task in playing music, which made me over the years a very consistent player. In decades, I rarely miss a day out of my instrument. But still, I always struggle with my practice routine, and while I feel I achieve to develop my own voice, I always feel underdeveloped. I always wanted to be a professional musician, but I'm not one. I have huge respect for the ones who have a musical career.

nailed it. happy new year, guys!

I'm really enjoying hearing you two masters play! Thank you for your inspiration!

Really like the left hand work! You got this bass feel down!

Excellent advice for the new year, thank you so much!

This episode was awesome! Best advice I've heard in a very long time. Thank you both!! 🎹

You guys just inspired me to pick up my mando and work on my fiddle tunes. Thanks for that! I'm guilty of all of the above. Thanks for all of your great content and hard work. It's truly appreciated.

This is really good content! Didn’t know yall had a podcast. I’ve been watching OSJ minis and videos for a while and this popped up this morning. Thanks!

Peter! What gorgeous solo!

Great modern outro to "Out of Nowhere". Super interesting for your students when you two play a bit for us upfront. Love it. Thanx for the pep talk for 2024.😎🌹⭐⭐🌹😎

Yes please do keeping playing/improvising for a few moments before you start. Love it.

Keep a practice journal. It helps track progress and also refresh the memory when you’ve missed a few days.

I try to do every exercise in all 12 major keys w/o the music (not into the modes/minors yet), so after 15 minutes I'm tired. I stop and go back 2 hours later and do another one in 12 keys for 15 minutes. Amazing how much energy it takes to build all that room in the brain for all these keys. Making progress. IT'S FUN!

If this podcast gets any better we'll have to nominate it for Academy Awards. (not sure if there's a category for podcasts, but if there was...) Dang, I almost dropped a glass at the comeback part! Thanks, Adam and Peter!

Thanks a lot for your answers! I found in your list exactly the same problems I want to manage to. I am afraid that I don't have a method for study; I'm searching it but it's not as simple as it seems. However, I really appreciate the content of this video Hugs from Italy A.

I'm not able to do the Open Studio Pro lifestyle, partly because, rather than an aspiring pro, I'm more like a late 1970s home organ enthusiast, except in 2024, it's synths and electronic keyboards. And also partly because I got a family member, who lives in the basement, who has one, albeit rare, personality that'll destroy keyboard instruments. Therefore, having learned that lesson the hard way, I keep a stage piano in storage and have to play sporadically elsewhere. So, when I do get the chance, I'm not practicing scales!😂 I'm either learning a song I want to play, or else it's free improvisation as a form of meditation... which honestly is like 80% of that "practice"🤣 time, because that's really why I do this. I record it, but my impetus is because that sort of meditation is the quickest way I've found to get into the right headspace. Which reminds me... Over a year ago, when I DID get to have a keyboard set up, and the luxury of actual steady practice time... I procrastinated all the time, too😂. And then, pretty much every single time I finally DID start playing, I was like, this feels soooo much better - why didn't I start this an hour ago?! I bet a lot of people get a similar reaction. I think that's one of the best motivations to end a productive procrastination session... IF you can remember how much better it feels after you start playing, and if that memory can be strong enough to overcome inertia. But if, by practice, you mean only things such as annoying scales and painful stretches, and it's something you dread, then probably remembering how it feels would be counterproductive. I actually do practice specific scales or arpeggios when something specific is tripping me up... and if I had steady practice time every day, I would be doing more of that, because... I save the highlights of my recorded meditations, and just decided (New Year's resolution, hey) to collate my favs into a 2 part album. So, I've been listening back to quite a few of those, from the past few years, and most of my favorites are from when I had more regular practice time, and the month or so right afterwards. I had more control and consistency. So, I think it can help, as far as motivation, to record yourself, listen back, and hear the real improvements that happen with consistent practice. Especially since Thanksgiving... I've had ONE chance to play, for a couple of days, since then. There's another motivation - the "there are kids in xxxxx who'd do anything to have these veggies" motivation. But I know how it is. I still magaged to procrastinate, somehow, despite knowing this, even when I my gear always ready to play. Also, this stuff is mostly applicable to people who aren't trying to become a pro jazz pianist. If you ARE, for real... then, I mean... there's all the motivation you need!🤣 That's hard! Unless you're a savant, that's going to take a ton of practice... you don't have the time to screw around! One of my goals is to play better with others, and so that's been my version of this motivation. For example, when I'm playing alone, there's no need for me to count beats and measures. I can try to do it by feel, and nobody gives me the stink eye when I'm off. But now sometimes I will count, and stick to a form, even when alone, which I didn't do when I didn't care about being a team player🤣. Well, that's my novel. At least I waited til the podcast was done before I wrote it! I should be able to get back to the keyboard soon, so that my comments can become once again much shorter and less frequent. Did anyone see the meteor shower last night? It snowed overnight, here.

Goddamn, what a comeback at the end, good stuff

At moment Trying to create exercises to expand the possibilities and slowing down the beat taking care of the posture, trying to stop the sessions with good feeling and not tired and looking forward to the next ,it is one of main goal to achieve this i am trying to change some dettails everytime Nd imagine every exercise like a little piece of music Less repertoire for some weeks and more pure chops coming from many weeks of praticing perfomance

Love the intro today. You guys just started cooking from out of nowhere.

Love the jam, but you guys gotta put a time stamp in there for when the talking starts!

I remember hearing this story from Alice Coltrane that when she was playing with John in his last few years, they would play their concert. Go home. Then, even if it was 3am, John Coltrane would start practicing. And that has always stuck with me. If COLTRANE felt the need practice even after making A Love Supreme, Giant Steps, etc etc. Then I have no excuse not to. lol

Good points!

Good kind of video for us

I play keys pop rock for a long time and now got the Open Studio Beginners pack back in last September and been practicing every day (almost) for 30min-1hr and it's not fun to start the practice I assume. I think mainly bcs I don't have the chops yet to play jazz songs or to play them sounding good as I think they should so my practice for now is mostly exercises scales and some song attempts (yet I still can't connect scales to chords to solos etc) but I know it's a marathon not a sprint.. and BTW wise words about " there's too much optimization these days" loved it! Happy Practicing New Year all!

I think Adam and Peter are pulling a Generation S on us: recording a live keyboard duo album on the sly. 😊

The ‘my greatest practice experience was when I was at Juillard’ comment. Thanks, very helpful 😂🫠

I thought I'll just listen to this for a bit before practicing (for the First Time in 2024!) , and of course the subject matter is about practice routines. The guilt! Of course I realize by making this comment, I'm able to delay practicing a little bit more. sigh.

Have a question for you guys - how do you practice when on holidays and you don’t have access to an instrument? Thanks!

Excellent, I hear Keyscape, right?

I love the stuff you guys do. Maybe it’s because I come from a studio/patch voicing background - but Adam, that weedy sounding el piano sound has to change to more Rhodes-convincing It sounds like a Casio VL-tone Add some reverb, eq; something!

This is advice for all of life

The holidays threw off my practice routine...Uggh! Can I lose pounds by practicing scales??? 🤣 Thanks for the inspiration.

thanks

To me, it's hard to get started with something as amorphous as "practice." It is easier when I have a practice plan--i.e. I'm going to practice a particular skill, etc. until I've got it under my fingers or until it sounds good. Another thing that helps, a lot, is to have a song to learn. Find a song to learn before going to bed and then dedicate the next day to learning that song--including practicing skills you can apply to that song. Being able to perform the song, or to perform it better, is a reward in itself.

I need a poster with these 7 on it.

Practice everything that is hard for you to do Scales chords left hand timing drop234 ??

Do NOTpractice things you know. Practice what you Don't Know

As (I think) Swami Yukteswar said: "First do what you should, then you may do as you like."

Lol how do you get that lightning to work ? Whenever i record a video in my room and the window is open the sensors detect that im foteshadowed by the saint spirit entering through the window 💩🤣

Ride, sizzle and brushes. 🎉

I’m having a massive brain fart, what’s the name of the intro jam tune?

Practicing is a choice. If you choose to eat or drink daily then choosing to practice is as simple as that. If you want it, you will. Don’t make excuses just practice.

Who else is procrastinating by watching this video :)

Trying to have a practice routine, but then there are gigs and new tunes to learn. Discovered this for me new Snoopy christmas tune when rehearding with my bigband and decided to combine repertoir building with gig efforts. Perhaps that is what I focus on next year. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gwkZaOGoSYQ.htmlsi=VajIf0IjeNJVHvxM

This is awesome- thanks! I share a free, step-by-step music literacy course on my RU-vid channel in the hopes of making the skill of reading music accessible to all.

Comparison is the theft of joy so I am saying this as a way to speak on what to emulate. A lot of times "talent" is just someone's willingness and ability to work harder and more consistently. Steph Curry is arguably the greatest shooter of all time. Part of that is innate and circumstantial. But part of it is that some days he takes a thousand jump shots and runs drills that makes other NBA players vomit. We all have hurdles and challenges and doubts. But if you challenge yourself to commit and get to your instrument you will get better. Maybe not Chick Corea good, but "you" good. Anyways I'm off to practice!!!!

I love this show and what you guys offer! And your comments about commitment to practice are very helpful. Speaking of Adam's phrase, "ingest to digest", here is something that I love listening to and feel that many of us might want to "deal with" (to quote Max Roach speaking of hearing Allan Dawson for the first time) - even if Chick's trio's music on this live recording sounds very much more "aspirational" rather than "practical" for a developing player: what are these guys doing with time, dynamics, and harmonic structure when playing standards?? How did their feel get so deep and their ears get so BIG? : ) Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez, Jack DeJohnette But Beautiful ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hG2sKrOY1_c.html Solar ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hG2sKrOY1_c.html

If anyone needs an excuse to not practice come to me because I have a million of them!

roblox

And 10.... you don't know what to practice.