First time posting but here´s what i´m trying to do these days.
First of all i am really trying to better my focus and efficiency in my practicing. I do this by routinely recording them and fast-forward through it and try to take notice of how much time i spend between stuff i´m practicing and how many things i work on etc. I´m trying to get more work done in less time by being more focused. Also try to keep a practice journal as best as i can to keep track of what im working on and not forgetting something.
My usual routine is something like this:
Warmup: Can consist of everything from just noodling and seeing how i´m feeling and just trying to get into the mood of practicing if it´s an off day.
Scales/arpeggios. I try to wary this up and try to always be doing something that is at least somewhat challenging for my brain so i´m not just burning through the same stuff. It can be playing different scales in various intervals, some new arpeggios or playing diatonic arpeggios up the neck or down. I find it´s not too hard for me to find areas here that challenge my brain and knowledge of the fretboard.
Chords: This is mainly where i try to either find new chords and voicings from experimenting with different inversions. Also trying to incorporate them into songs via backing tracks or just free playing.
Chord sequence?: I try to have a chord sequence that i´m trying to work out or trying new things over. Lately i have been experimenting with different things over minor II-V-I sequences. All these things also connect in a way so i may try some voicings also over it and so on.
Reading is a thing i don´t like to do but try to incorporate via something else be it reading lead sheets, reading transcriptions or various reading exercises. Like probably many others this is something which i should be doing more of.
Playing songs: The fun part :) I try to take a song probably something i know well and try to both incorporate the new things i have been working on into my playing. I also try to get out my comfort zone and play over the song in areas i am less comfortable with, or staying in one position the whole time and so on. Basically trying to do things i find are somewhat challenging to me which again is not that hard :)
Another favourite of mine at the moment is playing a standard and taking it through the cycle of fourths every chorus without stopping and trying to add the voicings i´m working on and so forth.
Transcribing: This is something i should do a lot more of. Just basically transcribing stuff and trying to take elements from the songs/solos i like and trying to incorporate them into my playing.
I´m also big on doing various exercises for example basic things like running sales up and down the neck to a metronome and taking them through a cycle focusing on notes and how cleanly i play them. Another is playing a certain triad inversion from the lowest part of the neck to the 12. fret and back down and taking that through a cycle a. la. the George Van Eps book. Also playing over songs like Time Remembered from the low part of the guitar and having one line continue steadily up the guitar and then coming back down and repeat changing scales when i need to without stopping etc.
Also have gotten comments from my teacher to play more "forward" or with more authority which i´m working on by recording me a lot.
I really like reading what other people do and any suggestions are appreciated. It´s worth noting also that i´m playing maybe 1-3 times a week everything from jazz to funk live with groups and also in various bands in school so performing is also something i´m working on.
Great forum BTW :)
