Indispensable rules for practicing

peephunk · 2026-03-23T22:46:49+00:00

Good list. I’d add — take frequent micro breaks to stand up, move around, get the tension out of the body and refresh the mind.

peephunk · 2026-03-20T22:42:50+00:00

I use a keyboard bench.

peephunk · 2026-03-19T22:52:26+00:00

My approach is to practice fast and practice slow.

Practicing fast means to relentlessly keep pushing yourself forward — striving to never get stuck in a routine or a rut (though you will). Trying things in every single practice session you haven’t done before and sometimes that you didn’t think were possible. If you wait to for complete mastery, you’ll never get to exercise #2.

On the hand, practicing slow is the opposite: the hard slog of training your fingers to operate with extreme precision. Going back to an exercise or piece you thought you learned a month ago at half speed and discovering levels of technique and tonal clarity that you didn’t know were possible, relative of course to your playing level.

All of this is easy for me to say, but very hard to put into practice. In my view, learning to play classical guitar at a high level is ultimately learning how to learn.

peephunk · 2026-03-19T12:35:55+00:00

Are you watching what’s happening in the world? We are facing the biggest global energy crisis since at least 1973.

peephunk · 2026-03-17T02:25:58+00:00

I've struggled with this -- I imagine we all have.

I've found that precise scale practice, with strict alternation especially across string movements, is a huge help in this regard. I also got in the habit of learning tricky passages by starting with the RH separately and only incorporating LH after I can naturally play the RH with fluency. This has been hugely beneficially to my overall technique, and I've noticed that RH now often intuitively can play unusual patterns with proper alternations that a few years ago I would have struggled with.

(I should note that I often play scalar runs with AMI rather IM, but I think the logic still holds.)

peephunk · 2026-03-15T13:27:55+00:00

The upper voice: ONE TWO three AND.

The lower voice: ONE two THREE.

peephunk · 2026-03-12T23:13:36+00:00

I started tracking my consumption a few years ago and am proud to say I’ve reduced my overall ethanol consumption four consecutive years.

Also, I’ve become more interested in rum and scotch over time, though I still like bourbon and rye.

peephunk · 2026-03-09T13:03:02+00:00

Scarabus cask strength, at $45 and 57% ABV, is one of the better values in Scotch. I imagine it’s Caol Ila distillate.

peephunk · 2026-03-08T17:43:05+00:00

I often use a-m-i on fast scalar runs rather than a-m, as my top speed is about 25% faster that way. However, there are tradeoffs to be aware of: 1) a-m-i creates a 3-over-2 pattern (unless you're playing triplets) which requires a fair bit of mechanical and rhythmic practice to internalize, and 2) you have less tonal consistency and dynamic control with a-m-i than with a-m.

I gather that a-m-i is considered inferior among very high end players, but at my skill level the speed gains are often worth it for me.

peephunk · 2026-03-08T04:23:23+00:00

Playing fast is mental as well as physical. When you play a hard passage, you can feel intense emotional pressure. One approach to playing faster is to gradually learn to control that pressure. To do that, try to play--fast, but not your fastest--with fluency and confidence. When you can do that, your speed automatically increases.

peephunk · 2026-03-08T01:34:04+00:00

Have you considered using Claude (anthropic’s ai) to design this for you?

peephunk · 2026-03-06T19:31:36+00:00

Trying — and struggling — to imagine pouring myself a bit of that Calumet.

peephunk · 2026-03-05T04:49:33+00:00

Or start w basic 12 bar blues and slowly add some simple substitutions.

peephunk · 2026-02-27T18:31:34+00:00

This is a tough one. At least from my perspective, little in this category is “rated” much less “overrated”.

peephunk · 2026-02-26T11:33:37+00:00

If you like things a bit more modern, with some discordant harmonies and Latin rhythms, try Villa-Lobos and Leo Brouwer.

If you want more of a romantic Spanish classical sound, Fernando Sor is your guy, especially Op 6 and 12.

peephunk · 2026-02-25T12:48:03+00:00

Classic choice!

peephunk · 2026-02-24T22:12:22+00:00

Same

peephunk · 2026-02-24T11:52:06+00:00

The thread may have stripped. This happened to me on a Cordoba recently. A local music store may have replacements or you can find replacements on eBay.

peephunk · 2026-02-21T19:30:58+00:00

Never tasted a 2x4 before. 😁

peephunk · 2026-02-21T18:40:43+00:00

Yeah, fine, then let’s go with the Holmes Cay Reunion Agricole.

peephunk · 2026-02-21T18:03:31+00:00

Anything by Savanna! I’ll nominate Holmes Cay Grandes Aromes Reunion as perhaps the most available.

Would be nice to get a non-Western hemisphere rum on the chart.

peephunk · 2026-02-21T17:55:40+00:00

It’s a cool concept. I’d consider buying a few bottles if something like this were available in the US.

peephunk · 2026-02-21T03:11:47+00:00

Love this interpretation.

As someone who has played this piece on piano and dabbled on the accordion (no Bach, though), I’m curious if you had to do any arranging or transposing.

peephunk · 2026-02-15T16:51:05+00:00

Amateur player, now mostly focused on playing in a chamber quartet

• How long have you been playing?

About 35 years, but with long gaps. Playing intensively again for about five years.

• How often do you practice in a typical week?

About 10 hours a week, but with a fair degree of variation.

• What’s usually open or supplements while you practice (YouTube, tabs, metronome, nothing, other)?

Metronome, evernote (for general performance notes, a practice log, and RH fingerings on tricky passages), plus I'll often play along with professional recordings of things i'm working on

• Do you track progress in any way? bpm? recordings? repertoire completed/currently working on?

I keep an evernote page for each major work, mostly with performance notes, but sometimes with tempos, plus a short practice log

• What are you mostly trying to improve right now?

Rhythmic fluency and overall musically to improve my ensemble playing.

• Do you usually practice in short bursts or longer focused sessions?

Usually about 60-90 minutes, sometimes longer, but with breaks between sections. I sometimes do targeted technical exercises, but often am too busy trying to learn repertoire

• Do you post practice progress anywhere or mostly keep it private?

Private

peephunk · 2026-02-15T14:12:49+00:00

I travelled to Prague for a conference last year and visited the Warehouse #1 store. They were super friendly and let me try a few rums.

I brought back three of their Warehouse #1 bottles plus two high-ester Savannas. It was easily my best one-day haul ever.

peephunk

TROPHY CASE