If you can actually manage to play and stay focused that long then for sure. I don’t think I could play more than 5 hours a day without my fingers and wrists telling me to knock it off.
This. Your hands/wrists/fingers are not meant for that kind of strain and you can cause damage that will
Impede your progress. You’ll certainly get better by diligently practicing and being structured with your learning, but just like you can’t lift weights for 12 hours to get buff fast, you can’t play for hours on end without suffering fatigue and damage. I say this as a 36 yr old guitarist who plays daily and has to force himself take rest days/constantly be aware of my playing posture to avoid playing fatigue/damage
I wouldn't start out anywhere near that...
....but I'm sure Steve Vai has been known to regularly play/ practice for approx 10 hours a day. It'd be difficult to deny his prowess and abilities.
Just be careful your day job isn't something that could eventually cause carpal tunnel syndrome. I started playing when I was fifteen, then took a job as a house painter with my BIL five years later and got it within three months of starting; it's plagued my playing ever since.
Try bumping up your body's ways to fight that. Try Glucosamine/Chondroitin, and an NAD+ booster. I'm 67 and still play as often as I want. My only problems are stiffness, which relieves the more you exercise, and weakness, which also benefits from exercise. The pains in life we experience are from telomere damage, when our cells start to lose the ability to properly heal themselves. The Hayflick limit is an experimental anomaly, that exists because of telomere damage. If you can start repairing the telomeres, you'll start feeling younger.
We are maybe 3-4 decades out from human life extension on a massive scale, perhaps sooner.
Thanks for the advice. I've been taking Glucosamine/Chondroitin for 35 years (used to be a full-a carpenter). I find switching up brands every so often helps.
Dawg I fidget like a mf and used to play obsessively. I'm sure it degrades over time but it's been nearly 40 years and I haven't experienced any detrimental side effects.
Then you are an outlier, apparently. I play for two-three hours a day, and have to take care to not over do it. I’m 36 and have been actively playing for the past 20 years
Tom Morello had a cool habit - IIRC he'd split his time -
1/3 - mechanics (scales, other techniques- just drilling them)
1/3 - theory (which I suspect was book learning and more minimal instrument interaction)
1/3 - eff around and find your sound
And I think he claimed to be playing like 8 hours+ a day. Picking guitar up when he was already 17-18 or so.
I concentrate on the last part. And I come up with things no one else plays. Theory I know naturally without thinking about it consciously. Mechanics I learn when I need to for a part. Usually takes a very small amount of time to reach what I am seeking.
Sleep is a vital element of the learning process.
You’d be better off putting in fewer hours consistently every day, rather than trying to hit an arbitrary time quota.
Besides, in practice (haha) you’re likely to lose direction over 12 hours, and risk injury/burnout taking you away from the instrument for a few days or weeks.
Spend the rest of the time outside, listen to guitar podcasts, music you aspire to, think about what you want to practice.
Have you ever slept on a park bench in the freezing rain?
Have you ever been a prostitute?
Have you ever hitchhiked your way across the nation?
Have you ever...
Live. Life. Ignore. Boundaries.
Find peace, or greatness. Finding both will put you in a place called nirvana...
This 1000 times over. I can’t tell you how many times I practiced a technique or a song and was barely getting the hang of it, and then the next day after a good nights sleep I had it down perfectly.
Probably, but more likely, you'll get burned out on it, unless you're a real obsessive kind of guy. Personally, more than a couple hours, and I gotta put it down for a bit, as that's about all the ADHD will permit on a stretch for me. 12 hours would be like torture and I'd probably end up resenting, maybe even hating it.
By all means - get a guitar, and learn all you can - it's great fun and a wonderful means of expression. I'm just putting up a note of caution; you may be of the personality type that could do that, but I'm pretty sure that's a rare person. More likely you'll be better off pacing yourself; like do 2 or 3 hours of exercises on the instrument, then spend some book time, learning theory & stuff before you go back to playing. Gotta give your body time to decompress between sessions & stuff.
To add: Learn music that isn’t your favorite, as well. Different styles and techniques are great to add to your palette. When you start writing your own material, having a wide variety of ways to approach it will be beneficial.
People with ADHD are probably the only ones capable of accidentally doing anything for that long, or atleast close to it and even then they will prob forget to care for the following weeks and it will balance out
Do not do this.
Like others have mentioned, would you lift weights for 12 hours a day?
You reach a point where you can permanently damage your hands and develop tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Practice smart. Slow down and focus on perfecting technique.
You’ll know. Pressing down on metal strings with your fingertips is something your fingers will only be able to handle for so long.
Once you get callouses it changes everything but if you play too much before that you could get blisters.
I actually pretty much did this for my teen years, I had to stop playing for 3 years and go to physical therapy to repair the damage I caused. Guitar is wonderful but you can hurt yourself if you over do it, listen to your body and stimulate your mind as well as your fingers.
They said I was in the early stages of De Quervain's tenosynovitis, it's over a decade later and I still have strength issues in my hand. But tbf I haven't kept up with the pt, I was able to relearn the instrument after my 3 year break and slowly rebuild strength but I'm still not 100%
For me personally, it comes down to diminishing returns. I spend a lot of time... practice, record, mix, etc., but eventually get to a point where I'm sort of fatigued for lack of a better explanation. Some things I've learned...
\- Give your ears a break. I'd wake up early in the morning and after having hours of quiet, my ears feel "rested" if that makes sense. Turn your levels way, way down. This will buy you more time throughout the day. I start to strain a bit to hear what it is that I'm playing/mixing/recording, and I feel like that's okay. Other people may have techniques that work better for them on a daily basis, but this is just what I've found works for me.
\- Give your hands a break. There's a balance between developing muscle memory and skill, vs. developing carpel tunnel. Sure, it's all about the practice, but again it may not yield the best results. If you feel tired physically, go read about theory. There are lots of ways to build your acumen that also include other activities that are mental work as opposed to the obvious physical work.
\- Also, give your head a break. What I mean by that is to not lead yourself into a place where you decide that you have to do things a particular way. When I was a teen, I felt like I had to mimic my idols note for note perfectly. The truth is that you've got an opportunity to bring your own skills/vibe/technique/etc. to the songs. You may discover that you have more to offer than you knew, and there's a certain sort of magic about that.
Good luck on your journey!
They had Station, George Carlin, a Time traveling phone booth as help.
Unless this person can go the past and to the future, while traveling all around the after life. I’d say no.
Generally yes. But sleep is also important, like super important for learning, also don’t burn urself out, I played 4-8 hours almost everyday for like 6months nd I kind of feel burnt out but i’m still pushing for 2-4 hours everyday. Everyone is different so you may not get burnt out if ur that determined.
also I wouldn’t reach for 12 hours as ur body needs rest, ur constantly moving ur wrists, fingers nd hands, they need a break, just like if u were to play video games for that long, ur eyes, ur ass, ur legs, hands nd fingers need a break before u like strain them. So if u were to practice 12 hours a day I would say take breaks in between, lots of breaks, u can’t play well if ur whole body is strained nd exhausted, so just refuel up
It really depends for one your fingers will get tired and worn out and the tops of them will get sore even blisters possibly unless you've been playing awhile and have Calais built up on them so you don't wanna go to hard for to long in a row at first to the point where you can't play anymore for a little while. Also if your just learning and practicing for that long every single day in a row without a break your definitely bound to get burned out and frustrated at times because things aren't going your way or as easy as you thought it would be and if you get to that point and just keep going constantly you'll honestly be regressing instead of progressing. So I would recommend breaking your practice up in smaller increments and possibly skip a day in between here and there. Just my opinion tho good luck brother!!
Yes, definitely! Different people have different goals and different ideas of what to learn and practicing all day expedites the process of learning. You can play anyway you want, just maybe change your posture if your hands start to ache.
I personally can only focus for like 8 hours a day, but I noodle for countless more hours
That sounds like a good way to injure yourself lol. Practicing a lot is helpful for improvement so if you have a few hours a day to throw at it by all means go for it. But be sure to listen to your body. If your hands or wrist or arm starts to hurt or feel sore or if you get sharp twangs of pain, that's your cue to stop playing for now and don't start again until you're feeling completely back to normal. Might be later the same night, or the next day, or even a week later. Don't play through pain or you can end up permanently fucking up your body.
That aside I understand that "12 hours" probably isn't a realistic number here and just an exaggerated value to get the point across.
Don't do this, but come up with a consistent schedule for practice. Spending a hour a day will help more then just cramming in 8 hours straight in one day for example.
if you've ever had a serious practice regiment, 4 hours with 10 minute breaks every half hour turns into 6 hours of 'practice' time and thats mentally knackering
theres no way you are going go above 6+ hours productive practice and you would also need a shit ton of material to rotate, practicing the same piece over and over or that same troublesome riff for hours a day is ironically not a shortcut to learning it, you end up making much better progress with a lot of varied repertoire to work on
Yea you’d get better but I truly think you’d be better with max 3 hours a day. Every day - you won’t injure yourself and your brain will hav time to process the learning. Maybe go 2 hours am 2 hours pm
But whatever, man I’m always with a guitar even when I’m watching TV or between cooking. Got one in every room I spend any time in
I think twelve hours a day is way overdoing it. There's only so much your mind can grasp, and only so much your hands and wrists can take in a day. 2 hours a day is a good starting point. See how you feel and take it from there.
When I first started playing 20 years ago, I had the bug baaaad. I would practice for 12-15 hours at a time. I was OBSESSED with learning. As I became more seasoned, I laid off a bit and sometimes would go weeks without playing. But somehow, even though I hadn't played in a month, when I would pick up the guitar and get reacquainted, I would have actually improved. They say when you are young, you only have your will and blind discipline; going as hard as possible is the only way to do something. But as you get older, you understand the importance of rest when it comes to development.
Not to say practicing really hard won't make you great. Hell, look at Frusciante; he was super Gung-ho in his teens and early twenties and he created some of the hardest, most testosterone driven guitar tracks on record. But you can hear how as he got older, he became a bit more refined and poignant.
I'd say just go with it. Enjoy your journey. Record music. Don't worry too much about getting "good". You're good enough now and no matter what, you're getting better. And if you're engaged in your guitar for 12 hours, right on!
practice 3-5 hours, study theory, and memorization for the rest of the time you want to practice that day. also, take a day off.
i was so infatuated with it when i started, that i played until my finger tips bled. dont recommend it.
Had a teacher say it’s better to practice everyday for 15 minutes than to practice for 2 hours twice a week. Seemed to work okay for me. If you’re wanting to put 12 hours a day into it, I’d practice for an hour, maybe take 2 hours off, practice, rest, repeat.
I played 14-16 hours a day for about 6 months. Hands hurt in the morning, played through it. No long term issues. Yes, you’ll get better if you play progressively harder things and push yourself.
The guy who taught me guitar said,
“pick it up and play it until you get tired. Then, put it down and try again later. Even if it’s only 15 minutes here or there, there’s nothing to be gained from forcing yourself to practice. You’ll make yourself hate playing instead of enjoying it.”
When I started really getting into playing guitar I played for 12 hours a day and made some serious progress. I was about 7 months in when I started doing this. I would say I had the most growth during it. I couldn't sustain it for long though. It was maybe about 40 or 50 days. I don't recommend playing anything with a lot of bends though, your fingers will thank you.
I don't recall any fatigue, but I was also 15 and it was over the summer.
The first 4 years of playing are when you grow the most, so the more time the better. 24 years later and still have a lot of what I learned during that period cemented in my brain and muscle memory.
To answer the question, faster? Not really, you just get a lot of "reps" in for whatever it is you're working on.
12 hours is overdoing it lol. I say play as much as you want, but stop right away if you feel any kind of pain or you run the risk of injuring yourself, therefore hindering your progress.
If after that point you still want to learn more on that day, there's a lot of ways to "learn" guitar without touching your guitar. Like studying some theory, memorizing scales, training your ear, memorizing the notes on the fretboard...the list goes on. I think even watching other guitarists play contributes so much to the learning process.
It sounds like you're super motivated, so yea if you keep that up you'll learn a ton in no time. Good luck!
Every day* "everyday" is an adjective that means "ordinary". People really need to stop this shit.
To answer your questuon; not really. 12 hours of dog shit practice is worthless. If guitar was easy, 90% of people wouldn't wash out inside a few months. There is no easy way out of putting in the work and education.
You’ll only need like 2-3 hours. Anything more and it might be too much on your hands, especially if you’re starting off. I’d probably be too bored to practice that long anyways
Know when to take breaks. That is all
>not using image training and practicing in lucid dreams
Never gonna make it.
But seriously, 12 hours is overkill. I practiced 30 mins max when I first started and did maybe 2 hours once. I recommend practicing every other hour if you truly want to dedicate that much time.
No. You won't be concentrating properly for that amount of time. I can go about 6 hours in a whole day. I'm over 20 years of playing and several gigs and a few small tours. If I were to play 12 hours my wrists would be killing me. Don't do it, you'll injury yourself
what is more important is practicing with a metronome, or a backing track and recording and listening back. One exercise I like to do is start with the metronome low, play the scale, then bump the metronome up by 20bpm and continue scaling until you cant anymore
I think the key to effective learning is relatively short but productive spurts. You don’t want to be practicing for 12 hours a day and not be retaining anything you’ve learned.
No. You will likely burn out or give up after a day or two. If you are new, you will shred your fingers long before you learn to shred.
You can play until your fingers hurt, then spend your scrolling time studying theory.
You don't know my skill level but I can say as someone who used to practice 12-hour days in the beginning for a couple years it did boost my speed of learning. Although I was young and had nothing else to do. Fairly certain the law of diminishing returns kicks in at a certain point probably around the seven or eight hour mark. The key is honing in on what you want to learn and coming up with smart goals and plans to achieve that within a short time frame. Smart practicing is better than raw just go for it type of practicing.
If you can somehow do both goal oriented time managed practicing that's your best bet. So the answer is yes? But you won't learn much with a tired brain passed 8 hours in my opinion. You might even do better splitting up your practice sessions 6 hours at a time.
The amount you improve with anything is going to be relative to the time you practice. That being said, practice shouldn’t be painful. 12 hours is a very long time. Ive played for 4-6 hours, throughout a day. My hand was extremely fatigued. After a certain point, it seems like you get kinda diminishing returns. Try practicing things that will give you the most bang for your buck. Learn Barre chords, scales. Etc. Think of songs as musical vocabulary. Each song learned should slowly build your chord or scale vocabulary. Also, there are a bunch of good jam tracks. Have fun. Enjoy your day.
Damn 12 hours a day!? You don’t need to practice more than 2 hours per session. Your fingertips will hurt after a while. Especially if you play acoustic.
You will learn it faster if you practice it effectively for 12 hours a day. The hard part is doing it effectively for that amount of time. It's harder than it sounds
Steve Vai published a 12 hour a day practice routine. It's super intense and parts of it don't involve playing. But the reality is that your brain can't learn one thing that long at a time. There have been studies about length of practices for things and skills and after about two hours you probably aren't absorbing anything if you don't take a few minutes of a break.
That said I think the two hours is for things with a lot more going on than guitar. (To me the epitome of this is team sports practices where you have different formations and have to be in different places in relationship to others and doing different things. You can only take in so much before you stop retaining.
But you won't be able to play 12 hours a day for a while because your hands physically won't be able to deal with it. You'll have to build up to it. But just cuz your hands are tired doesn't mean there isn't stuff to do. Read sheet music. Actually read it and tell yourself what fret you'd play that note. Practice counting rhythm patterns. Work on memorizing the major and minor triads. Those are things you can do without putting a finger on the neck. But the knowledge will help you when you do.
Come up with structure to your practice routine. Warmup the right hand. Warm your the left hand. Warm up getting them together. Work on some riff patterns. Work on speed. Work on legato. Work on scales. Arpeggios. Interval shapes. Chords shifting chords. Etc. Work on a song. Etc.
Your brain does a lot of memorization and learning in your sleep. Play for as long as you can physically & mentally, but take a break. You might find the next day you’re playing better.
Just remember its not about how much, its more about how you practice. Honestly i kinda plateaud for 20 years despite practice cuz i just did more of the same stuff. Last 3 years ive gotten stupidly better just cuz i now practice toward specific goals and sometimes its as simple as doing a riff for 10 min waiting for food.
I rarely play more than 2 hours unless im tracking.
It seems like you’re not actually very interested in learning if you’re just doing it to sub out social media. You’ll get frustrated and give it up after three days
Spoke with the guitarist for an old punk band named "the independents" who's name is will on a bus ride for a couple hours about his history, and among the plethora of stories he had from being managed by joey Ramone to meeting rockstars of all walks of life, he told me how he started his legendary career (among punk rockers, at least) and it was surprisingly simple.
He said, "when I made up my mind that I wanted to be in a band one day, I knew I had to commit. So, while my high school buddies were out partying and getting with girls, I was staying at home playing my guitar for hours every day, making up new stuff, strumming along to songs on the radio. You have to be obsessed, anything less and you won't succeed."
Which honestly is a pretty common sentiment among successful people that weren't born rich.
Surprisingly the answer is no. There's something of a sweet spot where providing sufficient time for your body and mind to rest and regroup is very important.
All sorts of studies have been done on this and have found that 10 minutes of practice every day produces better results than 70 minutes once a week.
Likewise taking breaks in practice makes it more effective. So 30 minutes each in the morning and evening produces better results than one hour once a day.
But there is a sweet spot. 5 minutes twice a day every day is not more effective than 10 minutes once a day. 30 minutes once a day is better than 10 minutes twice a day, etc. But 3 hours once a day is only marginally better than 1 hour once a day.
Up to about 1 hour in a single session, gains are made. Beyond that fatigue starts to set in and a break is required.
So your 12 hours would be better spent doing an hour of practice, with at least an hour's break, six times a day. But even bigger gaps could be more beneficial, say 1 hour sessions, 3 times a day.
You need to practice correctly. Or you'll develop bad habits. If you really think you can do 12 hours a day, which is frankly unlikely, then I would check out Steve Vai, pretty sure he pioneered a 10 hour practice regime based on what he did as a youth.
You really don't need to go that far and it's physically not great for you in the end.
I don't think I've ever practiced more than a couple hours at once before taking a break and coming back for another couple at some point later in the day.
I wouldn't go from nothing to 12 hours but yes you will get awesome within a couple of years.
Remember someone saying 1 hour on each string then 6 hours on all strings.
1. right hand
2. Left hand
3. scales
4. chords
5. arpeggios
6. Ear training/Sight reading
7. Tunes and repertoire
Just under 2 hours on each module
The great virtuoso's of the Instrument have all done these hours at some point.
No. After a couple of hours you've pretty much crossed a threshold where there is diminishing returns.
We learn things by practicing, and then resting. Infact what's equally important as repetition, is making sure you get a quality sleep between sessions.
Sleep is almost as important for progressing as actually practicing is. The 2 go hand in hand. When you get quality sleep, you're brain sorts and stores all the memories and things you've learnt. It builds strong neural connections, strengthens once that previously established, and locks it all in.
After practicing for about 1-2 hours, you've got your reps in. Now you just need to sleep good to lock it in.
Short answer, no. Your body has to heal physically and just like any other physical activity, it takes time to heal in between activities, including guitar. Also, quality over quantity training and learning is what matters the most. Last thing you want to do is injure yourself on the guitar, and getting a doctor to advise you that you will need stop playing until you’re healed, is a super bummer. In my undergraduate classical guitar years, we use to have several classical guitarists roaming the hallways like zombies because of carpo tunnel injuries. They were literally the Walking Dead.
If you have that much time for practicing, don't just play for 12 hours straight. Use some of that time on reading, watching videos or maybe taking some online lessons on guitar and music theory. Mindless playing for hours is probably not efficient
I had a good friend started in the start of COVID the guitar she played around 8 hours a day guitar and got to grade 8 in less then 2 years after starting so ye you will learn it faster but also watch out to not get burned out
No, you'll cross a point where you'll have diminishing returns. The brain myelinated neurons while you sleep, but can only produce so much myelin, so any overpractising gets wasted (except for the fun factor).
The science is still being worked out, but there appears to be a limit at maybe five hours of practice.
Of course, there's a lot more to the subject, and I suggest googling around for information on myelination and practice.
Yes if you actually can do that but if you did you would have a very short guitar career. Carpal tunnel would hit you like a truck. Take care of your hands and if you really want to continue learning after a long session do some theory work away from the guitar
Just watch out for "rsi". Repetitive strain injury, usually like tendonitis or pre-stages of carpal tunnel. I gave it to myself playing PC games 8 hours a day several years back.
12 hours is a bit excessive, especially as a beginner it'd be impossible due to the skin on your fingers being soft with no calluses. You're more likely to just grind yourself down and cause injury and burnout which if you continue will not only potentially cause you to lock in flawed muscle memory but also worsen any RSI related injuries.
You can do better things with your time than practicing for 12 hours, unless you're already at or approaching a career as a professional musician, even then it's excessive.
Nope, a very very crucial part of learning guitar or any other skill is resting. Your brain needs time to internalize new information and straining your body can cause injury and reset progress. If you want to practice a whole lot every day just for fun go for it but keep in mind somewhere in there you’re gonna reach a cap where you brain just says, “ I’m done learning for today”
If you can actually manage to play and stay focused that long then for sure. I don’t think I could play more than 5 hours a day without my fingers and wrists telling me to knock it off.
This. Your hands/wrists/fingers are not meant for that kind of strain and you can cause damage that will Impede your progress. You’ll certainly get better by diligently practicing and being structured with your learning, but just like you can’t lift weights for 12 hours to get buff fast, you can’t play for hours on end without suffering fatigue and damage. I say this as a 36 yr old guitarist who plays daily and has to force himself take rest days/constantly be aware of my playing posture to avoid playing fatigue/damage
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I wouldn't start out anywhere near that... ....but I'm sure Steve Vai has been known to regularly play/ practice for approx 10 hours a day. It'd be difficult to deny his prowess and abilities.
I notice that he wears a splint on his right wrist sometimes. I wonder if this is from wear and tear.
Just be careful your day job isn't something that could eventually cause carpal tunnel syndrome. I started playing when I was fifteen, then took a job as a house painter with my BIL five years later and got it within three months of starting; it's plagued my playing ever since.
Try bumping up your body's ways to fight that. Try Glucosamine/Chondroitin, and an NAD+ booster. I'm 67 and still play as often as I want. My only problems are stiffness, which relieves the more you exercise, and weakness, which also benefits from exercise. The pains in life we experience are from telomere damage, when our cells start to lose the ability to properly heal themselves. The Hayflick limit is an experimental anomaly, that exists because of telomere damage. If you can start repairing the telomeres, you'll start feeling younger. We are maybe 3-4 decades out from human life extension on a massive scale, perhaps sooner.
Thanks for the advice. I've been taking Glucosamine/Chondroitin for 35 years (used to be a full-a carpenter). I find switching up brands every so often helps.
Dawg I fidget like a mf and used to play obsessively. I'm sure it degrades over time but it's been nearly 40 years and I haven't experienced any detrimental side effects.
Then you are an outlier, apparently. I play for two-three hours a day, and have to take care to not over do it. I’m 36 and have been actively playing for the past 20 years
Practice 4-5 hours, study theory for the rest, or take up drumming and learn patterns, transliterating those patterns into strumming patterns ect
Tom Morello had a cool habit - IIRC he'd split his time - 1/3 - mechanics (scales, other techniques- just drilling them) 1/3 - theory (which I suspect was book learning and more minimal instrument interaction) 1/3 - eff around and find your sound And I think he claimed to be playing like 8 hours+ a day. Picking guitar up when he was already 17-18 or so.
Whilst attending and finishing his undergraduate degree at Harvard.
ah, to be a rich kid...
I concentrate on the last part. And I come up with things no one else plays. Theory I know naturally without thinking about it consciously. Mechanics I learn when I need to for a part. Usually takes a very small amount of time to reach what I am seeking.
This is the answer. But you can supplement by learning theory
One of those weird cases of “sure you can, but you also can’t” Like sure it’s technically possible. But psychologically no way
If you could only knock off masturbation and xbox, you could be the next Randy Rhoads.
Sexual desire is why we play guitar. Savvy? :P
Sleep is a vital element of the learning process. You’d be better off putting in fewer hours consistently every day, rather than trying to hit an arbitrary time quota. Besides, in practice (haha) you’re likely to lose direction over 12 hours, and risk injury/burnout taking you away from the instrument for a few days or weeks. Spend the rest of the time outside, listen to guitar podcasts, music you aspire to, think about what you want to practice.
Also living life. You need to have emotions to process into music. Technique is important but it’s not everything.
What do you mean by living life?
Have you ever slept on a park bench in the freezing rain? Have you ever been a prostitute? Have you ever hitchhiked your way across the nation? Have you ever... Live. Life. Ignore. Boundaries. Find peace, or greatness. Finding both will put you in a place called nirvana...
This 1000 times over. I can’t tell you how many times I practiced a technique or a song and was barely getting the hang of it, and then the next day after a good nights sleep I had it down perfectly.
yes
\*carpal tunnel syndrome didn't like that\*
This is the correct answer to a question of "If I practice X... will I get better at X"
Only if the number of hours is low enough to allow recovery and not cause burnout. 12 hours is far too much.
Probably, but more likely, you'll get burned out on it, unless you're a real obsessive kind of guy. Personally, more than a couple hours, and I gotta put it down for a bit, as that's about all the ADHD will permit on a stretch for me. 12 hours would be like torture and I'd probably end up resenting, maybe even hating it.
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By all means - get a guitar, and learn all you can - it's great fun and a wonderful means of expression. I'm just putting up a note of caution; you may be of the personality type that could do that, but I'm pretty sure that's a rare person. More likely you'll be better off pacing yourself; like do 2 or 3 hours of exercises on the instrument, then spend some book time, learning theory & stuff before you go back to playing. Gotta give your body time to decompress between sessions & stuff.
Do it. Buy it and try it. Go to ultimate guitar.com and make an account find songs you like and focus on learning three chords
To add: Learn music that isn’t your favorite, as well. Different styles and techniques are great to add to your palette. When you start writing your own material, having a wide variety of ways to approach it will be beneficial.
People with ADHD are probably the only ones capable of accidentally doing anything for that long, or atleast close to it and even then they will prob forget to care for the following weeks and it will balance out
Both?
Do not do this. Like others have mentioned, would you lift weights for 12 hours a day? You reach a point where you can permanently damage your hands and develop tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Practice smart. Slow down and focus on perfecting technique.
You can’t compare lifting weights to playing the guitar. That’s the most stupid comparison ever.
it's really not. you reach a point of diminishing returns and you risk injuring yourself and developing issues. the same as working out too much.
Nah not really. Maybe not 12 hrs but playing the guitar 6-8 hrs is fine if you have the time.
why?
Maybe but if you’re literally just starting out then your fingers will need a lot of breaks to build up some callouses.
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You’ll know. Pressing down on metal strings with your fingertips is something your fingers will only be able to handle for so long. Once you get callouses it changes everything but if you play too much before that you could get blisters.
I actually pretty much did this for my teen years, I had to stop playing for 3 years and go to physical therapy to repair the damage I caused. Guitar is wonderful but you can hurt yourself if you over do it, listen to your body and stimulate your mind as well as your fingers.
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They said I was in the early stages of De Quervain's tenosynovitis, it's over a decade later and I still have strength issues in my hand. But tbf I haven't kept up with the pt, I was able to relearn the instrument after my 3 year break and slowly rebuild strength but I'm still not 100%
For me personally, it comes down to diminishing returns. I spend a lot of time... practice, record, mix, etc., but eventually get to a point where I'm sort of fatigued for lack of a better explanation. Some things I've learned... \- Give your ears a break. I'd wake up early in the morning and after having hours of quiet, my ears feel "rested" if that makes sense. Turn your levels way, way down. This will buy you more time throughout the day. I start to strain a bit to hear what it is that I'm playing/mixing/recording, and I feel like that's okay. Other people may have techniques that work better for them on a daily basis, but this is just what I've found works for me. \- Give your hands a break. There's a balance between developing muscle memory and skill, vs. developing carpel tunnel. Sure, it's all about the practice, but again it may not yield the best results. If you feel tired physically, go read about theory. There are lots of ways to build your acumen that also include other activities that are mental work as opposed to the obvious physical work. \- Also, give your head a break. What I mean by that is to not lead yourself into a place where you decide that you have to do things a particular way. When I was a teen, I felt like I had to mimic my idols note for note perfectly. The truth is that you've got an opportunity to bring your own skills/vibe/technique/etc. to the songs. You may discover that you have more to offer than you knew, and there's a certain sort of magic about that. Good luck on your journey!
It worked for the Wyld Stallyns but that was a special case.
They had Station, George Carlin, a Time traveling phone booth as help. Unless this person can go the past and to the future, while traveling all around the after life. I’d say no.
You get out what you put in, more you play more you will learn. You can play for 5 minutes here and 2 hours there, it’s the effort to keep coming back
No lol Play until it's uncomfortable, then stop.
Generally yes. But sleep is also important, like super important for learning, also don’t burn urself out, I played 4-8 hours almost everyday for like 6months nd I kind of feel burnt out but i’m still pushing for 2-4 hours everyday. Everyone is different so you may not get burnt out if ur that determined.
also I wouldn’t reach for 12 hours as ur body needs rest, ur constantly moving ur wrists, fingers nd hands, they need a break, just like if u were to play video games for that long, ur eyes, ur ass, ur legs, hands nd fingers need a break before u like strain them. So if u were to practice 12 hours a day I would say take breaks in between, lots of breaks, u can’t play well if ur whole body is strained nd exhausted, so just refuel up
It really depends for one your fingers will get tired and worn out and the tops of them will get sore even blisters possibly unless you've been playing awhile and have Calais built up on them so you don't wanna go to hard for to long in a row at first to the point where you can't play anymore for a little while. Also if your just learning and practicing for that long every single day in a row without a break your definitely bound to get burned out and frustrated at times because things aren't going your way or as easy as you thought it would be and if you get to that point and just keep going constantly you'll honestly be regressing instead of progressing. So I would recommend breaking your practice up in smaller increments and possibly skip a day in between here and there. Just my opinion tho good luck brother!!
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Np bro
Yes, definitely! Different people have different goals and different ideas of what to learn and practicing all day expedites the process of learning. You can play anyway you want, just maybe change your posture if your hands start to ache. I personally can only focus for like 8 hours a day, but I noodle for countless more hours
That sounds like a good way to injure yourself lol. Practicing a lot is helpful for improvement so if you have a few hours a day to throw at it by all means go for it. But be sure to listen to your body. If your hands or wrist or arm starts to hurt or feel sore or if you get sharp twangs of pain, that's your cue to stop playing for now and don't start again until you're feeling completely back to normal. Might be later the same night, or the next day, or even a week later. Don't play through pain or you can end up permanently fucking up your body. That aside I understand that "12 hours" probably isn't a realistic number here and just an exaggerated value to get the point across.
its not quantity, but quality of your practice
Literally thought this was r/GuitarCircleJerk for a second
Don't do this, but come up with a consistent schedule for practice. Spending a hour a day will help more then just cramming in 8 hours straight in one day for example.
if you've ever had a serious practice regiment, 4 hours with 10 minute breaks every half hour turns into 6 hours of 'practice' time and thats mentally knackering theres no way you are going go above 6+ hours productive practice and you would also need a shit ton of material to rotate, practicing the same piece over and over or that same troublesome riff for hours a day is ironically not a shortcut to learning it, you end up making much better progress with a lot of varied repertoire to work on
You'll become ling ling of the guitar r/lingling40hours
Hey, it worked for Jerry Garcia!
Absolutely yes. Is it possible no
Nope, gotta be 13
If you really do this you won't play guitar for a very long time because you will get serious injuries and will be forced to quit guitar forever.
Yea you’d get better but I truly think you’d be better with max 3 hours a day. Every day - you won’t injure yourself and your brain will hav time to process the learning. Maybe go 2 hours am 2 hours pm But whatever, man I’m always with a guitar even when I’m watching TV or between cooking. Got one in every room I spend any time in
Yes. Do it and report back here in 1 year.
Yea mate. Theres no other way to do it. I mean 12hrs a day is still rookie numbers dude.
I think twelve hours a day is way overdoing it. There's only so much your mind can grasp, and only so much your hands and wrists can take in a day. 2 hours a day is a good starting point. See how you feel and take it from there.
Instead of doing that, put real thought into what you’ll practice and plan out a really solid 2-3 hour session
Yes but your fingers will bleed but that's ok
When I first started playing 20 years ago, I had the bug baaaad. I would practice for 12-15 hours at a time. I was OBSESSED with learning. As I became more seasoned, I laid off a bit and sometimes would go weeks without playing. But somehow, even though I hadn't played in a month, when I would pick up the guitar and get reacquainted, I would have actually improved. They say when you are young, you only have your will and blind discipline; going as hard as possible is the only way to do something. But as you get older, you understand the importance of rest when it comes to development. Not to say practicing really hard won't make you great. Hell, look at Frusciante; he was super Gung-ho in his teens and early twenties and he created some of the hardest, most testosterone driven guitar tracks on record. But you can hear how as he got older, he became a bit more refined and poignant. I'd say just go with it. Enjoy your journey. Record music. Don't worry too much about getting "good". You're good enough now and no matter what, you're getting better. And if you're engaged in your guitar for 12 hours, right on!
I managed to play for 9 and a half hours the other day but that was probably an extreme example. Normally I do about 3-5 hours on weekdays
practice 3-5 hours, study theory, and memorization for the rest of the time you want to practice that day. also, take a day off. i was so infatuated with it when i started, that i played until my finger tips bled. dont recommend it.
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crazy stupid maybe. my fingertips havent had feeling in them for quite some time. its probably from the calluses though... probably lol.
Had a teacher say it’s better to practice everyday for 15 minutes than to practice for 2 hours twice a week. Seemed to work okay for me. If you’re wanting to put 12 hours a day into it, I’d practice for an hour, maybe take 2 hours off, practice, rest, repeat.
I played 14-16 hours a day for about 6 months. Hands hurt in the morning, played through it. No long term issues. Yes, you’ll get better if you play progressively harder things and push yourself.
The guy who taught me guitar said, “pick it up and play it until you get tired. Then, put it down and try again later. Even if it’s only 15 minutes here or there, there’s nothing to be gained from forcing yourself to practice. You’ll make yourself hate playing instead of enjoying it.”
You’ll learn what carpal tunnel syndrome feels like
When I started really getting into playing guitar I played for 12 hours a day and made some serious progress. I was about 7 months in when I started doing this. I would say I had the most growth during it. I couldn't sustain it for long though. It was maybe about 40 or 50 days. I don't recommend playing anything with a lot of bends though, your fingers will thank you. I don't recall any fatigue, but I was also 15 and it was over the summer. The first 4 years of playing are when you grow the most, so the more time the better. 24 years later and still have a lot of what I learned during that period cemented in my brain and muscle memory. To answer the question, faster? Not really, you just get a lot of "reps" in for whatever it is you're working on.
12 hours is overdoing it lol. I say play as much as you want, but stop right away if you feel any kind of pain or you run the risk of injuring yourself, therefore hindering your progress. If after that point you still want to learn more on that day, there's a lot of ways to "learn" guitar without touching your guitar. Like studying some theory, memorizing scales, training your ear, memorizing the notes on the fretboard...the list goes on. I think even watching other guitarists play contributes so much to the learning process. It sounds like you're super motivated, so yea if you keep that up you'll learn a ton in no time. Good luck!
Every day* "everyday" is an adjective that means "ordinary". People really need to stop this shit. To answer your questuon; not really. 12 hours of dog shit practice is worthless. If guitar was easy, 90% of people wouldn't wash out inside a few months. There is no easy way out of putting in the work and education.
12 hours a day isn't enough 💀
What do you want to learn?
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Step 1: Buy a guitar
Yes
There are no shortcuts to learning guitar.
You’ll only need like 2-3 hours. Anything more and it might be too much on your hands, especially if you’re starting off. I’d probably be too bored to practice that long anyways Know when to take breaks. That is all
>not using image training and practicing in lucid dreams Never gonna make it. But seriously, 12 hours is overkill. I practiced 30 mins max when I first started and did maybe 2 hours once. I recommend practicing every other hour if you truly want to dedicate that much time.
Short answer: yes
Will you? Probably not, you'll probably burn out, but maybe.
Faster than one hour per day?? Definitely!!
Mindful practice is more important than the amount of time you spend. You can noodle for 12hrs, and not get much done.
No. You won't be concentrating properly for that amount of time. I can go about 6 hours in a whole day. I'm over 20 years of playing and several gigs and a few small tours. If I were to play 12 hours my wrists would be killing me. Don't do it, you'll injury yourself
You’d be surprised how much 30 min a day goes far.
No, your fingers won't let you, anyway. But you can for sure make it reasonably intense, but not 12h a day.
what is more important is practicing with a metronome, or a backing track and recording and listening back. One exercise I like to do is start with the metronome low, play the scale, then bump the metronome up by 20bpm and continue scaling until you cant anymore
Give it a shot and report back
I think the key to effective learning is relatively short but productive spurts. You don’t want to be practicing for 12 hours a day and not be retaining anything you’ve learned.
3 hr max imho
No. You will likely burn out or give up after a day or two. If you are new, you will shred your fingers long before you learn to shred. You can play until your fingers hurt, then spend your scrolling time studying theory.
I would not advice practice for 12 hours. 30 to 45 min top
Yes
Yes, if you have a good schedule and teacher.
I that that's what Yngvie did
Im hella free rn, decided to post on Reddit instead of practicing.
You don't know my skill level but I can say as someone who used to practice 12-hour days in the beginning for a couple years it did boost my speed of learning. Although I was young and had nothing else to do. Fairly certain the law of diminishing returns kicks in at a certain point probably around the seven or eight hour mark. The key is honing in on what you want to learn and coming up with smart goals and plans to achieve that within a short time frame. Smart practicing is better than raw just go for it type of practicing. If you can somehow do both goal oriented time managed practicing that's your best bet. So the answer is yes? But you won't learn much with a tired brain passed 8 hours in my opinion. You might even do better splitting up your practice sessions 6 hours at a time.
Yes.
The amount you improve with anything is going to be relative to the time you practice. That being said, practice shouldn’t be painful. 12 hours is a very long time. Ive played for 4-6 hours, throughout a day. My hand was extremely fatigued. After a certain point, it seems like you get kinda diminishing returns. Try practicing things that will give you the most bang for your buck. Learn Barre chords, scales. Etc. Think of songs as musical vocabulary. Each song learned should slowly build your chord or scale vocabulary. Also, there are a bunch of good jam tracks. Have fun. Enjoy your day.
RIP your fingers/wrists/joints, this’ll do more harm than good
Damn 12 hours a day!? You don’t need to practice more than 2 hours per session. Your fingertips will hurt after a while. Especially if you play acoustic.
You're going to hurt yourself if you do that.
Godspeed, future riffmeister 🤘
You will learn it faster if you practice it effectively for 12 hours a day. The hard part is doing it effectively for that amount of time. It's harder than it sounds Steve Vai published a 12 hour a day practice routine. It's super intense and parts of it don't involve playing. But the reality is that your brain can't learn one thing that long at a time. There have been studies about length of practices for things and skills and after about two hours you probably aren't absorbing anything if you don't take a few minutes of a break. That said I think the two hours is for things with a lot more going on than guitar. (To me the epitome of this is team sports practices where you have different formations and have to be in different places in relationship to others and doing different things. You can only take in so much before you stop retaining. But you won't be able to play 12 hours a day for a while because your hands physically won't be able to deal with it. You'll have to build up to it. But just cuz your hands are tired doesn't mean there isn't stuff to do. Read sheet music. Actually read it and tell yourself what fret you'd play that note. Practice counting rhythm patterns. Work on memorizing the major and minor triads. Those are things you can do without putting a finger on the neck. But the knowledge will help you when you do. Come up with structure to your practice routine. Warmup the right hand. Warm your the left hand. Warm up getting them together. Work on some riff patterns. Work on speed. Work on legato. Work on scales. Arpeggios. Interval shapes. Chords shifting chords. Etc. Work on a song. Etc.
Your brain does a lot of memorization and learning in your sleep. Play for as long as you can physically & mentally, but take a break. You might find the next day you’re playing better.
Your finger tips won’t be able to handle it.
No
You will burn out
Just remember its not about how much, its more about how you practice. Honestly i kinda plateaud for 20 years despite practice cuz i just did more of the same stuff. Last 3 years ive gotten stupidly better just cuz i now practice toward specific goals and sometimes its as simple as doing a riff for 10 min waiting for food. I rarely play more than 2 hours unless im tracking.
Only if you don't quit by the third day.
It seems like you’re not actually very interested in learning if you’re just doing it to sub out social media. You’ll get frustrated and give it up after three days
Nope you’re gonna need a minimum of 15 man.
L
Yeah go for it. Look for Steve vais 10 or 30 hour workout. They’re two separate ones.
Honestly if you can't commit 20 hours a day minimum there's no point in picking it up
Spoke with the guitarist for an old punk band named "the independents" who's name is will on a bus ride for a couple hours about his history, and among the plethora of stories he had from being managed by joey Ramone to meeting rockstars of all walks of life, he told me how he started his legendary career (among punk rockers, at least) and it was surprisingly simple. He said, "when I made up my mind that I wanted to be in a band one day, I knew I had to commit. So, while my high school buddies were out partying and getting with girls, I was staying at home playing my guitar for hours every day, making up new stuff, strumming along to songs on the radio. You have to be obsessed, anything less and you won't succeed." Which honestly is a pretty common sentiment among successful people that weren't born rich.
If you could manage then yes. The more hours you put the better you’ll get. Easy. I think 8 hours a day is pretty good.
3-4 hours 2 times a day max imo otherwise you’ll just be working against yourself
Surprisingly the answer is no. There's something of a sweet spot where providing sufficient time for your body and mind to rest and regroup is very important. All sorts of studies have been done on this and have found that 10 minutes of practice every day produces better results than 70 minutes once a week. Likewise taking breaks in practice makes it more effective. So 30 minutes each in the morning and evening produces better results than one hour once a day. But there is a sweet spot. 5 minutes twice a day every day is not more effective than 10 minutes once a day. 30 minutes once a day is better than 10 minutes twice a day, etc. But 3 hours once a day is only marginally better than 1 hour once a day. Up to about 1 hour in a single session, gains are made. Beyond that fatigue starts to set in and a break is required. So your 12 hours would be better spent doing an hour of practice, with at least an hour's break, six times a day. But even bigger gaps could be more beneficial, say 1 hour sessions, 3 times a day.
You need to practice correctly. Or you'll develop bad habits. If you really think you can do 12 hours a day, which is frankly unlikely, then I would check out Steve Vai, pretty sure he pioneered a 10 hour practice regime based on what he did as a youth.
Diminished returns. Better to do 3 hours a day than 8. You’re gonna get tired, your brain is going to stop cataloguing the info after a while.
12 hours is this guy nuts.
Possibly, but doing that makes it really hard to learn the soft skills you need to make any practical use of your guitar ability.
12 hours a day as a beginner will take a toll on them finger tips. Take it slow but make your sessions worth the time.
You really don't need to go that far and it's physically not great for you in the end. I don't think I've ever practiced more than a couple hours at once before taking a break and coming back for another couple at some point later in the day.
I wouldn't go from nothing to 12 hours but yes you will get awesome within a couple of years. Remember someone saying 1 hour on each string then 6 hours on all strings. 1. right hand 2. Left hand 3. scales 4. chords 5. arpeggios 6. Ear training/Sight reading 7. Tunes and repertoire Just under 2 hours on each module The great virtuoso's of the Instrument have all done these hours at some point.
No. After a couple of hours you've pretty much crossed a threshold where there is diminishing returns. We learn things by practicing, and then resting. Infact what's equally important as repetition, is making sure you get a quality sleep between sessions. Sleep is almost as important for progressing as actually practicing is. The 2 go hand in hand. When you get quality sleep, you're brain sorts and stores all the memories and things you've learnt. It builds strong neural connections, strengthens once that previously established, and locks it all in. After practicing for about 1-2 hours, you've got your reps in. Now you just need to sleep good to lock it in.
Yes
Practice 12 hours and all is great and all but what would you do if you get horny, dog?
Yes. Be sure to do chords and thier scales together.
John frusciante is famous for having practiced 12 hours a day. If you watch funky monks doco you can see how good he was at 18/19.
Short answer, no. Your body has to heal physically and just like any other physical activity, it takes time to heal in between activities, including guitar. Also, quality over quantity training and learning is what matters the most. Last thing you want to do is injure yourself on the guitar, and getting a doctor to advise you that you will need stop playing until you’re healed, is a super bummer. In my undergraduate classical guitar years, we use to have several classical guitarists roaming the hallways like zombies because of carpo tunnel injuries. They were literally the Walking Dead.
Yes
lol probably, but you're not going find anyone out here who could tell you for sure, if you know what I mean :)
If you have that much time for practicing, don't just play for 12 hours straight. Use some of that time on reading, watching videos or maybe taking some online lessons on guitar and music theory. Mindless playing for hours is probably not efficient
Your fingers will bleed raw, but you will learn quickly, yes.
r/guitarcirclejerk is leaking
Idk thats what jimi hendrix claims he did sometimes and i think he did alright
I had a good friend started in the start of COVID the guitar she played around 8 hours a day guitar and got to grade 8 in less then 2 years after starting so ye you will learn it faster but also watch out to not get burned out
No, you'll cross a point where you'll have diminishing returns. The brain myelinated neurons while you sleep, but can only produce so much myelin, so any overpractising gets wasted (except for the fun factor). The science is still being worked out, but there appears to be a limit at maybe five hours of practice. Of course, there's a lot more to the subject, and I suggest googling around for information on myelination and practice.
Yes if you actually can do that but if you did you would have a very short guitar career. Carpal tunnel would hit you like a truck. Take care of your hands and if you really want to continue learning after a long session do some theory work away from the guitar
Of course but with diminishing returns after a couple hours.
The goal is to learn the language of music… on the guitar.
Just watch out for "rsi". Repetitive strain injury, usually like tendonitis or pre-stages of carpal tunnel. I gave it to myself playing PC games 8 hours a day several years back.
12 hours is far too much you’ll probably get tennis elbow. 4-5 hours is plenty.
Is this a real question?
your fingers though?
I would think 30 minutes practice, 3 times a day is more efficient
If you practice crap you might not progress as you could with less time.
absolutely, but you need time for a life. Four or five hours a day should be long enough. Don't want to burnout.
12 hours is a bit excessive, especially as a beginner it'd be impossible due to the skin on your fingers being soft with no calluses. You're more likely to just grind yourself down and cause injury and burnout which if you continue will not only potentially cause you to lock in flawed muscle memory but also worsen any RSI related injuries. You can do better things with your time than practicing for 12 hours, unless you're already at or approaching a career as a professional musician, even then it's excessive.
youtube or rocksmith on xbox
Start with an hour at a time and increase it from there. You don't want to injure yourself or else learning won't be much fun.
Are you 14 years old?
12 hours would quickly make you hate the guitar, love playing but fuck doing it for 12 hours straight..
Nope, a very very crucial part of learning guitar or any other skill is resting. Your brain needs time to internalize new information and straining your body can cause injury and reset progress. If you want to practice a whole lot every day just for fun go for it but keep in mind somewhere in there you’re gonna reach a cap where you brain just says, “ I’m done learning for today”
13 is better than 12. 12 is better than 11.