Musical Practice Quotes

We want to be good at our craft, whether it's writing music or playing it live.

I took a few piano lessons as a kid, but it didn't last; I just learned piano from doing it over and over on my own, because I didn't have many friends, and there was always a keyboard in the house.

So I played alto for quite a while until I saved up the money for the baritone.

It's much better to play the guitar a half hour a day, every day, than not practice for a week and then jam for five hours one day.

I'm a crap guitarist and I find it really hard writing on my own.

The best practice you can get is on the bandstand, but in between gigs I feel I have to stay in shape.

We're very much perfectionists, so when we're putting on a huge show and want to play to the best of ability, we rehearse intensely. And I have a guitar pretty much in my hand for at least five hours before doing a show. I'm just noodling and mucking around and working on some of the songs here and there.

When I was a kid, my parents gave me piano lessons and guitar lessons for a while, but I was never very good at it. I have big, sort of awkward hands. It's hard to keep going when you don't get any better.

The thing about music is it's not an obscure pursuit, it's a very natural thing for human beings to do. Once you put in the effort, the learning curve is very fast.

I'm not a guitar collector. I own some guitars because I play.

I tried when I was 13, when my grandparents gave me an acoustic guitar, and I tried for a year. It hurt so much to play. I mean, the fingertips hurt so much, I gave up.

Don't get stuck in a rut. If you started yesterday's practice playing arpeggios, start today's with scales. Also, try to make a song out of what you're practicing to help break the tedium.

I put quite a bit of study into the horn, that's true. In fact, the neighbors threatened to ask my mother to move once, you know.

I don't have a very disciplined approach to practicing or anything, but I do tend to have a guitar around most of the time, which I strum on most of the day.

I played the drums, and I was in a band called Funkasaurus Rex in Toronto. When I left for school, it became hard to play as frequently.

It's not really that I didn't want to perform at all. What I didn't want to do was try to put together a band, rehearse, on my own. You know what I mean?

My band can tell you, I'd rather do anything than rehearse.

I practice more than ever ... mostly scales and arpeggios ... and anything I can't do.

If you are having trouble making a chord, get a book, that is how I learned. There are guitar tuning apps so you can tune your guitar, and just learn how to play along with your records. And it's great to be able to play along with another musician. That is like trial by fire.

I've always just adored music. It's my first love, really. I admire and respect people in the music business. You really have to work hard and diligently. Sometimes actors can be lazy and get away with it, but you can't do that if you're a musician.

I get up now at 5:30 in the morning. I practice the guitar for a couple of hours - I do that before I even start my day.

What I try to impart to a musician is to really try to practice the instrument in a really sincere way. Learn as much about music as you possibly can. Learn composition. Study to try to create compositions of your own and put your own personal touch on your music.

I didn't actually start playing the banjo until I was in high school.

I think it's important for a young musician to stick with a band for a while and really work with a band and stay focused.

I started playing trumpet when I was 11 years old. All I wanted to be was a jazz trumpet player when I grew up.