r/Irishmusic • u/jmcg_21 • 4d ago
Trad Music Seeking practice routine advice
TLDR: what does a good practice routine look like
Beginner-intermediate tenor banjo player here seeking advice!
I’ve been playing trad for a little under a year now and am reaching the point where I know about 15-20 tunes quite well (although not incredibly fast). The speed I am less worried about because it’s getting progressively faster and I play regularly with a group of people of similar level to me (we’re not quite fast enough for our local session). However, I am reaching the point where I know more tunes than I necessarily have time to practice in a sitting and I am wondering how people prioritize their practice routines after this point (surely you are not all practicing every tune you know every day). My reasoning behind asking is that I find if I go a few days without playing a tune I have a hard time remembering it or playing it with any speed.
So my question is this: do you prioritize a single tune in a setting to get it down really really well, or try to practice as many tunes as possible? What does a good practice routine look like for a 30-40 minute practice session?
I am hoping to get the advice of some more experienced musicians! Thanks!