Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Tracking My Practice Time

#10

Maybe obsessive compulsive disorder? That probably describes a lot of us with our instruments.

I have very little organization when it comes to practice but I think its great for those who do. I work rotating shift work so actually my life in general is a little unorganized when it comes to schedules. That being said, I do get in some practice about every day. Sometimes it may be for just 15 or 20 minutes but usually I’d say I average an hour a day. I get together with my pickin’ buddy once a week and we’ll practice together for a couple of hours.

Then there are times when I spend too much time playing when I should be doing something else. Take for instance on my day off work yesterday. I had planned to spend all morning cleaning out and organizing my little shop. What should have been a 2 or 3 hour job ended up taking all day because I’d work a little, get bored, come in the house and grab a guitar or mandolin for half an hour. Guess that could qualify as a mild case of OCD.

#11

Thanks for straightening me out. I thought OCD probably meant Overly Careful Documenter.

#12

Hey Larry… if I made a little app for logging time do you think you would use it? It shouldn’t take too terribly long to make something like that (famous last words). I haven’t done anything in a particular language for a while and figured I might do something just to keep current.

#13

— Begin quote from "ldpayton"

I think I must be the only person here who’s OCD enough to work out such a monstrosity as my spread sheet. I think you are right that every one has their own approach to learning. I’d be interested in finding out how other folks here organize their practice.

Do you just throw the banjo into the passenger seat of your truck and pick whenever you get the chance? I bet you get some curious looks when you pull that thing out.

— End quote

I have spreadsheets galore that track the most minute things. I’m just much more comfortable when things are organized and easily documented. Thought you might like to know that you’re not alone :wink:

And yes, I just toss the banjo in my passenger seat and when I find a free moment, I pull it out, pick a little, grin a little, and then when it’s time to grind some more gears, I toss it back in the passenger seat and head on down the road. Oftentimes other truckers who are waiting pull up beside me and roll down their windows just to listen.

I bought a Deering Goodtime banjo last week for the select purpose of it being my “truck hound”. It’s super light, plays good (better than I thought after I had it in my hands), but maybe the main reason I bought it to be my truck hound is because it’s aesthetically impaired. And because I didn’t pay for a dolled up banjo, I don’t really care if it gets a little scratch or dent, or maybe a small smudge of grease on it. My practice time this past week has easily doubled now that it’s so much easier to just pick up the 5-banger and grind its own gears.

#14

— Begin quote from "mreisz"

Hey Larry… if I made a little app for logging time do you think you would use it? It shouldn’t take too terribly long to make something like that (famous last words). I haven’t done anything in a particular language for a while and figured I might do something just to keep current.

— End quote

I don’t know about Larry, but I was actually thinking just last night while I was driving driving that I would love to know to how to use my iPad to track practice times and such.

You actually know to make an app? :open_mouth:

#15

— Begin quote from "mreisz"

Hey Larry… if I made a little app for logging time do you think you would use it?

— End quote

Mike, that’s a great idea. Count me in if it’s user friendly!

#16

App for logging practice time? If you don’t mind, I would be interested in something like this. You might be on to your next million dollars with this! :wink:

#17

Well, it sounds like there is some interest! I am a Windows developer, but unfortunately (or fortunately) I haven’t written an iPad app. I’ll look into to iPad apps to see what is involved, but no promises. What I am thinking of is something pretty simple, but it hopefully would be useful. I’ll start a thread on the app when I get going on it.

#18

OCD=obsessive/compulsive disorder, but I use the term loosely, and don’t mean to offend anyone with a serious medical problem.

I’m not an IPad user, but I’ll be interested to see what you come up with, Mike.

#19

No offense taken by me :smiley: I guess I shouldn’t have joked about the acronym either, so my apologies to anyone who is either OCD or an Overly Careful Documenter and is offended.

I took a look at what it takes to make an iPad app, and I don’t think I’ll be doing it that way. For starters, you are best doing is on a mac (which I don’t have). I’ll probably just a do a little windows app.

#20

:: Warning: You are about to get acquainted with my technological illiteracy ::

— Begin quote from "mreisz"

I took a look at what it takes to make an iPad app, and I don’t think I’ll be doing it that way. For starters, you are best doing is on a mac (which I don’t have). I’ll probably just a do a little windows app.

— End quote

Do windows apps work on iPads?

#21

Unfortunately no, I don’t think Windows apps can be made to work on an iPad… at least not easily.

#22

very easy to just keep track of it all on Xcell or Google Sheets. :smiley:

#23

Yeah, my current spreadsheet works fine but if I was punching a clock I’d really feel like I was going to work.

#24

— Begin quote from "ldpayton"

but if I was punching a clock I’d really feel like I was going to work.

— End quote

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

#25

Oh, it’s a good thing. I can’t goof off when I’m on the clock or I might get fired. I just need to find a practice supervisor to kick my butt when I’m not being productive enough.

#26

In a land far away and in a time no one knows any more , I used to play and practice 7 hours a day for 5 days and worked a seven day work schedule, a lot of 12 hour days in there . but now that I am retired I like clutter and disorganization so much I am totally disorganized . I do a lot of playing and practice though but nothing as structured as keeping track. I have the nice thing here and that is if I don’t like the tune I will not learn it . I have limited time left as I am at the 70 mark and I can be picky about what I learn because I am not getting paid for playing . I kind of tire easy so I do have to wait on energy to come my way LOL . so I might be lost in the disorganized world of disorganization spilling ever down ward in to the pit of missing notes and adding ones that are not there. The main thing is to enjoy what we do and no matter how hard we work at it it makes little difference because we enjoy it . we tend to not get tired and look forward to another day when the case will be opened one more time, and as the strings begin to warm in our hands we enjoy it again . Always remember to put your own twist on music it is just another way of bringing it out and you might find something that really really sounds great. There is also nothing wrong with wanting to play like someone ,just remember to thy own self be true. Enjoy it!!

#27

— Begin quote from "welder4"

In a land far away and in a time no one knows …
look forward to another day when the case will be opened one more time…
as the strings begin to warm in our hands we enjoy it again

— End quote

That’s some poetry right there… a little polish and I think you could make it a song.

#28

With a little tweaking that might fit into the new netgrass project.

#29

Great thought Larry! I think it would work.