I promised myself I would never suggest how to practice again in this room, but this one is so good I couldn't resist.

I already wrote how busy life is for me, that my practice is suffering. This came to me just a few weeks ago so hopefully I say it correctly because it's a powerhouse.

I'm sitting at the piano back then and I'm practicing "walking bass" on standards. Just can't get into it today! Why don't I try something else. Started on the musette music. Still not working for me. I hit gold dust when I began working on bass lines for 50s/60s tunes (Bonie Maronie, Pretty Woman, etc). That felt the most comfortable.

That started me thinking about how animals function. They do what comes natural at the moment....eat, sleep, move around etc. So....why box myself into something that's unnatural for ME "at the moment."

Ever since then I notice when I sit at the piano, if I take the time to see what kind of mood the old brain is in today then I know what to practice. Today is was Latin riffs, yesterday, the tricky passages on my musette music. What a difference! It's like when meal time comes, you just know what your stomach wants this time around...a nice steak, a pizza, a healthy salad, fast food, etc. If you don't eat what you're body/mind is telling you "at the moment" whatever you do eat is not going to work in the tummy. Same with music on the car radio. What do I feel like listening to today? Easy listening, talk, news, Latin music, PBS, etc. Same with exercise. If you stop to think and listen to your body you'll know whether today's exercise session needs to be light or heavy.

So back to the piano. If what I'm playing is difficult for me on a certain day, I move to something else. Today the "bass lines on standards" was not as comfortable as it was yesterday, so I started playing jazz runs on jazzy songs. They fit in the pocket like a hand in a glove.

This has helped me to make better use of the limited time I have these days. Music goes off in so many directions now you just don't know what to practice anymore when you finally get to it. Now I follow my instinct as to what feels "natural" to me today. Been three weeks now and this new system hasn't failed me yet!

Can't relate. I haven't practiced in years, other than to learn a "new" song. Never played accordion or piano. I used to practice organ and before that trumpet. Oh and I used to practice singing (when no one else was around).
I know some doctors who are still "practicing" after many decades. I think some of them like to practice on me.
Tuesday night I had a whole table, about a dozen, of lawyers, judges, officials, etc. having a dinner/party. I've never seen such a vulgar, rude bunch of people before in my life. They all need to practice some manners. One was a young lady, about 35 maybe. I was so embarrassed for her because she had to listen to the filthy way they were talking. She said she was visiting from Chicago. She requested old Hank Williams song. Seemed to be the only classy person at the table.
They stayed about three hours, some longer, requested at least two dozen songs. There bill for the evening was probably $3,000., left me $17. tips total. A young couple celebrating their fifth anniversary left $40, totally unexpected, so I guess it all averages out.
I'm sorry Mark, see what you started, talking to me about practice!

My life is not as colorful as Don's, it seems. so I will stick to the mundane.

Mark, I am glad you brought this up, as it certainly pertains to me. I spend hours every day either getting ready for a gig or trying to improve my craft. The first is relatively easy, but the areas I should tackle for improvement are many. To add to the mix, I have 5 keyboards that need my attention to make them as polished as possible with combined thousands of registrations to tweak, and features to better utilize. Then, there is the vocal end of it to boot. Then, there are skills to learn, like walking bass you mentioned, that I never learned. It goes on and on, but I never get in a time crunch and worry about it. I thoroughly enjoy any progress I make.

The point is, this is what I live for and my life's ambition. The trouble is that the amount of time I have left(at 77), is uncertain. When I have free time, I come into my studio and think " What can I accomplish today"? I may try and prioritize my tasks, but find I don't really feel like doing that today, so I pick whatever I would rather do. I may as well because this is a lifelong adventure that has no end, except for me.

Reading sheet music in preparing the next song is 'learning'. It forces my brain to slow down and get it correct, bit by bit, which has made me a much better player over the years. I don't think too many just want to go to piano lessons these days.

Gee, I thought that was me talking, Bernie.:) Everything about this game is fun - the day it stops being that, I'll walk away.

Me too

Unfortunately, this is becoming the norm ... I was out to dinner with a friend and there was a table of three women enjoying more than one glass of wine each, and one in particular was tossing the "f bomb" around like it was nothing ...
(Don't mean de-rail this thread, but wanted to make a comment.)

Don't worry, I already derailed it!