When is your favorite time of day to Practice?
Hey toneBuddies! 
Hope you're all doing well and creating great music! Today, I have a question for you:
When do you find yourself most drawn to your instrument? Are you an early bird, filling the quiet morning air with your melodies? Or perhaps you're a night owl, serenading the moon with your tunes? Maybe you're someone who likes a mid-day break with your instrument?
Sharing our individual routines could provide valuable insights for those struggling to find their optimal practice time. Plus, it's always interesting to see the variety in our community!
So let's hear it, toneBuddies! What's your favourite time to practice and why?
Happy practicing! 
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Really envious of people here saying they can practice three times a day! Like many others, I'm pretty busy, but I try to get at least an hour in every day if I can. In the week this is usually after I finish/get home from work, so 7 or 8 pm. At the weekends it'll usually be in the afternoon.
Sometimes I get lucky and can do a longer practice, sometimes I'm unlucky and don't get one at all!
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Matt Hall Similar for me.
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Eric Phillips probably with fewer typos, though
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Matt Hall My posts had tons of typos until I learned you can edit them after posting them. If only I could do that with my playing!
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Eric Phillips wow! Thanks for letting me know!
That's very civilised - original post corrected
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During my working years, I would try getting in time usually after dinner for about 1 hour. Unfortunately, I am a early bird and function my best in the morning, so, I simply was limping along for many years trying to maintain focus with a tired mind. Now in retirement, I can utilize the early mornings, and really play with focus. Its nice. I focus on the easier pieces now. Tension was a big problem for me. It was grooved into way to many pieces I played in the past.
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Michael Shirk Mornings really do feel like the best time, don't they? Glad you can enjoy your retirement this way!
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Steve Pederson No doubt mornings are the best for me. Even during my working years I was most productive in the morning. Granted, if I was able to take a Power Nap during the day I was good again. Lol , power naps are very under rated.
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Michael Shirk I'm definitely a night owl. Makes me wistful to hear about your lovely retirement pace. What a blessing!
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First thing in the morning about 5:30 to 6ish, then I can get a couple of hours in with no one else around. With a bit of luck I may get the odd 15 minutes or so when nothing else is hsppening. If I'm not too tired (maybe I shouldn't get up so early!) I may get in another 30 minutes or so on an evening a few times during the week
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Derek Where do you practice at 5:30 in the morning that you don't wake anyone up?
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Steve Pederson Steve - luckily my wife is a sound sleeper! I practice in the kitchen (handy for the coffee!). I start off fairly quietly and then around 7ish I take her a coffee and play a bit louder. If I want to play really loud then that has to wait until later in the day :-) I'm thinking of investing in a Yamaha Silent Guitar!
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Derek I have one and it's worth it although I use mine mainly for travel situations.
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Stephen Darrell Oliver Hi Stephen. Yes that would probably be my main reason for having one. Do you find it easy to travel with?
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Derek yes. Incredibly easy as you can always stow it as a carry-on. It’s fantastic that way.
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My warmup and practice usually begin after my morning workout, household chores and pet maintenance. This would mean around 9:30 am and continues to about noon. About 1:30 I continue until about 4:00 when I start to prepare dinner.
The morning section involves the warmups, of course, after which the pieces needing to be covered go through a slow metronome workout with the rougher sections getting repeats as needed.
The afternoon session picks up where I left off fine sanding those sections needing attention.
Early evening usually finds me delving into new repertoire.
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Martybrounstein sounds like a fantastic immersion in guitar!
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Martybrounstein paradise!!
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Man, if there's anything this thread has taught me it's to not take my time for granted! It's so impressive to see how many here don't have much time, but make it happen anyway - and make it count!
For me, I often cannot help but to pick up my guitar first thing in the morning. However, since I live in a scenario - two-bedroom condo with 2-3 other people (depending on whether my oldest is off at college or home for the summer) - I have to be very quiet. So, I usually pull out my electric guitar first thing in the morning (obviously not plugged in) because it is the quietest.
I work from home, so once everyone leaves for the day I try to take advantage of the time I have to be alone - usually in the afternoon, but sometimes in the morning as well.
I don't have much privacy, and I don't like practicing when others are around, so I try to make the most of my solitary moments.
Sometimes I will go in my room and close the door later in the evening, but I have to stop by 10 pm so as to not provoke my neighbors to retaliate.
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Steve Pederson Yes, privacy is a big issue for me too. Sometimes I just want to kick everyone else out of the house!
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Steve Pederson if you have the funds, purchase a Yamaha classical silent guitar, plug in headphones and you won’t bother anyone. Great sound amplified also. https://youtu.be/X0GhSF8PCLQ?si=LLrTTr530HUOxgd-
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Two additional thoughts. After 60-90 minutes my practice is not as productive, though I am thoroughly warmed up and my hands feel great.... my brain is tired. Then I work at a computer keyboard all day, which leaves my hands and general flexibility in less than optimal condition.
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Michael Neverisky that's interesting. You don't think typing might assist in dexterity/flexibility (assuming you type in a more ergonomic way)?
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Stephen Darrell Oliver I have a fine ergonomic keyboard and can touch type. My experience is that it's not particularly helpful in developing what Bream called the "infinite sensitivity" of the right hand.
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Michael Neverisky I used to have an ergo keyboard but no more. I know nothing about the benefits/detriments of typing as it relates to playing classical guitar but your comment made me wonder.
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Very interesting question martin and a lot of good approaches by many TB members. I admire those that can deal with full time work, family responsibilities and keep a good practice discipline.
For myself and because of the work load I had when working ( 60 to 80 hrs per week) it was not possible to learn a music instrument. However, since I am retired; I have all the time I need .
I am not good at practicing early in the morning ( I prefer to read and sip my coffee) but I normally practice from 30 to 60 min in the morning another 30 to 60 min in the afternoon and 60 to 90 min late evening (when my wife is sleeping). That practice time is normally split evenly on Classical guitar and Acoustic guitar which used very different techniques.
My practice time is mostly on working on short etudes (studies) like the 25 progressive studies by Sor (Thanks Eric Phillips for letting me discover Sor) or other studies used in structures courses on TB. I have the same approach with my acoustic guitar but using short pieces that are part of the Acoustic guitar curriculum on GuitarTrics and TrueFire.
All these studies are well structured to practice specific techniques at the same time you make some music. I keep the one I like the most and use them in my official repertoire.
After 3 1/2 years of guitar practice; I am fairly happy with my progress working on a mix of different things and pieces I like instead of working on boring things. This keeps me motivated
