stringdriventhing
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Post by stringdriventhing on Mar 26, 2015 17:41:47 GMT
My fingerstyle has got way ropey, so I'm aiming to get back to where I was with it by relearning some of the stuff I used to play and then learning some new tunes
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Post by creamburmese on Apr 21, 2015 16:59:03 GMT
So I have just been introduced to the new and intimidating world where you learn the music without the guitar. First the left hand, then the right hand, without looking at the guitar, and of course not picking it up. Not learned until you can visualize the whole piece, both hands working together without the guitar. I'm thinking in my case it might be a lost cause... however I'm assured that this will result in really learning pieces as opposed to getting onto a "train" which is liable to be wrecked if the flow is interrupted. (In my case going blank in the middle of a piece). Wish me luck....
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Post by vikingblues on Apr 21, 2015 18:32:47 GMT
You certainly have my good luck wishes! Very brave of you to try. That would certainly be a challenge beyond my poor powers of concentration and memory ... but then I have the excuse of all those years that have passed me by. Mark
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Post by andyhowell on Apr 21, 2015 21:32:53 GMT
At the moment I'm spending more time in DADGAD but starting at unusual places and avoiding the key of D!
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Post by vikingblues on Apr 21, 2015 21:52:25 GMT
At the moment I'm spending more time in DADGAD but starting at unusual places and avoiding the key of D! Not I trust by cheating like me and using a Capo! Mark
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Post by Mike Floorstand on Apr 21, 2015 22:32:45 GMT
So I have just been introduced to the new and intimidating world where you learn the music without the guitar. First the left hand, then the right hand, without looking at the guitar, and of course not picking it up. Not learned until you can visualize the whole piece, both hands working together without the guitar. I'm thinking in my case it might be a lost cause... however I'm assured that this will result in really learning pieces as opposed to getting onto a "train" which is liable to be wrecked if the flow is interrupted. (In my case going blank in the middle of a piece). Wish Myselfme luck.... I'm intrigued by this - how are you learning it exactly, are you not allowed to play at all until you have it memorised away from the guitar? I would find it very hard to visualise playing anything unless I had physically played it already.
Myself, I am currently trying to play 3 notes against 2 fingerstyle - a polyrhythm say with the thumb playing 2 notes per bar and the fingers playing 3 notes. Or vice versa. Once I've cracked that I'll move on to 3 against 4.
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Post by andyhowell on Apr 22, 2015 6:51:50 GMT
At the moment I'm spending more time in DADGAD but starting at unusual places and avoiding the key of D! Not I trust by cheating like me and using a Capo! Mark Well, I do use a capo but that's not quite what I meant :-)
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Post by creamburmese on Apr 24, 2015 19:27:49 GMT
So I have just been introduced to the new and intimidating world where you learn the music without the guitar. First the left hand, then the right hand, without looking at the guitar, and of course not picking it up. Not learned until you can visualize the whole piece, both hands working together without the guitar. I'm thinking in my case it might be a lost cause... however I'm assured that this will result in really learning pieces as opposed to getting onto a "train" which is liable to be wrecked if the flow is interrupted. (In my case going blank in the middle of a piece). Wish Myselfme luck.... I'm intrigued by this - how are you learning it exactly, are you not allowed to play at all until you have it memorised away from the guitar? I would find it very hard to visualise playing anything unless I had physically played it already.
So the method comes from a booklet by Ricardo Iznaola (it has exactly 16pp so can scarcely call it a book) - the first stage is to take small segment and visualize the right and left hands separately (for me the right hand is very hard). Then work out the rhythm. Then pick up the guitar and sight read it. then see if you can "play" it in your head both hands. Personally I can't seem to think of 2 things at the same time, so I'm stuck at the sight reading step
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Post by michaelm on Aug 10, 2015 18:10:25 GMT
I'm working on off-beat rhythms, and it's doing my head in. I feel like the most uncoordinated man in the world trying to do the hokey cokey! I think I've figured out a way - my hand keeps moving up and down whether there's a beat or not - downwards motion for the the down-beat, upwards for the up-beat I'm only up to eighth notes though, and how this will translate 16ths (or even actual music) I'm not sure. Can't help but laugh at myself doing it though...
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Post by creamburmese on Aug 10, 2015 20:26:23 GMT
I'm not sure I could do 2 separate rhythms with the same hand - though I did have some success with "odd" rhythms with Bossa Nova and Samba when I took a class. Found that straight counting was just too clunky, but movement such as you describe was the key - hitting a note on an off beat became much easier if it was syncopated with a non-playing movement. In fact I have found the same thing with some of the syncopated orchestra music I'm supposed to be learning with syncopation and lots of tied notes so you don't know if you're coming or going. Easiest way for me is first to play all the beats, then start taking notes away so some of them are only playing in my head, as it were.
Regarding the original thread - I gave up on the learning without the guitar thingy for now. I think there were just too many unknowns - what with trying to figure out where the notes were on the fretboard, which fingers I should use (and I definitely have "finger dyslexia" with the left hand), plus which string and which finger on the right hand - by the time I had it all figured out I had forgotten what I was supposed to be doing!!! However I do find it useful with the aid of an actual guitar to then go back and try to visualize it note by note without playing. Usually I find I can't at first, but I am able to do it eventually if I bite off small enough chunks.
Current challenge - trying to "pre-place" fingers. Yet another skill requiring more than one thing to be going on at once in my addled brain - sigh.
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Aug 11, 2015 12:17:03 GMT
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Post by andyhowell on Aug 11, 2015 20:49:28 GMT
Playing posture. Trying to be better.
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leoroberts
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My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on Aug 12, 2015 14:13:47 GMT
This is a really intriguing thread - interesting to see what people are up to! For me, of course, the answer is in the question: if it's technical, or challenging, I'm not doing it
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Post by vikingblues on Aug 13, 2015 7:11:01 GMT
I'm working on trying to remember to pick up any guitar and play the sodding thing!
Mark
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Post by creamburmese on Aug 13, 2015 19:02:32 GMT
You need a routine - just get up at 5:30 every morning and grab it on the way to get tea - it works, I can vouch for it
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