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Post by bleatoid on Jul 4, 2018 20:14:07 GMT
I’m a very poor practicer. I don’t know my scales, I don’t do any warm up exercises, I don’t work on specific points of technical improvement, I don’t stretch my fingers before I play and I don’t structure my playing sessions in any meaningful way. I tend to just pick up a guitar and run through whatever bits of my repertoire spring to mind – occasionally picking out something new to learn or a forgotten old favourite or maybe working on a song of my own. I have fun doing what I do, but of course I also know that a little more (some!) discipline in the practice dept would make for more enjoyment – but bad habits…… old dogs ….etc etc.
Anyway, I noticed that one of the songs tabbed out in this month’s Acoustic Guitar magazine was a version of Pachelbel’s Canon, so I gave it a run through and though it’s not a particularly technically challenging arrangement, I was a shocked at how poorly I played it. Even after several attempts. By "poorly" I mean consistency of note picking, cleanness of fretting, accuracy of stretches and changes etc. You’d have recognised the noise, but it was pretty shabby.
Consequently I’ve been using it as the basis for rather more focused practicing over the last week or so, with, I think, significant results. It seems to be a great piece for highlighting inaccuracy and countering my lazy hands. Perhaps it’s something to do with the unforgiving slow tempo and regular progression that means duff individual notes have nowhere to hide. I noticed little things – for example, I became convinced that the intonation of the low E string (around the low frets) on one guitar was way out – until I realised that I was pulling it a tad when fretting it with my little finger – I suspect because of the slightly different neck profile on that guitar. I think it’s also a great piece for ear training and tempo and also concentration – though it won’t do much for your speed work.
Before I fool myself into thinking I’ve mastered it and lapse back into old habits, would anyone care to suggest other pieces that make good practice subjects?
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 4, 2018 21:24:50 GMT
Most people don’t start playing with scales :-)
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Jul 4, 2018 21:29:47 GMT
Have you seen Jonny's thread of short vids? www.acousticsoundboard.co.uk/thread/8426/new-techniques-blogSome great tips on refining technique etc - well worth a look if you haven't already been there - much of what is there applies equally to steel string players. Keith PS I've always been rubbish at "proper" practising. I've mostly done just as you describe, with very occasional, very short bursts of disciplined effort. Must try harder.
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Post by bleatoid on Jul 4, 2018 22:53:29 GMT
Most people don’t start playing with scales :-) Yeah - but some people know one or two! I suppose here I was thinking about my missus who is making fantastic progress on piano (now working on grade 7). She starts each playing session with maybe 20 minutes of scales then focuses on specific fragments of the piece she's working on, then builds pieces together and finishes by playing what she wants, for fun. I only do the last bit. I don't have a grade 1 in anything. Maybe it's a piano thing? More discipline. The guitarist - much more bohemian flair......
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Post by bleatoid on Jul 4, 2018 22:56:04 GMT
Have you seen Jonny's thread of short vids? www.acousticsoundboard.co.uk/thread/8426/new-techniques-blogSome great tips on refining technique etc - well worth a look if you haven't already been there - much of what is there applies equally to steel string players. Keith PS I've always been rubbish at "proper" practising. I've mostly done just as you describe, with very occasional, very short bursts of disciplined effort. Must try harder. I hadn't spotted that - thanks Keith - I'll have a lewk.
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leoroberts
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Post by leoroberts on Jul 5, 2018 7:29:19 GMT
Practice Shmactish. I have my 4 chords nailed down. Practice would just be a waste of time and energy. You can't improve on perfection.
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 5, 2018 7:54:57 GMT
Most people don’t start playing with scales :-) Yeah - but some people know one or two! I know a few people who do as well and I also know some internationally renowned guitarists who don't. I have a few pieces that I play to loosen up and — to some extent — they are scale-like tunes :-)
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Post by Onechordtrick on Jul 5, 2018 11:03:37 GMT
Practice Shmactish. I have my 4 chords nailed down. Practice would just be a waste of time and energy. You can't improve on perfection. 4 chords? Are you sure there are that many? I’d better quadruple my repertoire! But frankly I think that many is just showing off!
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 5, 2018 14:16:12 GMT
Practice Shmactish. I have my 4 chords nailed down. Practice would just be a waste of time and energy. You can't improve on perfection. Pushing the boat out with the 4th eh?
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Post by vikingblues on Jul 5, 2018 18:29:24 GMT
I’m a very poor practicer. I don’t know my scales, I don’t do any warm up exercises, I don’t work on specific points of technical improvement, I don’t stretch my fingers before I play and I don’t structure my playing sessions in any meaningful way. I tend to just pick up a guitar and run through whatever bits of my repertoire spring to mind – occasionally picking out something new to learn or a forgotten old favourite or maybe working on a song of my own. I have fun doing what I do, but of course I also know that a little more (some!) discipline in the practice dept would make for more enjoyment – but bad habits…… old dogs ….etc etc. That's me to a "T" as well.
I did work for a while at classical guitar lessons and that involved more structure and rigour. To be honest it got to be a pain in the aspidistra.
Regarding Pachelbells Canon I think it's one of those very simple looking pieces that leave every note you play so exposed to scrutiny that it does require a lot of skill to play it well.
Being the lazy pupil that I am I think I'll give the piece a miss!
Mark
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Post by bleatoid on Jul 5, 2018 23:15:11 GMT
I’m a very poor practicer. I don’t know my scales, I don’t do any warm up exercises, I don’t work on specific points of technical improvement, I don’t stretch my fingers before I play and I don’t structure my playing sessions in any meaningful way. I tend to just pick up a guitar and run through whatever bits of my repertoire spring to mind – occasionally picking out something new to learn or a forgotten old favourite or maybe working on a song of my own. I have fun doing what I do, but of course I also know that a little more (some!) discipline in the practice dept would make for more enjoyment – but bad habits…… old dogs ….etc etc. That's me to a "T" as well.
I did work for a while at classical guitar lessons and that involved more structure and rigour. To be honest it got to be a pain in the aspidistra.
Regarding Pachelbells Canon I think it's one of those very simple looking pieces that leave every note you play so exposed to scrutiny that it does require a lot of skill to play it well.
Being the lazy pupil that I am I think I'll give the piece a miss!
Mark
"Exposed to scrutiny" is spot on.
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Post by peterh on Jul 6, 2018 6:59:24 GMT
Hello Bleatoid,
Just to sound a bit serious for a moment...I think anything can be use d as a practice piece...you just focus right on to the bits that give you the most difficulty/pain.
I've been playing for many many years self taught, and largely because of the thread /blogg mentioned above, I've just started lessons with Jonny Moss, and he can teach any style .
So someone just like him perhaps ... will help you focus , practice and improve ...
Your better half sounds like a good role model!
Best regards,
another Peter
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Post by jonnymosco on Aug 13, 2018 11:18:10 GMT
Just spotted this, thanks for the mention ocarolan and peterh. bleatoid, to answer your question: the simplest pieces are the best ones to aid improvement; they'll help you to focus on things like finger synchronisation, rhythm, dynamics, legato, phrasing... rather than getting bogged down with nightmare demands. Jonny
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minorkey
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Post by minorkey on Aug 19, 2018 22:31:08 GMT
I found this piece the other day when looking for easy pieces for classical-played here on steel strings. I quite like it.
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Post by minorkey on Aug 19, 2018 22:34:57 GMT
For a little more challenging there's this gorgeous piece. There are one or two slowed down videos of this, and I need it slowing down! I also could do with knowing what chords are played.
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