alan2007
Strummer
Must try harder
Posts: 27
My main instrument is: LagT88ac
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Post by alan2007 on Jun 11, 2024 19:27:02 GMT
I have been playing for about 18 months and have reached the conclusion that there is no such thing as a bad practice session, although of course you can practice the wrong things which is not productive. However sometimes my fingers just don't seem to have a life of thier own and refuse to do as my brain tells them, whilst the resulting sounds aren't great and it can be very annoying and uninspiring I have adopted the mindset that all practice whether good or bad is good practice and an opportunity to learn, especially from the mistakes I make. Maybe it's just me being optimistic and looking for positive in everything, i also find that this way of thinking gives me a postive approach to practice and playing. To support my positive i record my sessions every so often and use them to remember how much progress I have made. Does anybody else share this opinion?
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Jun 11, 2024 21:27:46 GMT
Yup,I'm with you Alan - I don't believe that any time spent with your instrument can be wasted, although it may feel like plodding through treacle at times. Most things need to be played a very large unumber of times before they start to come together, so it's good to get all the duff times out of the way! And for me anyway, even after playing for over 60 years it never seems to be linear progress - fits and starts with occasional quantum leaps, usually forwards, but sometimes backwards...
My mate Glyn and I try to play together when we can. That means twice as much scope for error! Most times we both do OK and if one of us is a bit below par we mostly get away with it. Last week we were both having an off day and it felt like if anything could go wrong it did and neither of us enjoyed it much at all.. This evening, by contrast we both seemed to be on good form and everything went smoothly and we thought we sounded wonderful. Or was it just the whisky...
Keith
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leoroberts
C.O.G.
Posts: 25,486
My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on Jun 11, 2024 21:40:24 GMT
and the REAL benefit of practice (unless, like ocarolan, you're playng with other musicians) is that nobody gets to hear you muck it up. As long as you learn from your mistakes, all practice is good practice.
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alan2007
Strummer
Must try harder
Posts: 27
My main instrument is: LagT88ac
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Post by alan2007 on Jun 12, 2024 5:40:57 GMT
This evening, by contrast we both seemed to be on good form and everything went smoothly and we thought we sounded wonderful. Or was it just the whisky... Keith It may be the whisky, however I often find that even putting the guitar down for 5 minutes and then coming back can make a world of difference. Whilst of course whisky may "improve" my playing no end, I have noticed the same effect just with a cup of tea, although the level of improvement does not appear to be as great when tea is involved rather than whisky!😉
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Post by vinman on Jun 12, 2024 8:20:00 GMT
Little breaks for whisky, or tea or coffee always help, sometimes biscuits are helpful as well.
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Post by martinrowe on Jun 12, 2024 8:41:09 GMT
The counter argument that is usually put forward regarding this is that by simply repeating yourself you may be solidifying 'bad habits'. Then, later, you have to undo those habits in order to move forward - 3 steps forward, two steps back - or the other way around. The best advice I've heard is to play very slowly and very precisely, or, if you can't do that, then play very, very slowly and very, very precisely, etc, etc. I think it is surprisingly difficult to do this, perhaps because of the feeling it gives you of not progressing very quickly (Turtles, Hares, and races come to mind ). I think the main point behind this is - do it right, and don't get into the habit of doing it wrong. Speed and fluency, is a result of muscle memory, which takes time, and you don't want to be giving your muscles bad memories that they can perform without even engaging your brain. I've found that instant gratification and learning a musical instrument do not go together - well not for me anyway. A marathon not a sprint as they say. That's my tuppence - none of it is original.
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Post by scorpiodog on Jun 12, 2024 10:58:54 GMT
Although I don't adhere to this in the slightest, I think it is fair to distinguish between practice and playing. Practice is what moves you forward and playing is the result of the practice. I find the latter to be the most fun, so that's what I spend most of my time doing. After all, it's a hobby. I'm not trying to be a perfect player, or to have a career in music.
The important thing, though is to determine what your goals are, however big or small they are. For example, if your goal is to become a campfire strummer, there's absolutely no point in learning scales. On the other hand, if you want to be a fluent and fluid improviser in whatever genre of music, you need to become skilled in all the techniques, including scales. it's fine for your goals to change as you progress, or even as you don't progress.
That said, for me, learning anything musical moves me forward, and playing can be a learning experience, and so becomes practice sometimes.
But all this stuff is so subjective anyway, but I recommend setting goals (daily, weekly and/or lifetime) in order to measure your progress. But the important thing is to have so much fun with your instrument you want to pick it up all the time.
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Post by borborygmus on Jun 12, 2024 14:53:10 GMT
Although I don't adhere to this in the slightest, I think it is fair to distinguish between practice and playing. After I come home from work and eaten supper, I tell my wife that I am going off to do some guitar therapy... Peter
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alan2007
Strummer
Must try harder
Posts: 27
My main instrument is: LagT88ac
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Post by alan2007 on Jun 12, 2024 19:31:36 GMT
The counter argument that is usually put forward regarding this is that by simply repeating yourself you may be solidifying 'bad habits'. Then, later, you have to undo those habits in order to move forward - 3 steps forward, two steps back - or the other way around. The best advice I've heard is to play very slowly and very precisely, or, if you can't do that, then play very, very slowly and very, very precisely, etc, etc. I think it is surprisingly difficult to do this, perhaps because of the feeling it gives you of not progressing very quickly (Turtles, Hares, and races come to mind ). I think the main point behind this is - do it right, and don't get into the habit of doing it wrong. Speed and fluency, is a result of muscle memory, which takes time, and you don't want to be giving your muscles bad memories that they can perform without even engaging your brain. I've found that instant gratification and learning a musical instrument do not go together - well not for me anyway. A marathon not a sprint as they say. That's my tuppence - none of it is original. Totally agree, I tried to explain in my original post (perhaps not too well) that even when following a practice routine note for note (pun intended) sometimes things just don't go right, even when playing slow and concentrating on problem areas or specific passages and chord changes etc. I am lucky in that I am following an on line course and receiving lessons from a local teacher to support the on line course. You are totally right about the instant gratification and that is half the appeal for me as if it is a challenge then I have a real sense of achievement and of course I am doing something that others are not.
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Post by Mike Fowler on Jun 13, 2024 13:22:16 GMT
After I come home from work and eaten supper, I tell my wife that I am going off to do some guitar therapy... Peter Guitar therapy. I'm using this one. My missus would surely understand. And yes, I'm with the practice makes permanent school. Even when you play, ahem, get that guitar therapy, if you play wrong and don't correct, your nerves, myelin sheaths and muscles will remember wrongly for next time you play.
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