Guitar Ocd & Bad Habits, What holds us back ? |
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Guitar Ocd & Bad Habits, What holds us back ? |
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Aug 18 2014, 11:10 AM |
Do you know those occasions where you stumble onto a good thing and you just keep playing and playing well past the point where you should have put the guitar down ?
That surely has to be one of the hardest temptations to resist. When you're in that situation a different mindset seems to take over that says 'More of this can only be a good thing. Keep going. I really should stop now. No, just a bit longer' This state of mind totally ignores the fact that as humans we can only compute a finite amount of input each day and can only make a finite amount of progress at something, both mental and physical. But of course, it's hard to let logic talk loud enough to be heard over our obsessive practising ! I'm sure we all overdo it like that or is just me ? Tell me it isn't just me ! I've read more than once that humans can only remember up to 7 things at a time. http://phys.org/news178220995.html I'm not sure exactly how true this is or even if it's been debunked or not, but I think it's pretty fair to say that our working memory can only remember so much. Of course, you can do tricks such as pinning images to words and phrases which make lists easier to recall but that doesn't really have much application with what we're talking about here. I've digressed but mnemonics is an interesting topic worthy of anyone's interest in their own time. It might help someone learning theory, for example. Names and order of modes etc.. anyway, back on topic.. People often find it hard to learn licks and phrases. Most likely it's because they're trying to work with too many notes and movements at one time. A run crossing all 6 strings could be broken down so not only can it be memorised PERFECTLY with no hesitation or dodgy notes that don't belong in there (essential if you want to actually learn and improve a lick) but it can actually be drilled and sped up comfortably in a way where the brain doesn't hold back our physical movement because it's lost track of allllllll the notes/ movements. That's why we break things up. There's a term I hate called 'chunking'. I seriously dislike that term, it sounds horrible but it's applicable I guess. I haven't read much into it but it seems to be what I've naturally been doing with complicated sections of music. (If anyone uses this approach or knows more about it / or if I've got it wrong then feel free to discuss it here if it's relative to our discussion) Breaking things up into small, workable pieces that can be remembered and recalled easily by the brain is the only way you can properly build co ordination in both hands, speed and dexterity. To me it's just common sense but I guess some people need magic names for things. Guthrie Govan demonstrates an excellent use of learning a lick (and putting it up to speed quite quickly) whilst using a few notes and adding a new note each time) Check from about 2:30 or watch the whole video, it's really good as always. I've kind of gone off tangent a bit. I was originally just going to talk about bad habits and playing too much when we know we shouldn't but it's veered off into another territory which is just as interesting. But to bring it back to my original intentions I wanted to discuss some common bad habits that us guitarists, or musicians in general, tend to make that can hamper our progress and create more frustration for us. Can you think of any ? |
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Aug 19 2014, 05:23 AM |
I'd say PLAYING TO THE POINT OF PAIN. Bit of a problem from my own past!!!
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Aug 19 2014, 05:58 AM |
I too have heard that but no, I don't buy that "only 7 things at a time" stuff. Maybe if it's 7 totally unrelated things - ?
But we're talking about music here. Musical things can be related to each other. Understanding those relationships is key to not getting confused and distracted. Application of technique or concept. If you focus on a certain aspect of your practicing, you absolutely can work for hours and accomplish a whole lot. And yes 'chunking' is a pretty standard way to work on complicated passages. Whether it's a long classical guitar piece or an Alan Holdsworth solo - just a bit at a time is what will get you there. You need to be patient and understand that it will take a long time. The key word here is FOCUS. Don't be 'all over the place' i.e., oh lets do some tapping, now finger picking, how about that classical etude I was working on and I really need to learn that Ritchie Blackmore 'Highway Star' solo but instead I think I'll work on that cool jazz chord thing I saw a guy doing on youtube - where was that anyway? Oh but wait, here's a really funny cat video ... etc. A cool 'long' practice phase could be, "so how do I make my 1-chord jam solos not so f'ing boring? Lets find some other guitarists solos/licks that aren't a complete wank, transcribe them, figure how and why they work and then apply that to some jams that I'm working on or that my band plays". That should actually keep you busy a few hours a day for a few months at least. The great players - all of them, any style, any era - work/worked consistently long and hard for many years. 4 to 6 or more hours a day for 6 to 10 years solid. After that (providing you actually did learn something and got pretty good) you can back off on the hours ... because at that point you are 1) probably 'working' as a musician in some capacity and have your axe in hand a lot of the day anyway and 2) you know how to get the most out of a shorter practice time. *And as I always say, If you don't apply it to real music you won't retain anything anyway. The heavy 'practicers' from Steve Vai to John Coltrane always had a band to try out the stuff they were working on. This post has been edited by klasaine: Aug 19 2014, 06:20 AM -------------------- - Ken Lasaine
https://soundcloud.com/klasaine2/foolin-the-clouds https://soundcloud.com/klasaine2/surfin-at-the-country-hop Soundcloud assorted ... https://soundcloud.com/klasaine3 New record ... http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kenlasaine Solo Guitar ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZh...5iIdO2tpgtj25Ke Stuff I'm on ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZh...b-dhb-4B0KgRY-d |
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Aug 19 2014, 03:13 PM |
You're totally normal.
Honestly, 2 to 3 hours is not really much time at all. If you get one usable thing out of that then you're doing well. Most of what an artist comes up with is discarded. The road to success is paved with failure. This post has been edited by klasaine: Aug 19 2014, 04:14 PM -------------------- - Ken Lasaine
https://soundcloud.com/klasaine2/foolin-the-clouds https://soundcloud.com/klasaine2/surfin-at-the-country-hop Soundcloud assorted ... https://soundcloud.com/klasaine3 New record ... http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kenlasaine Solo Guitar ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZh...5iIdO2tpgtj25Ke Stuff I'm on ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZh...b-dhb-4B0KgRY-d |
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Aug 28 2014, 06:02 PM |
I think it’s like food; before the 1950’s people tended to have healthy diets anyway, then with mass production it got worse, until at present we start to backtrack, making things that were once normal have a need to be specified such as “organic”. In terms of lifestyle that might be things like the sit stand desk. Firefoxes “Leachblocker” add on, and cardio vascular equipment of course, and the treadmill desk. Yes, artisan or craft anything from donuts to beer to bread ... the over glorification of stuff that's everyday normal. -------------------- - Ken Lasaine
https://soundcloud.com/klasaine2/foolin-the-clouds https://soundcloud.com/klasaine2/surfin-at-the-country-hop Soundcloud assorted ... https://soundcloud.com/klasaine3 New record ... http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kenlasaine Solo Guitar ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZh...5iIdO2tpgtj25Ke Stuff I'm on ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZh...b-dhb-4B0KgRY-d |
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Aug 29 2014, 07:40 AM |
Yes, “firm but fair” as they say, they need to be personable too. Some of the stricter teachers didn’t seem to have that balance and it was all or nothing. That said, that is probably better than a half-baked teacher. You’d have to think of a superhero name and what costume to wear before you even *think* about that. “The Cosmic Guitar Chop” could work well with the alteration of your name to “Cosmic” and double meaning of the word “Chop” for guitar and sword. The only problem being the name alludes to your by day alter-ego which could give the game away. I might be wrong but I believe slow Tai Chi is done so that when you execute the moves fast they are done accurately. Fluid and slow practise as you say, sounds similar to practising guitar slow at first. Very much agreed. The brain is mostly made of fat, basically a white mass of fat that houses and insulates its structure of nerves, so eating the right kind and amount of fats within our food can affect ones intelligence. Interestingly over 80% of the bodies seratonin receptors are not in the brain, but actually in the gut. True, if short for time I usually do a minimum for maintenance of health. I pushed too far recently and was in the doctors the other day (hence this late reply), won’t say more on that one. Someone once jokingly said to me “Exercise is bad for your health you can get all kinds of injuries”. I believe neither Vai, Gilbert or many other guitarists of that era grew up with a TV let alone the internet. Too many distractions nowadays and there is much less naturally in our lifestyles that will improve our minds and body. I think it’s like food; before the 1950’s people tended to have healthy diets anyway, then with mass production it got worse, until at present we start to backtrack, making things that were once normal have a need to be specified such as “organic”. In terms of lifestyle that might be things like the sit stand desk. Firefoxes “Leachblocker” add on, and cardio vascular equipment of course, and the treadmill desk. Well, the system nowadays doesn't allow us to have a moment of rest, in which we can take the proverbial two steps back and think: WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE? We tend to become little robots in a huge system and few are those who are fortunate or strong enough to break away and live fully. Life can be a really simple and enjoyable thing, if you manage to be free of possessions - no one said you should be a hermit, but no one said you NEED to have the last iPhone or the priciest car Have enough to fulfill your living needs and no more. The more you want to acquire in terms of material wealth, the more chained you are to it. There's this amazing website that I'm subscribed to: http://zenhabits.net/ You will find a lot about how to apply Zen teachings to a modern life And in respect to guitar and martial arts - there are SO MANY similarities You talked about Tai Chi - it teaches fluid and slow movements which are always round - they never stop, just like in sword play. We study a lot of the kata in Kenjutsu, based on the flow taught in Tai Chi so why not apply it in guitar playing? Select a phrase - a longer one. 1) Listen to it and remember it 2) Understand its timing, pulse, note length and accents 3) Practice it segmented if needed 4) Put it up as a whole and practice it slow and fluid 5) Raise the tempo and keep the fluidity 6) As you reach the desired tempo implement it in a musical context - does it flow? Can you execute effortlessly and with expression? These are the steps to mastering any lick or phrase, but most people get stuck at steps 1) and 2) because they want to play fast and they neglect UNDERSTANDING what they are playing, which should be the first step in everything you learn |
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Sep 17 2014, 11:54 AM
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The more you want to acquire in terms of material wealth, the more chained you are to it. That’s what many companies are hoping for I’m sure you know. Planned obsolescence: http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/milesto...0411-36gjq.html We study a lot of the kata in Kenjutsu, based on the flow taught in Tai Chi so why not apply it in guitar playing? Select a phrase - a longer one. 1) Listen to it and remember it 2) Understand its timing, pulse, note length and accents 3) Practice it segmented if needed 4) Put it up as a whole and practice it slow and fluid 5) Raise the tempo and keep the fluidity 6) As you reach the desired tempo implement it in a musical context - does it flow? Can you execute effortlessly and with expression? These are the steps to mastering any lick or phrase, but most people get stuck at steps 1) and 2) because they want to play fast and they neglect UNDERSTANDING what they are playing, which should be the first step in everything you learn Exactly, they are playing how they want to sound rather than how they can play and working their way up to it. Painting a picture and exhibiting it compared to practising an instrument and performing it, are similar yet very different. In the former you are doing quite different things between “practise” and “performance”; slowly painting it with a brush getting all the details, colours and shades, then later when exhibiting it you are doing nothing like that. In the latter you are doing the same thing in practise as performance; you are playing the instrument. I think that’s an underlying trap that makes people practise how they want to sound. Practising guitar too fast is like looking at a blank canvass and trying to see a painting on it. I think it can help to look at guitar practise like painting a picture, that being the equivalent of 3), 4), 5) and 6). Very good advice on taking breaks!!! I've worked in to an almost instinctive break ritual while playing so as to let the hands / arms recover. Thankfully, the time needed for recovery has gotten shorter over time. Same here. I stretch too. It backfired on me once. With more limber hands beneficial for guitar, the carpals / metacarpals are more limber and easier to dislodge. A builders hands, for example, will be less mobile (relatively) as suited to their work. I once pushed a cordless screwdriver very hard, something slipped in my wrist and I couldn’t play guitar for 2 weeks afterwards. I think arm wrestling should be out of the question for guitarists also. I usually need to play it A TON before it's ready to share and the repetition just takes guitar time. Tell me about it! -------------------- Founder of new startup social network site that brings the good aspects of MySpace, Twitter and FaceBook together.
MyTwitFace. |
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