Best Musical Advice You Ever Got Options

[Bogdan Radovic]

What is the best musical advice you ever got and from whom did you get it?

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This post has been edited by Bogdan Radovic: May 22 2010, 09:12 PM

[fkalich]

From neurological research. Two greatest principles;

1) In the final analysis, your goal is to establish synaptic mappings which manifest themselves in performing at a virtuoso level. Doing the correct things automatically establishes the mappings. Doing the incorrect things automatically does the opposite. You become what your practice habits are. The good news is, these poor synaptic mappings fade away with disuse, and more effective ones will be established with great practice habits. This principle is violated in many ways, quite commonly. One of these is making mistakes, playing so fast you have some areas where you slop it out. When you do that, you just reinforce that kind of play. It does not go away magically, you just keep ingraining it. This is one reason I consider practicing with backing tracks more than just occasionally is counter productive. People tend to gloss over their flaws, cover them up. But they don't go away, it is just lipstick on a pig when you do that. You will still remain a pig, no matter how long you go at it that way. Maybe a faster pig, but still a pig.

2) The better you concentrate, the much faster your brain is cable of learning. A person may think that they concentrate, but honestly, I don't think many people even know what high levels of concentration are.

Really capable teachers here followed these principles, I am confident of that, even if they did not think of it in this fashion. For example in an earlier time, Kris said to use a metronome, but keep it simple. He knew that going beyond that was just going to take you away from concentrating on your actual play. However I think people want the quick fix today, and backing tracks give them that, give them an illusion that they are more skilled and artistic than they actually are. I play just a bit with those for fun, and think they can be helpful if not used too much. But for the most part I follow Kris's original advice if I want to use a pace maker.

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This post has been edited by fkalich: May 25 2010, 04:37 AM