Weekly: To practice every day! Good days 1.5 hours, bad days 15 of rolls.
March: By the end of March I want to work through all Witcher rolls and scales at slow speed. I want to be able to play Fireball Mail w/ rolls at medium speed - about 190?
April: Take one lesson with Witcher. Buy Reso!
May: By Strawberry I want to have worked through Witcher Book.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Monday, November 23, 2009
Back in November 2009
So I am back. It has been a while. I put in some big effort at the beginning of this year and it is time to evaluate.
I think I really approached this 10 months ago from in intellectual standpoint. My perspective has been: If I practice methodically listening to recordings evaluation looking for progress and weaknesses that I will make progress.
Unfortunately that was not necessarily the case. I almost found that the more I evaluated and critically listened the worse I played.
I think there is a place for practicing diligently with schedules and goals but - evaluation and comparison don't seem to work very well with me. I am pretty honest about my playing and know what I can do well and how it sounds. That is not much of a problem with me. What is a problem with me is fear. I am nervous, and often contained by my fear of letting loose and playing. Mark mentioned that about Mason and I agree.
So for me the intelectual method of evaluation and concentrating on the weaknesses and working on them just feeds into my critical nature and adds to my idea that I am not able to play up to a certain level. That I suck.
It has been very good to hear the boys comment on missing me - everyone has said something. Mason told me "believe it or not you have a little fan club here and we miss you when your gone." That kind of validation really shores up my confidence and allows me to step up to the next level. I really need to hear that kind of stuff from others and mostly from myself and need to really believe it.
So what is opposite of the evaluation/critical approach to learning? Non-judgmental, positive reienforcement, celebrate, take it for what it is, enjoy what it is now, don't compare even with yourself.
I now am thinking that listening back to recordings is detrimental for me. If I was a person who had an inflated view of what I can do and was more like Hailey - then she could probably gain from listing to recordings of her playing and realize what it is she needs to work on... I don't need that. I know what I need to work on and even more so I don't need a recording to tell me how I am playing right now.
My goal is to play more in the moment, to think and evaluate less, to listen to the song and the music and loosen up and let it flow more, to relax and just play, to trust myself and what I can do right now - not always looking if only I had 100hrs of practice and just learned this then I would be better. Just play now get into the music play your heart out push it with what you have right now. If you are doing that - you have arrived.
That should be my focus going into the winter woodshedding playing season.
I think I really approached this 10 months ago from in intellectual standpoint. My perspective has been: If I practice methodically listening to recordings evaluation looking for progress and weaknesses that I will make progress.
Unfortunately that was not necessarily the case. I almost found that the more I evaluated and critically listened the worse I played.
I think there is a place for practicing diligently with schedules and goals but - evaluation and comparison don't seem to work very well with me. I am pretty honest about my playing and know what I can do well and how it sounds. That is not much of a problem with me. What is a problem with me is fear. I am nervous, and often contained by my fear of letting loose and playing. Mark mentioned that about Mason and I agree.
So for me the intelectual method of evaluation and concentrating on the weaknesses and working on them just feeds into my critical nature and adds to my idea that I am not able to play up to a certain level. That I suck.
It has been very good to hear the boys comment on missing me - everyone has said something. Mason told me "believe it or not you have a little fan club here and we miss you when your gone." That kind of validation really shores up my confidence and allows me to step up to the next level. I really need to hear that kind of stuff from others and mostly from myself and need to really believe it.
So what is opposite of the evaluation/critical approach to learning? Non-judgmental, positive reienforcement, celebrate, take it for what it is, enjoy what it is now, don't compare even with yourself.
I now am thinking that listening back to recordings is detrimental for me. If I was a person who had an inflated view of what I can do and was more like Hailey - then she could probably gain from listing to recordings of her playing and realize what it is she needs to work on... I don't need that. I know what I need to work on and even more so I don't need a recording to tell me how I am playing right now.
My goal is to play more in the moment, to think and evaluate less, to listen to the song and the music and loosen up and let it flow more, to relax and just play, to trust myself and what I can do right now - not always looking if only I had 100hrs of practice and just learned this then I would be better. Just play now get into the music play your heart out push it with what you have right now. If you are doing that - you have arrived.
That should be my focus going into the winter woodshedding playing season.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Vocabulary Development
In the next month I would like to add to my vocabulary some more phrases that I can use in different situations. Also I would like to hone in on developing my style. In my eyes right now that would be a more minimal approach with use of phrases bound by lots of space...
In one month (April 20th)I would like to have more ideas of options when playing to a song and more of a idea of a style - right now I have nothing so that shouldn't be hard to get started on. At least to start to definining my style - which will be much different than Marks or other hot pickers. If I have a defined style in my mind about me and how I play and pursue that I think that will eliminate some of the comparative banter going on in my mind when I see someone else pick.
In one month (April 20th)I would like to have more ideas of options when playing to a song and more of a idea of a style - right now I have nothing so that shouldn't be hard to get started on. At least to start to definining my style - which will be much different than Marks or other hot pickers. If I have a defined style in my mind about me and how I play and pursue that I think that will eliminate some of the comparative banter going on in my mind when I see someone else pick.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Monthly Goals: March
For March my focus is going to be to read and experience the Passionate Practice suggestions. I need to make steps go calm myself and get out of my own way when playing with others.
LEFT HAND TECHNIQUE: Everything I do from now on needs to be with concentrated effort to retrain my left hand. Every piece I play - practice and with others. Here are things I need to keep in mind:
- closely watch LH all the time
- minimal motion/effort overall
- think “light touch”
- think “LH grace and smoothness”
- fingers curved in “Puppy Paw” pose
- pinky curved around with other fingers
- fingers stay close together – little movement
- fingers curved and coming down perpendicular to fretboard
- fingertips close to strings ¼” waiting
- on release, fingers stay close
- thumb pulled back a little behind top of neck
- relaxed feeling in fingers and hand
- minimal effort to push down string to fret only – not wood!
- lighten up grip/touch on rhythm
- volume/tone comes from RH
- heavy volume/dig in with RH vs. light touch with LH
Have met the goal of jamming with others. Jammed quite a few days in February. Same goal for March. Go to about 5-6 jams during the month - at least 2-3 RWC jams. Work on implementing PP R/A techniques at jams. Goal is to feel looser at jams. Especially right hand flow. More in the zone when playing with others.
LEFT HAND TECHNIQUE: Everything I do from now on needs to be with concentrated effort to retrain my left hand. Every piece I play - practice and with others. Here are things I need to keep in mind:
- closely watch LH all the time
- minimal motion/effort overall
- think “light touch”
- think “LH grace and smoothness”
- fingers curved in “Puppy Paw” pose
- pinky curved around with other fingers
- fingers stay close together – little movement
- fingers curved and coming down perpendicular to fretboard
- fingertips close to strings ¼” waiting
- on release, fingers stay close
- thumb pulled back a little behind top of neck
- relaxed feeling in fingers and hand
- minimal effort to push down string to fret only – not wood!
- lighten up grip/touch on rhythm
- volume/tone comes from RH
- heavy volume/dig in with RH vs. light touch with LH
Have met the goal of jamming with others. Jammed quite a few days in February. Same goal for March. Go to about 5-6 jams during the month - at least 2-3 RWC jams. Work on implementing PP R/A techniques at jams. Goal is to feel looser at jams. Especially right hand flow. More in the zone when playing with others.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Monthly Goals - Feb 2009
This month I am working on revisiting these standards:
Cherokee Shuffle
Blackberry Blossom
Clinch Mnt Backstep
Rebecca
New Camptown Races
Beaumont Rag
Focus on updating my arrangements. Slow concentrated practice, breaking down parts and focus on relaxation and getting the tone I want. Pay attention to smooth playing - work up the speed slowly with smooth playing.
Start hard work of SMOOTHING out arrangements. This will have to be worked on SLOWLY with a lot of patience. Trying to hold down those strings as long as possible. Notes blend over each other. It will be like UN-learning songs. Have to be done slow with a lot of repetitions.
Start taping arrangements of songs. "Where I am at right now." Play a whole song of just a part and see if I can get it perfect - all notes clear, with as much tone and smoothness that I can coax out of that guitar. Name and date it. This will serve as baseline references for me to compare my progress. Make a folder, call it progress. Maybe make monthly folders. Date each recording. So I can go back and listen to gauge progress.
Record songs/parts at tempos with metronome where I can play all the notes clearly - no missed notes. Then, think about how smooth it is... what kind of tone is there. By the end of the month I would like to be able to push that speed up about 10 clicks.
I want to also attend at least 2-3 RWC jams. And also Masons jams - with recording the masons jams. Figure out best way to do that. I want to listen to and evaluate the recordings. I would like to see some improvement on tone, smoothness, and arrangements by end of month - at least on these songs.
Cherokee Shuffle
Blackberry Blossom
Clinch Mnt Backstep
Rebecca
New Camptown Races
Beaumont Rag
Focus on updating my arrangements. Slow concentrated practice, breaking down parts and focus on relaxation and getting the tone I want. Pay attention to smooth playing - work up the speed slowly with smooth playing.
Start hard work of SMOOTHING out arrangements. This will have to be worked on SLOWLY with a lot of patience. Trying to hold down those strings as long as possible. Notes blend over each other. It will be like UN-learning songs. Have to be done slow with a lot of repetitions.
Start taping arrangements of songs. "Where I am at right now." Play a whole song of just a part and see if I can get it perfect - all notes clear, with as much tone and smoothness that I can coax out of that guitar. Name and date it. This will serve as baseline references for me to compare my progress. Make a folder, call it progress. Maybe make monthly folders. Date each recording. So I can go back and listen to gauge progress.
Record songs/parts at tempos with metronome where I can play all the notes clearly - no missed notes. Then, think about how smooth it is... what kind of tone is there. By the end of the month I would like to be able to push that speed up about 10 clicks.
I want to also attend at least 2-3 RWC jams. And also Masons jams - with recording the masons jams. Figure out best way to do that. I want to listen to and evaluate the recordings. I would like to see some improvement on tone, smoothness, and arrangements by end of month - at least on these songs.
Six Month Goals: June 2009 - Grass Valley
By Grass Valley I will have:
- Attended MANY jams
- Am more comfortable in a jam situation
- Improved relaxation playing with others
- Recorded many jams at Masons to evaluate
- Seen some improvement in my sound - this means:
- Better tone - less twang
- Smoother playing - less choppiness - more clean notes
- Better timing
- Able to play all the standards fairly smoothly - improved from 1/09
- Able to sing many songs
- Able to kick off many songs with breaks and explain the progression
One Year Goal - Jan 2010
All others including these:
- Improved Technique - as evident in recorded jams
- This includes:
- Better tone
- Smoother playing
- Less twang
- Better timing
- All this at speeds up to 220
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