Live and don't learn

Subject: Live and don't learn
From: Marion
Date: 29 Jul 01 - 09:23 PM

Survey question: what lessons have you found it the hardest to learn in the process of becoming a musician?

I'm not thinking so much of things that are hard to do or to understand - F chords and modal theory and so on - but of things that are hard to put into practice.

For me, it's these two principles:

1. When practicing, play a piece as slowly as you need to to play it properly, and practice it many times slowly before bringing it up to speed.

2. When performing, choose material that is easy for you, rather than attempting stuff that you may not be able to do well when nervous.

In both cases, I understand why these principles are important. I've read and heard them being giving as advice, and I've advised them to others. I've suffered the consequences of breaking them, and experienced the benefits of following them.

But still, the temptation to try to play faster and fancier than I really can is still too, well, tempting.

What is it for you?

Marion

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: Jeri
Date: 29 Jul 01 - 10:00 PM

If you have problems with a piece of music, leave it alone for a while.

Confidence is important. If don't feel confident and should, pretend you do and at some point, you will. I think Rick Fielding once said something like "If you're gonna make a mistake, make it loud!"

(I agree completely with your #1. It takes forever to learn a tune when I keep having to stop because I play too fast.)

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: GUEST,khandu
Date: 29 Jul 01 - 10:52 PM

As an avid fingerpicker, I find myself trying to incorporate fingerpicking into EVERYTHING! This is not good. I know better. Yet, I plunge headlong, often into disaster.

I also agree with your #1. I must play a complex piece very slowly (Especially true of fingerpicking) until I get it down solidly. But, I get frustrated and overstep my boundaries quite often.

My head is harder than the hard lessons learned.

khandu

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: kendall
Date: 29 Jul 01 - 11:05 PM

I dont do anything fast.

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: Benjamin
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 01:23 AM

Practicing scales. I never do, but as a classical guitarist, I really should. I don't why I never do.

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 01:44 AM

If you make a mistake, repeat it so people think you did it on purpose the first time.

Seamus

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: MMario
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 09:43 AM

My #1 rule - since I am an amateur singer - is "if you don't enjoy it, don't do it" Occasionally I will find I just don't "like" singing a particular song - so why bother with it?

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 09:46 AM

I suppose I've never learned that confidence is no substitute for talent!
RtS (singing too often, too loud and too out of tune)

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: Grab
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 10:04 AM

No matter how much you may enjoy a piece, don't forget that others might not. Especially for the 100th time... :-)

Graham.

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: Jande
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 10:46 AM

For me it's practising every, or almost every day. When I taught guitar to beginners, I always stressed the importance of this "even if it is only for twenty minutes a day". Yet I will resist practising the songs I've written that I need to learn properly in order to have the confidence to perform/record them.

I mean, I "should" be working on my music right this minute, but here I am on mudcat. :`)

There always seem to be too much of everything else to do.

~ Jande

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 11:21 AM

Learned the hard way.

In the beginning, decide who you want to sound like. Have an aural goal. If you don't know where you trying to go, you are not going anywhere.

If you are trying to learn to play a particular style, e.g., the traditional music of WV, in the beginning it is more important to listen than to play. Get the sound you want to achieve fixed firmly in your brain. (From Dwight Diller).

Find a teacher who is doing the music you want to do. Do what the teacher says. Everything.

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: Kim C
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 01:19 PM

I play too fast too....

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 01:45 PM

Marion, was it you that once recounted playing in a church and spontaneously deciding to use a mute - which then obscured your sight of the music? Maybe I've got the wrong person. Whoever it was, it was a graphic reminder of a lesson I had learnt many times by then and will probably learn many more times - don't do ad libs till you've practised them.

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: Marion
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 09:07 PM

Yes, Fionn, that was my story, as recounted in this thread: Rirst Real Gig. I'm pleased that you remember it. But for me at least, that wasn't a hard lesson to learn - I haven't made that specific mistake again, and don't intend to.

Regarding Russ' advice to "Do what the teacher says. Everything."... isn't that going a bit far?

Marion

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 31 Jul 01 - 01:58 PM

Musically speaking, of course.

Another thing I've learned the hard way.

The assumption, of course, is that the teacher is a master at producing the sound you want to make.

So when the teacher says "do this" or "do it this way."
Just do it.
EVEN IF
it is NOT the way you would have chosen to do it
it is NOT the way you usually/always do it
it is NOT easy
it does NOT make sense at the moment

The assumption is very important. Don't go to a classical violinist to learn to play bluegrass fiddle.

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: Bill D
Date: 31 Jul 01 - 02:35 PM

*thinking VERY hard...*

Having thought, I believe that listening is crucial. Not only to notes, styles, opinions..etc....but also to silences and flow and 'relevance' in a group...being aware of when to do, or not do a particular song can be the best thing you learn.
..no one will ever comment that you DIDN'T break a mood of sad ballads with your pre-programmed determination to do the silly parody you wrote...but they sure will remember if you DO!

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 31 Jul 01 - 03:18 PM

Well put. Wish more musicians would take your advice seriously.

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: Les B
Date: 31 Jul 01 - 10:36 PM

Resisting practicing is probably the highest on my list of should do's , followed by reluctance to learn new songs.

Another area of weakness is never to allow a drunk to play any instrument for which you have feelings !

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: John Hardly
Date: 31 Jul 01 - 10:46 PM

Don't practice with an imagined response in mind. It will almost always throw off your timing if the response isn't the response you anticipated. (this seems to happen even MORE often with humorous material)

Avoid playing down to your audience. It's safer to perform ASSUMING there to be someone of superior talent/knowledge in your audience.

JH

Subject: RE: Live and don't learn
From: annamill
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 12:45 PM

Jeri,

"If you have problems with a piece of music, leave it alone for a while. "

At least I'm doing something right with my guitar playing ;-( ..how long, exactly, is a while, Jer?

**BG**

Love, Annamill