Reflections Beyond a Neophyte Musician

Subject: Reflections Beyond a Neophyte Musician
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 18 Apr 01 - 06:19 PM

When I first took up the banjo I found the world of becoming a musician exciting but quite overwhelming. I was told 'if it ain't fun, it ain't worth doing'. From my experience, I am not sure if that is the best advice to give someone just starting out. At first, much of becoming a musician for me was not fun. My fingers could only stretch so far, I had no calluses built up so play hurt most of the time. I had no clue what was going when playing in a jam sessions and I would be quite nervous at my lessons for fear of making a mistake. I didn't know how to change the strings when one broke and felt little confidence in tuning my banjo. I had to rearrange my life so that I could find time to practice and make my music a priority. I had to look at my finances and some how work things out so that I could invest in lessons on a regular basis.
I thank God I had a compassionate, insightful teacher like Rick Fielding who was in tune & sensitive to what I was experiencing.

All this was not fun, it was hard work but worth it.
Now that I am beyond that stage I can finally appreciate the saying "if it aint fun, it ain't worth it."
But if I come across a neophyte musician who is going through what I went through in the beginning, I would try to give them the foundation that I got from Rick Fielding.

If you were to guide a neophyte, a raw beginner, what advice would you give them? I know we have had threads like this before, but it wouldn't hurt to hear some more thoughts on the subject.

Bonnie

Subject: RE: Reflections Beyond a Neophyte Musician
From: Justa Picker
Date: 18 Apr 01 - 06:34 PM

Bonnie,

I can empathize with your sentiments.

No, it's not always fun. Like you said in the beginning your fingers and wrist ache; the fear of making mistakes (lack of self confidence), and other variables which you touched on. But the rewards come. You get out of it what you put into it, except I think it may be a lop sided reward, because so often we get much more out of it than we put into it on levels that transcend the actual playing of the instrument.

The best advice I would give to anyone embarking on learning an instrument would probably begin with a question? Why do you want to learn this instrument? If the answer is something to the effect of "I feel compelled or I feel a calling or an affinity with this instrument" then I'd say go for it. You have to want to learn to play it. If on the other hand the person said "my parents (or other peer group) suggested I take lessons" and it was evident they were doing it to appease someone else or their expections, I'd tell them to take their money that they would have spent on an instrument and lessons, and buy a DVD player and a few good movies instead.

You have to want it.
If you don't, find something else that interests you.

Subject: RE: Reflections Beyond a Neophyte Musician
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 18 Apr 01 - 06:38 PM

Someone who takes up music and wants to experience the fun and the wonder, MUST be willing to give up something else in their life.

A musician's world will NEVER be dull, boring or unchallenging (unless they want it to be) but there's an investment that has to be made.

Plus it gives your social life a boost!!!

Rick

Subject: RE: Reflections Beyond a Neophyte Musician
From: Big Mick
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 12:39 AM

The best advice ever given to me was a simple sentence...........

"You have to be bad in order to be good"

Thanks, Mike. This gentleman pointed out that even Doc Watson stunk at one time. It has guided me ever since.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: Reflections Beyond a Neophyte Musician
From: mousethief
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 12:44 AM

If you want it, you can get it
But to get it, you gotta want it

And the more you want it, the sooner you'll get it.

All life is hard. Why not work hard and have something to show for it?

Alex

Subject: RE: Reflections Beyond a Neophyte Musician
From: M.Ted
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 12:48 AM

My advice:Listen to all kinds of music and ask people what it is--even when you are in a gas station that is run by Turkish guys who speak no English at all, but are playing the coolest Turkish disco fusion music ever, and remember, it is OK to dance, even if you are a guy, because Turkish men dance together, and what else is there to do in Trenton, New Jersey at 3 am, anyway?

Subject: RE: Reflections Beyond a Neophyte Musician
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 09:57 AM

Bonnie,

First, be up front with the beginner. This will be HARD and FRUSTRATING. We have mislead (lied to) an entire generation (at least). The Sesame Street Generation. The puppets, the dancing letters, the snappy jingles all say that learning is fun, learning is easy. In reality learning is often (perhaps usually) NOT fun. It is hardly ever easy. KNOWING is fun. Being able to DO is fun.

Second, I second Justa Picker's advice, but my question to a beginner is more specific, "Who do you want to sound like?" I have learned the hard way that if you don't know where you are going, you ain't goin nowhere. I think you have learned that lesson too.

Third, I also second M. Ted's advice. The three most important things a beginner can do are listen, listen, and listen. As Deewight Diller says, you should spend more time listening than playing.

Fourth, my advice to the beginner is do whatever it takes to find a teacher who is willing to teach you how to sound the way you want to sound. It is normal and not really a bad thing that teachers want to teach you to sound the way they want you to sound. It just takes a bit of effort to find a teacher who wants to teach you to sound the way you want to sound. (Did that come out right?)

Subject: RE: Reflections Beyond a Neophyte Musician
From: Bedubya
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 12:31 PM

Okay, Bonnie. You posted to my thread, so I'm gonna post to yours.

Playing music is the most joy-filled thing that I do. Yet, after thirty years, it still brings me pain. A couple of years ago, I quit the band that I had been a part of, through various incarnations, for fifteen years. Gigging, hauling equipment, rehearsing and putting up with other people's BS had taken all the fun out of the experience. It had really gotten to be more of a job than fun. Yet, I'm still friends with the former bandmates. We've been getting together and jamming quite a bit lately, and that is still fun. Problem is we've had so much fun recently that they're begging me to rejoin the group and holding out this big carrot of upcoming performances at a major folk festival as enticement. But I'm not gonna do it! Since quitting that band I have learned to play two new instruments and expanded my stylistic range on guitar tremendously. If I rejoin the band, I'll be back to playing guitar behind a show-off fiddler again. Sometimes a person can be a pleasure to play with if nobody's making any rules. But put them in a "bandleader" role and they instantly become Music Nazi. I'm having too much fun just playing what I want to play, even if it is just for the cats.

Well, now that that rant is over, what's the point? I guess it's just that music will always be a mixture of pleasure and pain. That you will always have to make painful decisions regarding the direction in which you want your music to go. Sometimes the old way of doing things will cease to be fun, and you have to go through the pain of letting them go before the fun can return.

I don't think music will ever stop being fun for me. A particular situation may become painful. A particular style or instrument may cease to please. But music will always have enough unexplored territory to always provide new adventures for those with a true desire to eplore.

Keep the Faith

Bruce

Subject: RE: Reflections Beyond a Neophyte Musician
From: LR Mole
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 12:49 PM

Lowell George said, "Never practice: always just play." It's a statement that looks like it's easy to pick holes in, but there is considerable truth in it, for me anyway.Playing something slowly or notskillfully enough makes most people play more. "Practicing", running through exercises over and over, can be discouraging. And as soon as some things have been learned, it's time to find people to play with.

Subject: RE: Reflections Beyond a Neophyte Musician
From: Bert
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 01:13 PM

And DON'T put your guitar/banjo/whatever back in it's case. Leave it out where you can get at it easily and pick it up if you get a spare moment.

Subject: RE: Reflections Beyond a Neophyte Musician
From: M.Ted
Date: 20 Apr 01 - 12:21 PM

Having played in a number of bands over the years, I really understand what Bruce is talking about--playing guitar in a folk band tends to mean that you are always a frame for someone elses picture--