Pickin' with your partner. Good idea.

Subject: Pickin' with your partner. Good idea.
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 01:42 PM

Over the years one of the toughest things I've encountered while teaching music, is helping the person who's learning "in a vacuum". No jokes about a Hoover, Spaw.

I'm talking about the person, who because of family or job constraints, is NOT surrounded by the kind of music they want to learn. They don't pick with family or friends, or go to song circles, or even have the boom box on constantly. They spend an hour or so with me every week, and maybe do their practicing early in the morning (or late at night) so as not to disturb anybody else in the house. It becomes a very solitary experience....and often the person has no concept of whether they are learning quickly or not. They simply don't have anything to measure their progress (or lack of) during the whole process.

This is exaccerbated if they aren't singing with their instrument (something I encourage constantly) and often it can take a long time for them to SEE and HEAR results.

This morning I got a call from one of my students, asking if I'd be willing to work with her partner (who's a complete beginner). "Absolutely" says I. She probably doesn't realize how quickly she's going to improve now that her partner's getting invovled (maybe they'll watch two hours less TV during the week)

Doesn't always work (getting the significant other on board) of course. I've never been able to get previous partners interested in playing, and Heather flat out said "I'm and audience....period!"

Just curious how many Catters have multiple pickers in the family.

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: Pickin' with your partner. Good idea.
From: Clifton53
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 02:47 PM

I'm at my most comfortable level musically when I pick and sing with my brother. The only problem is he lives about 1500 miles away from me, and that may soon grow to a bigger gap as he will relocate soon.

When we are together however, it's non-stop as we try to make up for lost time. He's a fine singer also, and likes the same types of music as me so it makes for some good sessions.

Generally, I play alone, but keep myself amid books and videos that are full of exercises, scales etc, and try to measure my progress in some way. I'd love to take some lessons from Rick but he lives about 400 miles away. Maybe I'll get up to Toronto someday as I hope to.

Clifton

Subject: RE: Pickin' with your partner. Good idea.
From: wysiwyg
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 04:03 PM

Hardi and I found:

Strengths reinforce strengths, and both players improve as a result.

Weaknesses usually balance each other out, just as in other aspects of life together, and both players improve as a result.

One of us is a dot-reader with some ear skill and one is an ear learner with some dot skills-- so except for a few tense moments of figuring out how to work together, and respect each others' processes--it all works fine.

And we have stretched each others' interests, also.

What's really funny is he will go upstairs to work out some new fiddle stuff and-- bored-- I'll start doing some hymn arranging. I used to think the fiddle was loud. But it's usually Hardi who hears the amped autoharp and comes down to see what I am doing and join in. ~Susan

Subject: RE: Pickin' with your partner. Good idea.
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 04:18 PM

I can imagine tensions as well. Both of you driving down the road, each with a separate steering wheel ...

I've got two friends who came literally to blows over what was the right key to play some type of music. Fortunately they weren't married to each other (even aside from the fact that they are both men), but if they had been, I don't think they would be now.

Subject: RE: Pickin' with your partner. Good idea.
From: RichM
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 04:20 PM

My wife Sue and I are currently members of an Irish band, she on upright bass, I on octave mandolin.

I also play upright bass for her singing duet (with a friend). We were in a local bluegrass band together 15 years ago. We still do a lot of duet singing ourselves--blues, folksongs, alternate country and traditional music.

She is a musical friend I can depend on--she has a great memory for lyrics, and always does her leads and harmony singing very competently and consistently. She's definitely lively and fun to make music with.

Rich McCarthy

Subject: RE: Pickin' with your partner. Good idea.
From: Jeri
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 04:50 PM

I'm one of those people Rick's talking about who's learning in pretty much a vaccuum. We have a weekly session, but it's loud and ungentle. It's not a bad idea to at least learn how to play in that sort of situation, but as a relatively new player, I don't think I'm quite ready for it. Nobody seems to play much outside of the session, and when they do, it's the same music.

The fact that I knew what I was getting into when I decided to learn guitar doesn't make the current situation easier, but at least I was somewhat prepared. It would be fun to play with others, and I'm sure I'd learn a LOT faster - it definitely worked that way with fiddle. The fact is, I have to not care anything about getting feedback from people, and I have to generate my own enthusiasm for playing and not depend on that boost I get from hanging out with other players. This is the toughest part, and I hope I can keep it going long enough to get somewhere.

I can get frustrated, and ask myself "Why keep going? You're never going to get anywhere and nobody cares if you learn or not." On good days, my answer is "I play JUST because I enjoy it, and I care."

Subject: RE: Pickin' with your partner. Good idea.
From: Louie Roy
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 05:59 PM

You can learn more playing with a group in one hour than you can learn playing by yourself in one month and you will find that your rhythm timing and chording will improve with each session.Louie Roy

Subject: RE: Pickin' with your partner. Good idea.
From: RichM
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 06:26 PM

There is a definite plus to playing music with one or more other people,as Louie Roy says.

It helps you get past those awkward places, where you habitually slow down, stop, or hit the wrong note.

It can also give you a good dose of enthusiasm that can carry you right through to the next get together.

Subject: RE: Pickin' with your partner. Good idea.
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 08:25 PM

The thing is, you don't have to get it all at once, and you don't have to get it right first time either. If you miss it this time round, you can get it the next time.

And you don't have time to worry about the mistakes you make, and sometimes the turn out to be mistakes worth incorporating.

That's the great thing with this type of music we play. The whole is far greater than the parts. A bunch of people who individually mightn't be that hot - but put them together, and just now and then it's sheer magic.

Subject: RE: Pickin' with your partner. Good idea.
From: 53
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 09:14 PM

I'm teaching Glenda to play the guitar. She's been playing now almost a year. It is very rewarding and enjoyable.

Subject: RE: Pickin' with your partner. Good idea.
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 09:30 PM

Here are some related thoughts, but in a different direction: kerplonkhere

Some of the best music I've heard over the years has been made by family groups. Mudcatters Sandy and Caroline Paton, and Barbara and Frank Shaw come to mind. It beats learning ballroom dancing! (a former significant other tried her damndest to get me to submit to that)

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: Pickin' with your partner. Good idea.
From: georgeward
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 09:45 PM

As far as I'm concerned, the most important thing about the classes Old Songs offers every spring and fall is that people who want to learn to play find one another. I'm not sure we even know how many bands, sessions and friendships we've provided a safe, nurturing starting-place for. But over the years I've become a believer in the power of classes to create something much more important than the classes themselves.

Subject: RE: Pickin' with your partner. Good idea.
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 25 Mar 02 - 09:20 AM

Hey, thanks Rick!

Frank had pretty much given up music when I bought him a banjo and asked him to teach me guitar, about 10 years ago. Together, we got bit by this amazing stuff, and it was "pickin' with your partner" that did it. Making music together has become a huge part of our lives, and it is a big part of our togetherness as well.

Yesterday the two of us went to visit a dying friend at Hospice, and we brought along a guitar and banjo. We had a wonderful time playing music for our friend and all the visitors in the room, and had another amazing musical memory.

Subject: RE: Pickin' with your partner. Good idea.
From: John P
Date: 25 Mar 02 - 10:10 AM

My wife and I met when she joined a band I was in. We discovered mutual musical tastes that weren't being met by the band, so we left and formed a duet act. We've been playing together ever since (19 years now - ackk!). We had to learn fairly early on to leave the marraige out of the music room and vice versa. We are both highly opinionated and strong-willed, so we bicker a lot about what to do with the songs we are learning. It goes back and forth and finally pops out as something a lot better than either of us would have come up with on our own. Fortunately, we are turned on by the same music and the same songs, so we don't have any problem there.

We have specialized somewhat over the years. Anna plays most of the lead parts and does all the singing, and I do most of the accompaniment. She is drawn to instruments like hurdy-gurdy, nyckelharpa, and fiddle and I am drawn to octave mandolin, guitar, and lap dulcimer. It's interesting to see which audience members think she defines our sound, and which think it's me. It's both of us, of course, but surprisingly few people get that.

A lot of our friends are also performing couples. It makes a lot of sense -- we have the same social calendar and the same level of commitment. Also, folk music doesn't often pay enough for larger groups to be financially viable.

John Peekstok

Subject: RE: Pickin' with your partner. Good idea.
From: C-flat
Date: 25 Mar 02 - 11:11 AM

All of my three brothers play guitar to varying degrees. Although we've never all got together in the same band we have stood in for one-another on occassion. It was the best learning tool ever! I am currently teaching a guy "in a vaccuum" and it's such hard work sometimes. He has great tenacity and wants me to tab everything I know for him, but can miss out a note or two when playing a piece and not notice that his timings out as a result! That sort of musical instinct only comes from playing along with others.

Subject: RE: Pickin' with your partner. Good idea.
From:
Date: 25 Mar 02 - 12:54 PM

Well, Timbo (aka Reynaud) and I are partners and pickin' partners. I think it makes our relationship a whole lot stronger *and* it improves my music.

V