Parralax view
New Member
One of the main reasons I leave them out or hanging and available. Out of sight, out of mind has ruined more ukuleles and good guitars in Hawaii than any harsh playing or handling. If one is there, I pick it up, but like others, I'm rather predictable in whats going to come out of the amp. I try to find new stuff that is challenging and do from time to time. But time to time isn't good enough, I still work and am involved greatly with my business so it takes much time away from it. If I was retired, I might advance but for now, a couple of hours a week is about it.
Mirroredas
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2020
- Messages
- 92
Practice, by itself, is a word that weighs a ton. However, if you're willing to set goals that are much more clear than that, it becomes manageable. Instead of saying that you need to practice, you should say that you will practice a specific passage of a specific song for 45 minutes, 5/6 days every week (so that you can cheat a day if you have to, without feeling bad and stopping altogether), expecting only to improve 5 bpm each week. Small goals are easier to achieve and the positive reward becomes addicting. You might end up doing much more than you planned, not by obligation, but pure enjoyment.
I also think it is really important to record yourself, regardless of if it's your music or not, or if you're a pro or not . We're not always at the top of our game, and it's nice to have proof that we have accomplished something over the years. The first time I recorded myself, it was like a punch to the stomach. I thought that I sounded a lot better than what I actually did, but I didn't give up and continued to improve.
The hurry to put in the hours will also prevent you from warming up, tuning your guitar and having a bit of fun as well. If you sound bad from the moment you start, how can you enjoy a practice session?
I guess that doing it on a PRS also helps (that I will only know in a few months)
I also think it is really important to record yourself, regardless of if it's your music or not, or if you're a pro or not . We're not always at the top of our game, and it's nice to have proof that we have accomplished something over the years. The first time I recorded myself, it was like a punch to the stomach. I thought that I sounded a lot better than what I actually did, but I didn't give up and continued to improve.
The hurry to put in the hours will also prevent you from warming up, tuning your guitar and having a bit of fun as well. If you sound bad from the moment you start, how can you enjoy a practice session?
I guess that doing it on a PRS also helps (that I will only know in a few months)
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
One important factor, you’ve got to want to practice!
danktat
Award winning tattoo artist ... Amateur guitarist
Since I posted this, I have made it a point to go a minimum of a half hour, 5 times per week. Rehearsals with the band go three hours and we have been getting together regularly since we are supposed to be doing some recording soon. That half hour is MINIMUM. But I have been putting in more time than that. Not on purpose, but because once I get wrapped up in something, then the time seem to go by pretty quickly. So far so good. Lets see how long I can keep it up.
Nurk2
Should you be practicing right now?
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2020
- Messages
- 138
Not to be argumentative...but I disagree. You have to want to get better. You have to want to achieve your goals. But you don't have to want to practice.
My point being, you have to practice whether you want to or not. Waiting for the mood to strike is a fool's game. "Tomorrow becomes never."
TSTone2
New Member
After a semi-failed solo gig last summer, I convinced myself that instead of chasing tone and buying gear, it was time to practice more. I would normally only jam on the weekend 2-3 hours per night. But now I try to sit down at least a 1/2 hour or so every Sunday through Thursday night and figure things out. Play loud Friday and Saturday night. I am improving but progress is slow.
Nurk2
Should you be practicing right now?
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2020
- Messages
- 138
Yes. Progress is slow. I don't know what else to say.
Progress is slow.
Keep practicing. I've looked really really hard for some sort of magic bullet or shortcut. There isn't one.
Progress is slow..
danktat
Award winning tattoo artist ... Amateur guitarist
My main issue is STARTING. Like now. I have some down time at the shop. I "could" be running over a few scales, or polishing up on a song or two. There is always at least one guitar in the shop. But instead.........I am on here TYPING about practicing instead of PRACTICING. Once I get started, I get on a roll and things do typically go well.....But the picking up the guitar, tuning it up, plugging in (if it is electric), grabbing whatever study material I may be wanting to look at...etc...etc...etc...... THAT is the part that inhibits me from starting. Some people actually LOVE that part if it all. Because for them, the journey is as big a part of the process as the result. I am a result driven kind of person and the journey [for me] is more the way to get to that result than it is the enjoyable part of it. And that isn't just with guitar. It is with most things in my life. Including my work (which is also a creative field that requires extensive amounts of time and energy to learn to be efficient at). Perhaps it is a character flaw, IDK. But flaw or not, it is still a reality for me. I will get in some playing time today. But it would be great if the LEARNING was the "fun" part for me as much as the results.
Nurk2
Should you be practicing right now?
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2020
- Messages
- 138
What if I told you that I've bought a lot of expensive tattoo equipment, and I'd like to get really good at tattooing, but I can rarely bring myself to draw anything? What would your advice to me?
Can you apply that to your relationship to music?
danktat
Award winning tattoo artist ... Amateur guitarist
No. Because tattooing is what I do for a living. So, I am "practicing" every day. Every time I pick up a machine, to do a tattoo, no matter how many years I have been doing this, it is a lesson in the mechanics of how tattooing works. So in essence, I am "forced" to practice. So sure, for music it is the same....if you are playing, no matter what you are playing, it is a lesson in music, or technique or opens your ears a little more or whatever. . .But I have to CHOOSE to pick it up, as opposed to having an appointment coming in at 3:00 that will FORCE me to pick it up. Get the difference?
I was a champion wrestler in high school. I HATED to practice. What I hated more was to get my a$$ kicked at the dual meet or the tournament at the end of the week. So, the practice or the learning wasn't my goal....it was the win. Again, results driven.
I am pretty sure not everyone thinks that way.....but that is the best I can explain it to you.
Nurk2
Should you be practicing right now?
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2020
- Messages
- 138
Right. OK. Let me try this a different way....
You were not born an artist. You didn't walk into a studio one day and say, "Hand me that pen," I'm ready to start inking people." Presumably, you practiced a little, right? Maybe you looked at what other people did? Maybe you tried to copy it? Maybe you came up with original designs, and improved and improved on them? Maybe you came up with stuff that sucked, but you worked on it and got better? Perhaps you had been drawing for YEARS before you actually started tattooing people?
Maybe you just kept practicing until you were good enough to actually do what you wanted to do?
Now, imagine that this is a tattoo forum, and you're talking to people who have bought expensive tattoo equipment, want to become artists, but complain because they never actually spend time practicing the sorts of things that are going to make them good.
What would you tell them?
danktat
Award winning tattoo artist ... Amateur guitarist
Drawing for me was never "practice". I just drew. It wasn't even to get better. It was really just something I did. I don't ever remember not drawing. I do think that people are born "artists". I don't personally think you can teach "art". You can teach technique, application, theory, history, etc.....but the art itself is either in you or it isn't. But that is going down a whole separate path of debate that I have had before in other arenas.
danktat
Award winning tattoo artist ... Amateur guitarist
Now that I think about it, if I felt like I was practicing, I probably wouldn't be doing what I do for a living. If I had to sit down to a regimen of "do lines at this angle until they are perfect". Or "shade this out to look like this until you get it right"...... In fact, I think if I felt like that was what I was doing, I can almost guarantee I wouldn't still be doing it. But, a scale to me IS practice. A formula for building a chord FEELS like practice. Often learning a song feels LESS like practice, but still, fumbling all over the fretboard until it comes out sounding good can get a little but "practice-y"...lol
Nurk2
Should you be practicing right now?
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2020
- Messages
- 138
1) If music is an art form, and
2) Art cannot be taught (it's inborn)
then:
Anyone on this forum who is not born to be a musician should either,
- Stop now, or,
- Accept that they are destined to be mediocre and be satisfied with that.
You've can guess where I stand on that conclusion.
Good luck with your music.
danktat
Award winning tattoo artist ... Amateur guitarist
Dude....I have seen SOOOOO many people who are just this. They can learn all the technique in the world, understand all they can, and still, their talent ceiling will only take them so far. Sure, you can maximize what you do have. Maybe even use what you have learned to stretch it a bit. But a phenom is born a phenom. Not all phenoms develop their talent. But if they decided to then they could get there. But I seldom see someone who really is not given a certain gift push much past whatever their talent ceiling was in the first place.
But again, that is going down a different discussino.
jxe
babe en der wood
i was born the best. first tat i did was a flaming 8-ball in ‘49 and people have copied me ever since.
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
Not to be argumentative...but I disagree. You have to want to get better. You have to want to achieve your goals. But you don't have to want to practice.
My point being, you have to practice whether you want to or not. Waiting for the mood to strike is a fool's game. "Tomorrow becomes never."
Your comment proves my point that you’ve got to want to practice. No matter the what drives you!
Your motivation to draw isn’t any different from a musician who’s passion drives them
to play.
danktat
Award winning tattoo artist ... Amateur guitarist
What is funny is that I don't know if I drew because I "liked" it. I just did it. I don't ever remember not doing it. I don't know if I was "driven" or if I was "passionate", it was just something I did. It is difficult to explain.
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
Because it’s something you’ve always done, part of you maybe normalises this and as such you don’t understand how others perceive your talent.
In much the same way a naturally gifted musician is blasé about their talent.
And in no way am I saying you’re like that KB.
Keep at it bro.
