| | | If there's one thing I've learned in my fifty years on this earth, it's that you can count on one thing - change. Nothing stays the same, and we need to be flexible to accept changewhen it comes our way. "Turn and face the strange, ch-ch-changes..." ("Changes" by David Bowie)
'Cause it's coming, whether you like it or not!
I'm about to embark on a new adventure. I start a new job on Monday. With it comes some mixed emotions...
Fear and loathing.
Ok just kidding. About the fear...
Really, just kidding. While I have truly enjoyed the freedom unemployment brings with it, it's time to mix things up again. What better way than to take on new work in a new city?
Going into a new environment can be intimidating, but I'm looking forward to meeting some new people and fattening up the family finances a bit.
Plus, I've found that when I have a lot of discretionary time, I tend to feel like there'll be time to do stuff later... so I slack. Not good, but hey, just being honest...
Taking on a job gives me less time to be a slacker and pushes me too be more productive with my free time. Ah, the games we play sometimes...
Run Away...
How do you feel about change? Do you embrace it or run screaming from it? How does that affect your guitar playing?
Humans are truly creatures of habit. We like routine and are prone to following the path that offers the easiest way. In that aspect we haven't progressed much further than any other mammal on Earth. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?
But that trait often keeps us locked in to the status quo, preventing us from reaching our potential.
I've certainly run into this many times working in IT (information technology). When the business is screaming because the technology it needs to make money isn't operating properly, it can push you into taking measures to simply get them off your back.
The intention is there to go back and complete the work to make the fix solid and permanent, but often other fires take precedence over good intentions. Don't worry, it will comes back around to bite you again one day...
Sadly, we do the same thing when practicing guitar. We have a routine to follow, more like a rut of a daily checklist:
- play major scale
- play minor pentatonic scale as fast as possible
- strum though a few bars of a song
- put guitar on stand
Check... Check... Check... Done.
Boring. Monotonous. Frustrating.
Any progress you hope to achieve is non-existent. Why?
Because there isn't anything in that routine to challenge you, to make you push the boundary of your ability. There's no change...
For anything to grow it must encounter resistance. Muscles get stronger when we force them to lift heavier things. Trees get stronger when the wind pushes them around. Guitar players get better when they force themselves out of their comfort zones.
When was the last time you attempted to jam over music from a style you don't like? I'm not a huge fan of most rap, but I can immediately "hear" ways to add guitar over the top of a rap beat. If I could find half my recording gear I'd do just that, but I haven't located the box yet!
Break the Routine
Or what about scratching your existing practice routine and coming up with a new one? In fact, here's an idea for you:
Focus on only one element of a technique for an entire practice session.
For example, take the C major scale. Normally we'd play up the scale then down, do it a couple times, then move on to the next item on our list.
Instead, try this.
Play the first note in the scale (you don't have to use C, but it's a good place to start). Listen to how the string resonates. Does the note ring out or fade quickly?
Listen to the quality and attributes of the sound. You'll hear differences when you pluck with a pick (plectrum) versus your finger pad or nail. There will be differences in the sound depending on the type, thickness and angle of the pick.
Try making adjustments with how you pluck the string to hear the change in sound. Some changes will be subtle and others will be very apparent.
Take all this in and really get your ear attuned to how sound is affected by the physical differences in your approach to the string.
Then do the same with the next note in the scale.
Once you're satisfied with your appreciation of the second note, play the first and second in succession to listen to the interval. As you play the two notes, your mind will make connection to songs you've heard. You can then experiment with plucking techniques and speeds to hear the effect on the interval.
And so on...
Practicing in this manner where you slow down and concentrate on quality and accuracy goes counter to most normal practice routines, but this is exactly how some of the most prolific guitar masters elevated themselves to the level they hold. They got past merely throwing time at guitar and made it more about quality than quantity.
You can see how approaching your guitar practice in this way takes on a completely different scope. You'll gain a more in-depth appreciation, knowledge and skill by focusing your efforts on the quality of your practice time.
You'll also be more productive. Not only are you cementing the lessons you learn, but you're developing your tone. You muscle memory is fine tuned so you have fewer played notes that sound weak. You're also training your ears to hear the differences in note quality.
And crazy as it sounds, this analytical approach will help take care of that rut you get into when you end up playing the same thing every day in the name of practice. You'll look forward to practicing, which gets rid of the nagging feeling that we're not getting better. You'll also improve faster.
There's some change you can get excited about! Rock on and have a great weekend!
Peace~
Dave |
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