Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

When I haven't picked up the guitar in months I find that it doesn't affect my speed (not that I've ever been very fast) , or accuracy, but the two things that always go are my vibrato, and knowing where to go next in a solo. Instead of things just flowing through the fingers for as long as I want...I only seem to think in terms of 3, or 4 signature licks, and struggle coming up with ways to get from one to the next.

If I take a break I struggle with stamina when it comes to bar chords.

Instead of just forgetting everything and playing, I find myself thinking ahead as to what chords are coming up.

I try to do my finger exercises every day for a few minutes at least and sometimes even in the middle of the night which the neighbors appreciate. I got a nasty phone call after this last one.


http://youtube.com/watch?v=LIsxeDcpc7g&feature=user

Thru my life Ive taken off for extended periods of time and when I start back the thing I notice that is off in my playing is the intonation of simple bends. Speed has never been a problem, accuracy well lets just say I have a sloppy side to my playing. I have recently done a couple of 4 hour gigs and I kind of find my mind wandering. Most of the music I play in the cover arena, Ive done a gazillion times so its almost like Im on autopilot. The guy that sang New Years with me said Ive known you for 20 yrs and your playing is always the same. Hey I think he was insulting me and I didnt pick up on it. I just know that some of the people I thought were awesome when I was a lot younger cant even seem to finish a song now.

I'd have to second the stamina comment.

Of course, there will be stuff I'll forget, but that really is less of a problem than simply being able to keep playing for hours at a time.

The accuracy of my picking seems to diminish in the midst of a period of not playing. If I go for a couple of weeks without playing, I have to spend at least an hour or two to get my sweep picking and economy picking back in sync. Certain licks, I can always do but the more complex and involved ones take a little time. I'm mostly a legato player when it comes to scales and what not, so that's never really a struggle to pick right back up with. I will also find that my hand cramps easier when playing complex chords when not playing for awhile.

Loss of hand strength, muscle memory, thinking too much about phrasing. I have to practice, or "exercise," regularly. Otherwise I get what I call "musical atrophy."

When it comes to the harp, oddly enough going without practicing for a bit seems to improve my playing. I am more supple, pliable with my wrist and hand positions.

I have no idea why this is, but it is.

In the three years I played in my last band,"The Gin House Rockers" I only practiced on my own to work out new material. I have been building a new house (by myself) for the last five years ,and work a full time day job. Our band was pretty good, but I was only playing on inertia. The band never came close to reaching its full potential. I attribute this, in large part, to my oun personal lack of practice. That band ran its course two years ago when our guitar player moved away. We decided to "hang it up". (The "Rocker's" version of "I Put A Spell On You" is the first song on my profile)
My bass playing son bought me a great old upright piano for father's day two years ago. I've been playing it every night since then! We found a new drummer through "Band-Mix" and tomorrow we're having our second practice.
My "chops" are back! moral of the story "chill-in"?, SELF PRACTICE IS GOOD FOR YOU AND YOUR BAND! .....later
"J"

Irminsul wrote:When it comes to the harp, oddly enough going without practicing for a bit seems to improve my playing. I am more supple, pliable with my wrist and hand positions.

I have no idea why this is, but it is.

I have seen this same thing in my Aikido students. And, yes, it's the same thing.

It's difficult to articulate (as you've discovered), but you can see it with a little thought and - ironically - practice.

Sometimes when you practice heavily something you are already fairly good at you will start to get tense and stiff for no good reason. Go away for a while, when you come back you'll tend to play instead of practice. And you'll be more relaxed and your innate skills will hold force.

That's still a wholly inadequate description, but it's headed in the right direction.

It completely ignores another aspect of the phenomenon where lack of practice actually can improve your skill level.

It also ignores some basic assumptions about your relative skill level and what you do when you actually practice.

But, it does point to another way to accomplish this: sometimes, just play. Don't do scales and finger exercises. Just play for the joy of playing. Practice sometimes as well. Then just play.

Mikey,
Awesome video! I'd be pissed to hear it at 4 in the morning too, but you play like a man possessed. Good Job.


Pharaoh Steve ,

I gave your sound bits a listen too. Not only is your playing top notch, but the recording quality is among the best I've heard. Listening to you "Young Lions" makes me realize that if we old guys are to keep from "making fools of ourselves", we can't "rest on our laurels".


Scarlet,

I gave "Spaceship and "Change me" a listen as well. Great stuff! Just curious, is that seven piece in the photo the "T.R.B Band" ? I hope you get reestablished when you get to Florida.

"j"

Why, thank you J!

Those Spiral songs are kinda "old" by now. Spaceship was recorded in 2000. Change Me was recorded in 2002.

That photo is of TRB. We were actually a 4 piece, but the pic is of a special performance at the Brady Theater in Tulsa for the Tulsa World Spot Awards. We added a 3rd guitar, a violin, and a sax for that night. I don't think he shows up in the pic, but we had a Rhodes player as well.

My biggest problem has been with the bass, which has been my predominant instrument over the years. My main (and right now-only) bass is an Ibanez six string. It's neck is a tree trunk and it weighs around the figure of "Oh, God-MY BACK!". Now that I tend to play guitar most of the time, going back to that monster can be a real shock to the system. I really have to spend some time stretching the old fingers out...

when I get frustrated with what I'm learning I naturally put the four string down, pick it up some time later. pick it back up in a few days or maybe more, damned games, but I'd have gotten better with my classical and fingerstyle, crazyness for picking it up last november.