General Music Chat

Talent, Writing ability, Personality, A good buisness mind, Knowing how the musical industry works. [There are so many more] As to expand the subject a little futher. "What helped you (yourself) to mature as a musician through the years"? I never stop learnig, Myself. Maybe some of you guys could through out some good advise, So to better help each others here at BandMix (Forum)! One of my first lessons I had to learn was, Alcohol & Drugs. HAVE to be used in MODERATION, If Not At ALL.... / 'PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT'! 'Like doing it [Show] with your eyes closed.

My playing took a quantum leap when I got a great instrument. A quality ax demands more from you. Going from P-bass to the Ricky hollow body demanded a lot of re-thinking about how things are played.

The studio demands precision. The more you record, the more accurate your live playing will probably be. Accuracy becomes almost an obsession.

Cross-instrumentalization is also helpful. When you approach the music from another instrument, you bring new perspectives back to your main instrument.

If you know nuthin' about the piano, it would be good to learn a little. It's got the full range of music laid out, in a very visual way. For the visually-oriented, you can better visualize the song/chord structure.

The number one way to get better is to practice.
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Practice, and do it better this time.
Try something new. And practice it.
Practice; spend less time talking about it, and more time doing it.
Learn a new style. Practice.
If you can't do a thing: practice, and eventually you will be able to do it.
When you have spare time: Practice.
When you don't have the time to Practice, make the time to practice.
If you're not too sick to get out of bed: Practice.
If you're sick of playing the same old songs - learn a new song. And Practice.
If you hit a plateau: do something new and differetn. And Practice.
Turn the TV off, and Practice.
Learn another part for a song you already play. Practice.
When you think that you've mastered a song, - add a difficult finishing touch to it, and then practice it until it sounds even smoother than when you thought that you'd 'mastered' it. If it doesn't sound better - practice it until it does . . . .
Turn the computer off, and Practice.
Invite a buddy over, and . . . .
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. . . get my drift?

No substitute for PRACTICE!

It's not the DNA, you aren't really born with it.

Years ago, a study was conducted at a music coservatory. Judges were brought in from outside school, and had no knowledge of the student before hand. The students were asked to play, and then the judges rated their skills as either "Excellent" or "Average" or "Poor" in their playing.

When it was over, right down the line, the "Average" musicians practiced twice as many hours a week as the "Poor" students. And the "Excellent" students, practiced twice as many hours a week as the "Average" students.

What this showed me, was that we are amazing vehicles for whatever we chose to do in life. That if someone was willing to put in the hours, they could be a great, not just good, guitarist or violinist or whatever in life they chose.

If I didn't practice for a week (yeah, as if THAT would ever happen), an audience would be able to hear a slight difference.
If I didn't practice for 2-3 days, my wife could hear the difference.
If I don't practice for ONE DAY, I hear a difference.
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And - when I practice, I don't practice the songs I like. That's not really practice: that's leasure time.
When I practice, I play my WORST songs. I practice them until they are among my best songs.
If you're just playing what you want to play: that's not really practice.
It IS practice if you play what you know you should, in order to improve.
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Only when I improve 2 - 3 of my worst songs will I 'reward' myself by playing a song that I just want to play.
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I agree, practice, practice, practice. Also mix it up and try different styles.

Hey VB and Gang,

Man , the ONE thing I WISH I woulda been better at through my road yrs was BUSINESS....Heck , I cant sell a heater to an Eskimo I made all kinds of dumb decisions , especially in Nashville 84-86..Well, drinkin a case a day MAY have had a WEEEElil bit to do with it ...Yeah , keepin our chops up as we get older is definetly paramount..I find it takes about an hr NOW to start groovin where it took 10-15 min during the road days.
SO ....YOUNGINS, work just as hard at the BUSNIESS end (Left brain) as ya do the Music end(right brain)...OR , you'll be like me..still using windows 68, dail up, cant upload nothin, cant record on to computer, still analog 80 technology...

John

I must say one thing that has helped me progress as a musician was to sit in a band that wasn't my style, or one that I prefer not listening to. Learn to appreciate it and know the "in's" and "outs". Also playing with musicians that are better than you helps out too. See how they sound more fluid makes me try to aim for that.

to sit in a band that wasn't my style, or one that I prefer not listening to.

That will do a lot for your range of versatility. I played fill in gigs in the Baton Rouge area for 3 years, mostly country oriented bands and I despise country, my father shoved it down my throat when I was a kid. But I still play country when necessary, and do a good job of it. Step onstage with a band you just met 30 minutes ago, no idea what they plan to play, how well they do it or what key, and survive the night with no major mistakes, you've accomplished something. It made me a lot better musician.

Also playing with musicians that are better than you helps out too.

I always advise beginner or intermediate musicians to do exactly that. At this stage, it's not easy to find local guys better than I am, but when I do I ALWAYS, try to play some guitar with them. It puts you on the spot, under pressure and makes you play better, and you just about always learn something form someone who is a better player. I would't even think about passing up a chance to jam with Eric Johnson, Billy Gibbons, Johnny Winter, Joe Satriani, Eddie Van Halen...sure they would play circles around me, but I wouldn't be left looking like a beginner. I'd still have to work to keep up and would learn something from any or all of them. And love it...

I'm 51, been playing since age 5 and I've seen many young guys in music stores or pawn shops put a guitar down and not play any more when I start tinkering with a guitar I want to check out. They get intimidated and don't want to be embarrassed, and while I understand that, it always bugs me and I tell them to never pass up a chance to play with someone that's a better player.

1. You have to work for it.
2. You learn something.

Both mean you walk away a better musician. I just hope most of them took my advice seriously...

I wish I hadn't put down my guitar for a ten year period.
I'd be where I am now, but - 10 years ago.
And - I'd be 10 years more advanced in the field.
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I suspect that there are only 2 reasons not to play music:
1) If you literaly are unable to move.
2) And, - if you don't like doing it enough.
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Previously, I hit a plateau; and didn't know how to get around it.
Then I eventually started listening to my previous recordings, and I learned 'new stuff.'
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If you ever hit a plateau: try playing something new. No, let me correct that. Don't "try" something new. "Learn" something new.
If you say you're going to 'try,' that's just B.S.
Don't kid yourself; if you want something enough, you will DO it, instead of "trying" to do it.
And, also: listen to your previous recordings of yourself.
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If you have no recordings of yourself, please see # 2, above . . .