Chris L
114 posts
May 06, 2016
6:59 PM
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If you were to find your practice time severely limited for a period of a few months, what would be the key things to focus on to preserve skills? By severely limited let's say down to 15 minutes 4 times a week.
That is a bit more restricted than my actual situation, but I find myself reviewing heads and solos and zooming in on areas not quite mastered. I'm not sure this is the most valuable use of the time I have and I feel like I'm losing ground. I'm curious about other's experience and how they would use that time, so what would you do with 1 hour a week?
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Killa_Hertz
1297 posts
May 06, 2016
10:03 PM
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An hour? Geez. Sucks when times tight like that. Others will be totally against what im about to say, but I play in the car. That will give you a bit more time of playing. And while you can't really practice new things (what i mean by that is, you can't exactly read tabs or whatch videos.) You can atleast keep boned up on playing and moving around the harp. And you can also put a song on and try to work it out. Or play with backing tracks. Run up and down some scale excersises. After a while you don't have to think about them anyways. Just building into muscle memory.
While this is not focused practice it goes a long way. Especially when you're right on time elsewhere.
But as far as my opinion on what to practice with your focused time. I would say ,use that time to learn new stuff. Things that take your undivided attention. Learn new licks, new scale excersises, new songs, etc.
But that's just my opinion. Idk. Surely you ll get some better ideas here from somebody.
But even if you just play at red lights. Itll help keep you from getting rusty.
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harmonicanick
2432 posts
May 07, 2016
12:52 AM
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Bring on 'Driverless Cars' I say!!!!
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snowman
206 posts
May 07, 2016
4:48 PM
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Have to agree with practice in the car--I do it a lot -Not much traffic where I live---
With limited time I would work on stuff u can't do yet--You will always remember your personal 'go to stuff' always
Do 15 minutes of bassline with Backbeat and change it up --or 15 minutes of a hard run with backing track-
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Fishlips
47 posts
May 07, 2016
9:53 PM
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I keep at least four harps in the cup holder of my car, and have the tunes I'm working on loaded onto the USB flash drive connected to the car stereo. I also keep my harp case open on the desk next to my home computer. I end up with a harp in my mouth at almost every red light, straight stretch of road, and idle moment in my home office. That alone adds up to over four hours per week.
But, I don't think of it as "practice" like I did a few decades ago when I was a music major. I think of it as messing around and having a good time.
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Killa_Hertz
1305 posts
May 08, 2016
5:53 AM
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Snowman .... where do you get your source of Basslines and runs to practice. I need to find a better source of practice material.
I sometimes have to drive alot for work. So my car practice time really adds up.
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rbeetsme
1670 posts
May 08, 2016
6:35 AM
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I don't understand why they don't teach "steering with your knees" in drivers ed.
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Killa_Hertz
1310 posts
May 08, 2016
7:53 AM
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Lmao. Huh tho rbeets. I drive stick, play harp, and drive ... for hours at a time.
I have a binder that i put together with all of adams pdf files printed out, a few other songs, and things im working on or have Already learned. They re all in plastic binder sleeves so i can just flip through em. I use them along with either adams videos on my phone or the actual song on cd or mp3. So if im just parked up somewhere i can put in some real practice time. I have a 12 harp seydel case inside a zip up tool pouch along with enough tools to fix a harp on the run if i need to. That's one of the best things about harp, you can practice anywhere.
I do most of my playing in the car. One way or another. I can't really play in my house as of now, but I'm moving soon. I'm psyched to finally set up a good sound room. Alot more oportuninty for practice time once i move.
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mlefree
666 posts
May 08, 2016
9:30 AM
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Iceman is a seasoned teacher who has a five-minute a day practice regimen that works for him. Hopefully he'll chime in.
It's been well-proven that several short practice sessions yield better results than one long one. If it were me, I'd pick a single song, lick or technique and work on it in three 5-minute sessions spread through the day. You'll be amazed how effective that can be.
Good luck and please let us know what you decide and how it works for you. You aren't isolated in this lackus practicus time problem. But it need not translate into the dreaded complete lackus practicus syndrome, which has no cure.
Michelle
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SilverWing Leather - Custom leather creations for musicians and other eccentrics.
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Chris L
115 posts
May 08, 2016
10:33 PM
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Thanks all! When I do get travel time Outside the city and traffic, I do set the cruise and riff away. That has been some of my most productive time, repetitive practice in the car. It is in a grey area regarding the distracted driving laws in our jurisdiction, because thankfully one hand and both eyes can be kept on the wheel and on the road, like eating but less messy. Reading tab, on the other hand, definitely illegal.
I do hope Iceman chimes in. That's the kind of regimen I had in mind when I posed the question.
I like the 5 minute three times a day idea, especially for refining technique: e.g. bends, smooth warbles, vibrato or whatever. I have found these improve quickly when practiced in multiple 2-3 minute sessions daily. I guess you can actually get through a head or a chorus several times in a 5 minute period. Thanks again! cheers!
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Killa_Hertz
1312 posts
May 09, 2016
5:03 AM
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Yes. Things like bends, vibrato, etc. are the PERFECT thing to practice while driving. And I dont read tabs unless parked. 8^)> And I really only use them for songs I dont know at all. I like to try to figure them out first. Then I check and see how close I was. usually the hardest part to get right are some of the nuances. Im not a huge fan of tabs, but they have their purpose.
But I digress. I totally agree with michelle. although i had never really thought of it before, that is basically how I practice. 5 - 15 mins or so at a time.
Also I saw a documentary about learning that said something to the effect of .... the things you learn throughout the day are transferred from your short term memory to your long term memory while you sleep. So to get the most out of a practice, you should practice right before you sleep. It also said that this is MOST effective if you practice something extensively, to the point of being bored with it and knowing it by heart, right before you goto sleep. even if its just a nap. Aslong as you hit R.E.M. sleep. Have you even done something so long and repetitive in a day that you dream about doing it that night?
Anyways, i thought that was interesting and relevant.
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Last Edited by Killa_Hertz on May 09, 2016 5:05 AM
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nowmon
85 posts
May 09, 2016
5:49 AM
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I like to do 5 min. of sonny terry style,than 5 min. of SBW2,END IT WITH 5MIN. of Little Walter.thats 15 min. of blues harp ,covering a lot of space...I been doing this since `68....
Last Edited by nowmon on May 09, 2016 5:50 AM
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mlefree
667 posts
May 09, 2016
10:11 AM
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I made what was quite possibly the greatest harmonica revelation I ever had while driving. I remember it as though it happened yesterday.
I was heading westbound out of I-70's Eisenhower tunnel at 11,500 feet elevation. No traffic, beautiful Colorado mountain day. I was a couple years into my harmonica journey and found a monster player to be a teacher (Harry Harpoon). But, he is a total U-block player and had told me that if I couldn't learn to UB he couldn't teach me. In fact the very first time I met him he rolled his tongue and asked me to do the same. If I hadn't been able to our relationship would have ended then and there.
Anyway I am really hitting the woodshed in earnest trying to do things I already knew how to do with the new embouchure (I was mostly puckering back then). The difficulty, of course, is that you can't "tongue bend" using vowel sounds any more.
So I am gaining speed down the 10% incline when all of a sudden I started getting these deep, resonant bends -- deeper and more resonant than ever before! I startled me at first but when I was able to reproduce it I was absolutely giddy.
What I had discovered opened the door to the bold new world of using the back of my tongue and downstream airways to bend. One of my most exciting harmonica days ever!
I no longer UB except for high-end blow bends (because I find it to be helpful in tonal accuracy up there). But my discovery about using the back of my tongue and my throat to bend transferred immediately and directly to my current preferred embouchure, tongue blocking.
One of my most exciting harmonica moments ever -- while driving!
Michelle
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SilverWing Leather - Custom leather creations for musicians and other eccentrics.
Last Edited by mlefree on May 09, 2016 10:13 AM
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The Iceman
2853 posts
May 10, 2016
11:25 AM
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By request (above), here is an outline of my 5 min/day concept for practice.
You only need 5 min/day, but there are a few contingencies...
1. Must be the exact same 5 min every day - so, pick a slot that is available and one you can stick with.
2. Must be EVERY DAY - you can't skip a day and do 10 minutes the next to make it up.
3. Must be in the same place every day - NOT IN A CAR, but in a room in which you will not be disturbed, so turn off cell phone, etc.
4. Only work on one (maybe two) aspects of your playing in each session.
5. Set a timer. Once the 5 minutes are over, you can go outside and play with your friends - or - continue practicing for extra credit.
Commit to this for a solid 2 weeks and see what happens.
It's a lot about training yourself to be disciplined in your approach as well as setting practice time aside as an important aspect of your life, as well as making it personally sacred.
It works magic, but very few actually follow through completely, therefore missing out on the long term benefits.
Those of you with a short attention span, who are easily distracted or impatient should not even try this.
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The Iceman
Last Edited by The Iceman on May 10, 2016 11:35 AM
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Killa_Hertz
1321 posts
May 10, 2016
12:24 PM
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"those with a short attention span should not even attempt this."
I disagree. I have the attention and memory span of a gold fish, but when it comes to practice. No Problem. If you want it bad enough, you make it work. You just have to find ways of staying focused and organised. No excuses.
ICEMAN I was also curious as to where you find new sources of basslines and things of that nature. Just figure them out from songs you hear? Or do you actually have or know of a source for generic type material to use?
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John M G
49 posts
May 11, 2016
4:25 AM
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I can't be the only one that plays while he's in the bathroom?
I used to have a set I'd leave in there in our last house. Being fully tiled the acoustics are great!
You know you've been in there too long when your feet go to sleep.
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The Iceman
2855 posts
May 11, 2016
6:14 AM
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Killa Hertz:
Interesting questions.
New sources of musical lines and ideas come from vast data base of material in my head.
Have had a love affairs and studied all forms of music at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan in the 70's. Classical, composition, jazz, Renaissance, counterpoint, etc. Also have developed perfect pitch over the years as well as my first instrument is piano.
Have also increased my listening comprehension speed to the point where I can mentally visualize the notes going by (on a piano keyboard) in real time, even for someone as velocity driven as Jason Ricci (don't do very well with John Popper, though, as he doesn't create what I would call melodic line, but rather sequences of notes at fast speeds).
So, I can lift bass lines and things of that nature directly from the source as well as create bass lines from my imagination.
I put in the time, effort, theory understanding, etc, to speak music fluently as a language. Makes listening to music that much more fun, too.
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The Iceman
Last Edited by The Iceman on May 11, 2016 8:50 AM
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STME58
1684 posts
May 11, 2016
8:44 AM
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I picked up a Mel Bay book "Famous Blues Bass Lines" by Larry McCabe. I have been using it for practice on both Harmonica and Trombone. It is a nice compact book of only 32 pages and it included a CD, but only the first pattern is written out for 12 bars. The other 49 give you 4 bars and leave it as an exercise to fit it to a 12 bar progression. If you can't read standard music notation it won't be of much help though.
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Killa_Hertz
1325 posts
May 11, 2016
10:48 AM
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Iceman ... that where i hope to be in my must've comprehension, some day.
Stme. .. that's very cool. I'm not very good with theory, so filing in the blanks might be tough. But it also might be a good challenge. Either way ill dig through some of the Mel bay titles and see what else i can find.
Thanks
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