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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Nice article about practising
Nice article about practising
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Frosty
53 posts
Jan 25, 2012
4:04 AM
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You can reat the article by clicking the sentence under:
It's not how much you practice but whether you're quick to fix your errors that leads to mastery.
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Frosty
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Last Edited by on Jan 25, 2012 4:05 AM
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kudzurunner
2943 posts
Jan 25, 2012
4:41 AM
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That's an excellent article, Frosty. I particularly like this line:
"Having given us fair warning, he reveals the secret of deliberate practice: relentlessly focusing on our weaknesses and inventing new ways to root them out. Results are carefully monitored, ideally with the help of a coach or teacher, and become grist for the next round of ruthless self-evaluation."
I've said for a long time that the key to getting better on harp (and blues singing, for that matter) is finding a balance between thinking critically and clearly about your weaknesses (i.e., seeing clearly just how good you're NOT) and maintaining enough joy and confidence in how you play RIGHT NOW that you continue to play rather than quitting in frustration.
The problem is, it's easy to fall off the wagon in either direction. Some people, when they see how "bad" they are relative to others or relative to their own dreams of mastery, get frustrated and quit playing, or relentlessly criticize themselves. Or they just take the criticisms of others (on this forum, or on YouTube, for example) too much to heart. I know lots of people like that.
Others like how they play right now; they've got a general or specific sense that their playing, their game, isn't the best in the world, but they enjoy what they're doing and don't particularly want to think critically about, or look closely at, the weaknesses in their playing. They keep tootling along, pretty much doing what they've been doing. They'll always have fun, but they'll never improve a whole lot from their present level of mastery.
I've been both those people. In fact, I was that second person for a long time, after being a guy who had found the right balance and improved radically through the 1980s.
Then, a few years ago, I suddenly got frustrated by my inability to play rapid streams of 1/16th notes. After seeing Jason Ricci in his recent incarnations, it had become plain to me that I had a major weakness that needed addressing.
So I deliberately set about practicing, with purpose and a metronome, in an effort to remedy the weakness.
The result was an ability to play the stuff in "Crossroads Blues."
These days, I'm doing the same thing with my singing. Every time I get video of my OMB performances, I'm paying particularly close attention to what I'm doing there. I find lots of things not to like, but I don't hate myself when I discover them. I make lots of mental notes. I try hard not to fool myself about how good or bad I am. But I don't say, "You suck! Give it up." When I get that sort of comment on YouTube, I ignore it. I know I'm continuing to improve, and I'm determined to improve. When I hear video in which I'm singing well, I take pleasure in that and view it as evidence that I'm making slow but steady progress. I know that if I keep moving forward, in a couple of years I'll be a much better singer than I am now. But that improvement won't just.....happen. It will only happen if I practice regularly (which I don't) and if I specifically target my weaknesses.
The key thing is developing 1) the ability to say "That's not working" and 2) an ability to say that without letting it devolve into a disabling judgment such as "You really suck! You should just believe all the haters, quit, and shrivel up into a ball." You just make the necessary judgments and try it again. You do that until it sounds incrementally better. You keep trying to hear the difference between "not working" and "that's better." And you keep taking satisfaction in your ability to make those adjustments and improve incrementally.
Do that and you keep moving forward, although the process isn't necessarily linear. There will be periods of stagnation, or apparent stagnation, and moments when you suddenly lift your head and realize just how much you've improved.
On-line forums, including this one, are often not the best place in which to reinforce optimal attitudes towards learning. Not only will you encounter people who are themselves falling away from the ideal in either direction--haters, if you will, on the one hand, and You're-the-greatest sycophants and It's-all-good advocates on the other--but you'll encounter them in part because they themselves are wounded learners: either they don't understand the process, or they don't care about the process. Or, alternately, they HAVE figured out the process, but YOU, the would-be learner, doesn't understand the process and you therefore become either unduly brittle when any criticism, even constructive criticism, is tendered, or unduly attached to the stroking. Sometimes it's hard to hear constructive criticism. Sometimes criticism posing as constructive is animated by less generous motives, such as sublimated jealousy or a need to respond in a way that is actually designed to place onself, rather than the learner in question, at the center of the conversation.
Last Edited by on Jan 25, 2012 5:01 AM
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Honkin On Bobo
901 posts
Jan 25, 2012
5:11 AM
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Good one Frosty. I'd like to post a second one, which deals with silencing the inner critic, something that can be problematic, particularly for those picking up the harp (or any other instrument for that matter) late in life.
That's me. and in the ever perceptive Kudzurunner's essay I'd be this guy "Some people, when they see how "bad" they are relative to others or relative to their own dreams of mastery, get frustrated and quit playing, or relentlessly criticize themselves."
I struggle with that every day.
This helped me somewhat:
http://www.singingwood.com/Frustration.html
Last Edited by on Jan 25, 2012 5:21 AM
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BronzeWailer
376 posts
Jan 25, 2012
5:23 AM
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Yeah, good article. I force myself to sing when busking because I want to develop that side of my performing. I am OK, I think, but could be a lot better (I hope)! So I plug away...
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2chops
65 posts
Jan 25, 2012
6:30 AM
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Yes, very good article indeed. I learned to apply the "quality over quantity" principle years ago regarding one of my other passions. Over time, I became very well known & regarded in that circle. The real trick is indeed to be objective in your annalysis, yet not overly harsh. AND still ALLOWING yourself to enjoy what your doing at this particular time of development. We must realise that it's an ongoing process.
Having said all that, we all have different goals to achieve here. Some are content to hit single notes clean, bend ok, and get through a few songs well enough so that others can recognise what it is they're playing. On the other end are those who want to be top rate performers, ie. masters of their craft.
I am fortunate that I hooked up with a small group that plays a broader range of material than I do in my solo sets. From the get go they pushed me right out in front. Lately I've been doing more vocals also. Without a doubt my area of least comfort as far as public display goes. But the area I need to develope and gain more comfort/confidence with. I think accountability is a key part of ones path of continued developement.
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Frosty
54 posts
Jan 25, 2012
6:46 AM
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@HonkinOn Bobo
That is a good article, too. Here is straight link for those interested reading it.
I have tried to develope myself a kind of critical supporter, an inner voice that keeps me aware of my weaknesses but also thanks me of what I can already do and thanks me also when I learn something new. I think Adam speaks of the same thing in his very good message above. My inner supporter says: "You have learned this and this, you can learn that new thing too".
My inner critical supporter also says to me that "there are things that did not sound very good (F ex in my Youtube videos), but still there are many people who like what you can do even now. You will do better next time like you did the time before".
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Frosty
Homepage
Frosty in Youtube
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chromaticblues
1148 posts
Jan 25, 2012
9:46 AM
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Very good article.
Very good response by Mr. Gussow!
Man I was reading Adam's response and was thinking, yup did that, yup let that bother me.
I'll share a couple things that may be helpfull (these are still things I'm doing today 25 years latter)
1st I remember practicing years ago and it was a struggle because I wanted to get good fast.
The day I bought my first harmonica is the first day I was in my first band. 8 months latter we played our 1st gig. So I knew I was going to to be the worst musician in the band. I practiced for 4 to 8 hours every day. I always had a harp with me. Played on my way to work, at work, on the way home, listened to Paul Butterfield's first album while showering for two years (my mother said it sounded like carnival music).
OK my point is it's easy to practice when you have something to practice for! It is difficult to practice for the sake of practice! This is the part that most people struggle with I believe (I do today). You have to set goals for yourself. Listen to great recordings and pick out stuff you like then research and find what techniques it takes to play what you like. Then apply what was stated in the article. Then there's what Adam said.
Simple don't get to high on yourself when things are good and don't let people dumping on you get under your skin. Certainly don't be to overcritical of yourself either. That's wierd to be around!
After I played for about five years I saw a Nike commercial with Micheal Jordon that said, " amatures practice untill they get it right. Professionals practice untill they can't get it wrong!"
I thought WOW! That's it. That really helped me just staying focused on what I wanted. It's just a cool phrase.
That makes you think about where are now and what you want.
Atleast that's the reaction I got from it at that point in my life.
Last Edited by on Jan 25, 2012 10:33 AM
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HarpNinja
2099 posts
Jan 25, 2012
10:27 AM
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Great post by Adam. I think a lot of the young harmonica prodigy stuff comes from this. There are much more resources that make learning harmonica an explicit and intentional experience.
There can be a lot less throwing stuff against the wall to see what works.
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Mods
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
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Littoral
476 posts
Jan 25, 2012
11:39 AM
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I haven't had a chance to read the article yet but Adam's response, especially the last paragraph, is exceptional.
...and, I sure do recognize this:
Adam, "Then, a few years ago, I suddenly got frustrated by my inability to play rapid streams of 1/16th notes. After seeing Jason Ricci in his recent incarnations, it had become plain to me that I had a major weakness that needed addressing."
Yeah, Jason's skills punched me in the face. In a concerted effort to get off the floor I've made some serious progress on this myself -but it really does require steady work.
Last Edited by on Jan 25, 2012 11:41 AM
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BronzeWailer
377 posts
Jan 25, 2012
3:43 PM
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I also like to revisit study songs I learned six months ago or a year, and relisten to the thing I am trying to learn form, and redoing it. I can hear more subtleties I couldn't before. I think one's ear improves over time as well.
@chromaticblues. That's a great Michael Jordan quote. Burned into my mental retinas now.
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shadoe42
116 posts
Jan 25, 2012
5:57 PM
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Like many others I have struggled to maintain a proper practice regime. In fact I have already slipped on what I wanted to do for the new year. But the only thing to do is stop. Regroup and start again to reach your goal.
Good articles. Gave them a quick read but will give them a deeper read tomorrow.
And I love that quote.
And the statement made about practice for a purpose is easier than practice for the sake of practice. I have found that is totally true. Case in point, I sometimes double up guitar with the other guitar player in my band. We are working on a cover song as we occasionally do them at bar shows cause our fans love it. Anyway its a song I have been wanting to learn for some time but had pushed it to the back burner cause it had no real purpose other than learning the riff. Decide to use it in the band and few days of concentrated practice later it rolls of the 12 string fairly smooth. Practice with a purpose.
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