How Do I overcome Musical ADD

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scott s
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Mon Jul 20, 2009 12:30 pm

I found Neil's site about a week ago and I'm very impressed. Living in a northern climate, summer isn't when I have the most practice time nevertheless I'm planning to sign up for the target program and give it a shot. What concerns me is Neil has picked too many songs I like for lessons (tough problem I know). I have reems of tab I've printed over the years and know peices of dozens but virtually none all the way through. I get a ways into a song, get bored, see another one I like and away I go. Left on my own and with so many songs I like, I'm afraid of more of the same. Anyone have any suggestions how to approch a site like this? How many songs is too many to work on at the same time? With limited practice time how much do you devote to songs and how much to learning scales, chord progressions ect.. I'm approching intermidiate level but it hasn't come fast or easy.


AndyT
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Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:04 pm

Your reward for learning a song all the way through is a new song.


Chasplaya
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Mon Jul 20, 2009 3:09 pm

scott s , its about time management really and setting goals. Set a goal of 1 song for a period of time from the programme, look at the theory involved with that song and set about learning that over a similar period. Only you can decide the amount of time, but be realistic with it too long then you easily get distracted too short and well you maybe won't quite get it right. Schedule a time each day to practice, start with warm up exercises, do the theory and then the song or part of the song according to the videos in the programme. Most lessons in TARGET have up to 10 videos so set a certain amount of time for each video and stick to your regime. I know its so easy to get distracted but it works and like AndyT has said make your incentive the next song on the list once you can play through a song completely. The satisfaction of a complete playthrough is awesome.


BigBear
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Mon Jul 20, 2009 3:23 pm

scott s wrote:
I found Neil's site about a week ago and I'm very impressed. Living in a northern climate, summer isn't when I have the most practice time nevertheless I'm planning to sign up for the target program and give it a shot. What concerns me is Neil has picked too many songs I like for lessons (tough problem I know). I have reems of tab I've printed over the years and know peices of dozens but virtually none all the way through. I get a ways into a song, get bored, see another one I like and away I go. Left on my own and with so many songs I like, I'm afraid of more of the same. Anyone have any suggestions how to approch a site like this? How many songs is too many to work on at the same time? With limited practice time how much do you devote to songs and how much to learning scales, chord progressions ect.. I'm approching intermidiate level but it hasn't come fast or easy.
Hey Scott! Welcome to the forum! I have exactly the same problem and I thought it was just me but it isn't. Neil posted somewhere on this forum what his definition of begineer, intermediate etc. was. An Intermediate was someone who knew lots of songs but couldn't, or never, played them all the way through. Geez, I could write a book on that subject!!

I think the problem is (at least for me) that if I play a song well why play all 17 verses of it? LOL! But if I play it poorly or aren't getting the feel, I get frustrated and want to drop back to something I play better. And so we go around and around. Compound that with limited time to practice and you become an Intermediate guitarist!! Woo-hah!! Not a bad player, better than most, but no where near where we want to be.

I hate to admit it (:lol:) but Andy is right. On a site with so much candy you have to figure out a way to reward yourself when you stick it out thru a whole song and play it right. Another approach I use sometimes is if I have a full hour to practice I allocate blocks of time to whatever I'm working on but I always put the candy (new songs) at the end. This usually means a one hour practice session becomes two (or three) but at least I'm committing the time to practice.

If any of you guys or gals have a way to solve this problem I'd love to hear it too! We could then bottle it and make some real money!! :lol:


Chasplaya
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Mon Jul 20, 2009 3:40 pm

BigBear wrote:
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If any of you guys or gals have a way to solve this problem I'd love to hear it too! We could then bottle it and make some real money!! :lol:
As I said Bear its called Time Management and I think its been bottled recycled and bottled again..


rcsnydley
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Mon Jul 20, 2009 4:13 pm

Hey Scott, welcome to the site and the forum.

What it boils down to for me is just plain old discipline. I usually pick between 2-4 songs to work on depending on difficulty. That way if I don't feel like working on one or I get bored with it I can work on one of the other ones. When I have learned the whole song and can play through it I reward myself with a new one and on and on it goes.

Keep Playing
Ric


AcousticAl
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Tue Jul 21, 2009 7:04 am

Hey Scott,

Neil also said in one of his webinars that it's ok to be a 'bits & pieces player' as well-- but I'm trying not to be. There's nothing worse than starting to play for someone and they just get into it and you mess it up or can't finish the song!!

Rcsnydley had it right. Choose 3 or 4 tunes that you're charged about and want to learn on the site. Then cycle between them. You WILL get frustrated with them at various points- but just move on to the next one. You'll know when it's time for a new one.

I find that when I leave a tune alone for a while and work on others, it becomes easier to do when I come back to it in a day or two. Could be because I learned something from another lesson that helped me- or it could be because I just needed to calm down from not getting it!!

Good luck.


Al


scott s
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Tue Jul 21, 2009 12:27 pm

thanks to all for the responses. There's certainly some good advise but somehow I feel better knowing there's others with this afliction, I thought it was just me. Shoot there's even a name for it, I'm "a bits and pieces" guy! Even though that's apprently ok, I'm going to attempt to overcome it. Took the dive into the Target program last night and as a first step I previewed quite a few of the "play throughs" I was able to narrow the lessons I'd like to focus on to about half Neil's list.....I'm screwed!


BigBear
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Tue Jul 21, 2009 12:39 pm

scott s wrote:
thanks to all for the responses. There's certainly some good advise but somehow I feel better knowing there's others with this afliction, I thought it was just me. Shoot there's even a name for it, I'm "a bits and pieces" guy! Even though that's apprently ok, I'm going to attempt to overcome it. Took the dive into the Target program last night and as a first step I previewed quite a few of the "play throughs" I was able to narrow the lessons I'd like to focus on to about half Neil's list.....I'm screwed!
Hey Scott, good job! Welcome to TARGET! It's like being a kid in a candy store for me!!


eagle670
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Tue Jul 21, 2009 4:30 pm

The official name for the affliction is a "bitsey". I know because I am recovering one as well. Maybe we should start a support group, just in case we fall of the "learning a complete song" wagon. I don't do it as much as I use to, but I still have a weak moment now and again. I usually just drink a beer and forget about it.


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