You will have to show me some time.
Ness
Practicing pitfalls and what not to do; mind blocks
jimbo58 wrote:
Michele, given your advanced skill level, I'm really surprised to hear that you're having difficulty switching from an open chord to a barre -- Em to Bm, for example. So I can only imagine that the difficulty is in that beautiful brain of yours. I come across new chords all the time that just seem impossible to get to in tempo. What I generally do is sit my butt down on the couch, turn on the TV, and start out very slowly making the chord change. If having the TV on seems a little strange, I do it because it helps take my mind away from my failure. It also gives my eyes something to look at aside from the fretboard. I'll sit and make the chord change a couple of hundred times until it feels natural and is committed to muscle memory, and along the way I'll pick up the tempo until I feel confident I can make the change at normal speed.
Let yourself fail. Slow the whole damn thing down until you're making the change -- AT ALL. Don't worry about tempo in the beginning. Just keep doing it until you get your fingers to cooperate, then goose up the tempo in tiny increments.
You've accomplished far more difficult things with the guitar than a chord change between Em and Bm. You absolutely can do this, too.
I've heard so many people say this. My theory of dealing with things I'm afraid of is to repeatedly expose myself to the very thing that's causing the anxiety until it no longer has that effect on me. If the camera makes you afraid, start recording your practice sessions until the camera becomes an everyday observer of your progress instead of an unwanted intruder.I should try it, if I could only get over my fear of playing in front of the camera!.
Michele, given your advanced skill level, I'm really surprised to hear that you're having difficulty switching from an open chord to a barre -- Em to Bm, for example. So I can only imagine that the difficulty is in that beautiful brain of yours. I come across new chords all the time that just seem impossible to get to in tempo. What I generally do is sit my butt down on the couch, turn on the TV, and start out very slowly making the chord change. If having the TV on seems a little strange, I do it because it helps take my mind away from my failure. It also gives my eyes something to look at aside from the fretboard. I'll sit and make the chord change a couple of hundred times until it feels natural and is committed to muscle memory, and along the way I'll pick up the tempo until I feel confident I can make the change at normal speed.
Let yourself fail. Slow the whole damn thing down until you're making the change -- AT ALL. Don't worry about tempo in the beginning. Just keep doing it until you get your fingers to cooperate, then goose up the tempo in tiny increments.
You've accomplished far more difficult things with the guitar than a chord change between Em and Bm. You absolutely can do this, too.
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neverfoundthetime
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This could become my favourite all-time forum quote:
My theory of dealing with things I'm afraid of is to repeatedly expose myself...
- Dennis
... er I may not be quoting Dennis completely... but certainly not inaccurately.
To be honest though, I follow a similar strategy of facing my dragons.
I was going to suggest (after I couldn't find my whip and whistle) going to the troublesome part, sitting down with it and not getting up until you are satisfied that there is some progress no matter how slow you have to go and don't touch any other part until the knot falls apart. on The Reach I started with the hardest bit first and just stuck with it for two days... and suddenly it all fell into place. The rest was a doddle.
Great how the TG life-boat was instantly launched upon the first sign of your distress Shel!
My theory of dealing with things I'm afraid of is to repeatedly expose myself...
- Dennis
... er I may not be quoting Dennis completely... but certainly not inaccurately
.To be honest though, I follow a similar strategy of facing my dragons.
I was going to suggest (after I couldn't find my whip and whistle) going to the troublesome part, sitting down with it and not getting up until you are satisfied that there is some progress no matter how slow you have to go and don't touch any other part until the knot falls apart. on The Reach I started with the hardest bit first and just stuck with it for two days... and suddenly it all fell into place. The rest was a doddle.
Great how the TG life-boat was instantly launched upon the first sign of your distress Shel!
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Music Junkie
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Well Shel (aka young lady..... ), I can really feel for you on the Em to Bm change. In and of itself, it is not a difficult change while strumming through a song. I have this situation in a song I play called "Highwayman". However, trying to do that very same change in a picking song I have been working on has proven itself very difficult for me. The strumming option is nice because you get the strummer's cheat in there with releasing on the last upstroke. The picking is very challenging if you need to leave that Em on til the last second and get to the BM without stumbling. My advice, for what it is worth, is to give a go at just that change for about five minutes each night and then move on to something else. I have been doing this, and while I still struggle with the change, it has become noticeably better. Patience is very important for me and, I expect for many others as well. Get the muscle memory built up, but don't fret (pun intended) about it to the point of frustration. I would also give Daryl's advice a go and see if it helps (I will be trying that tonight!). If I start to get irritated, it is time to move on for a bit. I know you will get it, but be sure to get it in "your" time.
@Dennis: Superb advice on exposing yourself til the fear dissipates. Something I need to take to heart a bit more when it comes to the guitar. I use that at work each day (probably because a paycheck is at stake.... :woohoo: ).....
MJ
), I can really feel for you on the Em to Bm change. In and of itself, it is not a difficult change while strumming through a song. I have this situation in a song I play called "Highwayman". However, trying to do that very same change in a picking song I have been working on has proven itself very difficult for me. The strumming option is nice because you get the strummer's cheat in there with releasing on the last upstroke. The picking is very challenging if you need to leave that Em on til the last second and get to the BM without stumbling. My advice, for what it is worth, is to give a go at just that change for about five minutes each night and then move on to something else. I have been doing this, and while I still struggle with the change, it has become noticeably better. Patience is very important for me and, I expect for many others as well. Get the muscle memory built up, but don't fret (pun intended) about it to the point of frustration. I would also give Daryl's advice a go and see if it helps (I will be trying that tonight!). If I start to get irritated, it is time to move on for a bit. I know you will get it, but be sure to get it in "your" time.@Dennis: Superb advice on exposing yourself til the fear dissipates. Something I need to take to heart a bit more when it comes to the guitar. I use that at work each day (probably because a paycheck is at stake.... :woohoo: ).....
MJ
Music Junkie wrote:
MJ- Is that the Highwayman that Jimmy webb wrote and Willie, Kris, Merle and Johnnie performed? If it is, that is a great song. I've been playing that a lot lately!! :cheer:
Well Shel (aka young lady.....
@Dennis: Superb advice on exposing yourself til the fear dissipates. Something I need to take to heart a bit more when it comes to the guitar. I use that at work each day (probably because a paycheck is at stake.... :woohoo: ).....
MJ
MJ- Is that the Highwayman that Jimmy webb wrote and Willie, Kris, Merle and Johnnie performed? If it is, that is a great song. I've been playing that a lot lately!! :cheer:
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Music Junkie
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BigBear wrote:
Very fun song to play. My youngest son Dalton always starts to sing along when he hears me playing it. He loves that song. One of my favorites by The Highwaymen along with "Silver Stallion". I did a transcription on it about two years ago and it is a fairly easy song to play chord-wise. One little run after the third and fourth verses where it goes to the "I'll be back again, and again,......" part that has an inverted chord with C# in the base that can trip me up on some nights (really depends on if I have had my cocktail or not..... :silly: ). Glad to hear that there is another fan of this great tune out there!
MJ
That would be the one.......MJ- Is that the Highwayman that Jimmy webb wrote and Willie, Kris, Merle and Johnnie performed? If it is, that is a great song. I've been playing that a lot lately!! :cheer:
Very fun song to play. My youngest son Dalton always starts to sing along when he hears me playing it. He loves that song. One of my favorites by The Highwaymen along with "Silver Stallion". I did a transcription on it about two years ago and it is a fairly easy song to play chord-wise. One little run after the third and fourth verses where it goes to the "I'll be back again, and again,......" part that has an inverted chord with C# in the base that can trip me up on some nights (really depends on if I have had my cocktail or not..... :silly: ). Glad to hear that there is another fan of this great tune out there!MJ
Michele,
This kind of thing happens to everyone at some point I think. I am currently in the throws of it on a deceptively simple, short tune and have been for about three weeks now. My fingers just don't wanna do what the song requires even though my brain "gets" it. Very frustrating. This leads me to only three possible options:
1 - Suffer through and keep at it even though it is frutstrating the hell out of me. If things still don't work out move to option 2.
2 - Put the song on the "short" list which means I move on to learning a few other things and then return to this in a few weeks and see what happens.
3 - Put the song on the "long" list which means I forget about it for a very long time (maybe even for good) and move on. Might return, might not.
Most of the time I tend to choose option 2 unless I know for certain the song is beyond my current technical capabilities in which case it falls to option 3. Option 1 is ok for a very short time but this is what gives you the feeling you already have - mental block. So don't stay here for too long. In this case choose option 2 and come back to it later. The new work material may re-inspire you.
Scott
This kind of thing happens to everyone at some point I think. I am currently in the throws of it on a deceptively simple, short tune and have been for about three weeks now. My fingers just don't wanna do what the song requires even though my brain "gets" it. Very frustrating. This leads me to only three possible options:
1 - Suffer through and keep at it even though it is frutstrating the hell out of me. If things still don't work out move to option 2.
2 - Put the song on the "short" list which means I move on to learning a few other things and then return to this in a few weeks and see what happens.
3 - Put the song on the "long" list which means I forget about it for a very long time (maybe even for good) and move on. Might return, might not.
Most of the time I tend to choose option 2 unless I know for certain the song is beyond my current technical capabilities in which case it falls to option 3. Option 1 is ok for a very short time but this is what gives you the feeling you already have - mental block. So don't stay here for too long. In this case choose option 2 and come back to it later. The new work material may re-inspire you.
Scott
What a bunch of sweeties!!! The TG life boats has been well and truely launched indeed. I feel very supported.
Thanks to everyone for giving me your ideas for how to tackle this beast, your experience of the learning process, your empathy, your INCREDIBLY generous comments about my abilities and votes of confidence. It's strange, but writing it down and sharing it with you all helps in its own way. And there are some good suggestions in here whiich I will try or try again.
The sitting in front of the tele thing does work and as it happens I was doing just that last night before I went to bed; yes fairly slowly and moving the fingers into place in the best order for the order that I'm striking the notes. It's one of the earliest and most important things I've learned about fingerpicking. I'm tyring to relax into it and get my subconscious brain learn to do it while I'm distracted. it does remove the boredom and dread factor too.
MJ - I'm glad you've had the same experience a me. With strumming it goes much better. But, fingerpicking is so unforgiving on sloppy chord changes.
...I don't think I'll be going with the naked playing thing... ... 
. But Dennis if it works for you that's great . Funny how Chris has got you naked again.
So the coach gets out his whip and whistle. What a hard task master!
"No break for you. Drop and give me 100 for having the impertinence of even thinking of slacking off and skipping off to do fun things and another 100 for whinging about it."
. No wonder you make champions.
Thanks again everyone.
Michele
Thanks to everyone for giving me your ideas for how to tackle this beast, your experience of the learning process, your empathy, your INCREDIBLY generous comments about my abilities and votes of confidence. It's strange, but writing it down and sharing it with you all helps in its own way. And there are some good suggestions in here whiich I will try or try again.
The sitting in front of the tele thing does work and as it happens I was doing just that last night before I went to bed; yes fairly slowly and moving the fingers into place in the best order for the order that I'm striking the notes. It's one of the earliest and most important things I've learned about fingerpicking. I'm tyring to relax into it and get my subconscious brain learn to do it while I'm distracted. it does remove the boredom and dread factor too.
MJ - I'm glad you've had the same experience a me. With strumming it goes much better. But, fingerpicking is so unforgiving on sloppy chord changes.
...I don't think I'll be going with the naked playing thing...
... . But Dennis if it works for you that's great . Funny how Chris has got you naked again. So the coach gets out his whip and whistle. What a hard task master!
"No break for you. Drop and give me 100 for having the impertinence of even thinking of slacking off and skipping off to do fun things and another 100 for whinging about it."
. No wonder you make champions. Thanks again everyone.
Michele