I still catch myself playing fast with no real sense of rhythm. At this point, I am concentrating on two beats rhythm patterns instead of 100 beat patterns. Slowing things down and concentrating on the rhythm is where I am at now. No more 100 note fluries, just small rhythm patterns in about two measures long. I learned a lot from the "80s" and am very thankfull I was lucky enough to be a budding guitar player at that time.Learning new things
Moderator: Quentin
Learning new things
I absolutely love the "80s" for all the guitar heroes, but I must admit it took me a long time and a lot of conentration to break the SPEED RULES habit I still catch myself playing fast with no real sense of rhythm. At this point, I am concentrating on two beats rhythm patterns instead of 100 beat patterns. Slowing things down and concentrating on the rhythm is where I am at now. No more 100 note fluries, just small rhythm patterns in about two measures long. I learned a lot from the "80s" and am very thankfull I was lucky enough to be a budding guitar player at that time.
I still catch myself playing fast with no real sense of rhythm. At this point, I am concentrating on two beats rhythm patterns instead of 100 beat patterns. Slowing things down and concentrating on the rhythm is where I am at now. No more 100 note fluries, just small rhythm patterns in about two measures long. I learned a lot from the "80s" and am very thankfull I was lucky enough to be a budding guitar player at that time.IMHO this phenomena is related to lack of confidence and performance stress.
When I started out as a lecturer my lectures were full of useless, irrelevant unconnected facts because I was trying to impress myself and my students ( I was scared they might think I am not good or might not know enough). I was quoting latest research findings to students who barely knew the subject. It was embarassing and a bloody waste of time for everybody.
Now it is just a couple of facts repeated many times in different ways.
Whenever I get the machine gun finger of the scalitis when I am standing out there I try to remind myself of these early, embarassing days and it helps me to focus so much better.
You need to want to tell them something, otherwise you are just impressing and reassuring yourself and it is a yawn.
I agree, though, it's easier said than done.
When I started out as a lecturer my lectures were full of useless, irrelevant unconnected facts because I was trying to impress myself and my students ( I was scared they might think I am not good or might not know enough). I was quoting latest research findings to students who barely knew the subject. It was embarassing and a bloody waste of time for everybody.
Now it is just a couple of facts repeated many times in different ways.
Whenever I get the machine gun finger of the scalitis when I am standing out there I try to remind myself of these early, embarassing days and it helps me to focus so much better.
You need to want to tell them something, otherwise you are just impressing and reassuring yourself and it is a yawn.
I agree, though, it's easier said than done.
greetings from the nth grandson of Pikaia gracilens
Thank you.
Yeah. Still trying to get from " Why, oh my God why, have I got to go through all this s..t" to " Why?!!" :laugh3:
There is chap who posted elsewhere on this forum that thing about " How Music really works" and that songlist.
Well worth a look at IMHO.
Yeah. Still trying to get from " Why, oh my God why, have I got to go through all this s..t" to " Why?!!" :laugh3:
There is chap who posted elsewhere on this forum that thing about " How Music really works" and that songlist.
Well worth a look at IMHO.
greetings from the nth grandson of Pikaia gracilens
That was me who started the post . I am happy that you enjoyed the post. Eartraining is a long graduall process and not something that hits you all at once. My ear is now fairly powerfull now thanks to years of eartraining. The reason why we do all this eartraining is to increase our musicianship. Don't give up hope and keep on the eartraining.
. I am happy that you enjoyed the post. Eartraining is a long graduall process and not something that hits you all at once. My ear is now fairly powerfull now thanks to years of eartraining. The reason why we do all this eartraining is to increase our musicianship. Don't give up hope and keep on the eartraining.Thank you for pointing me towards it. I actually bought the book but have not gone through it properly yet. I play with a group of enthusiastic, fairly good but neanderthal musicians theory wise and the chase chart has turned out to be a very useful communicating tool although the MEGO ( My Eyes Glaze Over) look consistently appears whenever I try to explain what underpins the chart. I am semiliterate myself so its the halfblind leading. :laugh3:
I can't yet say that eartraining has helped me as much as understanding chord structures.Doing both at the same time is a bit of a task. My own life experiences tell me that I tend to gravitate towards techniques or methods that produce early tangible results.
I have heard again and again that people are very much helped by eartraining. I am interested to know how this happens when you are actually playing the music. What exercises helped most etc.
I sort of feel that where improvising is concerned the Kantian " a priori" concept applies i.e the line is already there in your head and you just sort of reach for it. Some of us are blessed with easier access and plentiful prettier, more solid lines others tend to have to struggle.
How does eartraining help me reach for that line?
I can't yet say that eartraining has helped me as much as understanding chord structures.Doing both at the same time is a bit of a task. My own life experiences tell me that I tend to gravitate towards techniques or methods that produce early tangible results.
I have heard again and again that people are very much helped by eartraining. I am interested to know how this happens when you are actually playing the music. What exercises helped most etc.
I sort of feel that where improvising is concerned the Kantian " a priori" concept applies i.e the line is already there in your head and you just sort of reach for it. Some of us are blessed with easier access and plentiful prettier, more solid lines others tend to have to struggle.
How does eartraining help me reach for that line?
greetings from the nth grandson of Pikaia gracilens
I think one thing that helped me with my ear was singing songs as a child. My parents siad that when we would go visit my mere' mere' in Canada(not sure of the spelling for a french grandmother), I would sing every single song I heard in French. I don't know any French at all (go figure).
Solfege is another great way to improve your ear. Berklee Press has some great books on the subject.
IMHO the trick lies in "association" and listening to music very closely. Listen from the bottom up. Find the bass note first, then the basic triad chord type (major, minor etc..) Once you find the basic root and triad quality, listen for chord exentions (sus2, sus4, add9, 13th etc..).
This is easier said than done. Thanks for sharing your ideas.
P.S. The only drawback that I find with Earmaster is it lacks examples that are in songs. The exercises can get monotonous after a while and discouraging.
Solfege is another great way to improve your ear. Berklee Press has some great books on the subject.
IMHO the trick lies in "association" and listening to music very closely. Listen from the bottom up. Find the bass note first, then the basic triad chord type (major, minor etc..) Once you find the basic root and triad quality, listen for chord exentions (sus2, sus4, add9, 13th etc..).
This is easier said than done. Thanks for sharing your ideas.
P.S. The only drawback that I find with Earmaster is it lacks examples that are in songs. The exercises can get monotonous after a while and discouraging.
Yes some people sometimes complain about the lack of melodic quality of some of the exercises. It's somehow understandable, and we're actually keeping that in mind for the future 
btw, Grandmother in French is Grand-mère. Maybe French Canadians have another locution, but I have poor knowledge of terms and expressions specific to Canadian French...
btw, Grandmother in French is Grand-mère. Maybe French Canadians have another locution, but I have poor knowledge of terms and expressions specific to Canadian French...
- Because in Music, We're All Ears... -