jumpinjeff
Forum Replies Created
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I am the Neighbor you need. Time to move, problem solved. Nicely played SWR!
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This is a really useful question! I was an over presser for years. Figuring this out is set me on the path for corrective measures. I invented my own drills to fix this issue. It involves seeing how lightly I can press the string to make the sound I want to hear. I found there is a minuscule amount of pressure between clear notes and muted notes. Once there I mess around with the varying degrees of muting vs. clear ringing out tone. There is a proviso here: the harder the tips of your finger are the less energy it takes to make a clear sound. Finger tip texture matters. There is only one way I know to get those tips rock like, many many many hours in the saddle. When you think you have callouses, keep going they get tougher. When I get the tension out of mind and arm/hand/fingers my precision and accuracy improve. Controlling speed is key here. Slow enough to play without tension and getting the sound you desire. Final analysis: play more, develop finger texture; target tension as the governor for speed.
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get your hand/fingers/wrist sorted first and foremost. Now is not the time to worry about the money part. Let’s get your hand healthy. The cost will sort out later. There is even ways to have med costs covered through sponsored care. GET YOUR HAND EVALUATED for post op condition. I am no big proponent of the Med system but this is the stuff good docs can nail down. ER or Urgent Care, either one, as long as you go NOW! I say this with friendship and love and concern.
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oh man did I struggle with this @PickinmyPocket , That swing feel can be diagrammed and explained but it was easier for me to mess around with and get it by feel. Clear your mind of all thoughts and focus on that feel. Can you hum the beat. Even finger tapping on a table becomes a useful endeavor. Many of my favorite songs use this triplet variation to get the cool sound I love. As frustrating as it it…it is worth working through.
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hang in there Loraine. Thoughts are with you!!! You will get through this. It is a mindset at this point. You will never be what you were but you do have a shot at being better! I like what your Teacher advised. Put the guitar in your lap. It is gonna be challenging at times but you can do it. I know you can. He is right about your tremor and the repetitions.
I have nearly lost the top joints on my thumb and middle finger of my fretting hand. Both finger tips were numb for years. And then Bam! they woke up. Nerve tissue is odd stuff. Have faith. If you find that lacking, we can bolster it with the stories of success of others who have had similar experience.
My thumb was almost shot off by a nail gun and my middle finger was almost popped off when a candy vending machine landed on it. Don’t ask. I was in college.
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Ahhhhww Geeeezzz @Loraine ! I am so sorry. I deduced based on the number of bones: it is your hand?
Take good care. Don’t worry. Everything you need to keep going is here. More importantly you know how it works. Sending you healing G chord vibes!!!
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Best of All Moose as long as you get in your playing time you will advance. Don’t even have to think about how. Just log on and do the thing. Way more to it when we break down the intricacies of the string/note relationships. But It is at its core basic. Do you recall your first session vs Yesterdays?
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only one question from me @Rob503 , did you pick up your guitar and play today. If nothing else follow Tony. It is simple and it works. 10 min. Listen, think, play. Keep those eyes closed. Once the guitar is in your hands it doesn’t change positions. Work on connecting your ears to your fingers. You are going into uncharted waters. Have an adventure. Remember we are all adventuring together with the maps Tony provides. Hang in there. I am hanging right next to you. : )
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The only way I found was through repetition. Picking songs I love was part of the success as I had to play them thousands of times. As I get further down the road, I realize the songs I liked were prototypical. One song applies to about 100 others. By learning one song so well I could wear it intuitively, I was learning 100s of others.
That learning period between when you start and when you are ready to play out is tough to endure. That is one of the beauties of sharing stuff you are working on here. We all know how it goes. Here we look at the presentation and identify what is good. It is less about what needs to improve as that is the point of being here. The presenter is always very aware, more than anyone else, what needs work.
Playing and recording your play speeds up progress especially with learning a song but is not exclusive to song learning. Share you recording or not, that is up to you but the exercise of recording should be worked into your music practices for fastest results.
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if ever a question, the answer remains the same: play more.
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Another fantastic tool Stillhand! MFP! On it, or should I say….off it. : )
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That is it Mark!
I played along and still play along. Keeping engaged and motivated is one of the biggest challenges. It is an super useful tool! Recognizing its value even more powerful!
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That would be cooler than a China Clipper calling Alameda.
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Well Jeez @Loraine Just c’mover and I will play it for you….may be easier. : ) I’ll See what I can get that will demonstrate this amazing concept so captivating me at the moment.
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This is getting to the core of how TAC’s model is different from other systems. You nailed it @langerking . I am pretty sure I could go on for a volume or two on this subject. There are two thing particular to consider. One is: “we all want to play songs.” Why? What is the real reason? Fun? sure but why? I had to first get honest, explore the answer and then find something meaningful to shoot for. It is when I abandoned performative and adopted communicative as my modus operandi. This though is very specific to me. Each finds their own way. Second is Finger Choreography vs Becoming a player. This relates to how I was hampered initially by learning songs. My early attempts were that of learning choreography. I had no idea how the puzzle fit, I was just trying to make one little picture. I became super focused on a result without giving equal focus to how the result I desired was achieved. Do it over and over until you get it right and then continue doing it until you cant get it wrong. That was my mentality. It was too many bits of random info. This old brain could not keep it all straight without context. Another problem was inadequate physical preparation and not having the kinesthetic awareness so that no matter how many times I did it I would not be able to do it. It was like learning how to run a marathon by running a marathon. Sure it is possible but man the next day is a bummer and do you want to do it again any time soon. I had to hunker down and build chops doing chunks of things, put in some miles as it were, in order for me to play what I wanted to play . All the while right in front of me in the form of daily challenges,the workouts were laid out, beautifully plain. It is true I could have taken any one of my intentions songs and broken it into chunks and in fact I did with Stormy Monday, Allman Bros tune, with a teacher, one on one. It was costly dollarwise and I didn’t really know what to do with it…yet. So Tony does all the breaking down and I don’t have to think about it….over time I learned that what I initially questioned, Tony got spot on. Is it my favorite song, Europa? No but it is music that is perfect for teaching. That was my path to get to Europa as I am ready. How do I know?…it is measured by enjoyment. When the dopamine is flowing I know! Final analysis: perhaps my own overemphasis on learning songs hampered my learning. I can see there is a beneficial balance. Could have gotten to where I am today more quickly without my imbalance? probably. I did not adjust fast enough. Eventually I got it.
Fall in love with the process. Let the outcome be what it will be. Control how you play in the future by how you play today. Play without tension, make eliminating tension your ongoing goal. Never chase speed. You will never catch it. You can sneak up on it though a few bpms at a time! This is the path to happy playing. You are finding it, as up your enjoyment it will continue. Play the guitar and the songs will just pour out and you will never have to play another song. Okay now I have to go play my silverstringed wooden box.
Thanks for asking. Wish I could condense it to a shorter version : )