How many of you dedicate a night or two to tough things

TBman · #1 02-21-2018, 10:37 PM

I usually practice about 5 songs a practice session, with repetition given to sticky parts. I have a few tough things I want to iron out and I'm wondering if a couple, or three nights I should forget about playing through whole songs and just do the tougher sections until my fingers fall off.

I'm thinking that might get me where I want to be sooner. Any thoughts?

Looburst · #2 02-21-2018, 11:43 PM

Barry, whenever I'm learning something new, whether a lick or a whole progression, I don't stop until I can get it down pretty well. Then by the next day I pick it back up, it comes much easier. Muscle memory is key at first then remembering comes next for me.

Gjimmy · #3 02-22-2018, 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Looburst

Barry, whenever I'm learning something new, whether a lick or a whole progression, I don't stop until I can get it down pretty well. Then by the next day I pick it back up, it comes much easier. Muscle memory is key at first then remembering comes next for me.

I find this to be true. I grind it til I can’t take it, then the next day it is way easier. So rewarding to finally nail a tough song.

godfreydaniel · #4 02-22-2018, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBman

I usually practice about 5 songs a practice session, with repetition given to sticky parts. I have a few tough things I want to iron out and I'm wondering if a couple, or three nights I should forget about playing through whole songs and just do the tougher sections until my fingers fall off.

I'm thinking that might get me where I want to be sooner. Any thoughts?

I think you’re on the right track. I’ll spend a lot of time repeating the tough spots, although I do play through the rest of the song too. When focusing on the tough spots I’ll try other fingering options when it’s really not clicking

dkstott · #5 02-22-2018, 04:30 AM

This has been my mantra for working through tough pieces and songs. It's the 5 penny rule.

https://youtu.be/MNShGGvVb1Y

dkstott · #6 02-22-2018, 04:31 AM

This has been my mantra for working through tough pieces and songs. It's the 5 penny rule from Rich Severson.

https://youtu.be/MNShGGvVb1Y

SprintBob · #7 03-02-2018, 08:45 AM

I work on my challenging stuff 90% of the time I sit down to play but I balance the session with some material that I have down that I either want to stay polished on, maintain, or enhance. The main thing for me is to set reasonable milestones for the challenging stuff so I don’t feel like I am beating my head into the wall.

I’ve been working on JT’s Secret O’ Life and there are some challenging grips/transitions in the 2nd half of the verse. I finally made enough progress after about 2 months of work to move on to the 2nd half of the song last night and that felt pretty good.

Fingerstyle, I usually have at least 4-5 that I am working on simulataneously and currently about 15 songs I try to play at least once a week to keep them up to speed.

Kerbie · #8 03-02-2018, 08:53 AM

I shoot for working on tough stuff every time I sit down to play. Life gets in the way sometimes, so I probably don't succeed at my 100% goal, but it's certainly a very high majority.

I've played almost all my life and never stopped, but I think I spent decades doing the same old stuff when I picked up a guitar. So, I try not to do that now... I try to challenge myself every time. Just makes it more interesting to me.

Fast Jimmy · #9 03-03-2018, 08:45 PM

I find that if I break my practicing into two sections, possibly hours apart, it's best for me. I constantly need to go back and practice songs I already know or I tend to forget how to play them. A separate time for working on new/tough stuff seems to allow me to concentrate better. But, that's probably just me.
Jim

jseth · #10 03-03-2018, 08:57 PM

Unlss you're in some sort of race or competition, I think the MOST important thing is to be sure you're enjoying yourself, having fun... even with difficult pieces that may prove tough to master...

When you're having fun with it, you relax more... being relaxed will allow your hands, arms and fingers to cruise and enjoy the ride!

It's easy to become obsessed with learning a certain passage, but relaxing yourself and letting the piece "come to you" is a really good way to learn.

There is a book called "Effortless Mastery", written by a jazz pianist and composer named Kenny Werner, and I would highly recommend checking it out thoroughly... although Kenny's a pianist, the book is really about making the best use of WHATEVER skill set level you hold, and how to let that skill set go as far as it will take you.

Gitfiddlemann · #11 03-04-2018, 05:57 AM

Quote:

I usually practice about 5 songs a practice session, with repetition given to sticky parts. I have a few tough things I want to iron out and I'm wondering if a couple, or three nights I should forget about playing through whole songs and just do the tougher sections until my fingers fall off.

I'm thinking that might get me where I want to be sooner. Any thoughts?

I don't do that myself, but I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with that approach.
If some things are tough, they are a tough for a reason, so it's important to have identified the underlying root cause of the problem before working on it. If your fingers do fall off, make sure it was for the right cause!

Quote:

Unless you're in some sort of race or competition, I think the MOST important thing is to be sure you're enjoying yourself, having fun... even with difficult pieces that may prove tough to master...

That's excellent advice. I like to think that's what I do with the tough assignments/pieces. Keeping expectations in line with my own "reality".
Most importantly, structuring the practice to make it as enjoyable as possible. Mixing it up too (lots of difficult things to work on), so as not to get compulsive about it.
There are lots of different ways to approach a problem you might be having. Some of it might not be so obvious, i.e. like repeating a passage slowly until you can play it faster. That may intuitively seem like the right thing to do, but not always. Some things work better than others so it's important to keep more than one tool in your practice box.

Golffishny · #12 03-05-2018, 08:12 AM

I like the penny method. I do something similar practicing putting. I have a carpet marked off in 1 foot intervals for 8 feet total. I try for 3 made before advancing to the next distance and if I miss I go back to the shorter distance.

This could be done with a metronome for guitar. Start at a slow tempo, maybe 40 BPM or wherever you can play clean. Play 3 times clean before changing the metronome to a faster speed. Bump it 2, 5, or 10 bpm depending on your skill or comfort level. If you make a mistake drop the tempo back down. Remember to relax. As you get closer to the final try before advancing there is a tendency to feel pressure to perform. Remember that the pressure is only there if we want it to be. The worst that will happen if you mess up is you will have to play it again. It's not the end of the world so relax and focus on the process instead of the result. Keep it fun.