A jump in skill for no reason

[TBman]

Originally Posted by DaveKell

I had an incredible advance in my playing within days of getting Toby Walker's DVD called Take a Solo. To say it was an epiphany is a massive understatement. I began downloading full song blues backing tracks and in just two days found myself able to play lead line after line throughout them. I should add I sound awesome doing it, exactly where I had tried to be for decades.

I'm going to look at that, thanks.

[Erik Singletary]

Originally Posted by TBman

I'm trying to learn to use finger picks (and thumb too). I have to admit I'm practicing with them very infrequently because its busy season at work and I'm lucky if I pick up the guitar twice a week now. But the other day I said let's try the fingerpicks (1st time in like 2 weeks) and suddenly I'm hitting the right strings like 80 to 85% *** of the time, which is a minor miracle. Anyone else have one of these jumps in skill for no good reason?


*** which still means it sounds like c**p, but recognizable c**p.

I find after a day or two for some reason when I pick my guitar back up I am much better than I left off. I don't see the sudden jump in every day practice. Odd.

I started out finger picking because I like that style better than strumming with a pick. I can't play crap with a pick.

[Pitar]

No fingerpicks for me. Fingernails only. Tried all the picks - every brand - and decided they were all more of a handicap than useful.

[EoE]

my wife was a dancer not a topless ok. she always had a hard time at first auditions but if she got a call back she nailed the call back.. she always had to sleep on a routine.

[Davis Webb]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Howard Roberts used to write a lot of stuff about the process of learning in his Guitar Player column. One that made an impression on me was where he talked about progress and plateaus. He described how you would have periods where everything was a struggle, you couldn't play anything right, just banging your head against the wall, where you wanted to give up because you weren't getting anywhere. Then you hit stretches where suddenly everything is easy, you can play stuff you never played before, you pick up new songs and techniques effortlessly, and you feel like you're making great progress. He said we actually have those reversed. We were making progress when we were struggling, and reaping the benefits, and actually coasting along when it feels like we're playing well.

I see this effect quite often. I work on something over and over and can't get it. Go to sleep and wake up in the morning, and I can play it. It takes time for the patterns to form in our brains, I think.

Really says it all.