#31
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I’ve been playing for about 38 years. When I say that, the guy who first taught me guitar says he’s been playing for 1 year, 38 times.
Philosophically, I don’t see music as something we strive toward, but rather something we experience as a process. That being said, there are technical aspects that I thought I would eventually master that are still beyond me - and I keep trying to get there. For me, I make strides when I learn something new from a theory perspective or when I learn new repertoire. I like to deconstruct songs and analyze why they sound the way they do. Then, slowly the new information seeps into my playing. I’ll give a few examples: 1 - when I’m playing a song that has a blues feel - say in A minor pentatonic, I’ll often think in E phrygian to add variety; 2 - I started writing a song recently with the goal of using a progression from iii - III7, using the second chord as a pivot to change keys - the goal of learning the technique actually came before the title, melody or concept; 3 - this week, I deconstructed the They Might Be Giants song,Birdhouse in You Soul - I think it’s almost impossible to understand exactly what they are doing in the song from an analytical perspective, but it is eye-opening. I’m sure I’m not getting a whole lot faster or smoother, but I’d like to think I’m always getting smarter.
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Mike 2018 Furch D31TSR 2008 Martin OMCRE 1992 Takamine EAN20C 1996 Fender Telecaster w/ Barden Nashville set 1986 Charvel Model 5 2005 Art & Lutherie Ami 1980ish Hohner copy of a 'burst |
#32
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In my case, taking more short breaks during playing/practice sessions reduces the physical problems that occur when playing. I just stop playing, stretch my fingers, have a sip of water/soda, look out the window for a few minutes, then sit down and start playing again.
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