Trouble sleeping while learning a new piece..

[Denny B]

Two of the things that give me the most fun and enjoyment in life is playing guitar and riding motorcycles...

I guess I'm just wired in the way that anything I do for personal enjoyment and fullfillment doesn't keep me up at night consumed with it...

I do, however, wake up most mornings ready to do and enjoy those favorite things again...

[KarenB]

When a song is coming through me and I'm obsessed with it, falling asleep gets harder. I'll happily give up some sleep for a good song.

[TBman]

Watching videos on a computer or playing video games right before bed will keep you awake.

[pf400]

I think we fire up our brains when playing music, more so if the piece is new. I just accept that my brain just won't shut down until it's ready to. Oddly, I hardly ever lose sleep over newly created material. In fact it's often a battle to remember my new stuff the morning after. I've been retired almost 4 years but still dream about work situations maybe once per week. Not sure that's normal. Getting up and walking around, reading in the bathroom, staying in bed but praying or mentally practicing scales, all work...if the brain runs out of go-go. All part of life my fellow players.

[tupper]

Consider doing this as a project, not at "overnight" effort.

1. Memorize and be able to hum/whistle/sing the melody before you attempt to learn to play a tune.

2. Work on one tune at a time. Play everything slowly.

3. Learn one phrase or several measures at a time. Play the new measures repeatedly several times. Then play the tune starting at the beginning and include the measures you are learning. Repeat the effort 6-12 times. You gradually add what you learn to what you have already learned to play.

4. Play slowly. Do not include ornamentation (i.e. hammer-ons, slides, etc..) until you can play the complete tune without any problem. Remember - one problem at a time.

5. You can now start developing speed.

You play for enjoyment. Unless you are a professional, do not allow practicing to dominate your playing time. Practice your new tune before you begin playing the tunes you already know. That will allow you to gradually learn to play a complete tune and warm up before playing tunes you already know how to play.

[Wrighty]

Originally Posted by tupper

Consider doing this as a project, not at "overnight" effort.



1. Memorize and be able to hum/whistle/sing the melody before you attempt to learn to play a tune.



2. Work on one tune at a time. Play everything slowly.



3. Learn one phrase or several measures at a time. Play the new measures repeatedly several times. Then play the tune starting at the beginning and include the measures you are learning. Repeat the effort 6-12 times. You gradually add what you learn to what you have already learned to play.



4. Play slowly. Do not include ornamentation (i.e. hammer-ons, slides, etc..) until you can play the complete tune without any problem. Remember - one problem at a time.



5. You can now start developing speed.



You play for enjoyment. Unless you are a professional, do not allow practicing to dominate your playing time. Practice your new tune before you begin playing the tunes you already know. That will allow you to gradually learn to play a complete tune and warm up before playing tunes you already know how to play.

Thanks - interesting thoughts.

I tend to self limit to 2 pieces concurrently in order to avoid burnout - this is because that is all I play and practice. Once I have learnt a piece to the level I can record it, I tend to move on to another.

I do follow your thinking in the main and this tends to be my approach.

[pf400]

I have a list of 8 -10 new tunes on a list that I chip away at until I have them down solid. The number doesn't affect me. It's the excitement and joy from playing just one or two tunes that carries over, and even then it's not often that it affects me sleep.

[Wrighty]

Originally Posted by pf400

I have a list of 8 -10 new tunes on a list that I chip away at until I have them down solid. The number doesn't affect me. It's the excitement and joy from playing just one or two tunes that carries over, and even then it's not often that it affects me sleep.

Interesting - I find that any more than 2 new pieces at a time and I can’t make enough headway to keep me focused.

With 1 or 2 new and maybe one or two at a later stage (I can play them without the music in front of me but need to work on the flow or tone etc) I can keep all moving forwards and retain an interest and excitement in feeling some daily improvement.

Limited mental capacity for focus..

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Wrighty

Interesting - I find that any more than 2 new pieces at a time and I can’t make enough headway to keep me focused.

With 1 or 2 new and maybe one or two at a later stage (I can play them without the music in front of me but need to work on the flow or tone etc) I can keep all moving forwards and retain an interest and excitement in feeling some daily improvement.

Limited mental capacity for focus..

I'm the same. I'll work on usually just one heavily and a second for basics or review depending on where I am with it. I get better results keeping the fires down to a minimum.

[slewis]

Regarding music and sleep:

Yes, I'll be kept awake for quite a while when I have a new song to gig with, or even learn, that I'm excited about. I just can't keep it from going through my head.

On the other side of the coin, I'm amazed at what an almost instant sleep-inducer it is for me to listen to my own phone-recorded scraps of original ideas (almost always acoustic guitar). Puts me to sleep incredibly fast -- and I have no idea why....

[Glennwillow]

I have had this happen, the music stuck in my head as I try to fall asleep. It's an old and ongoing problem for me, too.

I learned some time ago to read before falling asleep. My mind seems to go inside of the book and that takes my mind off the music. Then suddenly I get so sleepy, I have to put the book down and take off my glasses. Then I can fall asleep.

Take care Wrighty!

- Glenn

[Wrighty]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

I have had this happen, the music stuck in my head as I try to fall asleep. It's an old and ongoing problem for me, too.

I learned some time ago to read before falling asleep. My mind seems to go inside of the book and that takes my mind off the music. Then suddenly I get so sleepy, I have to put the book down and take off my glasses. Then I can fall asleep.

Take care Wrighty!

- Glenn

Thanks Glenn - the joys of learning new pieces!