Break time!

[Gitaman]

Hello, I am new to this subforum and have a question as a beginner with 18 months of companionships with various guitars I have journeyed through. I just did my first recording for a review and was surprised to find what I thought was ok is actually just a big mess. I am hoping this subforum would help me clean up my noise to a palatable babble.

So, when I play/practice a while, I would notice an increasing, for lack of better terms, pressure internally as I play. Not the same, but it is similar to the uncomfortable feeling when you are really sleepy but forcing yourself to stay awake. Wen I take a pause, it goes away as if my neurons assimilated the new experience and are ready for more. I seem to play more relaxed with small breaks than non-stop endless repetition.

Should one of my short-term goals be practicing so relaxd that I should not feel this pent-up energy or is this normal? I am asking because my goal is to play relaxed, I think. Am I going down the wrong rabbit hole? Hobbit hole, it must be...

[rmp]

You may be setting too high with your expectations on how rapidly you'll get from point A to point B.

Playing / practicing, writing, recording, what ever it is, should be your release valve, not the pressure cooker.

Remember this is for fun, right ? no one looses an arm because they didn't practice enough.

Also, walking away after 30 minutes of playing, and returning for another short session through out your day is NOT a bad thing to do. The important part is repetition over time. You are building muscle memory in just about everything you do. scales, chord changes, etc. This happens over time,

3 hours a day, verses 3 30 minute sessions won't make much of a difference.

Keep in mind you're learning an instrument that takes years to master. Some people do catch on faster than others, but ultimately everyone walks the same roads here.

[Gitaman]

Originally Posted by rmp

You may be setting too high with your expectations on how rapidly you'll get from point A to point B.

Playing / practicing, writing, recording, what ever it is, should be your release valve, not the pressure cooker.

Remember this is for fun, right ? no one looses an arm because they didn't practice enough.

Also, walking away after 30 minutes of playing, and returning for another short session through out your day is NOT a bad thing to do. The important part is repetition over time. You are building muscle memory in just about everything you do. scales, chord changes, etc. This happens over time,

3 hours a day, verses 3 30 minute sessions won't make much of a difference.

Keep in mind you're learning an instrument that takes years to master. Some people do catch on faster than others, but ultimately everyone walks the same roads here.

Thank you for the encouragement, I sure could use one! I am putting in as much time as I can because I really enjoy playing for mysrelf and occasionally for my wife. Making progress is also an addictive ingredient, I must confess.

Anyhow, I did some rsearch and found a solution!

Incorporate the break during the play!! I was trying to put so much into the play, you know, PLAY means moving, producing, and things happening. Instead I tried to put out less and feel more, rest a little here and there. My noodling and all else sound better paced and sound better. I am sure this makes no sense especially coming from a beginner, but I thought I would share it anyways. Writing helps with dimentia supposedly.