who wants to do a 5 week practice challenge with me? ;-)

Here we go again! I'm proposing a 5 week practice challenge. This time I'm going to tackle the following:

- practice 5 weeks straight, 6 nights a week (Fri or Sat night off, I learned my lesson last time. I need a night off a week to avoid burnout and marital strife )
- record a song a week (until I run out of songs!)
- learn one new fingerpicking piece (maybe 2 if things go well, I'm already half way through one right now)

I'm going start this Sun. June 2nd and end Sat. July 6th.

Who wants to join in? All you need to do is set some goals of your own and post your progress in this thread. You can tackle anything you wish to work on. It's up to you!

...

BTW for those of you who remember, at the end of my last practice challenge I spent a weekend at Fur Peace Ranch learning from Woody Mann. I did the practice challenge to prepare for my FPR visit. I have to say it was one of the most amazing weekends of my life and by far one of the best musical experiences of my life. The ranch is a wonderful, supportive place (great atmosphere, people, concerts and food!) and Woody's teaching was out of this world. If you can swing it (for me it was a big commitment time and money wise) do yourself a favor and go. You will not regret it. I'm already planning my next visit.

Well since I'm the only one...

Day 1: quite a good practice. Repertory went reasonable well and I have finished my latest song, Woody Mann's wonderful Hudson River Boogie. I've added it to my repertory list. I just need to get it up to speed. I'll probably record it this week. I will also learn another piece for the challenge, just not sure which one right now.

I observed something interesting. Whenever I learn a new song, some other song(s!) from my repertory disintegrates. It's like my memory tries to free up space for learning the new song by wiping out something already there! So I usually struggle a bit with repertory whenever this happens. I've learned to accept it and work a little harder. Anybody else ever had this happen?

[delb0y]

Yep, I get that too. Trying to keep too many songs memorised is impossible. But they don't disappear altogether - they just need a bit of refreshing, maybe a few days work, to get back up to speed.

Originally Posted by delb0y

Yep, I get that too. Trying to keep too many songs memorised is impossible. But they don't disappear altogether - they just need a bit of refreshing, maybe a few days work, to get back up to speed.

Hey Del,

Phew! Good. I thought I was having a senior moment at 41!

BTW aren't you going to join in this challenge? You did awesome last time and I'm sure there's something else you'd like to learn.

[Scotch]

I would be interested J- Doug.

problem is i don't know what time frame i should let myself have to learn songs. I would be learning Tommy Emmanuel, Some difficult pieces tbh. But most nights now i try to sing :P

Originally Posted by Scotch

I would be interested J- Doug.

problem is i don't know what time frame i should let myself have to learn songs. I would be learning Tommy Emmanuel, Some difficult pieces tbh. But most nights now i try to sing :P

go for it! If it's something hard, set you goals low for the next 5 weeks, especially if it's a TE song. Maybe learn half?

[Scotch]

I'm a stubborn bugger.

I think i might just set myself a difficult task as i have nothing planned for this weeks. So mabye learn Jerry Reeds Breakdown. 2 minute song but very fast for both hands :P

Originally Posted by Scotch

I'm a stubborn bugger.

I think i might just set myself a difficult task as i have nothing planned for this weeks. So mabye learn Jerry Reeds Breakdown. 2 minute song but very fast for both hands :P

That's the spirit.

[delb0y]

BTW aren't you going to join in this challenge? You did awesome last time and I'm sure there's something else you'd like to learn.

Pretty much as a result of the last challenge I recently joined Bryan Sutton's flatpicking academy, so I'm currently working my way through some of Bryan's lessons - mostly focussing on the right hand at the moment. So I'm playing every night (and day) anyway...

I'll check in regularly and keep you all honest though

Kind regards
Derek

Originally Posted by delb0y

I'll check in regularly and keep you all honest though

Somebody's got to.

[Picking Moose]

I love to join in the action but at some conditions... I will not learn anything new unless I feel like and I will not record anything unless I feel like.
But to balance that out somehow, I will commit myself to (at least) 1 hour daily on acoustic and 1 hour daily on electric, 7 days a week.

How about that?

Originally Posted by Picking Moose

I love to join in the action but at some conditions... I will not learn anything new unless I feel like and I will not record anything unless I feel like.
But to balance that out somehow, I will commit myself to (at least) 1 hour daily on acoustic and 1 hour daily on electric, 7 days a week.

How about that?

Sounds great to me! Happy to have you on board.

[bayoubill]

Due to my work schedule I'm adding at least one solo guitar song a month. Corcovado is in the 3rd day.

Originally Posted by bayoubill

Due to my work schedule I'm adding at least one solo guitar song a month. Corcovado is in the 3rd day.

Great! I love Corcovado. Post a recording if/when you can.

Day 2: excellent practice though I was pretty tired (up at 6 am). The new song Hudson River Boogie has really come together. I'm planning on recording it this week, I'm just not sure which night I'll do it. Repertory went really well as well, except for a couple of problems with Mr. Blake's Dance. Getting a bit frustrated with my playing on that piece. Oh well. At least I'm not doing the "World's Angriest Guitar Player" thing.

So after Woody Mann's encouragement to start playing out (when I was at Fur Peace Ranch I had a DISASTER of a performance) and my wife insistence that I start playing open mikes too, the family and I went to check out the open mike at Irene's Pub on Saturday. Seems nice and the guy running it (Geoff) seems like a nice guy. Mostly acoustic guitar stuff so I should fit in pretty well I think. Now I just need to build up the courage to play. I get rather shaky on stage though which is not so great for fingerpicking the guitar! I don't know whether to start this Saturday or next. I get nervous just thinking about it. I've barely been on stage playing the past 20 years.