So far, I'm not far off; after busking with Bill on Thursday, on Friday I was teaching a guy in this coffee shop at their outdoor patio so we played a few tunes at the end (I asked a manager to come busk there too, she said send me an email...) then all day outdoor gig today and doing the same gig tomorrow.
Here’s something else to consider… have you ever tried playing without watching your fingers?
I don’t know about you, but watching my fingers seems to encourage rote patterns.
Not watching them seems to encourage me to use my ears and my imagination more.
Yes, that's exactly what I commented about a few posts back. It's as if once you do that, your creative mind is leading a charge using the knowledge you have instead of when I'm looking down at it I'm mostly stitching the known patterns together.
But I should also add that these known patterns make it possible to get more creative. They're still the building blocks. Sometimes you hear from some of the big names in jazz world say like, "oh I play what I hear in my mind". Sure, I believe that but they're forgetting to say they didn't get there just trying their whole life to play music they heard in their head. They built a palette to draw from throughout their lifetime.
A little update here. Received this newsletter with a tip I've been incorporating into my practice. Basically taking a short frequent breaks during your practice. I've been aware of letting something just simmer once you've practiced it for some time but wasn't aware that periods as short as 10 seconds can actually be beneficial. Turns out, they can.
So have you started setting your timer for 1:50 and leaving :10s rest to make the 2 mins time in the subject line? Or does the method need to be renamed the Two Minute Ten Second practice method? 😂😜
I've always set the timer on 2:10. It fell perfectly into that time like they were made for each other. I was, like, this is the real reason why I actually set the timer on 2 minutes, 10 seconds.
Comments
I’m glad playing for an audience is helping you, Buco.
Just keep doing it seven days a week and eight hours a night, and you’ll be playing like Django in no time!
Edgar Degas: "Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.... To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."
Georges Braque: "In art there is only one thing that counts: the bit that can’t be explained."
That's all it takes!
So far, I'm not far off; after busking with Bill on Thursday, on Friday I was teaching a guy in this coffee shop at their outdoor patio so we played a few tunes at the end (I asked a manager to come busk there too, she said send me an email...) then all day outdoor gig today and doing the same gig tomorrow.
Noa presents these issues and solutions much better
Interesting article!
Here’s something else to consider… have you ever tried playing without watching your fingers?
I don’t know about you, but watching my fingers seems to encourage rote patterns.
Not watching them seems to encourage me to use my ears and my imagination more.
Full disclosure: I got this idea from the Django movie.
The Django character gives this very advice to a bunch of fledgling gypsy guitarists.
Edgar Degas: "Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.... To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."
Georges Braque: "In art there is only one thing that counts: the bit that can’t be explained."
Here’s something else to consider… have you ever tried playing without watching your fingers?
I don’t know about you, but watching my fingers seems to encourage rote patterns.
Not watching them seems to encourage me to use my ears and my imagination more.
Yes, that's exactly what I commented about a few posts back. It's as if once you do that, your creative mind is leading a charge using the knowledge you have instead of when I'm looking down at it I'm mostly stitching the known patterns together.
But I should also add that these known patterns make it possible to get more creative. They're still the building blocks. Sometimes you hear from some of the big names in jazz world say like, "oh I play what I hear in my mind". Sure, I believe that but they're forgetting to say they didn't get there just trying their whole life to play music they heard in their head. They built a palette to draw from throughout their lifetime.
Yeah, good point.
Whenever I don’t actually have a guitar in my hands and I just sit and listen to the music that my mind creates, surprise!
It sounds almost exactly like the stuff that I play when I do have a guitar in my hands!
What a coincidence!
Edgar Degas: "Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.... To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."
Georges Braque: "In art there is only one thing that counts: the bit that can’t be explained."
You're lucky then.
Busking on your own is one awkward experience, at first. But felt great having done it.
A little update here. Received this newsletter with a tip I've been incorporating into my practice. Basically taking a short frequent breaks during your practice. I've been aware of letting something just simmer once you've practiced it for some time but wasn't aware that periods as short as 10 seconds can actually be beneficial. Turns out, they can.
So have you started setting your timer for 1:50 and leaving :10s rest to make the 2 mins time in the subject line? Or does the method need to be renamed the Two Minute Ten Second practice method? 😂😜
I've always set the timer on 2:10. It fell perfectly into that time like they were made for each other. I was, like, this is the real reason why I actually set the timer on 2 minutes, 10 seconds.