Week 1

Chris Peterson

I thought it might be kind of cool for people to share what they are doing with Gypsy Rhythm on a weekly basis (or maybe even every 5-7 practices). I tend to make out Excel spreadsheets with my practice goals for the week and check them off as I do them. I have been doing that with Gypsy Picking for 2 months now, and I just started last week with Gypsy Rhythm.

I have been working on sections 5, 6, 7 and 9. I read through the first 4 chapters, but didn't reel a real need to practice them regularly. As for part 8 and 10, I just didn't think I was advanced enough yet to tackle them.

In the first week, I feel that I have developed a pretty good Trad La Pompe, I have figured out Thumb Position (though it still hurts sometimes), changed the way I voice lead chords, and have gotten some good rhythmic ideas.

Anyone else want to share? If this kind of thing doesn't interest anyone, I probably won't do it again next week, but if it does, it might be cool to see how people progress.

zeitblom

Since I'm beginning - not a beginning player - but since getting interested in this style, I really am starting from scratch - just getting chords under my fingers cleanly - learning right hand technique from the beginning again.

This Week's routine:

(Ex. 5.10) Working on the traditional pompe - with the recording until I get it and then I'll apply it to 2 or 3 tunes from the Nolan books (Trying to get Book 1 memorized this month).

Then:
(6.16) V-I progressions - working on memory - mimicking Michael - taking each progression through Transcribe - slowing it down sometimes to 70 or 80%

(6:17) V-i - same way

(6:18-20) same way. Sometimes I'll work on a progression for a while sometimes just a minute or so before I move on.

The goal is to play it by memory - mixed up - at tempo - with the metronome - all over the fretboard.

I'll be working on Rhythm primarily until I get it, but I also have Gypsy
Picking and Robin Nolan Essential Licks.

The first 8 musical examples in Gypsy Picking.
The Maj and Min Blues licks in Essential Licks.
Plus Zone 1 Minor Swing Arpeggio Patterns (Wremble) for Etude 1.

In all about 25 Exercises to work with. The Rhythm is consistent
and what I'm concentrating on - Getting pompe, voicings, progressions and learning songs.

How long to practice

Here's my latest discovery: I subscribe to MLB.COM and watch every AZ DIAMONDBACKS game.
I switch exercises every three outs. Top of the Inning - 6.16 Bottom 6.17
etc. So in one game I get through 18 different exercises.
How long I work on the exercise depends on the game. Sometimes an
exercise will be about 3 minutes (if Webb is pitching well ) sometimes
it can last about 10.

It ends up to be about a 2 hour 15 minute practice session (Fast forwarding through commercials). Ive done this for every game so far this season.

I start at about 10:00 pm and finish usually between midnight and 12:30.

(It took about 15 minutes to write this - gotta get back to practicing)-

zeitblom

Practiced tonight - scratch the 25 exercises! I stayed with some exercises through a few innings.
It would take forever and I wouldn't internalize it quickly if I tried
to do too many.
I just worked on about 7 or 8 different things. All Rhythm tonight.
(but Arpeggio warm-ups).

Tunes and La Pompe for 2 hours - Dark Eyes (beginner and intermediate), really listening and trying to mimic Mr. Horowitz.

That upstroke is so subtle, don't even catch it unless I listen
really carefully!

To make the upstroke-grace note part of the down motion...