Quote:
Originally Posted by slipkorn917  i used to be able to just read the tab and play, but lately i've been having trouble playing and when i'm learning a new song i become frustrated and give up. am i losing interest, or am i losing my ability to play? |
Nope, if you were losing interest you wouldn't be concerned about it! I'm pretty sure those who lose interest wouldn't bother talking about it...seems like you care quite a bit
What I do when I find a difficult piece of music is break it up into small, easily-digestible segments. I try to pinpoint exactly where the difficulty is and isolate it for further practice. If it's fingering, then find the difficult finger position and isolate it. If it's plucking/picking, do the same.
Then, play the segment ultra slow to see where you are physically making mistakes.
If it's a new skill or technique you're not used to, try creating different exercises with elements of the same segment...to build up physical strength & endurance. I often create drum machine loops with polyrhythmic accents...a syncopated rhythm laid on top of a straight rhythm. I start with slower tempos until I'm locked in a groove. Then, I nudge the tempo higher and higher until I'm topped out at a fast tempo and still locked in a groove.
Sometimes learning these things isn't a matter of muscle development, but rather
muscle memory. This being the case,
it's all about your brain. Proper nutrition is critical when learning music. In order to get your fingers to blaze through a difficult passage, you must create highly-developed neural pathways. The only way to do this is by eating the right foods and approaching practice the smart way. If you supply your brain with all the necessary building blocks for developing new neural pathways, then during practice, your time won't be wasted.
You'll need to ingest complex carbohydrates, fiber, lean protein, specific fats (low cholesterol and saturated fat, high omega-3 fatty acids) and plenty of water.
It takes time. When learning anything new, I practice for 10 minutes on, and then take a 10 minute break. The 10-on/10-off method has served me well over the years, especially when I was in college and was in 3 performing bands each semester. During the 10 minutes of rest, my brain is busy growing the new connections I just asked it to create! You see, the development of new neural pathways takes time...it's totally biological. They can only grow so fast!
Some people are born with natural skill...genetically predisposed to have thicker connections between the corresponding brain lobes involved in learning/playing music. Yep, prodigies. The rest of us have to work hard and grow them the old fashioned way!
I think of it like this analogy: Weak skills are like 56K dialup, whereas strong skills are like 50Mbps cable. It's either a goat path or a 6-lane interstate.
If it's an issue of memorization, then create a "cheat sheet" road map of the song...pencil in the measures, numbers of repetition, chords, and sections like verse 1, verse 2, bridge, chorus. If you can get an overview of the song, it usually makes memorization easier.
If it's an issue of
motivation, it may be that you need to keep your eyes on the prize at the end...you'll be able to play that killer tune! It always motivates me to daydream about ripping off those difficult licks in front of a captive audience. It helps propel me forward...imagining how the audience will react when they finally hear me play it. I'm sure many musicians do this.
