Vary Your Approach in Practicing Technique

[KenSmithFan]

The only rule I have when practising. . . . don't practise till you get it right, practise till you can't get it wrong.

That’s an impossibility, but it sure makes people feel good.

 

[edwinhurwitz]

That’s an impossibility, but it sure makes people feel good.

How is that an impossibility?

 

[KenSmithFan]

How is that an impossibility?

Are you an infallible machine? If not, perfection is impossible. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for practicing, but I really get tired of these feel-good platitudes. They set unrealistic expectations for people who don’t understand what they are.

 

[TOOL460002]

One of my votes was other: Different strings gauges. I got the nut filed on my second Stingray and generally keep them in EADG and BEAD or DADG and CGCF. Playing the same thing on thicker strings is like strength training. You go back to "normal" strings and it feels so much easier.

 

[edwinhurwitz]

Are you an infallible machine? If not, perfection is impossible. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for practicing, but I really get tired of these feel-good platitudes. They set unrealistic expectations for people who don’t understand what they are.

I think it's well within the realm of possibility and the original point, practicing so that you can do it once is not enough practice, is quite true. It's also true that music doesn't necessarily mean playing like a machine. It doesn't mean that you have to play it exactly the same way twice to play it right. I fail to see how it was a feel good platitude, it was an exhortation for all of us to be excellent. Undermining that seems to be counterproductive for all of us.

 

[matthewbrown]

Are you an infallible machine? If not, perfection is impossible. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for practicing, but I really get tired of these feel-good platitudes. They set unrealistic expectations for people who don’t understand what they are.

While perfection is impossible, I think it's easy to fall into the trap of "I got it right so I can move on" when you are a beginner. And I think that's why the saying about playing until you can't make any mistakes has a bit of truth to it.

When I took up playing classical guitar, I realized that while I would never avoid mistakes completely, I had to practice in an entirely different way than I had on bass. Bass parts were usually only one voice and featured so much repetition that they were easier to master. Learning a guitar etude featuring bass, chords and melody and very little repetition and playing it consistently required a much different and more demanding approach. Plus, I'm playing mostly solo, so it's more exposed.

 

[KenSmithFan]

I think it's well within the realm of possibility and the original point, practicing so that you can do it once is not enough practice, is quite true. It's also true that music doesn't necessarily mean playing like a machine. It doesn't mean that you have to play it exactly the same way twice to play it right. I fail to see how it was a feel good platitude, it was an exhortation for all of us to be excellent. Undermining that seems to be counterproductive for all of us.

Well, opinions are like *** *****. Everybody has one and the other guy’s stinks.

It also ignores reality. I’m in three bands with a couple hundred songs to keep on my fingertips, not counting new songs being added and personal practice to improve my overall playing. Practicing all of that so I play everything perfectly every time would be an impossibility. Telling people that THAT is possible is undermining them by setting up unrealistic expectations about what can be accomplished.

 

[KenSmithFan]

While perfection is impossible, I think it's easy to fall into the trap of "I got it right so I can move on" when you are a beginner. And I think that's why the saying about playing until you can't make any mistakes has a bit of truth to it.

When I took up playing classical guitar, I realized that while I would never avoid mistakes completely, I had to practice in an entirely different way than I had on bass. Bass parts were usually only one voice and featured so much repetition that they were easier to master. Learning a guitar etude featuring bass, chords and melody and very little repetition and playing it consistently required a much different and more demanding approach. Plus, I'm playing mostly solo, so it's more exposed.

I wouldn’t disagree with a thing you said.

 

[Polfuste]

I play different instruments cause my main tool at home is my acoustic 32" bass, when i play 34" electric with bands. So attack, way of playing is different. But it's always physically easier to come back on electric: more comfortable to play. it helps a lot to learn to adjust technic and dynamic during playing.
I've recently re-worked my right hand technique from A to Z, inspired by Anthony Jackson (mixing pick and fingers), Matt Garrison/Hadrien Féraud and Mark Knopfler. It helped me to improve dynamics, and enlarge my tone possibilities only using my fingers.

 

[edwinhurwitz]

Well, opinions are like *** *****. Everybody has one and the other guy’s stinks.

It also ignores reality. I’m in three bands with a couple hundred songs to keep on my fingertips, not counting new songs being added and personal practice to improve my overall playing. Practicing all of that so I play everything perfectly every time would be an impossibility. Telling people that THAT is possible is undermining them by setting up unrealistic expectations about what can be accomplished.

You are changing the goalposts and the personal attack is unnecessary. You introduced a context of learning hundreds of songs. I had no idea you were referencing that. The original context is limited to the idea that when you quit practicing something because you did it once and think you have it down isn't a good practice technique compared to continuing to practice that particular lick or song until you can play through it without making a mistake. No one is saying that learning a couple hundred songs perfectly is easy. OTOH, I have had to learn 75 or 80 tunes so that I could play through them without making a mistake. It's just a matter of scale. Please don't project your situation and interpretation of the original idea without providing context. The whole thing is more about your relationship to practicing and when you considered that you have learned something. In your situation, I would use charts.

It's a little weird that you agree with Matthew Brown but call me names since we are saying the same thing.

Have fun at your gigs!

 

[KenSmithFan]

You are changing the goalposts and the personal attack is unnecessary. You introduced a context of learning hundreds of songs. I had no idea you were referencing that. The original context is limited to the idea that when you quit practicing something because you did it once and think you have it down isn't a good practice technique compared to continuing to practice that particular lick or song until you can play through it without making a mistake. No one is saying that learning a couple hundred songs perfectly is easy. OTOH, I have had to learn 75 or 80 tunes so that I could play through them without making a mistake. It's just a matter of scale. Please don't project your situation and interpretation of the original idea without providing context. The whole thing is more about your relationship to practicing and when you considered that you have learned something. In your situation, I would use charts.

It's a little weird that you agree with Matthew Brown but call me names since we are saying the same thing.

Have fun at your gigs!

There were no personal attacks. I don’t know where you even get that from. I said OPINIONS were like *** *****, not YOUR opinion. Stop looking for things to be offended about.

I’ll put you on ignore, I suggest you do the same.

 

[SteveCS]

...
You introduced a context of learning hundreds of songs. I had no idea you were referencing that. The original context is limited to the idea that when you quit practicing something because you did it once and think you have it down isn't a good practice technique
...

The irony is that the more you pursue the 'can't get it wrong' objective the easier it gets to practice with discipline, focus and purpose. That sgnificantly shortens the learning times which frees time for learning or working on more material. 300 songs known inside-out and backwards isn't so unrealistic.

 

[edwinhurwitz]

The irony is that the more you pursue the 'can't get it wrong' objective the easier it gets to practice with discipline, focus and purpose. That sgnificantly shortens the learning times which frees time for learning or working on more material. 300 songs known inside-out and backwards isn't so unrealistic.

My point exactly.