01-27-2021 until 02-02-2021

This week I’ve already included Chris‘ practice guidance in my own practice.

I began with the repetition of the "A Blues Exercise Lick (warm-up lick) YL13" and the "Tenor Madness Jazz Blues Solo".

And I’ve made an interesting discovery:

After a few initial difficulties I realized that it was now easier for me to play the chromatic lines of the Jazz Blues Solo and to switch between the different boxes of the A Blues warm-up lick. A good experience with repetition.

I’m now convinced that with increasing playing practice I‘ll be able to improve a little bit all the solos I’ve learned so far.

And during the next weeks I have to incorporate in my practice and repetition program all the valuable information and strategies I‘ve got from Robert.

Additionally I started with something new, with Robert’s „One Sweet Blues Lick in E (YL18)“.

Joe is working on this lick too. What a coincidence!

This lick is a real challenge for me and needs a lot more practice. This is one of my first recordings and I used the 12 bar blues in E backing track instead of the Easy Blues in E Jam track.

There is still a lot to do and, as always, I still have to work on holding the notes longer. More focus on swinging 8th notes. The lower strings are difficult to play for me. And they sound really muddy. 

Nice work! It's so wonderful to hear your improvements. You are indeed making nice progress.

This lick sounds good when you play it. Some timing refinements will happen automatically with time. I believe you are hearing it correctly in your head, which is the MOST important thing of all. If you can't hear it - you can't play it.

@robert

Thank you Robert for your annotations and support.

Humming along with the melody to your solo and also to the backing track, rhythm training, tapping my foot, using the metronome and backing track and, as you say  - trying to use the mouth to verbalize the phrases -  all these things are extremely important.

Without doing this I wouldn’t be able, for example, to copy the tricky triplet sound in bar 3 with my guitar.

These things I’ve underestimated in the beginning but are now an integral part of my practice.

And you brought this to the point with your remark :« If you can’t hear it – you can’t play it ».

And yes, I can hear that I need, among many other things, some timing refinements caused by still missing dexterity. But I’m confident that repetitions will help.

And, for a beginner, these 12 bar solos where I can focus only on one cool, tasty, sweet and groovy lick, really help practicing and do increase the fun in playing.

Thanks a lot, Birgit

That's SO great to hear! 🙂 

There is a noticeable improvement in your playing, Birgit- that feeling of increasing comfort zone has to very rewarding.  Definitely a testament to your dedication, persistence, and willingness to listen well and work on being a musician.  You will be making your own music expressions so easily as a result of the foundation and discipline you have built and nurtured.

I am inspired!

@clayton

Thank you, Clayton, for your kind words, your support and also your insistence that there is more than simply grabbing the guitar and playing around.

Explaining me the necessary tools how to start learning a lick/song will always accompany me on my way to improve a little bit. But this is not only addressed to me but to all beginners.

And Robert has a sure hand in creating cool and tasty licks/songs even for beginners. That keeps motivation high.

When I’m playing groovy licks like the sweet blues lick (YL18) I really can feel my energy during playing. And this energy will help me to improve my dexterity and finally to improve my playing.

And regarding music expression, I’m very enthusiastic about Craig’s playing, how he combines and changes the licks he learned to express himself. One can really sense his creative energy.

So good to be here at MGA.

Thanks a lot, Birgit

02-03-2021 until 02-09-2021

This week I’ve repeated The St. James Informary Blues Solo and the related Arpeggios. Repetition really helps to consolidate all that has been learned. In any case, I will stick to this practice.

I also began with Robert’s lesson „How to learn the notes on the fretboard“.

The method is learning 5 octave patterns and practice them with all notes. I always wanted to beginn with this lesson but postponed it again and again. Really frustrating.

Now I did a new start 2 days ago beginning with the note A. Robert promises that this will work. I’m exited about it and looking forward to my experiences.

And I learned something new: Robert’s „Stretching the blues solo in A“. It sounds so cool with the major 3rd in it. I really love it! And it’s a good practice tool for me focusing on one of my main goals: holding the notes longer.

Bar 3 is really challenging switching from fret 10 to 5 and back to fret 8 and 9 on the high E string. Needs a lot of practice.

As I can’t play double stops so far, I played bar 5 and 9 without double stops.

Bar 10, 11 and 12 have been too tricky for me, so I’ve been inventive and created a very simple and easy „beginner“ turnaround. 

Robert plays the solo with 100 bpm, but for me 90 bpm’s are really good for practicing.

Once again, as every practice log progresses, I can easily hear your skill and comfort level building.  And from my own experience I know that each step was earned with many sessions of toil, frustration, joy, and persistence.  But what I really hear is how much you enjoy the guitar and are building a strong foundation for years of enjoyment in this Art!

Cheers!

Hi Birgit

Just listened to the above post of yours. I haven't been active on commenting on your progress, so please forgive on that.

When listening to the above, I just have a question for you and its this...

Are you looking at the fretboard when playing?

Hope to hear from you soon.

@hillbilly_joe

Joe, during playing, I look at the fingers of my fretting hand, but I don’t look at my picking hand. Only here and there I have to look at my picking hand.

Half a year ago, when I came to MGA I had to look at both hands but that was too confusing. I was very limited. But steadily I’ve stopped looking at my picking hand. And that’s a huge advantage having the freedom on focusing on the fretting hand.

And I wouldn’t be able to play the last tune „Stretching the blues solo in A“ so smooth if I had to look at my picking hand.

And another good practice tool for not looking at the picking hand is to practice the octave patterns from Robert’s lesson « How to learn the notes on the fretboard“, I just started with. You have to do big jumps, that’s a challenge for me too, but it really helps.

Maybe in 15 years or so, I will (?) be able playing while not looking at the fretboard 😉. 

Birgit

Many moons ago, at a fingerstyle workshop, we were each asked to give a sample of our playing. In the middle of my piece I closed my eyes while playing. Among the comments that were made regarding my piece was a gentleman seated somewhere behind me who asked if I had closed my eyes in the middle of my piece, as he said he could actually tell when I closed my eyes as he could HEAR and Feel the difference!

I think it was Eric Johnson who said when he was a young boy, he would practice playing in his bedroom with his eyes closed and imagine he was playing in front of thousands of people. He went on to say, that today he plays in front of thousands of people, closes his eyes and imagines he is alone playing in his bedroom!

I do think it's a good practice to close your eyes and play when possible. Birgit I don't think it will take you 15 years, at the rate you are going I think you'll be there by this Saturday! 😉

@jestme

Chris, I love very much Eric Johnson’s « When the sun meets the sky ». Maybe I should « meet the darkness » by closing my eyes. 

Thank you so much for your anecdote. You give me inspiration for broaden my horizons. Until now I never thought about closing my eyes during playing, but I’ll give it a try.

Saturday? Well Chris, I hope you are not too disappointed if I'm late 😉.

Again a big thank you for your suggestions, Birgit

Nice vantage point story, Chris.

Practice log 02-10-2021 until 02-15-2021

@robert

Robert, I want to say thank you again for adding the lesson files for „6 A minor blues scale licks “ a few days ago. I really love this solo and I said that I’ll give it a try. But it’s really challenging for me playing 16th notes for the first time.

You play it with 130 bpm and I’m practicing now at 90 bpm.

It‘s also the first time that I made a handy video me playing the guitar with all the mistakes happening during my playing. But I want to show you how I practice.

It’s just the beginning of practicing this solo - there’s a lot to do -.

Birgit

Hello Birgit

That sure is a nice guitar. 

It's true, I haven't posted a vid of me playing. I did down load an app for the phone to do it, but not sure how it all works though, but stay tune of that.

There's a lot of power/energy going into your playing. That usually takes place when looking at the fretboard while playing. I see you play the piano also. Well you got a head start on music that's for sure.

I like how you play with a natural drive plucking them strings. 

You may not know know this yet, but your thumb placement of the slight angle you got is how many top notch players place their thumb. I noticed that about your position. Once you begin to relax more, the upward position ( fingernail ) will go just slightly higher and when that takes place, your speed will increase.

For now, keep that video and 2 month from now, repost what you recorded. I'd like to see your thumb position at that time.

as always, thanks for posting and also following me. 😀