On these cold winter nights I tend to get home from work so tired. I come on the net, listen to liveireland.com, celticgrove or similar and spend hours reading these discussions. I spend so much time listening to others and reading all about trad that I don't make time to practice.
Yes, if you stop reading internet discussion boards so much and spend more time "in the woodshed". Cheer up. Even Michael Coleman had to practice a lot at first.
Make yourself your favorite beverage - beer, a glass of wine, a cup of hot tea, whatever - and sit down to practice a bit. You need not spend hours and hours at a go, it's better to practice a little every day than several hours every 3 or 4 days. It's not just the best way, it's the only way.
Keep your instrument out - not in a case - unless this is completely unfeasable - and play it for fifteen minutes at a time. Don't force yourself to play longer but promise yourself 15 minutes on your instrument a day. You'll find that if it's out it is easier to pick up and once you pick it up you'll be more likely to keep playing. Also, don't consider it practice. Practicing to often becomes a chore so call it playing. Semantics? Maybe, but it works. Don't think that you have to practice - rather, remind yourself that you get to play. And you are already a traditional musician. You may never be the ultimate great on your instrument, but as long as you are having fun then that's the important part.
yeah, me too unseen. i play for hours on end every day and dont listen at all ever. which, i dont need to hear it from anyone, is bad. i need to listen more!
also i dont always practice WELL, but a lot better than i used to.
i agree, a couple hours every day is great, but a couple minutes every day is good too. sometimes i can make great progress in 2 minutes or make none in 5 hours. its about how you use the time, not how much you have of it.
Listening is a very important process, and I believe it's normal to spend a longer time listening. The more you practice, the better you become? I think it's better to practice for a short time, concentrating on some of the tunes you want to play.
You'll probably find that you'll go through many stages of practising, listening, studying, whatever, throughout your life as a muso. I shouldn't stress about it too much, whatever you do -- the whole point is to enjoy the ride, really. If you haven't time or even much inclination to practice, then listening or whatever is a reasonable thing to do in its place -- or at least, it's better than not doing anything at all. Its all going to be good in the long run, and if you don't stress too much about what you *should* be doing, then hopefully you'll have more fun.
Besides, if you practice when you're exhausted, it's rare that you're actually going to do yourself or your playing any good. So gauge your exhaustion level accordingly and see -- if you pick up your instrument and discover that you feel much more motivated after a tune or two, that's great. If you discover that you're playing horribly and getting worse, then stop and do something else.
I find that, like exercise, practice tends to energize me and relieve tensions. So, even when I am tired, I try to practice. But like Zina says, if you pick up the instrument and things aren't going anywhere, put it down.
The important point is not to be sucked into being a passive consumer of music, and spend ALL your time in the sponge mode. I think the world would be a better place if everyone considered music an activity that they personally engage in, not just something they receive from others. Imagine a world where you saw as many instrument cases on the street as Ipods and Walkmans!
Lately, I have been installing built-in bookshelves in my living room, so I have been bad, but generally, it is at least 15 minutes per day.
Do you need (or have time) to practise if you go out to sessions three or four nights a week?
If you do, you are either going to the wrong sessions or should be listening to them rather than playing.
If you approach it correctly, playing live should be better for you than practising.
Practice, practice, errrr practice
Practice, practice, errrr practice
On these cold winter nights I tend to get home from work so tired. I come on the net, listen to liveireland.com, celticgrove or similar and spend hours reading these discussions. I spend so much time listening to others and reading all about trad that I don't make time to practice.
Will I ever become a trad musician? argggh!
# Posted on November 29th 2005 by Aberandy
Re: Practice, practice, errrr practice
Yes, if you stop reading internet discussion boards so much and spend more time "in the woodshed". Cheer up. Even Michael Coleman had to practice a lot at first.
Make yourself your favorite beverage - beer, a glass of wine, a cup of hot tea, whatever - and sit down to practice a bit. You need not spend hours and hours at a go, it's better to practice a little every day than several hours every 3 or 4 days. It's not just the best way, it's the only way.
# Posted on November 29th 2005 by Hanley
Re: Practice, practice, errrr practice
Keep your instrument out - not in a case - unless this is completely unfeasable - and play it for fifteen minutes at a time. Don't force yourself to play longer but promise yourself 15 minutes on your instrument a day. You'll find that if it's out it is easier to pick up and once you pick it up you'll be more likely to keep playing. Also, don't consider it practice. Practicing to often becomes a chore so call it playing. Semantics? Maybe, but it works. Don't think that you have to practice - rather, remind yourself that you get to play. And you are already a traditional musician. You may never be the ultimate great on your instrument, but as long as you are having fun then that's the important part.
# Posted on November 30th 2005 by musicfan
Re: Practice, practice, errrr practice
I have athe opposite problem all I do is play.
# Posted on November 30th 2005 by Unseen122
Re: Practice, practice, errrr practice
yeah, me too unseen. i play for hours on end every day and dont listen at all ever. which, i dont need to hear it from anyone, is bad. i need to listen more!
also i dont always practice WELL, but a lot better than i used to.
i agree, a couple hours every day is great, but a couple minutes every day is good too. sometimes i can make great progress in 2 minutes or make none in 5 hours. its about how you use the time, not how much you have of it.
# Posted on November 30th 2005 by daiv
Re: Practice, practice, errrr practice
Listening is a very important process, and I believe it's normal to spend a longer time listening. The more you practice, the better you become? I think it's better to practice for a short time, concentrating on some of the tunes you want to play.
# Posted on November 30th 2005 by slainte
Re: Practice, practice, errrr practice
Practise, listen, let it drop sometimes for a week or two so it soaks into your head. Repeat until tender.
# Posted on November 30th 2005 by LastToFinish
Re: Practice, practice, errrr practice
Thanks all. Great advice. I'll 'play' more often. I'll make use of the virtual session on the bbc too. Thanks.
# Posted on November 30th 2005 by Aberandy
Re: Practice, practice, errrr practice
You'll probably find that you'll go through many stages of practising, listening, studying, whatever, throughout your life as a muso. I shouldn't stress about it too much, whatever you do -- the whole point is to enjoy the ride, really. If you haven't time or even much inclination to practice, then listening or whatever is a reasonable thing to do in its place -- or at least, it's better than not doing anything at all. Its all going to be good in the long run, and if you don't stress too much about what you *should* be doing, then hopefully you'll have more fun.
Besides, if you practice when you're exhausted, it's rare that you're actually going to do yourself or your playing any good. So gauge your exhaustion level accordingly and see -- if you pick up your instrument and discover that you feel much more motivated after a tune or two, that's great. If you discover that you're playing horribly and getting worse, then stop and do something else.
Have fun!
# Posted on November 30th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Practice, practice, errrr practice
I find that, like exercise, practice tends to energize me and relieve tensions. So, even when I am tired, I try to practice. But like Zina says, if you pick up the instrument and things aren't going anywhere, put it down.
The important point is not to be sucked into being a passive consumer of music, and spend ALL your time in the sponge mode. I think the world would be a better place if everyone considered music an activity that they personally engage in, not just something they receive from others. Imagine a world where you saw as many instrument cases on the street as Ipods and Walkmans!
Lately, I have been installing built-in bookshelves in my living room, so I have been bad, but generally, it is at least 15 minutes per day.
# Posted on November 30th 2005 by AlBrown
Re: Practice, practice, errrr practice
Do you need (or have time) to practise if you go out to sessions three or four nights a week?
If you do, you are either going to the wrong sessions or should be listening to them rather than playing.
If you approach it correctly, playing live should be better for you than practising.
# Posted on November 30th 2005 by geoffwright
Re: Practice, practice, errrr practice
How do you get to the Albert/Carnegie/wherever Hall ?
Practice, kid, practice.
# Posted on December 1st 2005 by Guernsey Pete