Musical Goals And Routines?

[N1CO]

Hopefull this isn't already a thread..

So, I know I'm new here, but I wanted to share an experience wih you guys, as well as get some insight on your own experiences. I'm talking about personal music goals and what you do to bring them into fruition. Do you work for what you want aggressively? Organized? Casually? Do you make up routines, or "to-do" lists for your personal music goals? This can mean anything from say, improving your technique, musicianship, etc.

I'm asking because I've been having an interesting experience as of late because I took an approach of creating my own "camp" for myself on the guitar. I made a list of things I think I should work on.. I gave it a lot of thought. I asked myself what I wanted out of the guitar, and what I would find fulfilling if I accomplished it. Do I want to be a guitar virtuoso and invest my time into the guitar until I can play on a world class level? No. I've played guitar for 7 or 8 years, with it being my main, and just about only specialty. With a little reflection I realized I loved the guitar because I use it to make music, not because it's a guitar. At the end of the day, it's about the art, not so much the technical proficiency. Not dismissing virtuosity, there are plenty of musicians that are brilliantly creative as they are technically advanced. I'm digressing..

In the list I made myself were a series of exercises. Most of them involved some sort of ear training or finding chord shapes around the neck in different keys as quick as possible. Since I've started my "routine" I've noticed a level of growth on the guitar that I never had when I would just mindlessly practice my technique or scale shapes.. My playing is a lot more musical, and compelling than it ever was. And I play more gracefully and fluidly now. With little tension and economic movements, which leads me to another thing.

Just last night I had a strange revelation about the importance of meditative practice. By that I mean tuning everything out but what you're practicing. Clearing your head of any outside thoughts and just having absolute, almost zen focus on what you're doing. I closed my eyes while practicing a line on the guitar, and envisioned my pick striking a single note, repeatedly with alternate picking. I imagined it as a kind of target. I felt a level of control over my right hand that I never have before at that point, and when I'd open my eyes, I wouldn't be as consistent with what I had just been doing. Almost as if I was distracted by just seeing in general. So I closed my eyes again and focused on everything I felt. I focused on the control, the consistency, and what I was doing to achieve it so that when I opened my eyes again I would know how to achieve that control without feeling distracted. It was strange. But effective.

I know this post is all over the place. Just sharing random ideas with you guys, and maybe some insight if you're struggling with practice, or just organizing your goals in general. Anyone else have routines they stick by to keep them moving along in their journey?

[N1CO]

Not a bad topic at all.....good post! 

 

I certainly understand what you're saying. Limited outside stimulus & concentration during practice are common recommendations. 

Unfortunately, they're some of the fine points that get overlooked when players are self-taught. I've known instructors who dwell on the subject and I've seen it touched on in a number of guitar books.

Exactly. It's funny because I've heard a few people suggesting that squeezing in consistent practice, say even when you're watching tv or something, can yield results. Honestly, I don't see how you can round yourself out practicing while focusing on something else. Personally, I've done things like that before, and in turn ended up playing the guitar in a series of patterns rather than being truly musical. In the age of information, it's a little intoxicating to see the Internet as almost a pantheon for learning instruments. Probably guitar most especially. Sweep picking lessons, tips on technique etc etc. It's easy to think everything can be explained and generalized, when I believe the reality is: we're all different and have our own journey to achieve what we want. Hence why I started this thread.

I got so caught up in reading and looking for information on how to be better in everyway, that I overlooked the simplicity of making my own way and just focusing a little harder.

[N1CO]

Goals?  Practice?  Routines?  Exercises?  Meditations?  If that's important to you, then have at it, Bro.  I'll be bangin' on my guitar and coming up with my next song.

Cheers, Hobo.

[Rudi]

I practice with the TV on more than not.

I only started watching TV at home again in October (this is too complicated to get into here).

 

90% of the time I can watch TV and understand everything thats going on both with the TV and with the guitar. 10% of the time I will find myself going down a musical path that needs my full attention. Then I will miss the TV prog.

 

But its always the guitar thats the distraction, never the TV.

 

When playing normally at home (no TV) time disappears. Hours can pass; hours that only seem like minutes. At such times I feel great. There are other times when my playing seems staid and useless. Those are the short practices.

[N1CO]

I practice with the TV on more than not.

I only started watching TV at home again in October (this is too complicated to get into here).

 

90% of the time I can watch TV and understand everything thats going on both with the TV and with the guitar. 10% of the time I will find myself going down a musical path that needs my full attention. Then I will miss the TV prog.

 

But its always the guitar thats the distraction, never the TV.

I guess more people do this than I had originally thought! Don't get me wrong, I don't want to seem dismissive of it, it's just hard for me to imagine having a meditative focus on what you're doing when you're filling your senses with other things. Maybe I'm too simple! I suppose it's hard to tell if you've truly been to a state of mind until you get there.. And even then, how sure can you be that you're really there? What I mean by that is, how do we know we're tapping into the best of our creativity? Can we really even tell at the end of the day? I figure we can only become better versions of ourselves at what we do, but never complete versions at that.. And I personally feel that a journey like that could be best ventured with a meditative approach. Does that make sense?

Regardless, even if this whole thing seems silly, I respect that you guys took the time to talk about and put in your two cents. It's always interesting to hear about uniquely individual paths leading to a similar destination.

[Rudi]

N1CO,

 

When I am playing a a solo at a gig you can be sure that I am fully focused upon what I am doing. So is everyone in the band. I recall once our tenor saxophonist playing a solo, and the Alto player tickling him from behind and shouting "w*%ker w*%ker" in each ear. Afterwards, he had no idea what had happened.

 

Playing at home can be that way if I find something that interests me.

 

I never used o be able to divide my attention when practicing, but Ive been playing for 45 years now and the fingers know where to go without me ordering them about.

 

As a youngster I would be in a state of nervous tension trying to learn a new technique. As a matter of fact I experienced it again recently when I tried a metal method of arpeggio sweep picking. I love the sound but am not sure its worth the effort. Its also a nasty sort of feeling; its exhausting.

 

At its best playing music is meditative. Improvisation is anyway.

[N1CO]

As a youngster I would be in a state of nervous tension trying to learn a new technique. As a matter of fact I experienced it again recently when I tried a metal method of arpeggio sweep picking. I love the sound but am not sure its worth the effort. Its also a nasty sort of feeling; its exhausting.

At its best playing music is meditative. Improvisation is anyway.

All too familiar. I've gone through this too! I think finally now with my new approach to my craft comes new confidence. To speak my mind and to play freely, without worrying too much about how I'm being perceived. It's liberating. It goes beyond being able to pull flashy things off, now. I Just feel more certain of what I'm doing, and even more so capable of what I want to achieve. I think being able to seperate ego from art is a huge accomplishment, especially since we're so vulnerable when we express ourselves.

Although my discipline is still in its infancy, I feel so far that routine, paired with exploration and consistency has given me a really strong sense of control over what I want and what I can do to make it happen. We will see what the future brings.

Edited January 3, 2015 by N1CO

[TapperMike]

I make for a lousy date and I watch tv with guitar in hand and when the commercials come on I'll rewind the commercial and try to figure the jingle out.

It drove two of my girlfriends crazy.  Another thing about playing with distractions.  Welcome to the life of live performance.  If you are easily distracted it will be near impossible to complete a set. They aren't going to be peaceful and quiet so you can concentrate.

 

Stop waiting for someday when you think you are good enough.  Get a setlist go out and play in front of a live audience. One of two things will happen. Neither of them being death.  Either you'll bomb or you wont.  

 

If you bomb (been there done that) you'll have to decide whether or not you'll want to get back on that horse.  And that will burn you into doing better the next time out.

 

If you don't bomb then it might be the real confidence booster you need to get out on stage and do it some more.  Either way the waiting is draining your self confidence.

[N1CO]

I make for a lousy date and I watch tv with guitar in hand and when the commercials come on I'll rewind the commercial and try to figure the jingle out.

It drove two of my girlfriends crazy.  Another thing about playing with distractions.  Welcome to the life of live performance.  If you are easily distracted it will be near impossible to complete a set. They aren't going to be peaceful and quiet so you can concentrate.

 

Stop waiting for someday when you think you are good enough.  Get a setlist go out and play in front of a live audience. One of two things will happen. Neither of them being death.  Either you'll bomb or you wont.  

 

If you bomb (been there done that) you'll have to decide whether or not you'll want to get back on that horse.  And that will burn you into doing better the next time out.

 

If you don't bomb then it might be the real confidence booster you need to get out on stage and do it some more.  Either way the waiting is draining your self confidence.

I understand what you're saying, and I agree. I've played plenty of shows, had great ones, and awful ones! Even had the opportunity to open for the misfits 2 years ago, which I'll never forget. I like what you said, though. It holds true to a lot of people I'm sure, and even me at one point. I'd focus more on how I was playing instead of what I was playing and actually trying to enjoy myself. But I guess the whole purpose for this thread, for me, at least, is hearing about the exploration of music and how you guys do it. Although some talk of technique made its way in, that's not where my true interest lies.