Day 28

One of the most important things you can do for your brain is to challenge it with change. Do things in a different way so the brain is forced to grow. I’ve spent the last few practice times working with the Cd. Today I am playing without the CD to see how fast I can play the songs and move from string to string. This does two things. First it challenges me to test my dexterity and second it challenges me to remember the melody and where those notes are. It probably does many more things than two but these are the two I am interested in at the moment.

Her is some inspiration for you…

These two first links are of teenagers (15 years old).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLQS27yQZYY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVyzuEBFfBU (go about 40 sec. in to see her solo)

This is pretty hard stuff but incredible. She is 13.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pMHQRbjb6w&list=RD02GVyzuEBFfBU

This one is my favorite.  Stairway to heaven.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvP9Q0S3sOY&list=RD02GVyzuEBFfBU

Day 27

Today I’m playing as many of the melodies as I can with the CD.

I feel like I’m really starting to Get the pieces in my head and my fingers. It also helps you stay in time.

Day 26

I’m trying to play along with the CD without making any mistakes. That is the ultimate goal for each one of these songs. So, I’m Working on getting my fingers to move faster and I’m actually memorizing the song and finger movements so I can get better at playing the songs in time. When I do not have to think about one or two of the aspects of playing (either the fingering or the picking or staying in time with the music) I can focus on the other more clearly. My brain does not want to concentrate on all three at once.

But, there is a time to practice and a time to rest. Good night.

Day 25

Today is about strumming and how it can help you.

I need to have a song to play that is special to me and I don’t like the ones I have now. Yellow submarine is too repetitive. Leaving on a Jet plane, same thing.

So I just sat back and listened to my guitar and then an idea came to me.

Here is something that playing the guitar can do for you. I find playing the guitar therapeutic.  Just listening to the sound of the chords as I play them relaxes me. And then when your mind is not busy with all the distractions in your life an idea will come to you.

Sometimes you just have to stop and listen to that small voice that is giving you a hint.

I think I have an idea for a song. Now I’m excited.

Day 24

I’m worked on songs and chords today.

Clean changes. That’s what it is all about.

Once you learn the chord, using it is just a matter of time. Practice forming the chord. Carefully place your fingers exactly where they need to be so the chord rings freely.

Next use it in a song. Practice the change from the chord before into the new chord over and over. Then take a break. This new connection in your brain will be growing as you practice so the next time it will be stronger and easier. not easy yet, but easier than when you started.

Practice getting into the chord (from the previous chord) and getting to the next chord after. Gradually add chords from before and after until you have it.

All it takes is time and the desire.

Check out the youtube link at the right. “How your brain learns guitar.”

How your brain learns guitar.

How your brain learns guitar.

Simple explanation and good advice for anyone.

Day 23

I am still working with the 5^th and 6^th string trying to get familiar with the movements.

Every day makes a difference.

Even Philip Philips started somewhere.

Check this out. The video makes the song so… effective (for lack of a better word).  He can sure play the guitar.

Gone, gone, gone. By Philip Philips.

Day 22

I played along with the cd today.P. 20 -32 “Riffin” is a difficult piece because the melody jumps around making it hard to concentrate on the string or the fret or the rhythm. You have to almost memorize it before you can practice it. The CD really helped on this one. “Amazing grace” is easier. It is also better known. “Oh, When the Saints” is also easy. “Will the circle be unbroken?” also easy. The songs “Danny Boy” and “Shenandoah” are also easy because I know the tune. The ‘Spy Riff’ is harder because it is on the 5^th and 6^th string and it’s hard to make it sound like a melody. “Red River Valley” is slower and easier to play because there is time to glance at my hands. Strings 5 and 6 are definitely the more difficult to make melodies from. P 30, 31 is about strumming down and up and the notation in the score for these directions. “Star spangled Banner” is also well known and easy to learn.

A side note:

I was lucky last night. I came home in that storm. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” I said to myself as I drove through another drift, which temporarily blinded me. My worst concern was that I might get stuck in a drift with coming up behind me. If this paints an ugly picture for you, you can be sure it was 100% worse to be there.

On a brighter side…I was able to stay home today. 🙂 and play my guitar…and work on assignments. 😦 …No excuse to procrastinate today. Good to be here though.

Day 21

It has been four days since I have played my guitar.:-( There are always going to be outside influences that will cause you to break your pattern of practicing. The best thing you can do is to get back to it when you find the time. This is my sanctuary. The guitar is a project that I chose because I have always wanted to be able to play and sing. That means that this project will always be there for me. It is the process that is the enjoyment. Actually playing is a wonderful thing but I get enjoyment from just noticing how I am getting better each time I play. The semester is getting a bit crazy now and I can feel the stress of assignments pressing. Guitar could be a way to remove yourself from those stresses and you might even experience “flow”. What is “flow” you ask? Well, let me tell you.

This definition is way better at describing the state of flow than I could muster up so here it is. I found this at our good friend wikipedia.

Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by complete absorption in what one does. Proposed by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, the positive psychology concept has been widely referenced across a variety of fields.^[1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)

So what did I do today on my guitar? Well, I reviewed pages 26-31. Some of the playing examples are better to do with the CD accompaniment. They sound like a melody to a song when played with the CD. I’m used to hearing these notes as part of the underlining harmony and not the melody. Just because these are lower pitches and easier to sing over.

If you are more curious about the psychology of practicing here is a link to a list of related articles.

http://scholar.google.ca/scholar?q=experiencing+flow+while+practicing&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart&sa=X&ei=wd5JUeLMG-mjyAHUk4GoBw&ved=0CC8QgQMwAA

Free Guitar Music

Free Guitar Music

Here is a good website that offers songs to play for beginners. It also has stuff for more advanced players.

I also placed this under “helpful links” for quick access.