Ref. :28 I love practicing. I’m about 26 years into music. National touring and studio experience has proven to me the effects of focused practicing. Victor Wooten said, make music. No matter what you are practicing, make music with it. Practice what you are going to perform. Warm up and practice techniques that sound pleasing (music). I think that equal parts are beneficial especially at the beginning. Work on coordination/dexterity and independence , ear training, techniques and then rehearsing music that you will be or would like to perform live. When I perform alone, I play to the drummer in my head along side the “accompanying music” inside my head. This is why keeping time with your foot or body is important when you are learning and playing live. Time is a concept, how you “feel it” determines how you perform and internalize it. Focused attention (multitasking ear training, tonal journey, learning material and exercising techniques and creative choices) practice is the fastest way to evolve your playing and appreciation of music. Concentrated energy gets you farther, like anything in physics. Also, don’t compare yourself to others. Get inspired by others and learn from them and teach them. Don’t strive to be like your musical hero’s strive to be like their hero’s.
Definitely agree with playing along with records. It is great practice for playing with a band, and for me practicing in general. Prior to that, learning modes and scales first, and then chords. This worked for me because once I learned modes and scales, I could then play chords and inversions all over the neck while remaining in key or harmony with a record or a band or jam session. Helps for writing songs as well. Learning songs from the Real Book helped. When it comes to writing songs with a band in the "Rock/Rock and Roll" macro genre, the time I spent playing along with Beatles songs, as well as the Beach Boys, and Soundgarden helped my understanding of chord progressions that aren't boring. Brian Wilson's use of hybrid mixed chords, and the Beatles, Soundgarden, and Smashing Pumpkins using SUS chords for transitions and key changes really add a juxtaposition to chord progressions. Secret sauce if you are trying to get something special out of your run-of-the-mill heard it a million times chord progression. And with all of that, I'm still trying to learn new and challenging things every day (King Crimson for example).
I think at some point, as an individual you have to overtly decide for yourself what is more important to you: playing music or playing guitar. Then just own your decision and be honest about it. Some people think that being the best guitar player in and of itself will lead to musical success and tons of gigs. Unfortunately, that's not the case. No matter what genre or instrument you play, the bandstand is the best education you'll have in music. If you spend the majority of your time in the bedroom practicing guitar, a whole world of skillsets will pass you by. I've met more than a handful of amazing bedroom guitar players who sound phenomenal at the guitar store, but put them in a band context and they fall apart. I've met more than a handful of amazing guitar players who had phenomenal technique but a bad ear. You'll get better at what you're consistent at. Just be aware of all the things there are to work on.
One thing I do that has sort of helped me integrate scales and caged etc. is I pick up my nylon string acoustic every time I let the dogs out in the back yard. Then I just go random someplace on the neck and make music. Forced me to get comfortable with finding notes all over the neck. I don’t know why but over time it got me able to construct cords everywhere on the neck as well. I can’t immediately and perfectly play stuff as if I’m in the studio, but a few tries and some more work I can figure most of it out!
Thank you for the show, And your guest is an Amazing artist and person. Everyone is built differently which exposes the many levels of ability, we have seen the young people who learn and gather an understanding of playing and are playing on professional levels very early in there experience with the instrument and those who have been in a long stretch of years that seem to land in the intermediate level and all those in between those margins. Yes it’s discouraging to have money and time invested without a better skill level than what achieved. A big mistake is comparing yourself to others. Play what you know and not be discouraged if you feel there is a limit to progress. The people that have great advantage in there progress, one is when you have a close friend or relative that is on a high level, two is being surrounded, within a circle of many great players that you gain knowledge and information from, three is when you listen and learn from records , it’s been said by great guitar players they would sit as close to the guitar players in the band and watch them and there playing,and others that are at pro levels spend many hours a day working on one song or style until they can play it, and so many of the greats had very hard to play or cheaper guitars to learn on. The worst hindering factor in progress is to begin learning one thing, hear something else and try to play it, and that becomes a habit or away time is spent on the guitar that prevents progress. Working on one thing that enables you to play the style you love the most until you can practice the next that enables you to play the style you going for. Becoming good at one or a couple of things is more valuable than learning bits and pieces that doesn’t enable you to make music and express yourself on the guitar. Doing this you be surprised at how you will discover the other styles in an along the way that come from your learning the one.
Focus ALL your attention on one thing, at about 1-5% beyond your current skill level. 10-20mins of deliberate practice easily trumps an hour of noodling.
I might have said scales. They are, of course, useful. But too often players just run 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 which is not a very common use. If you practiced with them as 7-8-6-7-5-6-4-55 (patterns) etc. then you're getting closer to music. Same with arps.
‘Nobody likes to practice’ dude your heart isn’t in it, just quit, the greats LOVE to practice. if you are going to do something do it with your whole soul or not at all. This is weak af comment
His entire approach bothers me. "Just get it done" or "Just put it in your schedule" or whatever. I've been playing almost every day for 30 years and love it just as much now, if not even more, than when I started. I've also been fortunate enough to get to a point in my ability where I have shared the stage with guitar players many of you have probably heard of. You know what I have NEVER made myself do? Practice. I don't think of it as "practice" or work. I think of it as playing. If I'm not having fun, I put down the guitar. Easy. I play because I love playing. I stop playing because I want to do other stuff for the moment. That's it. Simple as that.
A great writer was once asked how to get better at writing, he simply said, "a writer writes, a painter paints". If it's your passion, you're going to do it. Of course, a young person or beginning guitarist may need some encouragement to get through that first year of sounding bad, but eventually it has to become a passion.
Ref. :28
I love practicing. I’m about 26 years into music. National touring and studio experience has proven to me the effects of focused practicing. Victor Wooten said, make music. No matter what you are practicing, make music with it. Practice what you are going to perform. Warm up and practice techniques that sound pleasing (music).
I think that equal parts are beneficial especially at the beginning. Work on coordination/dexterity and independence , ear training, techniques and then rehearsing music that you will be or would like to perform live.
When I perform alone, I play to the drummer in my head along side the “accompanying music” inside my head. This is why keeping time with your foot or body is important when you are learning and playing live. Time is a concept, how you “feel it” determines how you perform and internalize it.
Focused attention (multitasking ear training, tonal journey, learning material and exercising techniques and creative choices) practice is the fastest way to evolve your playing and appreciation of music.
Concentrated energy gets you farther, like anything in physics.
Also, don’t compare yourself to others. Get inspired by others and learn from them and teach them.
Don’t strive to be like your musical hero’s strive to be like their hero’s.
Be consistent IS the key. So true. Nice interview.
It's the truth. It's just like going to the gym.
Definitely agree with playing along with records. It is great practice for playing with a band, and for me practicing in general. Prior to that, learning modes and scales first, and then chords. This worked for me because once I learned modes and scales, I could then play chords and inversions all over the neck while remaining in key or harmony with a record or a band or jam session. Helps for writing songs as well.
Learning songs from the Real Book helped. When it comes to writing songs with a band in the "Rock/Rock and Roll" macro genre, the time I spent playing along with Beatles songs, as well as the Beach Boys, and Soundgarden helped my understanding of chord progressions that aren't boring. Brian Wilson's use of hybrid mixed chords, and the Beatles, Soundgarden, and Smashing Pumpkins using SUS chords for transitions and key changes really add a juxtaposition to chord progressions. Secret sauce if you are trying to get something special out of your run-of-the-mill heard it a million times chord progression. And with all of that, I'm still trying to learn new and challenging things every day (King Crimson for example).
Very insightful. Love Adam Levy. I was feeling guilty about not being more interested in modes- no more :)
Gotta start playing your quarter notes. Haha
I think at some point, as an individual you have to overtly decide for yourself what is more important to you: playing music or playing guitar. Then just own your decision and be honest about it.
Some people think that being the best guitar player in and of itself will lead to musical success and tons of gigs. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
No matter what genre or instrument you play, the bandstand is the best education you'll have in music.
If you spend the majority of your time in the bedroom practicing guitar, a whole world of skillsets will pass you by.
I've met more than a handful of amazing bedroom guitar players who sound phenomenal at the guitar store, but put them in a band context and they fall apart.
I've met more than a handful of amazing guitar players who had phenomenal technique but a bad ear.
You'll get better at what you're consistent at. Just be aware of all the things there are to work on.
Great advice. I love Adam's voice lol
For real, his voice really carries a lot of wisdom.
One thing I do that has sort of helped me integrate scales and caged etc. is I pick up my nylon string acoustic every time I let the dogs out in the back yard. Then I just go random someplace on the neck and make music. Forced me to get comfortable with finding notes all over the neck. I don’t know why but over time it got me able to construct cords everywhere on the neck as well. I can’t immediately and perfectly play stuff as if I’m in the studio, but a few tries and some more work I can figure most of it out!
What a thoughtful man.
Thank you for the show, And your guest is an Amazing artist and person. Everyone is built differently which exposes the many levels of ability, we have seen the young people who learn and gather an understanding of playing and are playing on professional levels very early in there experience with the instrument and those who have been in a long stretch of years that seem to land in the intermediate level and all those in between those margins. Yes it’s discouraging to have money and time invested without a better skill level than what achieved.
A big mistake is comparing yourself to others. Play what you know and not be discouraged if you feel there is a limit to progress. The people that have great advantage in there progress, one is when you have a close friend or relative that is on a high level, two is being surrounded, within a circle of many great players that you gain knowledge and information from, three is when you listen and learn from records , it’s been said by great guitar players they would sit as close to the guitar players in the band and watch them and there playing,and others that are at pro levels spend many hours a day working on one song or style until they can play it, and so many of the greats had very hard to play or cheaper guitars to learn on. The worst hindering factor in progress is to begin learning one thing, hear something else and try to play it, and that becomes a habit or away time is spent on the guitar that prevents progress. Working on one thing that enables you to play the style you love the most until you can practice the next that enables you to play the style you going for. Becoming good at one or a couple of things is more valuable than learning bits and pieces that doesn’t enable you to make music and express yourself on the guitar. Doing this you be surprised at how you will discover the other styles in an along the way that come from your learning the one.
Focus ALL your attention on one thing, at about 1-5% beyond your current skill level. 10-20mins of deliberate practice easily trumps an hour of noodling.
Thanks a lot! This comes in handy for me as l was considering dedicating my time as a beginner to arpeggios😅
I might have said scales. They are, of course, useful. But too often players just run 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 which is not a very common use. If you practiced with them as 7-8-6-7-5-6-4-55 (patterns) etc. then you're getting closer to music. Same with arps.
5:29 Mauro Giuliani, just in case you have not gotten how he pronounces the composer's first name: Mauro
Adam Levy used to date my sister in law. Great guy, very humble and a great guitar player. Hi Adam.
Me too.
Haha🤣
‘Nobody likes to practice’ dude your heart isn’t in it, just quit, the greats LOVE to practice. if you are going to do something do it with your whole soul or not at all. This is weak af comment
Hey . . . thats not the dude from the Honeydogs!
Stop watching videos about people taking about practicing…. It’s like reading a book about meditation… just do it man….
The beauty is in the details. I thought was he said was very insightful. That being said, I probably should start practicing.
though I guess it doesnt hurt to read a book about meditation 😀
Says a guy who just spent 12:45 watching a video about people talking about practicing 😂
There's more to practice than "just do it", really
Travispicking took me 4 years…
His entire approach bothers me. "Just get it done" or "Just put it in your schedule" or whatever.
I've been playing almost every day for 30 years and love it just as much now, if not even more, than when I started. I've also been fortunate enough to get to a point in my ability where I have shared the stage with guitar players many of you have probably heard of.
You know what I have NEVER made myself do? Practice. I don't think of it as "practice" or work. I think of it as playing. If I'm not having fun, I put down the guitar. Easy.
I play because I love playing. I stop playing because I want to do other stuff for the moment. That's it. Simple as that.
A great writer was once asked how to get better at writing, he simply said, "a writer writes, a painter paints". If it's your passion, you're going to do it. Of course, a young person or beginning guitarist may need some encouragement to get through that first year of sounding bad, but eventually it has to become a passion.
Anyone can easily squeeze in an hour or 2 or more everyday. If you're dedicated you'll exchange sleep for practice time.
But you need to sleep to learn as well
...says the single guy with no kids living in mom basement
@@vivito- I didn't say to not sleep at all lol. If you're dedicated you will sacrifice.
Quit buying gear! It ain’t gonna help. Practice 🙏
Arpeggios are a small part of music. When do you use Phrygian? when your hear someone talking and know their opinions are meaningless to you.
They’re Gods hours. You’re just borrowing them.
“Practice makes perfect.” -Wrong! Proper practice may make perfect but bad practice ingrains bad technique.
Bad technique is better that none technique (if we are not talking about professionals)
It's about perfect pitch saturating scales and band as youth then realising how disgusting and bizarre the social structure is.
20 min. a day?
Don’t waste your f-in time.
Go golfing
Guitar is full time ONLY
if you actually want to be a player