All of the videos I've in the past week or so since discovering your channel have been fantastic. Showing the exact process step by step (with mistakes, reversions back to constant practice, etc) is so helpful for beginners and really all levels IMO as we're so much more likely to actually apply the material rather than if you just explained it. Thank you Diego!
Great philosophy! I now realize that I use variable practice at times, but not systematically. I also realize that my constant practice sessions are just a blur, but I remember some challenging variations in practice years later. For me, the most effective variation is dynamic voicing. With your example, you could go with loud thumb and quiet index finger, etc. Where I find this to be especially helpful is in voicing chords and bass quietly, but playing the melody ridiculously loud. Don’t worry about it sounding good; just focus on creating big differences. After that, independent voicing becomes much easier. For some reason, my exaggerated voicing sessions stick in my memory for years.
Every video of yours is really usefull and well explained. Did you done some video about how to hold guitar, i got really used to holding guitar on right leg and when i recently tried classical position i felt like i lost alot of tension in right hand. guitar feels more stabile in classical position and i dont have to pressure with right hand to prevent guitar from slipping of my leg. Is there way to hold guitar on right leg without getting that excess tension in right arm and making guitar stabile. I would like to not need to relearn guitar in diferent position but i feel like classical position offers me more potential.
Thanks for sharing and exploring, the science of constant to variable practices to improve your daily guitar practice by executing it correctly. E.g. playing related variations (tempos, tones, dynamics, rhythm, postures, articulation, etc) should you employed when playing some parts of the difficult classical guitar pieces over and over again (repetitions) until you have perfected it.
Great info as always. I’ve been telling my students about that bean bag study for years, so it’s great you had some newer examples. I’ll definitely pick up that book too.
One of the most important videos on learning a passage that I have ever seen - and I’ve seen hundreds over the years. Diego, you varied a number of aspects in the playing of that figure, but am I correct in saying that the actual notes were always the same?
This really plays into the idea of "embracing errors" from your vid a few months ago. You touched on it a bit with letting the errors guide your variation, but it's worth repeating: our favorite greats are not just, like, perfect, machine-line virtuosi who never make mistakes. They've just practiced enough that they've developed the ability to not be *derailed* by mistakes, and better yet, respond and incorporate the errors into their playing as just the next variation. Thanks, Diego! I discovered you last week and really appreciate you bringing the science into the conversation around music.
What made me subscribe is that you didn't edit out your mistakes during the demonstration. Added so much realism and relatability. One question I do have, is it perhaps possible that variable practice could have diminishing returns if you allow it to turn into constant practice? So if you always practice a phrase starting quiet ending loudly, etc as an attempt to introduce variableness, then that may have the potential of becoming cyclical/constant. Which would imply the need to make sure that you're constantly mixing it up, no pun intended
The problem with variable practice is they “feel” like they are failing despite being better than the control. In short you feel like you “suck” even when you are improving. So there is that to consider.
😂 Flamenco is a bit funny that way. There are really no “beginner” pieces out there like there are in classical. Most of the “easiest” flamenco pieces tend to start at around an early intermediate level (with few exceptions).
All of the videos I've in the past week or so since discovering your channel have been fantastic. Showing the exact process step by step (with mistakes, reversions back to constant practice, etc) is so helpful for beginners and really all levels IMO as we're so much more likely to actually apply the material rather than if you just explained it. Thank you Diego!
Great philosophy!
I now realize that I use variable practice at times, but not systematically. I also realize that my constant practice sessions are just a blur, but I remember some challenging variations in practice years later.
For me, the most effective variation is dynamic voicing. With your example, you could go with loud thumb and quiet index finger, etc. Where I find this to be especially helpful is in voicing chords and bass quietly, but playing the melody ridiculously loud. Don’t worry about it sounding good; just focus on creating big differences. After that, independent voicing becomes much easier. For some reason, my exaggerated voicing sessions stick in my memory for years.
Every video of yours is really usefull and well explained. Did you done some video about how to hold guitar, i got really used to holding guitar on right leg and when i recently tried classical position i felt like i lost alot of tension in right hand. guitar feels more stabile in classical position and i dont have to pressure with right hand to prevent guitar from slipping of my leg. Is there way to hold guitar on right leg without getting that excess tension in right arm and making guitar stabile. I would like to not need to relearn guitar in diferent position but i feel like classical position offers me more potential.
Thanks for sharing and exploring, the science of constant to variable practices to improve your daily guitar practice by executing it correctly. E.g. playing related variations (tempos, tones, dynamics, rhythm, postures, articulation, etc) should you employed when playing some parts of the difficult classical guitar pieces over and over again (repetitions) until you have perfected it.
Great info as always. I’ve been telling my students about that bean bag study for years, so it’s great you had some newer examples. I’ll definitely pick up that book too.
Love your explanations and exercises.
Another top lesson, thank you Diego
One of the most important videos on learning a passage that I have ever seen - and I’ve seen hundreds over the years. Diego, you varied a number of aspects in the playing of that figure, but am I correct in saying that the actual notes were always the same?
Hi! Thank you so much for your comment! Yes, the notes are all the same for every repetition. 🙏🏽
This really plays into the idea of "embracing errors" from your vid a few months ago. You touched on it a bit with letting the errors guide your variation, but it's worth repeating: our favorite greats are not just, like, perfect, machine-line virtuosi who never make mistakes. They've just practiced enough that they've developed the ability to not be *derailed* by mistakes, and better yet, respond and incorporate the errors into their playing as just the next variation.
Thanks, Diego! I discovered you last week and really appreciate you bringing the science into the conversation around music.
What made me subscribe is that you didn't edit out your mistakes during the demonstration. Added so much realism and relatability.
One question I do have, is it perhaps possible that variable practice could have diminishing returns if you allow it to turn into constant practice? So if you always practice a phrase starting quiet ending loudly, etc as an attempt to introduce variableness, then that may have the potential of becoming cyclical/constant. Which would imply the need to make sure that you're constantly mixing it up, no pun intended
The problem with variable practice is they “feel” like they are failing despite being better than the control. In short you feel like you “suck” even when you are improving. So there is that to consider.
Doesn't sound too early intermediate to me!
for real 🤯
Agreed!!!
😂 Flamenco is a bit funny that way. There are really no “beginner” pieces out there like there are in classical. Most of the “easiest” flamenco pieces tend to start at around an early intermediate level (with few exceptions).