Getting Good On Guitar (Habits and Breaks)
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- Опубліковано 9 чер 2024
- How do we get good on guitar? Habits matter when practicing, but so do breaks. How do they matter though? So that's what I'm discussing today. I hope to make you think and help you improve.
I hope you enjoy!
Here's the video about practice that I mention: • How to practice effect...
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Leaving a guitar beside you on the side of your desk is like having a cup of coffee beside you. You just naturally reach for it without even thinking about it. That's how I started getting lots of practice without thinking about it
Exactly!!
Wise words. Breaks are important - it helps to subconsciously ingest and analyze the stuff you have learned and heard.
I think the takeaway is by reading the comments. Rest is an important part of guitar playing and getting better, but it will be different for everyone.
For me, I try to listen to my body. I play nearly every day and try to do some sort of warm-up (like scales or exercises) and at least one lesson to start off. Sometimes I do several lessons. The lessons usually mean I’m working on improving a difficult skill or am starting a new skill. When I start to feel tried or bored, then I begin playing songs I really love. This helps me improve my skills and enjoy the instrument. I usually play at night or before I take a nap during the day, so it gives my body a chance to regenerate and internalize what I was doing.
I am disabled and ill, so I’m always tired and don’t use that as an excuse not to play - even if I only play for 10-15 minutes, I’ve accomplished something. Most of the time, I play 2-3 hours at once without even realizing it. The only time I don’t play is when I really feel too sick or have a migraine - there’s no point if I feel like I’m torturing myself and am not accomplishing anything. On those day, I try to at least watching something guitar related. Even if it’s a repair or gear video, I’m still learning something valuable and enjoying the guitar. Guitar isn’t just about flashy playing - it’s about music appreciation, learning how to use interesting gear, gaining the skills to maintain and repair the instrument, and tons more. I don’t always have to have a guitar in my hands to further myself.
I totally agree with you ❤ Sometimes to play something really good we have to "see" it from a distance or different perspective!
I think sometimes we become so focused on the guitar and playing...that we actually forget that its usually songs and music that we were all drawn to first and foremost. I love taking a rest from playing because then you come back with new focus.
I play guitar everyday and never think of it as practice. I may work on learning a new song, riff or things like speed and accuracy, but again never think of it as practice.
I have taken breaks from playing whenever I have felt inspired or had the urge to play and have generally felt better about my playing when I have resumed.
Forcing myself to play when not in the right frame of mind has always been counterproductive.
My best playing has usually been inspired by listening to players I haven't heard before or have re-discovered and then trying to emulate aspects of their playing that move me.
I have been playing for over 50 years and always used this approach!
Indeed. Same here and I'm 62 and started when I was about 14 or 15. I think what you said is exactly correct. I do much better if I ignore the guitar if my mood is not motivating to play. Then, I come back to it and I do much better .
I think you are a lot like me. I hated school, and loved just playing guitar. Doing traditional martial arts probably helped me, gave me discipline and determination. Min datter spiller også fodbold, hun er angriber på professionelt niveau. Jeg ville ønske, jeg var så ung igen.
Hi Elmo, great video, thank you. Just an observation as an older beginner (over 50) practicing about an hour a day. I’ve had a couple of times over the last year where circumstances have forced me to take 2 or 3 weeks off guitar playing completely. What was surprising to me was that when I came back to it for some reason it seemed to be noticeably easier to do what I had been practicing previously. It was like I suddenly got a 10% bump in performance. I have no idea why but perhaps it’s to do with lower neuroplasticity as we age and the break seemed to have allowed things to recover or repair more slowly. A bit like going to the gym but seeing muscle growth after you’ve rested rather than as you are working out. I plan to incorporate two weeks off every three months or so to see if those gains still occur.
I've had similar results on occasion. Or maybe I've just imagined things.
I’m a similar age beginner and agree with what you say about time off. In my case I don’t put my guitar down for weeks because I fear a couple of weeks could become a couple of months or longer, instead my approach is to practice something different. I get so far learning a new song and then get a bit stuck, maybe I can’t get from 90% to full speed. That’s the time to put that song down , play something else, return in a few weeks and often see real progress
As a fellow older beginner,over 50 too,I have found not playing for a day or two hasn't done any real damage to my playing. I haven't taken weeks off since I began 5 years ago but have taken two or three days off.
Interesting point of view. I have breaks quite often, not because I want to, but due to the lack of time, but I noticed, that if I at least have some music in the background it helps be somehow with the progress as I am imagining how I would have played it.
The second thing is, that I noticed that forcing yourself to do something may actually come with opposite result than expected. It may sound stupid but it is better when you actually listen to music to somehow built the mood to grab a guitar and play.
But everyone is different 🤷♂
Listening to music you love….actively AND passively I think is crucial…
True
Well - Elmo suggested taking a break from the guitar. I've not done well with the guitar playing. I just obtained an old used keyboard. Maybe, it fits with this break from the guitar idea. I think I'll have some fun with it. Breaks are good. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
Good choice. I play guitar and keyboards. I’ve always considered keyboards as a horizontal guitar.
100% agree with you. I recently watched a Jonny Cash documentary and it was interesting seeing how he played. Started learning guitar 10 months ago at the age of 64 just wanting to play heavy metal rhythm guitar. But now I enjoy listening to any good guitar from any genre and soak up the different techniques. Thanks for the video sir 😊
I 100% agree to all that was said. I practice each and everyday, and what's most important is to enjoy everyday. Keep you guitar within reach when listening to good music. So you pick it up and practice what you liked when listening to it. That's solid advice. Secondly take a break for maybe 2 days after practice 15 days each day, but that depends whenever you think your practice is not getting much fun.
I knew school was a real waste! Thanks for your honesty in confirming that Elmo.
😀
I've played guitar for 23 years. Not a full 23 years mind. I have taken breaks of many months sometimes between playing.
Obviously i didnt get better at playing for taking breaks, but i didnt get any worse either.
The advantage i found for me, taking the break allowed me to come back to playing with more energy and focus and *that* brought further improvement ultimately.
Hey Elmo.
I trained a lot of martial art ( filipino ... known for sticks and knives) ... and i was , maybe, a little bit addicted , cause if i couldn't train for some reason i felt bad. So i started watching instructional clips , also a lot of other martial arts too , took brakes only watching , reflecting... and my benefit from the brakes was huge , also my horizon spreaded ... same with guitar i think... the obsessive " training" somtimes leads to an overkill and you try to keep pushing harder... but u tense. Also if you only try to focus on one sryle, genre. You loose the connection to the core meaning of music. The whole is more the just the parts ...
So i took brakes , listen and slowly practicse maybe jazz, i didn' t like it , maybe country.... the list goes on. And now i sometimes listen to music and i suddenly can hear what the bass player or drummer is doing 😂 Greets from Germany
Never take the ability to practice for granted. My case- I got bit by a tick on the neck in 2021. I didn’t know what it was but I went slowly from a stiff neck to shoulders to eventually my hands. It took until recently to finally get back to playing again with regular practice. And while I’m not back to where I was in 2020-2021, it’s getting better and hopefully soon I’ll be back to my regular practice routine. While I’ve lost some of my guitar skills, I’ve listened and explored some other genres new and old for me, e.g. Shoegaze and dug further into the Blues. It also gave me time to expand into some equipment changes and learn about other music avenues like amp sims (NeuralDSP) and Daws too
Sorry to hear.
@@MrPolevaulter no worries it’s nearly gone and I’m playing and practicing again
agreed 100% especially on taking practice breaks to do other things. If all you do is practice the same scales and chords all day, you'll become a very one-dimensional player. stepping away from your normal routine to see what's out there is vital to becoming a more well rounded player.
Very interesting my extreme Northern Euro friend. 😂
I think it may be can be good to take breaks and zoom out and figure exactly what your goals are and why. Why does this move me and give me cold chills it's so good? I figured out awhile back that I don't need to play a million notes a second, but rather the breaks in music or the breaths if you were a singer for instance build tension and help move people if done with taste and the opposite is true as well if you give them a million notes a second at certain intervals you can make the person move with emotion.
I take breaks away from guitar completely at times as much as two weeks. Usually just two or three days, but I think it makes me try even harder because when I come back to it again it's more interesting too! I am sure mentally going thru the motions and visualization is very important. Seeing yourself improve I am confident helps no matter what you're trying to do. I think this has been shown in many studies.
I used to shoot rifles especially competitively as many do in Finland and I would imagine myself shooting the next round into the hole of the last round. I did this in pistol competition as well, but there the timing is different and the goal is different and I would almost will the bullet in the target not to take too much time. It's very hard to explain to someone that hasn't completed this way, but I learned from some very accomplished national shooters and it does help . ❤
Great topic sir as always from this channel.
I'm on my third cup of coffee and my last . I'm a little too excited. 😂
Have a great day my friend and be well up there in the Northern tundra cold earth parts. 😂
❤Regards sir .
Tim ❤
After that description, I had to check the temperatures. Tampere, Finland 60F, Indianapolis, Indiana 61F
I guess that visualization applies to a lot of things. Good narrative.
@@daniellarson3068 Thank you kind sir. I concur. 🤘♥️🤘
Hey Elmo, yeah I take breaks from my guitar playing, and watch your UA-cam videos 👍
good video , I, for me ,,my first goal was to touch my guitar at least 5 mins everyday , so it was always out not so far from were I stand in the house,, but I always end up playing 2-3 hours ,, time fly when you are having fun , guess I've improved over time ,,should have record myself , have a great day
Really great perspective on how kicking back and just listening as an audience can give you new insights.
I think you are absolutely right. Just yesterday, I had been practicing, among other things, a piece by Malmsteen. Then, in the evening, I watched some live videos of Eric Gales, and I love that guitarist in a completely different style. I couldn't stop thinking about the scales he played and his vibrato and everything else. Somehow, in addition to enjoying it, you're learning and broadening your vision. I've had periods where I've stopped playing the guitar and have listened to classical music and studied music theory, and everything is good if what you love is music.
Cool bananas :)
Great video today, Elmo thank you! I am 54 and trying to change things up a bit as far as practice and habits. This is on my mind a lot and I look forward to the next video.
There are several factors to take into account. From a personal level I'd promote the following: most of us are proficient in something that needed practice. So figuring out how one reached a certain level is number one. Second is to transfer that method into guitar (or whatever). I tend to view practice in the same way as I did when I practiced martial arts, or the fact that I've been lifting weights since I was a teenager. So rest is key. Many times have I found myself struggling with a certain riff, let it go for some time just to return later and basically nail it at my first try. This might be a musclething as well as a mental one.
I do see the point in visualization. But it should never take more time than the actual practice. But when waiting for the bus in the morning, sure- Go for it.
Musicwise I do think that listening goes hand in hand. Listening for tone, notes, figure out how the string/s are picked anglewise. That is some hardcore practice in my mind. But it needs focus. Maybe even at such a level that you don't get to enjoy the tune at hand.
This focus-thing is something I see as a bigger problem in coming generations of players. Younglings today seem to not be able to focus in a manner that suffices proper learning and/or practice.
Big subject. But an important one.
Hi …I have only been playing for around 2 years.I get 1 lesson a week,and practice 2 hours or so a day.I’m 62 years old,and thought I would just learn,and play songs that I love,and not learn music theory etc..
Every now and then,there’s a technique that I need to learn,that I find difficult,and I ache in places I never knew I had muscles 😉Mal I will rest for a short time,and then start again.Eventually I seem to master it so to speak,even though I thought I never would.Occasionally,I take the odd day off,if I have commitments that I need to fulfil,but that can’t be helped I guess,but I do feel guilty,and try to make up for it at times.
Love it. Going to sleep is bad for my technique lol!!
Thank You for sharing Elmo🙏✌️❤️🎼🎵🎶🎸😎
Taking small breaks is wonderous when you are a beginner.Every time i stopped for a month for school or so, i was coming back stronger and more technical. This doesn't work when you past 40s...
What works for me is one solid practice at the start of a day. Like play for 1hr and then I pick up my guitars through the day for 15-20 minutes multiple times. At the end of a day I get minimum 1hr 30min of practice, sometimes more.
Edit: Reason I do this is to avoid burnout/fatigue. After main practice I take a rest and then I practice or play for fun. Practicing without breaks for a lot of hours makes me unfocused and tired.
I rest and watch guitar videos too much :)
Well… great talk as always. I think taking break will be better if u just shortened ur practice session without stopping it all together. For me, I take break and watch tutorials or lessons even without following them with my guitar. For example I can watch ur videos and get a new piece of info about playing or technique and that was very beneficial to me even if my guitar isn’t in my hands
Well... I do play every day. It's not really consistent. I stop when my hands get tired, but most importantly, I really stop when it stops being fun. I think getting too much anxious is the worst think when studying anything.
But maybe that's just me.
I hope a lot of young gitarists see you in this posting!
I'm a " noodler" most of the time but when I stop playing for a few days and come back to it I'm seemingly a bit better, especially in my articulation and speed. When I get back to more consistent practicing, I seem to devolve into a more "stale' place where I don't advance as fast. Can't figure that one out!
Yes, exactly, right on the money!!!!
Here again!
Hello Elmo!
Can you check out the new Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus strat? I would love to see an unbiased review of it!
Ordered one yesterday
@@MrPolevaulter Looking forward!
I guess the law of diminishing returns will always kick in. So 3 hours of practice per day will deliver you that consistent 1% improvement, but quite clearly, immediately following that up with another 3 hour session is NOT going to deliver another 1%, it will be something much less, and in fact, might be somewhere close to zero.
I rarely wake up an play, I wake up, i'm heading to work, ugh.
Yeah, been there, done that.
I was kicked out of school for stealing the principles car I was going to return it I had to get to an Ozzy concert Metallica was opening for the ultimate sin album I thought it was for a good cause then return it after so borrowed it principal didn't agree with me pressed charges wouldn't recommend anyone doing that I also played guitar when I was kicked out of school I had a lot of free time to do it. But it was a hell of a concert. Hey I was a very dumb and wild kid growing up wouldn't be my only or last bad choices I made.
okay I can't bear it anymore someone PLEASE tell me what the red digital counter displays I keep wondering every single video
It's a digital volume measure. Notice how it goes up when he speaks up and drops in between pauses in talking
It’s a decibel meter.
ah that's what I was thinking. thanks for clarifying
Make a riview on jakson js24 dinky
what other language does he speak.. I have this impression that is country language is different than English even though he speaks English really good
Swedish, Finnish, English and a bit of German.
I learn some by osmosis by watching the nashville guys on UA-cam.
oh gosh Do Not skip school .... many times I wished I could go back to school and pay better attention. ( and have had some better teachers )
Dont have ADD and insomnia 😑
first, you have to spend some money; to get a decent guitar, and rig, put together.
Get good by selling vintage crap and get a Katana 😂