|
|
Post by Phil on Jun 9, 2015 17:08:43 GMT -6
The other day I mentioned that I was thinking about uploading some videos showing how I figured out the best way for me to play some of the more difficult parts of some studies. Bruce said he would be interested in seeing how I fingered the 8th bar in "Chord-on Bleu" from MBYCU. So, I thought I would run through "Chord-on Bleu" and see what he was talking about. I hadn't played it since I uploaded the recording on 1 Sept 2014.
Well, it was a friggin' disaster. I couldn't play the 1st note from memory. I couldn't even play it looking at the tab the first 3 times through. After about 20 minutes I was able to play it with a metronome @ 60bpm. The actual tempo is about 74bpm. Needless to say, this did not make me happy.
From the very beginning I had always planned on reviewing at least my favorite the studies regularly, but I never did. Since I have limited time to practice I put off reviewing because it took time away from learning new stuff. Well, I'm here to tell you that that was a big mistake. There are a lot of good techniques and licks in these studies that are useable in other places. Hence the word USE in "Blues You Can Use." But, if you develop tunnel vision like I did, and just want to get this study down good enough so you can move on to the next one, then you are not taking full advantage of this course.
So, my remedy for this is to start scheduling in a little review time. If I write it down in my practice log I'll usually do it. If I don't, it never gets done. The practice log is what keeps me on point, and lately I've been planning out a rough schedule for the week on Sundays.
This little episode made me realize that I can't use all of my time learning new stuff and completely forget the old stuff. I need to set aside time to play and not just practice all the time.
Do you guys review past studies regularly?
|
|
|
|
Post by bluesbruce on Jun 9, 2015 20:16:49 GMT -6
Interesting question, Phil. I don't review prior stuff either, but I'm sure like most of us, I can see there would be benefit to doing so. Just like there would be benefit to doing the studies in different keys and different positions. It comes down to how many hours of practice time each of us has available, and how to best put it to use. I like your idea of planning your practice time. I'm usually just grabbing the guitar when I can and working on whatever is on my plate at the time when I have a few free minutes...
If anyone on the forum is interested, we could set up some BYCU review on the forum - something like "hey this month everybody record and post 'Bending the Blues" again. I think something like this would probably fall by the wayside pretty quickly, but maybe I'm wrong. It'll be interesting to hear others responses to this.
Bruce
|
|
|
|
Post by mikeherb on Jun 9, 2015 21:52:56 GMT -6
I still can't get those chords perfect on Blues Rock Tune so I'm in. Let's trip all over it.
|
|
|
|
Post by cunningr on Jun 9, 2015 22:46:14 GMT -6
You make an excellent point, I have gone back and reviewed a couple of tunes, but not enough. Probably the only previous tune I really play much is the Texas rock from like lesson 2 or 3, just like that sound.
|
|
|
|
Post by joachim on Jun 9, 2015 23:49:37 GMT -6
I occasionally review previous studies, especially BRYCU studies. I do plan to play through BUCY again, though, perhaps quickly play a different study and exercise every week. But Bruce makes a good point, that when practice time is limited we probably prioritize new material over old one.
|
|
|
|
Post by wannaplayblues on Jun 10, 2015 4:11:06 GMT -6
I regularly play "Lazy Day Blues" because I love the feel/sound of the track. As a result, I've also spent a few minutes every now and then playing it in first position instead (I know JohnG encourages playing pieces in different positions in BYCU). Even listening back to it now, I hear it as one of my break-throughs in playing. It just sounds "right": soundcloud.com/wannalearnguitar/bycu-lazy-day-blues |
|
|
|
Post by jack1982 on Jun 10, 2015 4:43:24 GMT -6
No I don't go back and review stuff, just don't have the time or the motivation. I do practice my improvising though and I think the stuff I learn in the books ends up getting absorbed into my own playing, though maybe just in the ability to play different styles of blues music. Well okay my improvising always ends up sounding like rock but trust me, it's slowly gravitating more towards the blues  Once I finish More BYCU I'm planning on getting the second edition of BYCU and fully digesting everything in there, incorporating it into some sort of improvising / songwriting practice routine, making new recordings of some of the songs, and maybe making up my own second chorus for those songs. I've always got big plans, don't I?  I love Bruce's idea about doing a group thing where we go back and do a song each month in BYCU. My bends still need a lot of work and so does my production technique and that would be excellent practice. Those songs also hold a lot of sentimental value for me and I always enjoy playing through them again. |
|
|
|
Post by joachim on Jun 10, 2015 5:26:22 GMT -6
I love Bruce's idea about doing a group thing where we go back and do a song each month in BYCU. My bends still need a lot of work and so does my production technique and that would be excellent practice. Those songs also hold a lot of sentimental value for me and I always enjoy playing through them again. I thought we should have a monthly blues improv challenge, but I've post-poned suggesting it until I felt better equipped for it. Perhaps in a month or two, I will put up a multitrack backing track from BiAB if noone beats me to it... |
|
|
|
Post by jack1982 on Jun 10, 2015 5:30:17 GMT -6
I love Bruce's idea about doing a group thing where we go back and do a song each month in BYCU. My bends still need a lot of work and so does my production technique and that would be excellent practice. Those songs also hold a lot of sentimental value for me and I always enjoy playing through them again. I thought we should have a monthly blues improv challenge, but I've post-poned suggesting it until I felt better equipped for it. Perhaps in a month or two, I will put up a multitrack backing track from BiAB if noone beats me to it... Yeah, we used to do that on another forum I posted at years ago. It was always a lot of fun hearing the totally different directions people went with it over the same backing track. |
|
|
|
Post by Phil on Jun 10, 2015 14:00:59 GMT -6
Joachim is suggesting an improv challenge and Bruce is suggesting a kind of BYCU study challenge. Is it possible to do both? That would be a bit much to do both in a single month. Maybe we could alternate a study challenge one month and an improv challenge the next. Just a thought. I'll go along with just about anything. I think either idea would be good. A goal like this is great to help you stay motivated and to feel like you're doing this for reason.
By improv do you really mean an on the spot improv, or will it be more of a "create your own solo" kind of thing?.
|
|
|
|
Post by cunningr on Jun 10, 2015 14:27:19 GMT -6
An improv challenge could produce some interesting results.
|
|
|
|
Post by Phil on Jun 10, 2015 17:04:40 GMT -6
By improv do you really mean an on the spot improv, or will it be more of a "create your own solo" kind of thing?. As far as I know, they call a "create your own solo" kind of thing composition. But then, no one asked me...  FAIL! T-Bone, I'm going to compose something brilliant (or copy from somebody else) and tell you I made it up on the spot.  Now, go practice your bends or something.   |
|
|
|
Post by jack1982 on Jun 10, 2015 17:07:12 GMT -6
Is it possible to do both? That would be a bit much to do both in a single month. I thought they meant we'd do both every week. But if that's a problem we could do them, you know, every 8 days or something. |
|
|
|
Post by Phil on Jun 10, 2015 17:10:22 GMT -6
Is it possible to do both? That would be a bit much to do both in a single month. I thought they meant we'd do both every week. But if that's a problem we could do them, you know, every 8 days or something. Jack, I think T-Bone is a bad influence on and you should stay away from him. |
|
|
|
Post by joachim on Jun 10, 2015 23:47:22 GMT -6
Joachim is suggesting an improv challenge and Bruce is suggesting a kind of BYCU study challenge. Is it possible to do both? That would be a bit much to do both in a single month. Maybe we could alternate a study challenge one month and an improv challenge the next. Just a thought. I'll go along with just about anything. I think either idea would be good. A goal like this is great to help you stay motivated and to feel like you're doing this for reason. By improv do you really mean an on the spot improv, or will it be more of a "create your own solo" kind of thing?. Phil, I was thinking of recording your own rehearsed solo over a backing track - not on the spot. |
|
|
|
Post by Phil on Jun 11, 2015 7:03:09 GMT -6
Joachim is suggesting an improv challenge and Bruce is suggesting a kind of BYCU study challenge. Is it possible to do both? That would be a bit much to do both in a single month. Maybe we could alternate a study challenge one month and an improv challenge the next. Just a thought. I'll go along with just about anything. I think either idea would be good. A goal like this is great to help you stay motivated and to feel like you're doing this for reason. By improv do you really mean an on the spot improv, or will it be more of a "create your own solo" kind of thing?. Phil, I was thinking of recording your own rehearsed solo over a backing track - not on the spot. Sounds like a good idea. |
|
Once I finish More BYCU I'm planning on getting the second edition of BYCU and fully digesting everything in there, incorporating it into some sort of improvising / songwriting practice routine, making new recordings of some of the songs, and maybe making up my own second chorus for those songs. I've always got big plans, don't I? 
Now, go practice your bends or something. 
