Little Red Haired Boy Practice Session

[Soupy1957]

I 've tried to devote at LEAST 30 minutes a day to practice for a few weeks now. Scales, Chop Chords, Lead, ............I'm trying to do a bit of everything in each session.

Here's an example of one part of "practice" today, ........I've been working on "Little Red Haired Boy" in tempo segments. I started off with "50" for a tempo setting, in TablEdit, (Key of A, if I remember right), and am up to a tempo setting of 150 at this point (I think the performance speed is up around 220 or so?).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL28HrHPEqo

So, it's just an example of my desire to be diligent, no matter how infantile the level, to get to some sort of reasonable-player place before I die. It's fun, I like it (almost more than the guitar.......shhhhhhhhhh.....don't tell my wife that).

I'm beginning to discover a place that rather scary, but ............it's as if my fretting hand wants to run free......I get a feeling like Forest Gump, breaking outa his leg braces, on the run. Sometimes........when things are going "just right,".......I feel as if I could "let go" of my mental connection to my fretting hand, and it will go to where it needs to, by itself. (I've experienced that on the guitar, but it's new and fresh for me, on the mando). I'm like a little kid who suddenly realizes he's swimming around in the deep end of the pool, and has that second of panic, and either drowns, or takes a deep breath, forgets about swimming with no net under him (the bottom), and swims back into controlled waters.



-Soupy1957

[Charley wild]

Sounds great to me Soupy! Nice and clear with very good timing. Plus, if I were to look away from the neck my fingers would stop! lol You are obviously very disciplined with your practice. An example a lot of us could profit by!

[Soupy1957]

That's an interesting observation that I've been dealing with........I think about folks like Ray Charles, and other blind folks, who learn how to play without looking at the neck.

I'm not intentionally avoiding looking at it, but in learning the music, I'm watching the screen more than the instrument. The accuracy is a feel thing, for me. (but I'm sure someone will come along and say "look at it").

I watched a couple of other folks in YouTube playing the same song, and some are downright sloppy, to tell ya the truth......others......are MUCH better than I'll ever be.......lol.

[desaljs]

Good job on that! I practice that song too. I try not to constantly look at my fretting hand, and find, at times, I can play it through without looking.

You do start to develop a feel after a while, but...........it's OK to look!

Keep up the good work!

[Soupy1957]

When I "look" during the song..........I screw up for some reason.........lololol.

Yesterday I was walking around the house trying to play the song without the TablEdit file in the background, and I was doing "ok" (not 'GREAT' but "ok"). I'm gettin there.

[Soupy1957]

Ok........two days later.........I've been practicing at least 30 minutes each day, (even before these videos), and THIS time, no net........no Tabs in front of me.......no background TablEdit file.......just me trying to do it from memory. Admittedly some mistakes still, but pretty good accuracy and slightly faster.........Just to show that I'm getting there. I've set a goal for myself of 1 new song a month, for now. Even if I can only suggest the one song at the Jam each month, at least I'll have done what I set out to do:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZvRn7_zlp4

I just finished uploading this as of 7:10 PM so if it isn't ready yet (still processing in YouTube), have patience........it'll be ready to view shortly.

-Soupy1957