Practicing and tv

[JeffD]

No TV since 2003. Before actually.

[trodgers]

Don't watch a lot of TV, but when I do, I often have a mandolin in my lap. I like to practice long runs, committing them to muscle memory while the tube is on. Commercial time is fun too. A new melody pops up every 30 seconds where I get to find the key and try to jump in with the tune.

[mbruno]

I used to practice with the TV on a lot when I was younger. Mostly mindless stuff for the muscle memory as stated before. As I've gotten older, I've found I watch less TV and, when I am practicing, am typically more focused on the task at hand - so this happens very little these days. If I start practicing with TV on, it's usually turned off in a few minutes in favor of a song I'm trying to learn.

That said, after reading The Practice of Practice and learning more about how we make connections for "muscle memory" from friends in various fields that deal with mechanical learning (i.e. occupational therapy), I don't see myself really ever "practicing" with the TV (apart from attempting to learn theme songs from shows haha). The risk of creating a bad habit from making minor mistakes while not really paying attention (i.e. picking the wrong direction, using the wrong finger, hitting only one string, striking the string in a weird spot etc) is too high for the seemingly low benefit of an unfocused practice.

Focus

[yankees1]

After forty years or so I've come to the conclusion that I'm never going to become a great mandolin player. When I do need to learn something difficult I usually isolate myself from distraction and work it up. Most of the time though, I'm just playing to amuse myself. So yes, I do play while watching tv, but as far as serious practice goes, nah.

Took you forty years to figure that out ?? Only took me about six years ! I guess I'm a quicker learner than you !

[sblock]

Yes, I do this all the time. I turn on Closed Captioning, so there are onscreen subtitles, and I keep the TV sound down low enough so that it is barely audible below the volume of my mandolin. That way, I read the TV but listen to the mandolin. My favorite way to time-share activities while practicing alone. And sometimes, just for ear training, I will try to play along with TV themes or ad jingles. Last week, I worked out the famous intro to all those James Bond films this way, in Em.

[peterleyenaar]

Yes, I do this all the time. I turn on Closed Captioning, so there are onscreen subtitles, and I keep the TV sound down low enough so that it is barely audible below the volume of my mandolin. That way, I read the TV but listen to the mandolin. My favorite way to time-share activities while practicing alone. And sometimes, just for ear training, I will try to play along with TV themes or ad jingles. Last week, I worked out the famous intro to all those James Bond films this way, in Em.

That is the way I practice and watch T.V. , frquently I get more absorbed in playing/practising and miss most of whatever is on the program.

Practicing scales, arpegios , tremelo and/or simple tunes , I can watch whole movies.

[F-2 Dave]

Took you forty years to figure that out ?? Only took me about six years ! I guess I'm a quicker learner than you !

Yup.

[tiltman]

Any one else practicing and watching T.V.?

Always.
In fact, I find it hard to just sit and watch tv without a guitar or mandolin...

Kirk

[Charlie Bernstein]

I took a lesson from a jazz teacher once who said he always played guitar while watching TV. The variety of music is so vast - jingles, background music, theme songs - that playing along with it night after night, year after year, helped hone his ears and fingers.

But - some of you say you play with the sound OFF. What fun it THAT?

=O.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Took you forty years to figure that out ?? Only took me about six years ! I guess I'm a quicker learner than you !

Ha! That's nuthin'! I started playing guitar when I was sixteen and knew right away I sucked.

[T.D.Nydn]

The thing is always on,it doesn't bother me at all when I practice,I often play to the smooth jazz channel also,,I probably only actually watch the TV only half the time it's on,it just keeps me company I think...

[Charlie Bernstein]

No TV since 2003. Before actually.

I'm the opposite. Didn't have one until I got married. What for?

The compromise: we have one but only watch DVDs and VCR tapes.

[Charlie Bernstein]

The thing is always on,it doesn't bother me at all when I practice,I often play to the smooth jazz channel also,,I probably only actually watch the TV only half the time it's on,it just keeps me company I think...

It doesn't know you exist. I doesn't know anything. You need a cat.

[Trav'linmando]

No TV since 2003. Before actually.

Actually haven't owned a TV since 96. That's when I moved off the grid. Now days, it only takes me 5 minutes of watching to annoy me and be grateful that I still don't own one.

[T.D.Nydn]

It doesn't know you exist. I doesn't know anything. You need a cat.

I already have 2 of them,plus fish plus other things..