Practicing and tv

[peterleyenaar]

Any one else practicing and watching T.V.?

[roysboy]

Any one else practicing and watching T.V.?

I watch the hockey games with the sound down while I practice .....running four finger fretting excercises.....working on consistent tremolo . Everyone knows it takes 10,000 hours of multi tasking to get good at your instrument ....

[Kevin Stueve]

yea but it drives my wife nuts. She says pick one or the other. I

[AlanN]

I used to, but when I practice/pick, I sit up. When I watch TV, the opposite occurs.

[Louise NM]

I don't, but a friend who used to play oboe professionally once said he would watch baseball with the sound off and practice scales for hours on end.

[Mark Wilson]

I used to, but when I practice/pick, I sit up. When I watch TV, the opposite occurs.

Yep. Can end up with the mandolin on top of me watching TV

[UsuallyPickin]

Scales and chord forms by key. Setting them into my memory so I can move to a workable position without stopping to think about it. I also play fiddle tunes that I have played so many times that they just come out to play... so to speak. R/

[Chris Daniels]

With certain exceptions, I tend to watch very little TV on a weekly basis, perhaps five hours total, but when I do it's an excuse to have some fun family time or to wind down for the evening. Since I also find it difficult to carve out enough picking time to match my desire, I do try to be mindful of making the most of my playing or practising and for me having the television on is an antithesis to this pursuit. And the posture aspect mentioned by Alan certainly plays into my hesitation.

However, that's not to say I haven't done it. Picking familiar tunes I don't have to think too much about or just working on mechanical skills (speed, scales, etc.) seem to be my best choices if I actually want to pay attention to what's in the screen.

C.

[Jim Garber]

yea but it drives my wife nuts. She says pick one or the other. I

Hah! My wife has friends who sit and knit while talking or watching. Today I was at a concert and there was a woman knitting. I guess it doesn't make as much noise but it is equally multi-tasking.

I have watched tennis matches with the sound off and played mandolin. Has a nice rhythm to it. I think McEnroe would approve. He is a musician.

[Zach Wilson]

I like playing scales, picking simple tunes and working on tremolo while watching baseball.

[roysboy]

yea but it drives my wife nuts. She says pick one or the other. I

well technically you are picking one ...lol

[Eric Platt]

Yup. Been that way for years. First guitar, now mandolin. Supposed if I lived in an area (or era) without it would find something on the radio for background. Would like to eventually get good enough where I can play and not have to worry about the distraction of anything around me.

From my own experience, when I practice with no other sound, it becomes too easy to distract me at jams or performances.

[Frankdolin]

Oh yea, sports and practice works for me...

[Roger Moss]

I do everything with the tv on. Seriously though, I do sit around with it on, banging away on the mandolin or guitar a lot. However, if I'm trying to learn something, I have it muted and I have a tablet next to me on the couch with a video I saved from YouTube playing.

[seankeegan]

yup, all the time! Great for trying to build up muscle memory through repetition.

[BrianWilliam]

No. Distractions interrupt practice/improvement.

[MikeZito]

With the exception of the occasional ballgame, I haven't watched television in 20 years . . . because I'm too busy practicing my mandolin - or my guitar - or my bass - or my piano - or and writing songs . . . .

You would think that after twenty years of practice I would be a much MUCH better player!

Oh well - back to more practice . . . .

[Em Tee]

Yes, as others have said, for scales, arpeggios, building muscle memory.

[Cochiti Don]

The one time I did it was trying to keep up with the mando player on “song of the mountain” a bluegrass PBS program.

[yankees1]

Any one else practicing and watching T.V.?

Every day !

[Bob Visentin]

I play my Fender Mando Strat unplugged while watching TV.

[F-2 Dave]

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.

[Steve Ostrander]

No, but I watch TV while changing strings. Usually a Red Wings hockey game.

[Paul Busman]

well technically you are picking one ...lol

I tried picking the TV last night, but it didn't sound so good. Maybe I do need a Blue Chip

Yes, I do pick both mandolin and tenor banjo (not at the same time) while I watch TV. As Em Tee said, it's great for building muscle memory. For that you don't really want to think about it, just do it. Often I just noodle around,whatever pops into my head which sometimes produces some interesting results.
My wife is also irked occasionally when I play while watching TV, and I usually accommodate her by muffling the strings near the bridge with the heel of my hand.

[roysboy]

I tried picking the TV last night, but it didn't sound so good. Maybe I do need a Blue Chip

Yes, I do pick both mandolin and tenor banjo (not at the same time) while I watch TV. As Em Tee said, it's great for building muscle memory. For that you don't really want to think about it, just do it. Often I just noodle around,whatever pops into my head which sometimes produces some interesting results.
My wife is also irked occasionally when I play while watching TV, and I usually accommodate her by muffling the strings near the bridge with the heel of my hand.

have you considered getting the wife her own TV ...maybe a nice one for her bedroom ?
hahaha .....( a joke ....PLEASE ...no letters )