Fighting Robotic Impulses

[Mark Gunter]

Or maybe "muscle memory" or a short circuit in the synapses having to do with harmony mapping, tonal progressions ... whatever.

We all know how tough it is to change a bad habit. I don't know what is causing this current problem, but I'm trying to learn a new chord progression and after a couple 30 minute sessions I keep making the same mistake again and again. Something's ingrained in my brain that's causing it, and I don't know any way of overcoming it other than practice, but it got me to wondering what kinds of things may give others similar problems. What trips you up really badly these days?

It's true that I'm a mandolin newb, but I've been singing and playing other instruments for half a century, so there are some deeply ingrained expectations somewhere that causes my issue.

Here's what I'm doing, Bonaparte's March Norman Blake style:



A part
Am / / / C / G / Am / / / G / Em /
Am / / / C / G / Am / G / Am / / /

B part
A / / / A / D / Am / / / G / Em
Am / / / C / G / Am / G / Am / / /

It's like a tongue-twister, musically for me. I can get it sometimes, but I robotically tend to jump back to C from the G or Em chords, rather than going back to the actual tonic of Am.

Anyone else find this progression tough? And, what's giving you trouble of this sort these days, if anything?

[Bertram Henze]

The ITM player's standard curse: derailing from one tune into a similar sounding different tune. Worst case: Cooley's and Pidgeon on the Gate in the same set.

I think it is quite related to your case. I wouldn't call it bad habit, it is just an expansion of an existing classificator training in the procedural memory, and that is always risky. It is like drilling a hole and then drilling another right beside the first - the drill tends to travel off into the first one. Practising both together is the only way. And yes, it hurts.

[Mark Gunter]

At first I thought it might be a tendency to resolve to C from G, but that's not it I think. I'm thinking it's actually mandolin muscle memory, because if I use different chord voicings, which move me up and down the neck, the problem goes away.

I'm trying to voice everything in first position, except for the one D chord. Using

2-2-3-5
5-2-3-0
0-0-2-3
0-2-2-3

2-2-4-5
7-4-5-x

If I move the G to 4-5-5-7
and the Em to 4-5-7-0 or 9-5-7-0 I don't have as much of an issue.

The answer is always just practice I think. I like the first position voicings.

[mandocrucian]

There are other open position voicings. Find the combination between voicings which give you the most flow and variety. The you can think about and try slipping in some sus4, add2, m7 notes.

Am (A5*)
2-2-0-0 *;
5-2-0-0 ;
2-2-3-0 ;
5-2-0-5 ;
9=7=0=0* ;
9=10=0=0
9=10=12=0

C
0/5-5-3-0 (split G string - the best C chord, if you can manage it)
0-2-3-0;
0-2-3-3;
5-5-3-0

Em
4-2-2-3;
4-2-2-0 E5;
4-5-7-0

NH

[Mark Gunter]

Thanks for the ideas, Niles, some of those I use already and some I've never tried. Haven't practiced any split string playing at all as yet. Of the first position Am voicings, I prefer to hear the minor 3rd and usually use 2-2-3-5 or 2-2-3-0

[John Kelly]

Wait till you get into playing Scottish Bagpipe Music, Mark, and especially the 4-part marches! In many tunes there is very slight variation between some of the parts, and many tunes sound very alike. I know this is a melody situation rather than a chord sequence one, but it can be tricky. Some might say that repetition is not surprising in an instrument with only nine notes!