Something really weird happened

[Ace]

OK I have only been playing music other than the car radio for about a year and that was on and off. I took about a dozen lessons from a local teacher who has his own band. We have become close friends but I stopped the lessons a while back due to family matters that took precedence. In the mean time, I practice every day for about 30 or so minutes. Now my practice is probably a little different than what everyone else's is. I practice what I know and that is picking a few tunes from sound. I was shown some tremelo and incorporated that into a few tunes where I thought it sounded good. I also practiced some 4 finger chords but as you know, that is tough at first. Sore fingers and cramped wrist and arms. My teacher friend kept telling me, it will come and when it does, it will click and become very easy. Well guess what? The other day, I found myself chording and changing chords very easy, very smoothly, and I am even able to look in "The Big Blue Book" and sound out some tunes. What is weird is I CANNOT put my mandolin down. It sits here on my couch and I play during commercials. I played thru out the whole world series in between innings. It clicked! Now granted, I'm only playing major chords like GCD ADE DAG BEF but what I am playing has become very easy to me while playing actual songs and not just moving from one chord to another although I believe practicing that has helped. I called my friend and after putting him on speaker phone, I said listen to this. At first he thought I recorded it and it was someone else because he knows my playing ability. Then he realized it WAS me especially when I started singing one of his tunes AND playing at the same time. Talk about having fun! Man what a blast this has become!
All you beginners, don't give up! It WILL come, some faster than others but like me, slow but sure!

[JEStanek]

Congratulations and thanks for the inspiration/motivation.

Jamie

[Mandojulie]

Very cool!

I love watching the tube and practicing. I can play for hours. I really think you practice longer/better because of the time you devote. I've seen some great improvement this way.

Alas, I have to wait until "Someone" goes on business trips because my noodling is not allowed. Some people just aren't appreciative of the same thing over and over and over...

Go figure.

Julie

[Mike Bunting]

Right on, that's the way to learn! PLAY, listen and have fun.

[San Rafael]

I'm another fan of keeping the mando in my hands while I watch TV (not so great if you're watching with others though). The more it's in your hands, the better.

Distracted practice doesn't take the place of concentrated practice, but it can add a lot to it.

Try following the melodies of soundtracks and commercials. Good ear training.

[fishdawg40]

It's a wonderful journey. Thanks for sharing.

[woodwizard]

Keep up the good work and welcome to the addiction.

[Bertram Henze]

This "click" thing is very common. I like to think of it like the brain slowly builds up all the necessary wiring and only after the final connection is made the lights go on. Or like a demolition company prepares to blow up a building - for a long time nothing seems to happen, while they place the charges, connect this, test that... then suddenly there's a horn and Booom!

I also play in front of TV sometimes, with the sound turned off; it's like having a video with your music. A similar experience is playing in the car (on the passenger seat to have room for the headstock, or on the passenger seat of a british car if you're a lefty) - when I do that, I watch passing clouds, animals and people, and everything I see seems to be arranged to fit my playing.
If that is addiction...I wish there could be more addictions like that.

Bertram

[mandolirius]

<I also play in front of TV sometimes, with the sound turned off; it's like having a video with your music. A similar experience is playing in the car (on the passenger seat to have room for the headstock>

Also two of my favourite practice scenarios. I like to watch baseball games with the sound off. There's just enough going on to distract the frontal part of my brain so I can settle into that deeper, more meditative part of my consciousness. And traveling with someone else doing the driving is just the best. I've written a lot of tunes that way. I understand Monroe did too. Must be something to it.

[Bertram Henze]

...And traveling with someone else doing the driving is just the best. I've written a lot of tunes that way.

I couldn't do that - the driver's nerves would have to be a heavier gauge than my OM strings

Bertram

[WestCoastMandoGirl]

I practice chords in front of the television, too, and luckily my husband doesn't mind. (although the other day he did say, "Is that how how it's supposed to sound?" ha ha) I've been playing for a couple of months and in the last few weeks have done a lot of those "mindless" chord drills while staring at the tv screen. Just this past week I experienced a minor break-through and am now able to find the chords I know fairly quickly. I can only chop the chords at this point but hopefully will develop further dexterity. Too fun

[Jim]

Thanks for your inspirational story. I too play infront of the tv, I have fun improvizing a score to what ever I may be watching. Mostly when watching alone as well.

[Mike Bromley]

Isn't it a blast?

[Jim DeSalvio]

I hope this will happen to me someday!

[Patrick Bjorndal]

I also have spent a lot of time sitting with the tv on and practice mando, octave, cittern and lately banjo. I work away from home most of the time so it was not a problem, being in a motel room during the week. I actually worked in the town that I live in for a year and a half. The first night I tried to practice in the same room as my wife and the tv, that whole notion was shot down. Some people just don't understand the soothing aspect of "noodling" on an instrument has on ones soul after a long and hectic day at work. But, back on the road, playing to the curtains in the motel room again. Had the bejesus scared out of me one evening. I was in a ground floor room and had the window open, enjoying one of the first warm evening last spring. I played through a bunch of tunes, got up to get a drink of water. Just started to take a drink, when this head pops up in the window and asks, " you going to play some more, we like the irish music." There were a small group of people sitting outside my room, out of sight from me, enjoying the weather and a cig. I ended up going out, sitting on a bench, and had a couple of beers with them. A fun evening. It is funny how having something else going on while I practice seems to distract me enough where I seem to play with less mistakes.