Variety or Consistency

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Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

Variety or Consistency

I have taken December to devote especially to picado and some other things, and one thing which has been reaping dividends is the search for variety. I have always been the type to take one simple thing and just bang on it until either I got bored and moved on, or mastered it. For example, when I was first trying to build my scales, I would play major and minor scales in 5 positions each, starting with whole notes, then half notes, then eighth, then triplets, then sixteenths. And that was all I would do!

Eventually I moved on and started playing speed bursts... and for a while, that was all I would do!

I don't really know how efficient that kind of practice was for me--it did help some, I'm sure, but that's hard to measure. Lately I've been getting away from banging and more into trying all sorts of things. So I'll play the same scales but in different rhythms, triplets, then switch to eighths, then switch to gallup, then switch to reverse gallup, then do the same thing starting with a different fingers. I'll play low, I'll play high. I'll play stacatto then play the same passage legato. That sort of thing.

It seems to really be paying dividends. It seems that the hand takes in all these different situations and kind of learns how to deal with all of them from the same position. They say that a child needs lots of different kinds of stimulus when it's growing up, and you see the difference between a child who grows up in a closet and one who is normally socialized and stimulated. I wonder if the monolithic, repetitive way of playing I did before was harmful in the same way.

I'd be cool to find out how the rest of you practice, and see what insights can be derived from that. Or--what insights you have derived from it.

Todd, you seem to be very focused on one task at a time, and you complete it before moving on...is that fair to say? It seems to have worked for you!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 27 2004 17:48:11

ToddK

Posts: 2961
Joined: Dec. 6 2004

RE: Variety or Consistency (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

Well, i will usually take on one piece at a time.

But of course i continue to practice other things. I practice very similar
to what you were saying about playing scales in different positions,
speed bursts, playing up high, down low etc etc.

I never do anything without the metronome. I will practice nothing but
technique exercises for days, with out playing any music.

Then i will play through pieces for a few days, doing my best to
always play start to finish with no stopping.

And i just go back and forth. In between all this, i'm always listening to some
kind of music. Or i'm writing some music either on the guitar,
or on the computer with my Orchestra Library.

I wish i knew something to help get your speed up quicker.
Thats just one of those mysterious things i guess.

Sometimes i think speed is one of those things like, being able to roll
your tongue. I dont mean roll the tongue like when you speak, i mean
roll it up like a fruit roll up in your mouth. :)
Its a genetic thing, some people can do it, some people cant.
Practice doesnt do anything.

Who knows!?!?

:)
TK

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 31 2004 14:53:45

duende

Posts: 3053
Joined: Dec. 15 2003
From: Sweden

RE: Variety or Consistency (in reply to ToddK)

I practice this way. Seems to work just fine. Wish i started flamenco when i was 13 and not 25.

Henrik.

p.s Happy new year all of you

!!!!

_____________________________

This is hard stuff!
Don't give up...
And don't make it a race.
Enjoy the ray of sunshine that comes with every new step in knowledge.

RON

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 31 2004 19:16:06

Ricardo

Posts: 14884
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Variety or Consistency (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

I had a drum teacher when I was 11 who said every day "practice makes permanent, not perfect". In other words, the more you do something the more it becomes natural to you, right or wrong. Learning the right way to do something sometimes means "unlearning" something else. That can be very difficult to over come.

I never really practiced "exercises" that were not musical. I worked on techniques within the context of a musical piece or falseta. Like Todd said, always using the metronme is important. Backstage my buddy saw PdL had a metronome in his guitar case. Very encouraging.

The thing is, I have had students who could not really understand how to use a metronome properly, or played "wrong" w/ it, thinking they were correct. Record yourself practicing w/ the metronome to make sure you are not make something "permanently wrong". It is quite revealing and helpful to hear your self on tape.

Ricardo

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 31 2004 21:11:48

ToddK

Posts: 2961
Joined: Dec. 6 2004

RE: Variety or Consistency (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

Well, there you have it, Ricardo is quite perceptive :)
I just spoke to Miguel not too long ago regarding a scale practice
clip i heard, in wich he was off from the metronome.

I mentioned this to him, and he said he would work on that aspect more.
I think thats really good. Rhythm is so important, especially in flamenco.
I think air tight timeing, and good playing are almost inseperable.
Get that timeing precision going, and the rest falls in to line.

I'm sure we've all noticed the way, for instance, that Paco may drop a note
once in a while, but he's rarely Ever off from the rhythm, or tempo.

I think Paco, would probably have to make a serious effort to actually go
OFF the tempo/rhythm. Its so built in to him. He never seems to be
late or early for any note or chord, and if it ever is, its as if it had to be that
way, or it wouldnt be musical.

Are we sure he's human? Have we done enough testing?
HMMM..........

TK

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 31 2004 21:22:59