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So this is sort of related to other posts ive been reading about lengthy practice sessions.
Recently, ive had some things happen in my life that made me take some "Inventory" of my life. Namely, my father passing away on March 30th. Also, a combonation of the Flu, and horrible allergies took me down pretty hard as well. So i ended up putting the guitar down completely for a couple of weeks.
I must say, its been a bit depressing, but i started playing again yesterday, finally, and wow, my hands feel absolutely revived. I can feel that i have lost some stamina, and some calluses, but i feel ive gained more than i lost.
So dont underestimate the benefit of taking some time off once in a while.
I'm very sorry to hear about your loss, Todd, my condolences.
it's happened to me a couple of times, that due to work and other things i didn't touch my guitar for days, never weeks though and always found that after picking it up again there's more inspiration, more creative energy and especially a clear way of hearing - not sure how to put this into words...but i agree, that every once in a while a break is much better for your playing than hours of practice day after day...
hey todd, i'm very sorry for you loss. and i hope you've recovered well from the flu.
about practice sessions, i think it's a good idea to stop at a point where you're left wanting a little more. just like eating, it's bad to stuff yourself beyond what you're able to handle. doing this has helped me stay super focused and inspired the next day.
and i find that if i decide to take a break from guitar, it's good to go all out and completely forget the guitar and do something totally unrelated.
hey Todd, im also wishing you the best,and just positive thoughts every video you have posted was gold , in any genre, and your advice is just numero uno.
hope u relax and do what you need to do , the world needs u, i think PDl himself is wanting to play sonique like you !. ill never forget that upload or your SRV
Stay sharp Todd. We are waiting for more brilliant playing! Yes,.. sometimes breaks are necessary. You also get rid of pain in the arms and your nails can heal up.
Hey Todd sorry for your loss. I remember when my father died and even though that's years ago, I know it was a tough time.
Good advice as always. I recently took a week off to take an intensive dance course and I felt I should concentrate properly on that. I was worried that I would lose the progress I had recently made. When I came back to it I hadn't forgotten anything and really felt good about playing again.
I am saddened to hear about your loss, and wish you strenght to get through the difficult times.
I too recognize the good feeling in the hands, and ears, after taking a break. If i play every day in the week for a long period, it feels as though someone has put a large wet towel through the soundhole.
Though of course, we don't know each other, the nice thing about the foro is that all the main contributors feel like old friends - I've found your contributions to this forum inspiring over the years.
I'm sorry to hear about your loss, and I wish you strength.
And as for taking a break once in a while - I've found that you always return refreshed and invigorated...
Sorry you had to take a break under those circumstances but you're absolutely right.
I've only been playing since the beginning of the year and was making steady progress until I was faced with the 4 finger rasgeo technique. After a month of daily exercises dealing with that technique I gave up through frustration and went on to something else.
Now that I gone back to it, it's very nearly there. No more pumped burning forearm either. Still some way to go but the break was really good.
Interesting eh? Perhaps we push too hard to nail something and forget about the breaks.
Hey TK, it's been a long time. Very sorry to hear about the loss. I know mine is just yet another posting on the internet and of little comfort, but behind it is real sentiment. Know that your dad is still with you, watching over you, smiling with pride and bragging to the others around him that "hey, that's MY son right there".
I play a lot -- maybe 4-5 hours a day every day. But when I take a day or 2 break (usually not voluntarily) I find that I come back noticeably stronger, faster, more precise. This phenomenon is so reliable, I've started taking the day off before an important gig. I think that keeping the muscles constantly fatigued without giving them a chance to recover may be counterproductive in some ways. Playing daily is good for the brain, maybe, and good for learning, but bad for the hands?
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"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
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