RE: Practising

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RE: Practising

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Ricardo

Posts: 14797
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Practising (in reply to flyeogh)

Rest that thumb always and whenever it is practically possible. For example when doing p....imaP....imap....imap.... a fast or gathered triplet on the back end of the beat, the thumb on the beat is ALWAYS rested.... even if p and i share the same string (G in most cases). You can relax that rule a little depending on other situations.

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CD's and transcriptions available here:
www.ricardomarlow.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 11 2019 13:27:16

El Burdo

Posts: 632
Joined: Sep. 8 2011

RE: Practising (in reply to Ricardo)

Another argument that I find interesting is that there is little use in practising abstract skills and expecting them to suffice at the coalface. For example straight scales, up and down.
Should you have done so, no doubt when the opportunity presented itself you would be able to spit out a blistering flamenco scale in its three octave entirety. But that's not likely to happen, so why bother? Leave that to the 'stunt' players (Zappa on Vai).
The mechanics have to be practised of course, but I can see it's better done in context, generally practising techniques/lines etc from actual pieces of music, or improvising over known ground (changes etc).

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 11 2019 14:12:19

kitarist

Posts: 1715
Joined: Dec. 4 2012

RE: Practising (in reply to flyeogh)

quote:

ORIGINAL: flyeogh
For me 'Single' relates to one direction (ami). 'Double' doubles back on itself (imami). In Spain we say "arpeggio doble" for the latter. We say "arpeggio simple" and not arpeggio solo" for the former (but that just might be my guys in Jerez and Huelva). Maybe it gets translated differently to English?

Thank you for the explanation! It might very well be like that in English too; I just didn't know.

For the p stroke, like Ricardo says, default to apoyando; unless there is a specific reason or situation calling for tirando.

BTW for the Giuliani Op48.no5 arpeggio study. I also run through it not with pimami, but with pamima. My most recent idea was to run it not as sextuplet 16ths, but as 32nds, by adding two more notes so that the arpeggio becomes pimamima or pamimami, so now I have p + arpeggio triple (up-down-up or down-up-down). However it also changes in terms of pulse as it is not triplets anymore and different notes get slight accents.

And I also keep track of max controlled speed for pimami and pamima as well as for a few other patterns.

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Konstantin

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 11 2019 21:18:03

flyeogh

Posts: 729
Joined: Oct. 13 2004

RE: Practising (in reply to kitarist)

quote:

For the p stroke, like Ricardo says, default to apoyando;

OK guys I was practising my arpeggio with thumb rested at 10:30pm and started again this morning at 6am

I'll see if I can drill it in.

The setting the fingers ima in advance was something I saw a guy do and he claimed it helped him get more speed. Obviously, from comments here, something that works for him and not generally accepted. I'll skip that

quote:

Another argument that I find interesting is that there is little use in practising abstract skills and expecting them to suffice at the coalface. For example straight scales, up and down.

El burdo I learnt a few scales and use them to improvise. It was part of an online lesson where you randomly (perhaps not the word but you know what I mean I hope) used sections of scales terminating in chords (played in various ways). It was the first time I felt creative, but then I'm not naturally musical. Of course it didn't suggest you played them like an express train from one end to the other

.

On using actual pieces of music I agree although some course/lesson developers realise you need to make basic exercises interesting and musical, and do so. For sure if an exercise is boring I throw it out. It is not although we are short of materials.

Anyway thanks again everyone. You've left me again with a lot of work to do. Day 102 already underway

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nigel (el raton de Watford - now Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 12 2019 5:10:47

flyeogh

Posts: 729
Joined: Oct. 13 2004

RE: Practising (in reply to Ricardo)

So, I start my normal practise session and I’m not quite hitting the notes, the timings off, generally screwing it up. So, I try something else but now the frustration is there. I know I should walk away. In the end I do, feeling bad. After several days of good progress this is like hitting a brick wall.

Next day I watched a video of a Fandango de Huelva compass variation. He made it look easy. I thought I can do that. And I did. And I hit the strings hard and loud and still it went well. The train seems to be back on the tracks.

Question: Does this happen to you? How do you get the train back on the tracks? Any thought very welcome because it is a horrible feeling.

Ps: I guess performers either don’t have this problem or they play through it. Can’t see Ricardo at a venue saying “Sorry guys not today, let’s have a beer”

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nigel (el raton de Watford - now Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 19 2019 8:54:31

Ricardo

Posts: 14797
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Practising (in reply to flyeogh)

Actually I am constantly on the lookout for inspiration to continue. Without it I can’t really play well or at all.

_____________________________

CD's and transcriptions available here:
www.ricardomarlow.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 19 2019 17:03:36

flyeogh

Posts: 729
Joined: Oct. 13 2004

RE: Practising (in reply to Ricardo)

quote:

I am constantly on the lookout for inspiration to continue.

Ricardo this is not a lack of inspiration. I've now played 108 days out of 109 and still I'm glad to say, I'm inspired to play and fired with enthusiasm.

It is that I'm not playing as well as I expect. Like I'm going backwards. That I think "I have reached my limit. Will it not ever be better than this?"

OK other days I think "Wow that is a leap forward. Those Rasqueos are like bullets from a Walther PKK (ref. Jame Bond

).

Maybe the graph of improvement is a bumpy road and not a gradual incline, and I need to just open my mind to the rough and the smooth. But it is frustrating

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nigel (el raton de Watford - now Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 19 2019 17:36:27

kitarist

Posts: 1715
Joined: Dec. 4 2012

RE: Practising (in reply to flyeogh)

I think you'll frustrate yourself if you measure progress day by day rather than weekly or even monthly.

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Konstantin

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 20 2019 18:35:59

guitarbuddha

Posts: 2970
Joined: Jan. 4 2007

RE: Practising (in reply to flyeogh)

Hey Nigel we have a connection, I had my first and only flamenco lessons with Jim Opfer too ! Good guy and a sensitive musician. And he sold me this beautiful guitar.
She's been neglected over the past few years but I've been putting the work in too over the last few months and she is coming back to life.

I hope she doesn't mind that I don't feel like playing flamenco at the moment.... remember a change is as good as a break !

I hope you keep enjoying your practice and finding new things to love in music.

https://youtu.be/AeinOK2mkHc

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 21 2019 11:20:22

kitarist

Posts: 1715
Joined: Dec. 4 2012

RE: Practising (in reply to flyeogh)

Here's a custom guitar with a tachometer

You can monitor your scale speed progress directly

I think the guitar is Ernie Ball Mr. Horsepower

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

Attachment (2)

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Konstantin

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 24 2019 5:43:29

flyeogh

Posts: 729
Joined: Oct. 13 2004

RE: Practising (in reply to kitarist)

I must have that. It is almost in my footy team colours. And a tachometer!!!!

Cancel the flamenco lessons ---- we're going electric

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nigel (el raton de Watford - now Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 24 2019 8:16:31

JasonM

Posts: 2051
Joined: Dec. 8 2005
From: Baltimore

RE: Practising (in reply to flyeogh)

Haha that is cool I like all the pickups.

Inspiration is hard to come by these days. Fly, I think you have the right attitude of making practice a habit. Don’t burn yourself out with frustration. You will get better, especially in the beginning stages. sometimes progress can be painfully slow. Boy don’t I know! Sometimes it doesn’t seem like you’ve made any improvement until you look back, because we are always looking ahead!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 24 2019 15:46:21

flyeogh

Posts: 729
Joined: Oct. 13 2004

RE: Practising (in reply to JasonM)

Thanks Jason. Sound advice which as you suggest can get lost in the heat of battle. Now 114 days of which I missed one so it has almost become a habit. And got a message from my Jerez prof today (despite I'll be seeing him next week) - always helps to get encouragement

And I've now introduced "The House of the Rising Sun" and a couple of spanish folk type things. Just makes a change from the palos. And I've got the simple Farruca I played 13 years ago back in finger memory.

I think the electric thing would look good on my wall but I think my ambitions in Heavy Rock are things of the past. Of course if I did hang it on the wall the wife would only complain that it needed dusting

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nigel (el raton de Watford - now Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 24 2019 16:27:55

gav777

Posts: 10
Joined: Apr. 8 2016
From: Sunny but freezing Scotland

RE: Practising (in reply to Ricardo)

I've read (this v.interesting) thread so hopefully not missed this being mentioned by another party, but maybe - in regards to the OPost - maybe the teacher is recommending a break to allow fingers/hands to recover ?

I come from quite a fitness background and looking at practicing from a purely physiological perspective - you wouldn't hammer the same muscles 7-8h a day, 7 days a week, without a break.

Well, obviously the best do/did and 'possibly' didn't do them any harm - but without some serious recovery work, your muscles/connective tissue isn't going to be happy.

Gains in strength come from adaptation through recovery and the repair of the broken muscle tissue, so surely it would make sense to give at least one of our hands a day off if we are doing this 7 days a week ?

I've personally found a couple of days of an usually enforced break - has allowed me to return with a bit more vigour and small improvements.

Even more noticeable though has been extended breaks of say 7-10days due to holidays. Often I stay at places with a spa and have shoulder/back massages. The difference when I come back and pick up the guitar has been quite astounding at times, feeling like my LH can fly over the fretboard.

I keep meaning to get regular upper back massages for this reason and for general 20th Century posture issues - but do others feature in specific recovery work for their hands/shoulders/lower back etc ?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 29 2019 11:41:15