Passion4Blue
1 post
Aug 21, 2009
12:22 PM
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I have found that with Rich's course I have become more disciplined and on track with my overall guitar studies. Practicing as you all know is key to becoming a better musician, but using Rich's Practice Logs has given me insight into charting a more effective and intelligent manner of practicing.
For example, when I worked on "Killer Joe" from his audio series, I first wrote down the date, time spent, portion of the lesson I worked on and the minutes and seconds into the lesson where I left off. When I came back to the song the next day, I was totally set to continue from where I left off.
In sbout nine days time at the rate of an hour a day I had worked through the whole song and had it completely memorized (comping, melody, solos and chord melody)
I now totally recommend keeping a practice log to my students as well. I had never done so before and always kind of ended up in a rut or disoriented from time to time. Plus I would jump around from study to study instead of staying focused and completing what I had first started. Now I am moving swiftly through the course.
I just completed "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and my Church Minister has asked if I would perform it as a special one Sunday.
I just can't find enough praise for how much this course has done for me and Rich's teaching methods are top of the line.
I've printed Rich's website page about how 20 minutes a day can make you a better player with the 10 Steps on effective practicing. It is neatly tacked up on the wall of my music studio. It has kept me totally motivated and on course.
Thanks Rich!
Last Edited by on Aug 22, 2009 5:24 AM
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ChrisDowning
60 posts
Sep 13, 2009
2:29 AM
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Yep! What you've discovered here is the benefit of allowing yourself enough time to learn. In Howard Roberts article that's somewhere on the site, he states that he had to play a song about 50 times before he felt he'd internalised it enough to start jazzing around with it. So if a guy like that needed that much practice we probably need more. I have a practice sheet that I've worked up from years of teaching that focuses students on practicing about 15 seconds of music at a time. They practice that and slowly join up these 15 sec pieces into longer elements of the whole. In the end they've played everything about 60 times. Obviously 15 secs of music played 60 times mean 15 minutes practice spread over about a week. So a 3 minute piece is going to take 12 x 15 second elements x 60 times = 3 hours of practice spread over a week to 10 days. Probably more like 4 hours when you take non-playing set-ups and adjustments into consideration. Happy to let anyone have the sheet if you email me at coach@chrisdowning.co.uk
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myersd1
1 post
Sep 24, 2009
4:16 PM
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What web page talks about practicing 20 minutes a day and the 10 steps on effective practicing? Please let me know.
I am old and half senile but considering enrolling in a course. I'm a beginner player who has wasted a lot of money on books and CDs way over my head.
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Eric E
Moderator
47 posts
Sep 25, 2009
5:56 PM
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Rich has a link on the home page of this site for his "practicing 20 minutes a day and the 10 steps on effective practicing" ideas. The link is directly under the picture on the guitar collge home page.
--Eric
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ChrisDowning
68 posts
Oct 10, 2009
10:34 AM
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If you need any help Myers, just email at coach@chrisdowning.co.uk and I'll help all I can. You'll generally find all the people associated with Rich want you to play well and are focused on that priority. We all make a living from playing and teaching, but we're not at all aggressive about getting you to pay for everything we do. email me and i'll help all I can and tell you the sort of tactics I teach my students. Everyone's different so we have to use different methods to get the same results.
Don't think about being old either. My students have ranged from 5 (and they worry about being young and people saying they look sweet playing little guitars) and older students, in their 60's and 70's (and they worry about trying to sound like they've been playing for years) I guess worry goes with unfamiliarity. And that's what learning is all about, it's not so much that it's difficult, as unfamiliar and uncomfortable. But most learning is like that - it means it's working, you're changing. Change keeps you young and alive.
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