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Topic: Best use of short practice time |
Rick Myrland
From:
New Orleans
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Posted 12 Apr 2015 4:50 pm |
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I'm trying to to get to the point where I practice every single day, even if I have just 15 minutes or less. So, I'm looking for suggestions and advice on what would be the best use of your time if you had just 5 to 15 minutes: I assume the focus should be on right hand technique since that seems quickest to deteriorate, but I'm wondering if anyone has a routine they use for when time is short but you want to stay sharp and plugged in until your next regular practice session.
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Mullen G2; Fender Tone Master Twin Reverb; Goodrich L-120 |
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Paul Sutherland
From:
Placerville, California
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Posted 12 Apr 2015 6:34 pm
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I would suggest the Paul Franklin bar control drill. It works both hands and emphasizes intonation, which is always a good thing to focus on. I do 5 to 10 minutes of that everyday as the first thing I play on PSG. I also do it at gigs to warm up.
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It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. |
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Joseph Napolitano
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 13 Apr 2015 4:37 am
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| What Paul said. I do the drill with a metronome and a drone track, so I'm also working on timing and intonation at the same time. |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 13 Apr 2015 11:53 am I've always done it this way..............
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Rather than focus on one's hands as TWO SERPERATE Entities I'd concentrate on a simple song. Red River Valley or Home on the Range.
Play it over and over until you have 'IT" sounding just the way you want it. To do less is short-changing oneself.
By playing the simple song, you are practicing not only right or left hand technique but a coordination between the two which is absolutely necessary. You can hear whether you have the proper slants, etc.,
but keep at it.
FORGET all of the other songs that could be played. |
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Fish
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Posted 19 Apr 2015 2:33 pm
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Because I'm a steel guitar addict, I try to play every single day. It never feels like work to me; I really enjoy playing and I love to work on new stuff all the time.
When time is tight but I need to stay "in the zone," I do a number of exercises that are fun and help me keep my head in the game:
1) To me, moving the bar while maintaining accurate pitch and vibrato is critical, so I will sit and play whatever comes to mind very slowly and deliberately, concentrating on "hitting the notes" in right in tune. If I move the bar up or down three or more frets but miss the intended fret, I'll repeat that move several times until it sounds right. I'll do this in as many keys as possible with the short time I have.
2) I practice a number of licks that cover the entire range of the steel from strings one through ten, starting slowly and building up speed, trying to hit all of the strings perfectly.
3) Another exercise I do if I'm short of time is play a difficult solo note-for-note as accurately as possible. It doesn't have to be something fast; I love solos that cover the entire range of the neck both horizontally (from fret one to fret twenty) and vertically (strings one through ten), like Buddy Emmons's solo on John Sebastian's "Rainbows All Over Your Blues" or his version of "Indian Killed A Woodchuck." We all have our favorites; if I'm short of time I'll focus on one of those songs for 4-5 minutes and repeat the solos until they are played well. Then I'll try playing the solo in another key or two.
4) I always keep a list on my music stand or my smartphone of musical and technical challenges I need to improve on, so that when I sit down for 15 minutes I can immediately get to work. Even if I only have time for one or two of these personal weak points, I can refer to the list and jump right in, rather than meander for 15 minutes without purpose. The trick is to push yourself on your weak points, always at a slow tempo while gradually building up speed. Don't be satisfied until the difficult section you are working on is mastered.
5) Buddy Emmons once gave me some great advice: when you are practicing and listening to yourself, "work on removing those sounds you don't like." I found this to be as profound as any advice I've ever been given on the subject of self-improvement. Thanks Buddy.
6) By the way, the Franklin bar exercise is an excellent way to start a short session, and I use that one often. Its surprising how quickly your left hand "wakes up" after running up and down the neck a few times with that exercise. Thanks Paul.
Lastly, for longer practice sessions, I found these suggestions from Wynton Marsalis to be very helpful; in fact, this is where I picked up the idea of keeping a "challenge list" nearby at all times:
http://arbanmethod.com/wyntons-twelve-ways-to-practice/
Good luck with your practice sessions! |
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John Booth
From:
Columbus Ohio, USA
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Posted 19 Apr 2015 3:37 pm
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I can't find Paul Franklin's bar control drill
Someone got a link?
Thanks
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Jb in Ohio
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GFI S10 Ultra, Telecaster, a Hound Dog, and an Annoyed Wife
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Fish
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Paul Sutherland
From:
Placerville, California
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Posted 19 Apr 2015 6:41 pm
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This link to Franklin's Bar hand Exercise should be a sticky. This is pretty important and fundamental to good steel playing, and every once in awhile the subject comes up, and someone has to find the link.
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It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. |
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Jim Hoke
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 19 Apr 2015 7:44 pm
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| Good stuff! I like the "Remove every sound you don't like" idea, applied to Ray's thing of playing the simple, familiar song. If you do the Buddy/Fish thing (step 5) , you'll wind up making "Home On The Range" a work of art. My problem (one of 'em) has been that I like to flatter myself and listen to the good parts of what I just played, ignoring the slop. You gotta listen with a critical ear to improve. I should know this by now.... |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 19 Apr 2015 9:27 pm
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There are many ways to practice while away from the steel.
I have used a small picking board to practice right hand stuff during idle time. It's an easy way to grab an hour of practice time every day.
Get a metronome and use it ! Listen to a metronome in the car or on the bus or wherever and practice rhythms/phrasing like a drummer would only using your picking fingers instead of drum sticks.
Rhythmic phrasing and accuracy are essential and usually overlooked by people getting started on the steel.
Ear training:
While listening to music identify the chords using the number system. Or better yet get an ear training app for your phone or ipad. There are hundreds of them. If you can get to the point that you know what the notes of a melody are by just hearing it playing it on the steel be much more easy.
Do a bit of research into systems of solfege.
Take a steel part you already know and visualize it. Play the whole thing in your mind while moving your hands. Imagine every detail.
You will seem like a real weirdo waiting for the bus but you will be keeping your head in the game.
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Bob |
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Bill Terry
From:
Bastrop, TX
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Posted 20 Apr 2015 8:37 am
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I think the list by Fish is great...
| Quote: |
| 5) Buddy Emmons once gave me some great advice: when you are practicing and listening to yourself, "work on removing those sounds you don't like." |
That doesn't leave much sometimes.. 
What I generally hear in my playing that bugs me most is poor bar 'targeting', i.e. jumps of several frets or more mentioned here, and a lousy wristy vibrato. I always work on those two every time I practice, even if it's just noodling around for 10 mins.
I like the idea of the 'challenge list' too. I get a lot of my list from live recordings with various bands.. it's a great tool if you can stand it.
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Lost Pines Studio
"I'm nuts about bolts" |
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Dom Franco
From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
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Posted 21 Apr 2015 6:09 am
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I have been making videos of myself while playing solo gigs... and boy o boy do they tell the truth!
I have several consistent flaws that keep showing up:
Rushing the down beat, Hitting the wrong string, playing an extra string that is an incorrect harmony note.
Now I intend to focus my limited practice time on correcting these issues.
I also plan to concentrate on just the difficult sections, and work those areas over and over. Rather than playing through the whole song, wasting time when I have no problem on most of it...
Dom
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYG9cvwCPKuXpGofziPNieA/feed?activity_view=3 |
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Rick Myrland
From:
New Orleans
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Posted 22 Apr 2015 6:08 pm
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So when I couldn't sleep the other night I got up and decided to practice in the dark. I thought I had heard Buddy Emmons say he used to do that just in case he ever went blind. Anyway, I was surprised how much more attention I was paying to my right hand, especially as I was trying cross-picking techniques. Also, I found it interesting to see how close to the intended fret I wanted by (1) the sound o the note and (2) the feel of where my left forearm "should be" in relation to the rest of my body and the degree of bend in my elbow. Fascinating practice session.
Thanks for all the tips!
_________________
Mullen G2; Fender Tone Master Twin Reverb; Goodrich L-120 |
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Fish
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Posted 23 Apr 2015 7:35 pm
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| RIck: I find playing in the dark really helps me improve the "feel" my left hand vibrato. The darkness forces me to listen, rather than stare at the moving bar. |
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Don R Brown
From:
Rochester, New York, USA
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Posted 23 Apr 2015 8:17 pm
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| Bill Terry wrote: |
| I get a lot of my list from live recordings with various bands.. it's a great tool if you can stand it. |
I have several pages on the computer, of YouTube links with notations: "at 2:43, work on the slide" "About 3:45, learn this part" etc. What's interesting is when I work on something with limited success for a couple days them move on to something else. Two weeks later I'll try it again and it often falls into place much easier. |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 24 Apr 2015 1:37 am
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I'm with Ray on this one, if you can practice 15 min a day of EXCELLENT practice you may be way ahead of the rest of the pack in time well spent.
I would pick a simple song that you like and most important , you KNOW. A song where YOU know what it is supposed to sound like... A song where you may be having some difficulties putting it together and/or playing it smoothly. A song you know you need to improve on.
I'm not talking about Speed Pickin , we are talking smooth, bar control, glisses, levers, pedals..in tune, pitch, V-Pedal etc.
Play that song everyday for 30 days, the exact same way and execution. record it on the 1st day, record at on the 30th day.
t
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Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Rick Myrland
From:
New Orleans
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Posted 24 Apr 2015 11:45 am
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| Quote: |
| I find playing in the dark really helps me improve the "feel" my left hand vibrato. The darkness forces me to listen, rather than stare at the moving bar. |
Yes Fish, this is exactly what I found too, you stated it far more succinctly than I did. Good conversation on an important topic.
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Mullen G2; Fender Tone Master Twin Reverb; Goodrich L-120 |
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