Going Beyond "Normal" Practice

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Where should a practicing steel guitarist draw the line on routine practice sessions? Does fatigue or confusion setting in, play a crucial part in deciding when to pack it in? When I'm hot on something new, I resist walking away from my steel. I'm curious about other players who may have experienced the same reluctance to "quit" practicing, at a given point, during the sessions.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Bill, I think this is VERY common...there are times I sit and find new stuff, new phrases etc, and want to stay behind the Steel for hours...I feel this is the MOMENT when everything is flowing...I practice thru a Boss MICRO BR so I do hit the record button so I actually have PROOF that I may have done something well !Generally when this happens I sit and play right up to the point where I begin to annoy myself with fatigue which is the point when my fingers don't actually move anymore and I start dropping the bar Sad

I always practice wearing the Cans and my wife tells me ( when she is in my practice room) that I am grunting away and it annoys her too !

On the other hand there are times when I sit and start my typical routine that I don't get more than a few minutes in and shut it all down.. Nothin' happenin' there, no groove, no feel, no nuthin' . Even though I may think I want to practice my mind is saying "Give it up buddy, you stink "...

I think this is very common..normal even...

Tamara James · Posted 26 Oct 2007 4:30 am

When I realize my bar hand is numb....

James Morehead · From: Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.

I always like to push past my "comfort zone". That may mean practicing several times per day, as repetition is what creates muscle memory, and drives what your practicing into your subconscience. I do not like large gaps between practice sessions, as I feel you lose ground quickly. I practice everyday, usually twice---morning and evening, and more on the weekends, if I'm not gigging. But that's just me.

Ricky Thibodeaux · From: Dallas,Texas

I practice everyday, sometimes twice a day. I think the wife is jealous of my steel. The more she raises cane the louder I turn it up. Mad

Jim Kennedy · From: Brentwood California, USA

According to the latest research, organised, daily repetition, and a good nights sleep, will bring the quickest results. Repetition does improve muscle memory, while a good nights rest allows the brain to assimilate the days practice. So, dream on, jsut remeber to practice very day.
_________________
ShoBud Pro 1, 75 Tele, 85 Yamaha SA 2000, Fender Cybertwin,

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

The equipment and total sound produced by individual electronics, has much to do with finding maximum pleasure in newly learned material. Equipment that fails to produce the crisp tones, that entices the player to experience an ardent desire to try harder to succeed musically, would be a major source of failing to achieve goals. There are many critical areas that may escape notice, as well as a system of methodological approaches that may make large differences in making progress.

Bent Romnes · From: London,Ontario, Canada

I find that I fatigue really easy. At age 60 and having been away form it for 20 years..maybe this is to be expected. Of course it doesn't help that I am playing dry..still waiting on the amp.

I have started a palm blocking routine.I can only keep it up for a few minutes. The hand gets stiff and I have to consciously make my hand and fingers relax. No cakewalk let me tell you.
Then I might practice a song. This goes pretty good until I discover another way to play the same phrase, so I try that and forget the other way of doing it and I am back to square one. It seemed to come easier when I was 30.
But this is the defeatist in me talking. I will keep plugging away and of course it will be better once I get my NV 112 Smile

So for me, I feel I have to draw the line when fatigue sets in..and at this point it sets in way too soon for my liking. I know what I should do..go back and read Reece's approach to practicing

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

nope...mainly a reluctance to 'start' practicing....which may account for the fame and fortune i now enjoy!

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

I'm under the impression that the breaking through parts are earned by the hour after hour of daily work.
_________________
Bob

Henry Nagle · From: Santa Rosa, California

I do sit down and noodle now and again. Sometimes I practice with a cd if I need to learn someone's songs. I rarely feel inspired to play unless I'm accompany-ing (spelling?) someone.

I've been very fortunate to be busy with different bands.

That said, I have noticed that if I don't have a lot of gigs, I get rusty really fast. I think I would be a better player if I knuckled down and stuck to a practice schedule. Being that I'm a busy husband/parent/carpenter/guitarist, that's not realistic right now. Maybe later when my wife starts making tons of moolah. Smile

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Bob H.,

After checking your upcoming
"gigs" listed on your "page", I was reminded of the thoughts that were entertained in conversations with players east of the mighty Hudson River. There seems to exist a hub of steel guitar activity around or near Red Hook, New York. I know that Gene Watson's former steel guitarist, "Tiny" Olson, resided there for a number of years, before locating further north in New York State. I wasn't aware of his presence early on, but it didn't take long to determine that he for many reasons, was the outstanding entertainer circulating east of the Hudson River. There are great numbers of instrumentalists, (who practice on a regular basis) living across the river at the foot of the famous Catskill Mtns. That seems to be a great area to set up "shop" as a practicing steel guitarist. While living here in Pittsfield, some of the band's offers in the 80's and 90's involved crossing the Hudson, and paying the tolls. B.J. Wright was booked back in the 80's, at "Hunter Mtn." entertainment center, located 6000' above sea level in the Catskill Mtns. I came very close to pursuing a part in that scheduled programming. Having said that much, I would attempt to concur that it's more of the "Grass Is Greener", or "Over The River" fascinations, that catches the whims of overzealous bandleaders. It's nice to be appreciated, but not at the expense of driving up misty mountain expeditions, or to make sacrifices to satisfy overzealous booking agents.

Roual Ranes · From: Atlanta, Texas, USA

'till I can't stand to hear me anymore!

George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

When I got my new Emmons D-10 in 1968, I made a promise to myself that I would practice from 7 PM til 10 PM every night of the week for 1 year. Then, I would decide whether to continue or give it up. I stuck to the schedule at least 95% of the time. I had no help at all and learned some bad habits, which I had to get rid of in later years. Every time I thought about quitting (which was often), I told myself that the year is not up yet and to not make any decision until a year has passed. I dropped lead guitar entirely, and I am still playing steel exclusively. Based on my experience, I think that people that try and quit, just simply quit too soon and are too impatient with their progress. The thing that amazes me is after playing for 39 years, why am I not any better than I am? I guess dropping practicing 3 hours a day after the first year was my downfall, but hey, I have a life besides steel and I am not willing or able to make the time commitment to be a really good player. I think that the really great players became obsessed with the steel at some time in their lives and just focused on it and nothing else and spent 6 or 8 hours a day practicing. Just my opinion.

Mike Gorsch · From: Maryland, USA

Fresh new ideas seem to extend practice time without fatigue. I recently got the DVD from Mickey Adams and hours of practice time go by without realizing it. Thanks Mickey

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Bill,
I live in Brooklyn, NY. My neighborhood is called Red Hook.
_________________
Bob

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Bob H.,

I wasn't aware of New York naming two places "Red Hook". I presume you have traveled at some point in time through the other Red Hook, that is not far from Kingston, N.Y. That entire strip east of the Hudson River is a gold mine, for good lead players, located from Albany to New York City. The fans are there, for socializing, dancing, and supporting good bands.

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

Mr Hankey.

If you again choose to find some Cryptic, Sarcoptic, or otherwise hidden attribute to my rambling succinctity, I will post haste mobilize Happy Friendly Little Eric off to the East Coast with a phalanx of zombie push puppets, and install you on a pedastle with little strings in your extremities..

My recent Telecaster Experiences have allowed me to reflect objectively on the mechanics of practice, muscle memory, and the greater automatic functions WRT things like Learning Curves, Phrase Retention etc.

I've noticed that endless practice to the point of mental and nerve exhaustion seems to be counterproductive.

I noticed that at first, and have written about it in your interstellar compendiums.

Then, recently, through the fault of a very gruelling work week, I was forced to trim my practice habits of regular daily drill.

What I found is that after this forced "haitus", the licks that I had been working on, with more limited success, were all of a sudden "right there", as if I had been practicing on them.

There appears to be a "sifting and settling process" that happens in the ante-practice timeline.

Furthering my theory that no practice is wasted, and that "Frustration" except that borne of real physical limitations, is only a mirage put up by internal self defeat mechanisms, much like those I have understood to be identified by "scientology" for one.

The results of pushing past this "frustration", whether it be "oh, my brain is just too small", or "Oh Buddy Emmons' brain is just too big", or "Gee, I'll never be a staff musician on the GOO" etc etc... [b]are tangible[/b], and easily realised once one becomes able to take these self imposed barriers out of the way.

The mind sometimes, as Dan Quayle once said, "is a terrible thing".

And so I leave you to ponder this in yours..

Smile

EJL/HFLE

James Morehead · From: Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

When I'm at my steel, I like to try out some new songs every day. I don't really do the same songs every time I'm at my steel, but a lot of times I like to see if the songs come out better the next time around if I'd already played the song the first time. When I'm practicing for shows, I usually try each song three or four times to see how they sound or to experiment with steel parts.A lot of times, if it's a song with a heavy guitar solo, I like to play the guitar solo on steel. One time, I played along with a cd that had either nineteen or twenty songs, and I must've played nineteen of the songs and by the time those songs were done, my left hand was so tired after all the bar use, so I stopped for the night and went back to playin' the next day. The best advice I could give any steel player is, don't worry about your playin', just do the best you can and don't stop playin', because with a beautiful instrument like the steel guitar, you'll learn a lot if you stay with it.

Brett

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Eric W.,

Perhaps you may have noticed that I'm disinclined to go shuttling off to some remote forested retreat, at the first baying of the hounds. Seriously though, the particular form of witchcraft that exists in many parts of the world, is not within the bounds of consciously having a control over its presence in society. According to morning news transcriptions, voodooism or related early man traits, still plagues societies. Of course by nature, and by living in the communicative world of music, and many pleasures, untimely disruptions such as string breakage at a crucial moment is mind-boggling. At that very moment a player may misconstrue the mechanical aspects, and commence to store up in the mind, resentment for the plain string breakages. These negative reserves of stored
ponderings, tend to lead the positive thinker just a bit to left of rationality. The day after a failed pristine performance, that had been marred by unexpected events, commonly "finds" the player routinely practicing, with thoughts emanating from a negative field. Things of that sort tend to determine the range of thoughts flowing through each recollection of where we ended our last practice sessions. Failure offers those challenges that have made musicians unique in the study of reaching successes, by determination and the will to succeed.

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

Yup.

You gotta plug it in.

Smile

EJL

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Eric W.,

I've always hoped that others may agree that MUSIC APPRECIATION is at the root of motivations compelling a steel guitarist "TO PLUG IT IN". Nothing in life will dash the willpower to the brink of dissolving, more readily than blatant disinterest, by remnants of antisocial, and disdainful groups, who ignore worthwhile pursuits. In paraprastic terminology; seek out friendships that are rich in music appreciation, and distance oneself from disastrous negativism. Avoiding distractions that interfere with goals, would be some of the better approaches to insuring steady, and gainful rewards. Performer/audience appeal is the ultimate goal.

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Brett Day,

Welcome to the thread! It's nice to hear from you. I've read your input in many threads in the past, and your candor is very much worthy of note. I look forward to more expressive input, concerning the multitudinous options available to better knowledge, in mastering the steel guitar. Regulating practicing time limits isn't always easy, when musical arrangements begin to fall into place.

Calvin Walley · From: colorado city colorado, USA

when i first started , i would spend 14-16 hours a day at it. now its down to 1-2 on a good day.
i think the only good thing to come out of the long days praticing was that my right hand got to know where each string was without even thinking about it
other than that, i do just as well with 1-2 hours a day
_________________
proud parent of a sailor

Mullen SD-10 /nashville 400
gotta love a Mullen!!!

Guitars that i have owned in order are :
Mullen SD-10,Simmons SD-10,Mullen SD-10,Zum stage one,Carter starter,
Sho-Bud Mavrick

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