| Author |
Topic: Dealing with memory and retention of material |
Tony Tipton
From:
Wagoner,Oklahoma, USA
|
Posted 1 May 2015 7:53 am |
|
I'm interested in getting your thoughts on dealing with memory and retaining what you have learned. I struggle with retaining material I've learned , whether it be intros, instrumentals, licks, etc. I feel like if I can retain more , the learning process can be sped up and compounded, much like compounded interest. How do y'all get the most out of your memory ?[/i]
_________________
Emmons Legrande II D-10 ,Nashville 112, Goodrich L 120, Lil' Izzy, a homemade seat, delay pedal, BJS bar, Dunlop .013, and a red thumb pick |
|
|
 |
Dick Wood
From:
Springtown Texas, USA
|
Posted 1 May 2015 9:21 am
|
|
How many times have I heard songs that I played night after night only to find that a year down the road I couldn't remember how they went?
If you don't use it you loose it along with some of it simply being age related.
As we learn new material we push older stuff to the back of our mind which is only natural that they drift into the fog.
Tomorrow night, I'm working with a band I've played with a few times with long periods between gigs so I'm having to woodshed a few nights prior to relearn some of their tunes.
One problem I find is that a lot of older shuffle tune intro's sound alike and I get them confused so it's just a matter of practicing them on a regular basis to be able to recall them.
_________________
Cops aren't paid much so I steel at night. |
|
|
|
Tony Tipton
From:
Wagoner,Oklahoma, USA
|
Posted 1 May 2015 10:39 am
|
|
Yea, Dick, I finally figured out when playing the steel guitar shows to not put similar songs or shuffles next to each other. I used that method last weekend and it helped a lot . A way to manipulate the mind I guess .. The stuff you mentioned is exactly the type of stuff I was talking about. Thanks
_________________
Emmons Legrande II D-10 ,Nashville 112, Goodrich L 120, Lil' Izzy, a homemade seat, delay pedal, BJS bar, Dunlop .013, and a red thumb pick |
|
|
|
Dale Rivard
From:
Ontario, Canada
|
Posted 1 May 2015 11:18 am
|
|
| Hey Tony, I agree with everything Dick has said here and I will add 1 more thing, TAB. I find too often players rely on TAB and sometimes use it as a crutch. As a teacher, I've seen this with many students. Don't get me wrong, I think TAB is great for initially learning and figuring something out(if you can't figure it out yourself!) but in my experience there is no way to read TAB while at the same time play fluid with emotion. If you've been playing a while you know memorization takes 1 baby step at a time. Memorize 1 note or chord at a time slowly, then add the next note or chord, each time going back to the beginning to make sure you've memorized it. If you stubble at a certain section, go back to that section and study harder. Fast songs take even longer because you need to learn everything slow then speed it up in increments. It takes a lot of seat time. |
|
|
|
Tony Tipton
From:
Wagoner,Oklahoma, USA
|
Posted 1 May 2015 11:41 am
|
|
Thanks Dale. You make some very good points.
_________________
Emmons Legrande II D-10 ,Nashville 112, Goodrich L 120, Lil' Izzy, a homemade seat, delay pedal, BJS bar, Dunlop .013, and a red thumb pick |
|
|
|
Dale Rottacker
From:
Walla Walla Washington, USA
|
Posted 1 May 2015 12:14 pm
|
|
| Dick Wood wrote: |
How many times have I heard songs that I played night after night only to find that a year down the road I couldn't remember how they went?
If you don't use it you loose it along with some of it simply being age related.
As we learn new material we push older stuff to the back of our mind which is only natural that they drift into the fog.
Tomorrow night, I'm working with a band I've played with a few times with long periods between gigs so I'm having to woodshed a few nights prior to relearn some of their tunes.
One problem I find is that a lot of older shuffle tune intro’s sound alike and I get them confused so it's just a matter of practicing them on a regular basis to be able to recall them. |
The harsh reality of getting older is getting to me, and I’m not THAT old... I recorded a few songs a few weeks ago, and as I learned each song and then finally recorded it, I moved on to the next challenge... Yesterday, I sat down and tried playing to the tracks I’d recorded to a few short week ago, and you’d thought I was just starting to learn them all over again... Not sure why, but stuff I played 40 years ago, I seem to recall fairly well... I think Dale Rivard is absolutely correct about seat time... the longer I’m in the seat, the quicker it comes back... I’m playing my best when I’m instinctively reacting instead of thinking about it, but I’m pretty sure thats a natural outgrowth of just doing it all the time, over and over again, and the older I get the more “All the Time†I need.
_________________
Dale Rottacker, Steelinatune™
https://www.youtube.com/@steelinatune
*2021 MSA Legend, "Jolly Rancher" D10 10x9
*2021 Rittenberry, "The Concord" D10 9x9
*1977 Blue Sho-Bud Pro 3 Custom 8x6
https://msapedalsteels.com
http://rittenberrysteelguitars.com
https://www.telonics.com/index.php
https://www.p2pamps.com
https://www.quilterlabs.com |
|
|
|
Tony Tipton
From:
Wagoner,Oklahoma, USA
|
Posted 1 May 2015 1:55 pm
|
|
I know what ya mean Dale. I'm not ready to give in to the age thing either. Lol
_________________
Emmons Legrande II D-10 ,Nashville 112, Goodrich L 120, Lil' Izzy, a homemade seat, delay pedal, BJS bar, Dunlop .013, and a red thumb pick |
|
|
|
Tony Tipton
From:
Wagoner,Oklahoma, USA
|
Posted 1 May 2015 7:13 pm
|
|
Thanks to all of you who have chimed in and gave ideas and methods to learn . I've been at the steel about 2 1/2 years and , to me, just can't learn it fast enough . I seem to have periods of learning and then periods where I kind of go into a lull . I'm going to take these suggestions and re-visit them and hopefully it will help with the process . I've read many posts and watched instructional videos of you guys and you'll never know how much it can help someone like me. Thanks,Tony
_________________
Emmons Legrande II D-10 ,Nashville 112, Goodrich L 120, Lil' Izzy, a homemade seat, delay pedal, BJS bar, Dunlop .013, and a red thumb pick |
|
|
|
Paul King
From:
Gainesville, Texas, USA
|
Posted 2 May 2015 5:30 am
|
|
| Tony, I do use the age thing as an excuse. Years ago I did not have this problem and I am sure more forgetful these days. I guess an individual has to play them over and over to retain some things. |
|
|
|
Bill Moran
From:
Virginia, USA
|
Posted 3 May 2015 4:47 pm
|
|
Playing steel is like being a singer. If you can't remember the words you can't sing it. When I played in a band two or three times a week I could do very well. When I let a song get cold I was lost on intros. After I got into the song I could fake my way through it ! lol
_________________
Bill |
|
|
|
Bill Dobkins
From:
Rolla Missouri, USA
|
Posted 3 May 2015 6:46 pm
|
|
I have a terrible time remembering.
_________________
Custom Rittenberry SD10
Boss Katana 100 Amp
Positive Grid Spark amp
BJS Bars
Z~Legend Pro,Custom Tele
Honor our Vet's.
Now pass the gravy. |
|
|
|
Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
|
|
|
|
Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
|
Posted 4 May 2015 3:03 am
|
|
| Jim Cohen wrote: |
Remembering what?  |
That you said:
| Quote: |
| I need to take a long break from certain tunes in order to 'forget' how I 'usually' play them and get a fresh run at them. |
It's not just age, it's the time; there's more stuff to forget.
It takes the brain a half second to 'forget' most of 10 million bits of information and recall the little it needs.
So we remember to forget, and forget to remember. Want to forget something? Remember it. Want to be sure to remember? Forget it.
Thus I forget the idea that I forget just because I'm older (than what?) lest it become a convenient excuse.
Shuffles: they're easy, for a drummer.
_________________
Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons |
|
|
|
Tony Tipton
From:
Wagoner,Oklahoma, USA
|
Posted 4 May 2015 5:16 am
|
|
Now I've forgot what I even asked y'all ! Lol !! Yea, when a song goes cold , like ya say, I have trouble with a lot of 'em. Somehow I've got to make more of a connection with 'em I guess. Of course, I can pull up Folsom, wildwood flower, and others I learned as a kid on the guitar, very easily . Lol .
_________________
Emmons Legrande II D-10 ,Nashville 112, Goodrich L 120, Lil' Izzy, a homemade seat, delay pedal, BJS bar, Dunlop .013, and a red thumb pick |
|
|
|
