Actually learning something

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Not being a gigging musician, I find it hard to motivate myself to sit down and learn something. A complete solo for example. I hear something interesting on the radio, Soundhound helps find it and I decide to learn the chords. Or the solo. Less than half way through this bit of study, I get bored/sick of the song and Soundhound has found another interesting song. And this cycle goes on and on. Learning bit and pieces, forgetting them the next day and getting nowhere. How can I break out of this loop? Thanks.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. [Albert Einstein]

Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

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Comments

  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700
    Learn 2 things together, that way you can alternate between them.

    So one evening (or whenever your practise is) work on piece A, the next piece B, and so on.

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    Practice logs are the way to do it.
    It doesn't have to be overly regimented- just write a list of things to work on and work on them regularly.
    If you play something around 20 times a day for 20 days (give or take) then it goes into long term memory.

    There are songs that I know I will never, ever forget because of this- I must have played One Vision by Queen about a billion times- that is never leaving me.

    Pieces I've learned and only played a few times I forget pretty quickly.
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  • Play with other people. There are plenty who like to play but not perform.

    Motivation is not letting the other person down.
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  • Become a gigging musician. It's the only solution.
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  • Do what I did/do - don't bother with the solos, just learn the chords and strum along.

    Complete albums by the likes of Ramones and Jesus and Mary Chain can be worked out in one play for instance. I liked, and still do, putting on a fave album or three and strumming along to the tracks I know.
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  • andyozandyoz Frets: 718
    Have three songs you are working on and keep going until you get at least two of them down.

    Don't pick anything too hard.  From you name I assume you play Rock.  I'm working on Cults Lil Devil at the moment as a confidence booster (She Sells Sanctuary as well which is sort of easy/hard).

    Have one hard one in the mix too just to push yourself (mines the Message in a Bottle riff - the 'proper' way).

    I found Amazing Slow Downer app a revelation...you can just riff along at say 70% speed to build confidence.
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  • andyozandyoz Frets: 718
    edited September 2016
    Here's another one...try practising standing up with stuff your confident playing if you don't already. Changes the practice vibe. 
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  • RockerRocker Frets: 4942
    Thanks guys. The learning of two/three songs at one time is a good idea. I will try it. And keep a log of progress. My login handle Rocker is a nod to Phil Lynott.   Country music, folky singalong and country rock and trad Irish is the music I listen to. And try to play. Musically I am stuck in a time warp, late 1960s to end of 1970s. And I am way too old and sensible to start gigging again. Did all that kind of thing in the 1970s. The tee shirt wore out years ago....
    Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. [Albert Einstein]

    Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

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  • paul_c2paul_c2 Frets: 410
    People instinctively and subconciously take the easiest route to a target - which can be misinterpreted as laziness. For example, if you are a manager and you want to find the most efficient way to do something, set the goat appropriately and simply let the workers have free reign over how to do it.

    So, you need someone looking over your shoulder, who isn't "in the hole" you're in. Now, that doesn't need to be a guitar teacher, simply coming onto the forum and asking for tips can serve much the same purpose.

    If you're learning something then forgetting it, then I'd say one route is to simply play it over and over until it becomes almost muscle memory. This might mean splitting it up in to smaller bits (like, 8 bars or maybe even less) and analysing that to the nth degree. If its an easy section, or even if its not, don't just "play the notes", get every note absolutely perfect for tone, consistency of volume and consistency of timing. Then play it differently, with musical expression, 10 different ways. Then straight, then different, etc etc. Fast, slow too. Yes its boring but then work through the boredom, just keep chugging away over and over.

    I personally found that recording yourself then listening to it is a massive help - the process reveals every detail because you're not "playing and listening" simultaneously, you can then listen with 100% concentration.
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  • vizviz Frets: 10643
    paul_c2 said:

    set the goat appropriately and simply let the workers have free reign over how to do it.


    http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab217/Vizzage/Mobile Uploads/image_zps7n9cswkz.jpeg
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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