Thursday I had a hour and a half of one on one guitar instruction. It was exhausting but revelatory. My left hand and arm came away sore and perhaps changed. Plus I might hate my pinky finger.
The take away for me was a better understanding of the importance of scales, but also that I need to put aside my tendency toward perfectionism and just roll on.
My teacher is kind but relentless. I like that.
That's great, Tom. I can relate tho my lessons don't go 1.5 hrs (after a while my brain dies). I know that "I hate my pinkie" feeling only too well. Especially the one on my left my left hand. In any case, I was talking to my teacher this past week and told her that after a year I think I'm only beginning to understand how to practice usefully. I said, "I think I practice everything too fast." She laughed and said, "Yes, I know" "How?" "By the way you play." Anyhow I'm glad you have a teacher you like and maybe we will get to duet one day ...
ReplyDeleteJohn,
ReplyDeleteWell, for sure, my brain died too. Many times. And will again. The left hand guitar pinky is a big issue. How to stretch it out, let alone act with some finesse is pretty daunting.
My acoustic guitar has a wide neck which is a problem (and it's the one I take to class).
I dunno. Music is a lot more physical than I understood it to be previously.
Apparently air guitar wasn't an adequate preparation for the actual instrument (the instrument which isn't just one thing, by the way).
Hi, Tom. I can really relate to "Music is a lot more physical than I understood it to be previously." I know that to play viola I have to use my whole body. It's a lot like a kind of yoga, as well as getting the fingers into the right places, etc.
ReplyDeleteWho is you guitar teacher? Perhaps we could get together and trade strums sometime.
ReplyDeleteFred,
ReplyDeleteIt's Jim Fox. You might know him. He's a great teacher. And, hey, yeah...let's get together and strum.