Thanks, Mark! I guess most of us expect the learning process to be like the hare (in the Tortoise and the Hare fable), but it's usually more like the tortoise. Thanks for the reminders to go slow and not quit.
You're welcome, Jean-Paul. One important thing to remember, though, is that it feels slow to be the tortoise on a day by day basis. But over a period of months or more, those tiny steps you make each day add up to really fast progress.
Thank you. I find that going back to familiar stuff is very helpful to overcome disappointing moments. There are days that I pickup the guitar and the spark is missing. Whatever I play sounds dull and uninspired. That usually happens after a day of very intensive and rewarding practice. I'm still learning to accept both ups and downs.
For me it's usually being exhausted after the typical long day at work. And then of course, there is the 'homework' of adulthood after work of dinner, dishes, chores so forth. I also have to get into the music mindset before I practice, I can't spend 10-15 mins on music when I have to shift/divide my time with work tasks during the day. So it can be a challenge because if I'm not in the frame of mind for it at the time, then I'm afraid I may practice incorrectly and reinforce bad habits. But on the upside when I am able to focus and have the time carved out, practice is usually productive (With Mark's practice guidance!) Anyone else relate to that or am I just just weird and a slacker?
Thanks Mark. I’ve gained so much from your videos and lessons. It all seems so straight forward and simple... in reality going forward in practice is as difficult as you mention. I get an “oh right” moment when I hit a road block now. Instead of jumping to something I can do well I now have the skills to stop, reassess and readdress the difficult spot I really need to spend time on. Progress is slow. But since I’ve put my ego aside I feel more grounded as I advance. Thank you!
So glad my videos have helped, Deb. And, yes, a lot of the underlying ideas are "simple" - but that doesn't mean that they're at all easy to execute...
Hi Mark, Thank you so much for all your tips which I do employ. One which helps really well is my equipment is all set-up & ready to go. Also I have a music teacher with lessons so I know I have to demonstrate my commitment. Thank you & Best Wishes, Jacqueline
You're welcome, Joel. I'm using that approach a lot these days. Right now I don't often find myself with clear periods of an hour or more to practice. Hopefully they'll come round again soon, though...
Motivation is an issue for me. It was the same at school when I had to study. I used to get angry after only a few minutes of sitting there trying to learn something. With music I often used to get frustrated and angry really quickly. Is this something in my temperament?
More great stuff Mark. I struggle with tiredness due to full-time work, so that can affect the quality of my practice and I often feel too tired to do any, but yes, I find when I make the effort, the joy of it generates the energy necessary to continue. I tried the early morning practice and I enjoyed putting in a half hour, but I'm so sleep deprived in general I couldn't keep it going. These motivational tips are a great support for continuity!👍
Glad you found it useful, Aidan. One thing to consider might be whether you're naturally a morning or evening person. I definitely thrive on getting up early so practising first thing in the morning works really well for me. If you're more of an evening person then it might not be such a good choice for you.
This is really helpful. It is really hard for me to be productive on the frustrating days. I have only been playing for a year and sometimes my goals don't get accomplished.🥁
I can relate to sometimes finding it hard especially when work has been busy. I use a work-around by saying okay I’ll have a night off, but I’ll clean the guitar first....Before you know it you’ve had 10 mins, andI think glad I did that!. Thanks for the tips Mark.
That's a great approach, Richard. I tend to go down the route of telling myself I only need to play one scale (or something like that). But I might have to give the cleaning the guitar angle a try...
I haven't been composing much recently. But one thing that's always worked for me is to give myself permission to write bad music. The biggest block to composing (whether it's getting started or adding to what you've already got) is the feeling that you've got to come up with something amazing. If you allow yourself to write bad music it's amazing how often you end up writing good music anyway...
It's helpful to hear possibilities for practice being broken down into small steps, talked through with such a positive mood. I feel if the scheme of 'work' is in mind I want to practice & get playing. The number of possibilities for playing is one thing that may have a daunting effect. Your ideas for practice is a good refresher!
Glad this helped, Jane. I can definitely relate to having so many possibilities for playing that it's hard just to pick one and get started. I still struggle with this myself a lot of the time. It takes discipline to pick one (even though it's probably not the perfect choice) and just get on with it.
@@PlayInTheZone Really nice you replied Mark. It already helped me to make a step. Discipline is essentially what we need. You’re putting across the essentials with good reminders in there. It's good to connect with other people's thoughts too. Like Jerry, have some golden rules!
