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Author Topic: Itermediate-itus  (Read 7564 times)

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ladydetemps

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Itermediate-itus
« on: May 01, 2014, 01:19:57 PM »

Does anyone else have this problem? I find with any hobby not just music, i hit the intermediate level of competancy....then struggle to keep any practice interesting. So i practice less often till its like 15mins once a month...other hobbies creep in and then suddenly i realise my box is gathering dust. *sigh*
What to do...

george garside

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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2014, 01:43:59 PM »

- forget the idea of '' intemediate''  it smacks of  the classical  'must do this to move to the next grade' way of doing things.  Instead just , as many of us do, see getting the hang of the box as  a lifelong learning curve


 -  forget the idea of 'practice' for certain lengths of time per day/week/month or whatever.  It gives the brain the idea that it is something to do with hard work and is best put off to another day  - and then another  etc etc.

 -  if not already done try to find others ( any instrument) to play with regulary  - folk club - morris side - couple of friends in front room or whatever

 -  leave the box handy so you can pick it up for a few minutes eg whilst waiting for the kettle to boil  - you may well find the few minutes goes long past the kettle boiling time

 -   don't get bogged down with having to learn and practice to play a tune ''correctly''   instead get into the , enjoyable, habit of arsing about with the box  eg try to poke and prod your way round a 'new to you' tune that you like the sound of.  Just try to get the hang of it  piecemeal rather than working from the start and getting bogged down somewhere.

-   Try tunes from different genres ( or bits of them) eg  quicksteps, cha cha chas, brass band stuff eg floral dance, life on the ocean wave, jive music, skiffle, hymns, sea shanties, pop music, Bavarian um pa music etc etc etc   and don't worry ;about not  getting it right as some needs a bit of adjustment for the melodeon anyway so do your own thing with it.

and anything else  that makes it interesting rather than boring!!!!

george ;D
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Steve_freereeder

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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #2 on: May 01, 2014, 01:49:10 PM »

Excellent advice from George, as usual!

But I especially like this bit... Spot on!  (:)
-   don't get bogged down with having to learn and practice to play a tune ''correctly''   instead get into the , enjoyable, habit of arsing about with the box  eg try to poke and prod your way round a 'new to you' tune that you like the sound of.  Just try to get the hang of it  piecemeal rather than working from the start and getting bogged down somewhere.
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robotmay

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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #3 on: May 01, 2014, 02:37:41 PM »

I find listening to other people play a lot (both in person and on YouTube etc) really helps me, as it makes me try much harder to improve to sound like them, which can result in me spending hours playing the same tune in one sitting until I feel like I'm making progress. Listening to people like Saul Rose play a simple tune and then being entirely unable to emulate it makes me pick up my box until I can (I will conquer The Battle of New Orleans one day)! I'm going to whatever gigs I can and a couple of festivals this year too, as seeing good musicians can really help inspire you to learn and improve.

Having something to urge you to learn tunes is good, which is why I went and joined a morris side. It gives me a real reason to practice incessantly so I don't cock it up when playing with the others :D

For me, being hungry to be better is what causes me to practice so much. Since getting my new box a couple of days ago I fear I've spent so much time playing it that my neighbours may be suffering a tad ::)
I've had (and still have) a large number of hobbies where I'm content with being alright at them, but this is the first one where I want to be excellent. Obviously that's going to take time though, and I've no doubt there will be tough times ahead where I'll feel like I'm not making progress.

-  leave the box handy so you can pick it up for a few minutes eg whilst waiting for the kettle to boil  - you may well find the few minutes goes long past the kettle boiling time

This is how I end up doing about half of my playing, much to the detriment of my tea intake when I forget what I was supposed to be doing :|bl
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Gromit

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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #4 on: May 01, 2014, 02:38:25 PM »

Quote
and anything else  that makes it interesting rather than boring!!!!

Any repetitive task is going to get boring at times - it comes with learning an instrument, most of the time I do it and enjoy it.

I try and do at least an hour a day of playing and usually split that up into 10 / 15 min sections doing different stuff so its only a short period of doing the same thing.

Sometimes the motivation goes out the window - then I find listening/watching some good players gets me going again.
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ladydetemps

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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #5 on: May 01, 2014, 03:12:41 PM »


 -  forget the idea of 'practice' for certain lengths of time per day/week/month or whatever.  It gives the brain the idea that it is something to do with hard work and is best put off to another day  - and then another  etc etc.

I find if I don't 'set a time' I just don't do it. I find I don't need to practice every day anymore in order to be able to play. I can just 'top up' once in a blue moon. I just don't have motivation to improve. there's nowhere to go with it.

And given the chance of melodeon practice or ...for example, sewing or my new obsession spinning wool. The melodeon comes a 2nd best.

Quote
-  if not already done try to find others ( any instrument) to play with regulary  - folk club - morris side - couple of friends in front room or whatever
-   Try tunes from different genres ( or bits of them) eg  quicksteps, cha cha chas, brass band stuff eg floral dance, life on the ocean wave, jive music, skiffle, hymns, sea shanties, pop music, Bavarian um pa music etc etc etc   and don't worry ;about not  getting it right as some needs a bit of adjustment for the melodeon anyway so do your own thing with it.

Well haven't been to a session for over a year now. And I haven't had any tunes jump out and grab me. I haven't been to any folk festivals either coz I just can't afford it. :(

Quote
-  leave the box handy so you can pick it up for a few minutes eg whilst waiting for the kettle to boil  - you may well find the few minutes goes long past the kettle boiling time
I've just redecorated my bedroom so now it has a place to be without getting knocked over.

Quote
-   don't get bogged down with having to learn and practice to play a tune ''correctly''   instead get into the , enjoyable, habit of arsing about with the box  eg try to poke and prod your way round a 'new to you' tune that you like the sound of.  Just try to get the hang of it  piecemeal rather than working from the start and getting bogged down somewhere.

That's ok if you don't have someone walking past the door going 'can't you play the tune the WHOLE way through?!"

« Last Edit: May 01, 2014, 03:23:12 PM by ladydetemps »
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ladydetemps

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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2014, 03:36:31 PM »


-  leave the box handy so you can pick it up for a few minutes eg whilst waiting for the kettle to boil  - you may well find the few minutes goes long past the kettle boiling time

This is how I end up doing about half of my playing, much to the detriment of my tea intake when I forget what I was supposed to be doing :|bl
Not in my teeny tiny kitchen (you can only fit 1.5 people in there at one time as long as one of you stands flat against the wall. lol!)...the box would be in danger of being covered in tea, hotwater etc. lol

Mike Carney

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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #7 on: May 01, 2014, 03:47:19 PM »

if not already done try to find others ( any instrument) to play with regulary  - folk club - morris side - couple of friends in front room or whatever
I think it is telling that you say you haven't been to a session for over a year now. I have found it a good motivator to have a session or other similar venue to encourage playing and each time realising I do still enjoy it!  Sounds like you need to find a nice friendly one near enough to get to.
I have also picked up from the odd post before that it is not unusual to hit a bit of a "dry" spot in terms of enthusiasm.  We all need encouragement from time to time.
Mike  (:)
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Lyn

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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #8 on: May 01, 2014, 07:38:01 PM »

One of the most important things to motivate you and to pull you along is, I think, playing with other folks, doesn't matter whether it is a crowd in a session or one or two round someone's house - and they don't have to play YOUR instrument. Keeps the interest going. And challenge yourself to something just beyond your comfort zone - you can play the things you can play (Obviously!) but if you just throw something at yourself which you CAN'T just rattle off, you may find it piques your interest. XX
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Theo

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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #9 on: May 01, 2014, 08:06:14 PM »

I'm sere that's right Lynn about playing with other people. When music making becomes a social activity it expands your horizons.  I went to a session lady night with a lot of pipers playing in F.  So today I've been trying to play easy tunes in F on my DG.
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Spikey

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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #10 on: May 01, 2014, 08:21:00 PM »

I think I've spotted the cause of your problem LdT - you haven't been posting on Melnet nearly as much ;)

I was feeling a bit lacking in motivation at the end of last year, and telling myself that I would do every TOTM has really helped.  Tunes that I didn't really like at first I have come to like, and ones like The Abbess and Young Damon's Flight which I would have thought near impossible I have had a go at and learnt things from.  Even though my recordings are far from wonderful I feel pleased that I managed some sort of attempt for each one.  Mind you, it has only been 4 months... eight more to go.

And each time I pick up my melodeons now I remember why I started ('mindfulness' and all that ::)) - I just love the sound of them, and they smell pretty good too (now that does make me sound weird).

Could part of the problem be your lack of space to play where you don't feel that you're bothering anyone?  If you feel that you're annoying other people when you pick up your box it can put a real dampener on things.

And have to say that your videos and posts about learning helped inspire me - seeing your progress, and struggling with the same things I was struggling with.  Don't give up!


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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #11 on: May 01, 2014, 08:38:38 PM »

I'm sere that's right Lynn about playing with other people. When music making becomes a social activity it expands your horizons.  I went to a session lady night with a lot of pipers playing in F.  So today I've been trying to play easy tunes in F on my DG.

Sounds... interesting?  ::) ;)
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Theo

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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #12 on: May 01, 2014, 10:30:36 PM »

Autocorrect will get me in terrible trouble.
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george garside

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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #13 on: May 01, 2014, 10:56:50 PM »

LDT  - it sounds as if you are starting to looking down the wrong end of the telescope!   You seem to be  trying to come up with reasons  to justify  why you are not doing much playing - might be a wee bit better to look for reasons as to why you should be playing!

Glass half empty or half full and all that

george ;)
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Sebastian

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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #14 on: May 02, 2014, 12:11:11 AM »

And given the chance of melodeon practice or ...for example, sewing or my new obsession spinning wool. The melodeon comes a 2nd best.
What’s wrong with sewing or spinning wool?

The day has only 24 hours. I had to give up some interesting hobbies I tried, simply because I don’t have enough time. I didn’t touch a box at all for nearly a year, because other things were more interesting/urgent to me. You are not a professional musician, so you don’t have to stick to it.  (:)

I did hear all the good advise not to stop playing completely and to play for at least 10 minutes daily. But nevertheless I had to give up playing the zither, playing the harmonica, playing the organ, doing calligraphy, learning lithuanian, greek, turkish, arabic etc. because I don’t have the time to do all of these. So I had to prioritise.

And priorities can change over time.  8)
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Rob2Hook

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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #15 on: May 02, 2014, 02:20:50 AM »

I have a friend who has an irritating ability to do craft things (incl music) without so much practice as you or I.  I was only reminded because she learns tunes, as many of us do today, by listening to CDs - in her case often whilst spinning yarn.  Mind you, you have to weight the drop spindle to get the right tempo...!

Rob.
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Lyra

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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #16 on: May 02, 2014, 09:50:02 AM »

The box isn't grabbing you at the moment. That's allowed, surely. Doesn't mean next week, next month or next year it won't sneak up to the top of the list again. Don't sweat it.
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Helena Handcart

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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #17 on: May 02, 2014, 10:39:10 AM »

Do you know LDT I look at al your photos on Facebook of all your many craft and sewing projects and wonder to myself "how does she find the time to play the box as well?"  Now I think I know that answer but given all the lovely things you are producing with your sewing and the evident joy you take from creating I don't think you should worry too much if you are not playing the box so much as a result.

If you're not motivated to play the box at the moment there's probably not a lot of point trying to force it.

I used to make stained glass windows but since I got Peggy Pokerwork back in July 2012 I have made two suncatchers and not a single lead panel.  Meanwhile I am pretty much obsessed by squeezeboxes and play every day.   There would be no point in trying to force myself to make a window or lampshade as my heart's not in it.  I just want to sit around playing South Downs Jig or Banks of the Dee or <insert name of current morris earworm>.

The box may come back into prominence for you again and I just *might* make that seaside themed window for my summer house.
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ladydetemps

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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #18 on: May 02, 2014, 10:45:11 AM »

LDT  - it sounds as if you are starting to looking down the wrong end of the telescope!   You seem to be  trying to come up with reasons  to justify  why you are not doing much playing - might be a wee bit better to look for reasons as to why you should be playing!

Glass half empty or half full and all that

george ;)
The only reason I can think of I *should* be playing is I spent money on them....and going to workshops to learn to play. And its a waste of money if they don't get used.

I have a friend who has an irritating ability to do craft things (incl music) without so much practice as you or I.  I was only reminded because she learns tunes, as many of us do today, by listening to CDs - in her case often whilst spinning yarn.  Mind you, you have to weight the drop spindle to get the right tempo...!

Rob.
Well there's an idea music while spinning. ;)

I used to make stained glass windows but since I got Peggy Pokerwork back in July 2012 I have made two suncatchers and not a single lead panel.  Meanwhile I am pretty much obsessed by squeezeboxes and play every day.   There would be no point in trying to force myself to make a window or lampshade as my heart's not in it.  I just want to sit around playing South Downs Jig or Banks of the Dee or <insert name of current morris earworm>.

The box may come back into prominence for you again and I just *might* make that seaside themed window for my summer house.
Stained glass melodeon? ;)

Chris Ryall

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Re: Itermediate-itus
« Reply #19 on: May 02, 2014, 10:50:19 AM »

The essence of being "intermediate" - I guess you mean no longer a beginner is that your fingers generally know where the buttons lie, and which bass works with what.

I'm with the telescope analogy, though might have talked about not seeing wood for trees myself. The days of "melodeon practice" should be behind you. It's time to play "music" rather than "melodeon" and it may be that it wasn't shere musicality that fired you. People are all different and if you express though fabrics that's fine too.

Whereas if I (and other Earwormers here) hear a fine tune it really gets under my skin. Got to master it, mould it towards my ways. There might be some tricky note runs in there but that's a matter of detail, usually by 3rd/4th day at it that comes (current TOTM may be an exception)! The issue is what I want to do with that tune/song. I  think we may be back to "attitude" again?

So if you want to move on, that's fine, you'll have the box to come back to, whenever you want it. btw you should see my knitting/sewing!!  :|bl
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