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[Grape Ape]

Ever since acquiring a new box, I have found myself unable to stop "noodling" instead of learning new repetoire.  I seem to be playing the same four tunes, presumably from my head, over and over in as many different ways as possible.  While squeezing in time to practice the current stuff, I have resisted for over two months now, all things new.

Noodling aimlessly instead of practicing and expanding repetoire, good, bad, or other?

[Anahata]

Maybe because it's a new box and you need to spend some time getting to know it.
It is worth going through every tune you can think of, though, to find out what the new box does with it.

[Chris Ryall]

Just put it behind you, consciously and deliberately move on. It's not been the best year, has it,  and you are surely entitled to a little self indulgence.

You might find something "completely new" works better than repertoire, but it seems time to get out of the "soup"? 

[baz parkes]

I find a good noodle reminds me of tunes I'd forgotten I knew.

Tunes I know I knew are a different matter...I recently found a band set list from some 25 years ago.  There were a few surprises on there....

[Clive Williams]

It's ok - ultimately, play what you want to play. But keep a written/typed list of what you've played, and have a glance over it when you're looking for inspiration. Half the problem for me is tunes I half learn, then forget I was trying to play, and promptly forget altogether.

[Rob2Hook]

The learning process isn't really a curve!  I find it goes in steps with plateaux along the way when you either don't practice or you just play around, noodling and trying differing techniques.  For some reason this suddenly gives way to a leap forward and tunes that just wouldn't settle in become possible or even easy!  Sometimes one's hand is forced when asked to perform a particular tune on a given occasion.  I worked up Lord of the Dance with a nice accompaniment for a friend's wedding, but the rest of the band wanted to do a three chord trick!  Strangely I also found myself playing a couple of Andy Cutting tunes that I'd never learnt, maybe by osmosis from DTN'S playing them over the years.  I gues the melodies were already firmly in the memory.

[Julian S]

All of us probably don't have as much time as we'd like to practice. The great guitarist Martin Simpson I gather spends an hour a day just playing around with different styles, tunings and so on - relaxation as well as practice and inspiration.
 I have a fat 'ongoing learning' file with some tunes which are still beyond me - the problem is that I sometimes forget to revisit tunes I learned long ago and when I do the fingers seem to have forgotten where to go. Is it better to concentrate on a few tunes and master them, or have a wide range simply to add variety and challenge ? Some tunes which stretch abilities and make one think are always a good idea I reckon and Rob's point about the learning curve is certainly true for me. I really enjoy the variety offered through the tune of the month - looking at different versions is always interesting and make you think about ways to approach other tunes as well. Whatever - it's all fun - doesn't have to be always directional.

[Andy Next Tune]

Whatever - it's all fun - doesn't have to be always directional.

I find variety maintains interest, and challenges (new and revisited) provide motivation.
But fun is essential.

[boxer]

I find it convenient to use favourite tunes as test beds for developing playing skills.  Using a tune that I can play over and over without thinking leaves scarce brain capacity available for developing new techniques or improving existing ones.

[Mike Carney]

I have a fat 'ongoing learning' file with some tunes which are still beyond me - the problem is that I sometimes forget to revisit tunes I learned long ago and when I do the fingers seem to have forgotten where to go. Is it better to concentrate on a few tunes and master them, or have a wide range simply to add variety and challenge ?

From my experience a couple of lists are crucial, whether you are leafing through the actual notation or not. One overall of tunes attempted OR learnt and one current "starters" list. The latter is my list of tunes I am able to knock out on demand, eg to start in a session. The other list is great for going back over in chunks and realising I need to have another go at something I didn't master the first time round. Some tunes have been ongoing projects for a couple of years before they have fallen into place, eg Jump at the Sun. A spreadsheet is great for this longer list as it makes it so easy to look over the tunes.
Mike

[squeezy]

I really believe that noodling (without particular aim or purpose) is an essential part of practice on any instrument.  The key to using it is identifying when you've found something of interest, whether it be a chord shape, chord sequence, ornament, effect, run of notes or the beginning of a tune ... if you can spot that at the time and remember it ... or maybe write it down/record it ... then it will have been very useful.

In this way we develop our own styles as players.

[John MacKenzie (Cugiok)]

It's ok - ultimately, play what you want to play. But keep a written/typed list of what you've played, and have a glance over it when you're looking for inspiration. Half the problem for me is tunes I half learn, then forget I was trying to play, and promptly forget altogether.

Glad to know I'm not alone on this one.


John

[george garside]

'noodling' is good!.  It helps you to connect to your box in a way that formally 'learning' new tunes doesn't. It also provides a channel down which stuff and maybe even complete tunes  that you didn't know were stored in the head can suddenly come down the arms!

Looking at it a different way 'noodling' is more likely to occur  if you have no pressing need to learn new tunes eg  for agreed use in a ceilidh band or as a morris musician  or maybe  in a session  to which members are expected to bring something new from time to time.

?? does 'noodling' occur more amongst hose who only play with themselves!
?? does ' noodling' occur more for 'by earists' and less for 'dotists'

george

[butimba]

I seem to be playing the same four tunes, presumably from my head, over and over in as many different ways as possible.

I think more people should do this. I think it's a great way to really get to know a tune and play it well and learn how to vary it, and in the process you improve your technique and bag of tricks for playing in a more interesting way.

(Btw, Andy Cutting says that he can easily spend days and days noodling about with a tune to really get to know it and work out what to do with it. So I think you're in good company )

[Sebastian]

I really believe that noodling (without particular aim or purpose) is an essential part of practice on any instrument.

'noodling' is good!.  It helps you to connect to your box in a way that formally 'learning' new tunes doesn't.

Yes!

And for the record: I'm a 'dotist' (mostly).

[george garside]

I think it very likely that 'noodling' dotists  have the bonus of adding a modicum of  by ear i.e. listening skills that sadly many 'pure' dotists lack!

The same probably applies t'other way round  for noodling earists who have the temerity (or sense) to occasionaly peer at the dots as they  may well have some idea of what they are aiming for

george

[Sebastian]

I think it very likely that 'noodling' dotists  have the bonus of adding a modicum of  by ear

I very well hope so.

[Grape Ape]

I have found thus far that I have started using most of the 18 basses available to me on the new box, and that I have started pulling off single and multiple note triplets, so I guess some good is coming of it.  While not a "dotist," I do tend to use tablature to a fair degree, but it has now been months since I have looked at it.  I feel kind of off the grid, really, just playing what I can from memory, but mostly just free form improvisational stuff, that I worry is going nowhere.  My repretoire hasn't seen a new tune in months.

I guess I'll take it from this thread, that it will all help in the long run.  If anything does come of all this aimless wandering, I'll record it and see what people think.

[george garside]

There is a lot to be said for not falling into the 'regular new tune' trap!  Better to concentrate on really getting the hang of the instrument  as once this is done the playing of new tunes either by ear(from memory) or from tablature of one form or another becomes  both easier and quicker. A bit like learning to drive a car - once you can drive very competently you can go wherever you want!

The possible exeption is if regularly attending sessions in which you don't know what will be played, in which case it can be useful to have two catagories of tunes. Those you can play well and those you can  get through ok if somebody else or several somebody elses are playing at the same time

george

 

[nigelr]

I try to split practice into new stuff, revisting old stuff and a good helping of noodling.  I am an unashamed "dotist" when it comes to learning tunes but I have found noodling the best way to work out alternative fingerings, row crossing opportunities and chord options.  Sometimes a "noodling find" won't become useful for a while but it will open a door at some stage - it all adds to understanding possibilites.