Topic: playing goes to pot in public!!! (Read 24776 times)

Pushpull · « **Reply #40 on:** March 11, 2008, 05:18:56 PM »

Quote from: Malcolm Austen on March 11, 2008, 08:29:20 AM

Practice, practice, practice.
It is easy to say but very difficult to keep up over the years if you are teaching yourself. I once read an article stating that good classical musicians going into a music degree will have done about 2,000 hours practice and the natural ability they all had was to be able to keep up the practicing year after year.

Apparently on average it takes around 2000 hours to get to Grade 8 standard (which might get you onto a degree course). The same Mr. Average takes around 10000 hours to be "expert". Consider how many hours you have put in through education and training to become really proficient at your job and I reckon it's about right.

Roy (many thousands of squeezing hours to go).

george garside · « **Reply #41 on:** March 11, 2008, 05:24:10 PM »

[
Apparently on average it takes around 2000 hours to get to Grade 8 standard (which might get you onto a degree course). The same Mr. Average takes around 10000 hours to be "expert". Consider how many hours you have put in through education and training to become really proficient at your job and I reckon it's about right.

Roy (many thousands of squeezing hours to go).
[/quote]

bloody hell! on that basis its 5.479 years at 1 hour per day to get to grade 8 or 27.397 years to become an 'expert'/

george

Québécois · « **Reply #42 on:** March 11, 2008, 05:34:46 PM »

This is why re-incarnated players have an edge on most of us...

Ellie · « **Reply #43 on:** March 11, 2008, 05:41:28 PM »

Ha, best to start young then?

Besides, surely there's expert, and then there's 'folk' - a different category altogether surely!

george garside · « **Reply #44 on:** March 11, 2008, 06:11:53 PM »

Quote from: Ellie on March 11, 2008, 05:41:28 PM

Ha, best to start young then? Besides, surely there's expert, and then there's 'folk' - a different category altogether surely!

with apologies to the newcatle alumni does the very worthy newcastle uni degree in folk music produce folking experts.

george

Lin Leighton · « **Reply #45 on:** March 11, 2008, 08:23:07 PM »

Old Bill
who said I was shy and retiring??

just suffer from nerves in sessions
but from now on its going to be

me as I picture them in the buff, sat on the loo, not listening to me anyway etc etc

Lin

GuyWyatt · « **Reply #46 on:** March 11, 2008, 10:30:34 PM »

OK so its off topic but on the subject of sitting on the loo... (Look, I didnt raise the issue did I?). An old acquaintance of mine told me that when he was first learning to play he lived in an open plan house, so in order not to distress his housemate he practiced in the only room in the house with a door, ie the loo. He says that now he only really feels comfortable playing the melodeon if he has his trousers round his ankles. If that is right I imagine that when he is playing in a session he uses the opposite system to George, ie instead of visualising the audience sitting on the loo, visualising himself doing so. No, truly I've only been drinking tea. The bottle of Chardonay is still in the fridge, honest....

george garside · « **Reply #47 on:** March 12, 2008, 10:40:10 AM »

Quote from: GuyWyatt on March 11, 2008, 10:30:34 PM

OK so its off topic but on the subject of sitting on the loo... (Look, I didnt raise the issue did I?).

whilst off topic the visuialisation of somebody sat keks round knees on bog is a very good wa ;Dy of dealing with an irate boss at work. It throws them completely if your response to their rantings is just to look at them with a grin on your face.
george

Pushpull · « **Reply #48 on:** March 12, 2008, 11:27:25 AM »

Quote from: Ellie on March 11, 2008, 05:41:28 PM

Ha, best to start young then? Besides, surely there's expert, and then there's 'folk' - a different category altogether surely!

Consider the very best folk musicians you can think of? How many hours do you reckon they spend playing? I know of one smallpipes player (no name, no pack drill, but loads of tattoos), who apparently on his trip to the crossroads and back, practiced 7 hours a day. Classical students (college standard) are probably putting in 3 -5 hours a day. But hey, that's their job.

Roy.

Lin Leighton · « **Reply #49 on:** March 12, 2008, 11:38:02 AM »

but what a lovely way to spend 7 hours

also does this sound familiar to anyone?? I like English Country dance music , but when asked which is my most favourite tune, it seems that the answer is - the one Im currently learning!!! is that normal?

can I like the "tune of the day" best of all, or is there something wrong with me???

Lin

Theo · « **Reply #50 on:** March 12, 2008, 12:29:42 PM »

No Lin, I think its quite normal. The tune you are learning has taken your fancy and you want to play with it, dance with it, even develop a relationship with it. At present I'm learning a completely crazy Playford tune called The Purlongs. I'm playing it countless times every day, its got its hooks into my brain, so its my favourite tune at present. Its almost like having a new baby in the family. All the excitement centres around the new arrival, but you still love the others just as much.

C age ing · « **Reply #51 on:** March 12, 2008, 01:42:33 PM »

Theo,
That's 'The Furlongs'. Very appropriate as it is, well not today, the Cheltenham Festival.
Amazing the things GCHQ gets involved in. When I was younger even to mention the name was an offence, just a minute, the doorbell is ringing

Theo · « **Reply #52 on:** March 12, 2008, 02:20:00 PM »

Its called Purlongs in my book.

Sorry your agile brain is too fast for me, what is the connection with Cheltenham and GCHQ?

C age ing · « **Reply #53 on:** March 12, 2008, 04:49:55 PM »

Sorry Theo, being interviewed at the moment about how I knew GCHQ was based in Cheltenham. It was in the papers when they built the new circular version. Don't ask what the old shape was as I do not know.

Lester · « **Reply #54 on:** March 12, 2008, 05:36:09 PM »

Quote from: C age ing on March 12, 2008, 04:49:55 PM

Sorry Theo, being interviewed at the moment about how I knew GCHQ was based in Cheltenham. It was in the papers when they built the new circular version. Don't ask what the old shape was as I do not know.

Do we have to shoot you now?

rees · « **Reply #55 on:** March 13, 2008, 12:31:17 AM »

Lin

It's normal.
I've been playing for thirty odd years and my favourite tune is always the one I've just learned.

It's normal.
The trouble with normal is it always gets worse!

Malcolm Austen · « **Reply #56 on:** March 13, 2008, 08:23:07 AM »

off topic and off bike
"Don't ask what the old shape was as I do not know" there were a lot of long rectangular buildings and I once fell off my bike outside the main gate.

Rob2Hook · « **Reply #57 on:** March 13, 2008, 09:58:41 AM »

Yes, we all suffer from nerves! Even some of the best like to mellow out with a pint before trying to lead a session with their current favourite, just learnt tune. Our band rate all tunes by the number of beers required before attempting it! When I first played at a local session, I was sweaty palmed and set off at a gallop with my heart pounding in my ears. Luckily, my mates joined in quickly and steadied the tempo - after which I could enjoy playing the tune.

Playing for a North West side does little for stopping that rush, but for a Border side it helps to actually stomp in time and that slow hornpipe becomes much easier. For country dancing, it's the same thing. Just imagine you're dancing and it drops into place - your fingers start dancing with a lighter touch. Just like interview technique, visualize the outcome before you start.

Of course, sometimes the mood is not upon you - I find it best to just laugh at my own cock-ups and let someone else take over. When someone else starts one of your favourites you can get back in the groove without being in the spotlight.

Québécois · « **Reply #58 on:** March 13, 2008, 11:15:54 AM »

Stage fright is a strange thing. When we hear soloist we all wish we could do the same and be in the spotlight, and when we are given that opportunity our brains lock up and we just freeze... Some people seem to have a natural gift to perform well under the spotlight, for the others it can be a matter of training and conditioning before the stress can be controlled.

When we look at young kids, we can see how easy it it for some of them to be the center of attention in a group and sing, dance or do some kind of artistic performance and really enjoy it. But most get really shy and hide.

A chap I used to work with has practiced trumpet since he was in high school, and he is a good player. A few years ago I proposed that we perform a little trumpet/cornet duet of carols at the office's Christmas potluck (I also play brass), we had a few practice sessions and it worked really well. But the very day before the party he just got cold feet and quit... claiming he just could not do it in front of the people!

What is the point of playing of an instrument in your basement for the rest of your life!

I used to work as a classroom instructor and lecturer, at the beginning I was really nervous, sweating and all, and needed to look at my notes and slides all the time. But after a while, it became a second nature and I could jump in a classroom and do my whole 5-hour presentation sessions almost from memory. And I WAS ENJOYING IT.

I think the enjoyment factor is a key to public performance. The hard part is being able to transport this enjoyment in front of other people and communicate it. Takes some practice...

Lin Leighton · « **Reply #59 on:** March 13, 2008, 11:39:30 AM »

I tell you what though. The best thing was having you wonderful bunch of people out there to come to my aid and support in my hour of need. A trouble shared is a trouble halved, and I feel much better and happier now. A million thanks to all.

Lin

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Author Topic: playing goes to pot in public!!! (Read 24776 times)