Re: [Harp-L] Courage and self-criticism



Gotta echo Iceman on this one.  Recording yourself is a very humbling /
educational thing to do.  I've lost track of the times where I thought I
killed at a show, only to listen to the tape afterward and spend more time
cringing than grinning.  But then again, as I do primarily improv solos, I
also have those moments in which I hear something I did on the tape, and I'm
like, "what the heck was that?  I did that??? Cool!"  And then this happy
"accidental" moment becomes a new chop to go in the old kit bag.

Now, the proponderance of happy accidents and cringes may highlight my
ameteurism more than anything else, but there it is. Bottom line - I know I
improve as a player when I record myself.

Trouble is, the more I improve and the more I learn, the more I'm aware of
how far I have to go......

- Blake


On 3/21/07, icemanle@xxxxxxx <icemanle@xxxxxxx> wrote:

Commenting on somebody else's playing in an honest way (i.e. telling drummer his meter is off) is usually not appreciated unless you are asked for a critique - human nature and all - so you may want to bite your tongue on this one.

As to "someone thinks I overplayed on a number or that I sound flat...",
the "someone" should really be YOU. Learn to trust your feelings. Deep down
inside, if you become honest with yourself, you will have a "knowingness" on
some level about how you play. You won't need confirmation from someone
else. Aside from developing this honesty, you may also
1. Record yourself and listen back later. VERY REVEALING.
2. Attend Augusta Heritage Blues Week and sign up for Joe Filisko's
mini-critique class, in which you play in front of Joe and his panel, and
they will critique your performance.
The Iceman


-----Original Message----- From: samblancato@xxxxxxxxxxx

But it someone thinks that I overplayed on a number or that I
sound flat or I leaned too hard on their vocals or what ever, I'd really
want to know.  All I ever hear is 'hey, man, you sounded good' and this
isn't always true so I take that compliment with a grain of salt.
Conversely, I'd like to feel like I could comment on somebody else's
playing
in an honest way.


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-- Blake Taylor http://46long.com http://www.myspace.com/46long




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