Re: [Harp-L] How Much Practice?

[philharpn@xxxxxxx]

This depends on several variables and goals. It also depends on several music skills. Since according to the below quote, you don't have any issues with learning the technique. It's just a matter of keeping up your chops.


How long does it take to memorize a tune? Memorize one and see how many minutes it takes. Then you'll know. Whatever your goals, they should include a pencil. If you don't write them down, you won't know what kind of progress you're making. Even if its only: How long to learn a tune??


It seems to me you're way beyond the sit down and practice 45 minutes a day stage. 



If you work on the same level of material, you'll reach a point where just about everything you play is relatively easy.  If you study classical guitar, and reach any intermediate skill level, you soon discover that all those fingerstyle collections are really easy to play because they're all based on chord shapes in easy sharp keys.


If you switch over to jazz, you're usually up against the flat keys -- because a lot of jazz is geared to brass and reeds -- F, Bb, Eb etc.





With piano and guitar you can deal with improving your sight reading and what you want to accomplish. If you merely want to accomplish a familiarity with a tune so that you can play your way through it with confidence that is one level. If you want to memorize it, it's another.


I will sometimes play my way through a songbook. If can play my way through the tune the first time, I go onto the next. If I decide that I want to memorize it, that requires learning it by phrases or bars -- and takes a little longer.


Since I learned how to read music from my childhood piano lessons 50 years ago (you never lose the ability to read: it's the muscle memory that needs to be refreshed to keep the tune under your fingers). I bought a piano as an adult and got a few weeks of lessons, mostly focusing chord forms C7, D13 from fake books. Which I could have figured out myself in about the dozen weeks.


It took me a year to learn to read first position guitar a decade of ago and a few weeks after that to learn fifth position (during a two-week Xmas-NY lesson break with a  book I discovered).


Same thing with the harmonica. If you want to simply play through a tune that's one thing. If you want to memorize it, that's another. Again, working your way through a songbook is one way. 


Once you reach a certain level, the timing becomes one of the most difficult things.


Settle on a outcome, and decide how to approach this.


As you must have discovered over the years, there is no set pattern to success. 


Just look back and recall the things that worked best and throw out that turned out to be a waste of time. 


At your level, scales and arpeggios are no longer learning tools but just a means to warm up before you get into what you want to work on.


You pick a harp and run a few scales or arpeggios as much to warm up as to find out if any of the reeds are flat or jammed.


When all else, find a teacher who will give you weekly assignments.  If you can't find a harp teacher, hook up with a keyboard teacher. Notes are notes. 


Nowadays, you don't even have to drive to the music store with all the skype stuff going around. I know of several people on the Harp-L who skypeteach, you might want to check out.




As far as motivation, I don't even know if they still sell Geritol (when you getupand go has gone).
Buy a new fakebook: Irsh, bluegrass, Dixieland, early jazz -- buying a new music book always worked for me!


One of the joys of retirement is each day my biggest decision is which guitar to pick and play. Or harp. or uke. Or keyboard. I may not be getting any better, but I've having fun and I don't have to worry about the lawncutting using up my music playing time because it will soon be time to go to work. 


FYI: When the answer is longer than the question, just read the first graf.


Hope this helps,
Phil 














-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Rowe <robertrowe2@xxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx Harp-L <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sun, May 19, 2013 6:56 pm
Subject: [Harp-L] How Much Practice?


We talked about this a year or so ago, but I want to approach it from a 
different perspective. I'm curious about your formative years as a musician and 
the time you put in to reach your most proficient point. 

I started guitar at a very young age. It was my single focus (other than the 
piano my parents forced me to play) for the first 20 years of my musical 
journey.  When in school I would play at least 4 hours a day, and all day on the 
weekends. I never went on a single date when in high school. While my friends 
were out partying on weekend nights, I would be home locked in my bedroom 
playing until dawn or later. I never went anywhere without a guitar. I would 
only leave the house for things musical; rehearsal, gigs, shopping for gear.  I 
did pick up the harp in that time, but couldn't get past Bob Dylan level 
playing. There was no instruction material and I never caught on to playing in 
positions. 

In my late 20's I picked up my second love and approached it the same way. 
Within a year I was getting steady work playing Irish music on the hammered 
dulcimer. Then I got struck by the Irish flute bug and went from my first toot 
to excellent stage performance in 6 months. Again, through insane practice 
schedules. 

A couple years ago the harmonica fell into my crosshairs, but the fire seems to 
have died out and it shows in my progress and self assessment. I find it hard to 
get motivated to play for even an hour, but I do so with significant effort on 
my part. I've gone from nearly 50 years of being unable to put an instrument 
down to being a struggle to pick one up. What has happened to me?  Can any of 
you relate to any part of this journey?  How can I get that internal fire 
roaring again?  Is this dog too old and tired to learn a new trick?  Should I 
sell my TV?

Help me out here folks. Insight from beginners to the world renowned is most, 
most welcome!  What did you do to get where you are, and what do you do to keep 
the fire stoked inside you?

Thanks for your insight!  Remember, unlike the previous thread, this one asks 
what kind of practice you really did/do to get where you are today, not what you 
think is the "ideal" practice time and strategy. 

Love you!  MEAN IT!!!

Kelly