[Harp-L] mental practice

[Sheltraw]

I am an ear player and I would estimate that 75% of my practice time is spent in "mental practice". By "ear player" I mean someone that plays what is their minds ear without having to think about what they are doing with their instrument. I am still getting better at doing this and I continue to be amazed that this can be done at all (It helps to use a so-called symmetrically tuned instrument).

There are two parts to becoming such an ear player:

(1) Playing automatically what is in your minds ear. 

(2) Getting good stuff in your minds ear.

There comes a point at which most of an ear player's practice is spent doing (2). Note that (1) and (2) have a lot of interdependence. For example, you can't do (1) if you don't very clearly hear within your minds ear what is to be played.

Since I am primarily interested in improvisation I spend a lot of time scat singing out loud or with my inner voice (minds ear) and working on increasing my awareness of musical melody. I spend a lot of time creating interest phrases using chromaticism since this really challenges ones ear and increases my awareness of my musical choices.

Hope that helps!

Daniel



Sent from my iPhone

> On Dec 15, 2016, at 8:33 AM, philharpn--- via Harp-L <harp-l at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> Has anybody had any experience with "mental practice" on the harmonica?
> 
> Most people practice the harmonica by playing a song or exercise 10 times. Then, depending on how many times the tune is played, the player masters the song or exercise.
> 
> When playing a tune 10-20 times the chops may get tired--expecially with newbies. But the chops never get tired with silent practicer.
> 
> In mental practice, harmonica players "read" through the tune as if they were playing the without actually playing the harmonica.
> 
> This can be done on the harmonica with sheet music or tablature. I don't think it can be done for ear or rote players because the player not only has to remember how the tune goes but how it is played on the harp (fingering.).
> 
> This also provides SILENT PRACTICE-- without bothering other  people in the room/car/house/whatever.
> 
> 
> 
> This has been done with college basketball players: The idea being that those who visualize throwing free shots do just as well or even better than people who actually throw the free shots.
> 
> 
> Here is one study: It also quotes  
> http://scholarsresearchlibrary.com/ABR-vol2-iss5/ABR-2011-2-5-8-13.pdf