Elio
Student Of The Blues
This month it's been 7 years since I started with BGU and it's been an amazingly fun experience with a great group of people I am proud to call my friends. The amount of progress I've made during that time (and after having not played since I was a kid) has been huge and I wouldn't trade the live experiences for anything. WIth that said, last year I started attending the local Blues Society jams in my area as a spectator, and came to a realization just how really, really good they all are. The goal I set for myself was not to be that good, but to just be able to go up and play something, anything, where I wouldn't embarrass myself.
The last few months, I have been substantially ratcheting up my practice time and stretching to learn much more challenging material until late every night and early every morning. The realization that I have come to is that regardless of how well I can play by myself at home, when I get into any live situation, whatever licks, ideas, and concepts I have learned are completely gone, and I end up stumbling around usually playing the same 2 or 3 licks I am able to remember. This really struck home last night when my wife was listening in on a jam video and pointed out that I played essentially the same thing for virtually every solo.
The fact is that in a group setting, No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to hear in my head what I want to play and then associate it with anything I know, so I revert to mindless picking. Since the time I have really stepped up the practice schedule, I have actually been sliding backwards and becoming increasingly more disappointed in my playing at jams. It's frustrating to work much harder at something but to feel as though I am getting worse at it.
At this point, I'm feeling that the time, cost and frustration is really out-weighing the enjoyment, and my self-confidence is taking a large hit. Part of me feels that I need to take a break and move onto some other areas in my life for a few months where I know my efforts can produce more positive results, while the perfectionist in me wants to find the elusive missing link. Sorry for going on so long but I thought it might be helpful to write some of this out and see if there are any better suggestions that what I'm doing.
The last few months, I have been substantially ratcheting up my practice time and stretching to learn much more challenging material until late every night and early every morning. The realization that I have come to is that regardless of how well I can play by myself at home, when I get into any live situation, whatever licks, ideas, and concepts I have learned are completely gone, and I end up stumbling around usually playing the same 2 or 3 licks I am able to remember. This really struck home last night when my wife was listening in on a jam video and pointed out that I played essentially the same thing for virtually every solo.
The fact is that in a group setting, No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to hear in my head what I want to play and then associate it with anything I know, so I revert to mindless picking. Since the time I have really stepped up the practice schedule, I have actually been sliding backwards and becoming increasingly more disappointed in my playing at jams. It's frustrating to work much harder at something but to feel as though I am getting worse at it.
At this point, I'm feeling that the time, cost and frustration is really out-weighing the enjoyment, and my self-confidence is taking a large hit. Part of me feels that I need to take a break and move onto some other areas in my life for a few months where I know my efforts can produce more positive results, while the perfectionist in me wants to find the elusive missing link. Sorry for going on so long but I thought it might be helpful to write some of this out and see if there are any better suggestions that what I'm doing.