When to move on? Sittin' Easy Blues.

V

Veezer

Guest
Hello chums:

I've been diligently practicing SEB for the last 3 weeks and I'm at the point where I can reasonably confidently play along with Griff on the CD.

Although I can play along with only the odd occasional mistake, should I keep practicing until I can play it 100% from memory, rather than reading along with the tab?

I want to move on to the next four licks, but I don't want to rush ahead if I'm supposed to be able to play SEB without referring to the tab.

On your previous advice I have been alternating between practicing on acoustic and electric and I've found this to be very helpful.

Cheers for now,

Steve.
 

Russ

Blues Newbie
Veezer,
If you are playing along with Griff with just a few mistakes, by all means, move on. I guarantee that's what Griff would say. Unless it's the exact same mistake every time, go ahead. If it is the same, slow it down until you figure out what's wrong. When we deal with lessons that have what I call a "Learner's" speed and a "Player's" speed version, Griff often says to start using the full or Player's speed as soon as you get the Learner's to come out half way decent. He has said in recent videos, that you don't have to get the piece perfect to move on. Just get it into your mind and fingers and your hands will figure out that you want them to move faster.

Playing the piece from memory is a personal choice. I have a terrible memory and really couldn't memorize anything for the longest time. Now that I've been strumming, its gotten easier for me. If you can memorize these things, it will do nothing but help you. Use the lesson as a warm up before your next lessons.
Most of all, have fun.
 

johnc

systematic
I aim for about 80% with anything I am learning and then move on.  The extra 20% can bog you down to try and perfect everything.  It seems more important for me at least, to get quantity under the fingers in playing lots of different things than quality where you can play a couple of things perfectly.
The quality will come in time just with playing as much as possible, expanding your guitar vocabulary and working your fingers and brain.
Also don't worry too much about memorising everything, there are a few freaks of nature out here who can remember everything but many can't and I am on the other end of the scale where I have to ask my wife my name each morning lol.  I think so long as you have done the exercise, your fingers will store it somewhere and can be easily revised down the track if needed.  Just keep moving on.

Some things that I don't want to forget because it was damn hard to figure out and play I will add to my practice so I don't lose them, but they are just usually riffs or licks for classic songs I like to play so they don't take long to do a couple of times over.
 
V

Veezer

Guest
Thanks guys!... I feel like I've made good progress with SEB and am, as you say, probably 80% with it now. I could spend the next three weeks working on getting it 100% perfect, but I'm keen to crack on to the next bit. I'll use SEB as part of my practice session every day, so I guess that won't be a bad thing.

Onward, ever-onward!

Thanks again fellas.

Stevo.
 

Russ

Blues Newbie
Veezer,
There will come times when you just can't seem to get anything to come out correctly and you just want to put the guitar down for a few days or even longer. I've found that going back to a previous lesson you're good at will help to rebuild needed confidence. There will be days when previous lessons are the ONLY thing that comes out right. That's ok. Give your hands and brain a break once in a while and just let them do something familiar. Depending on your learning curve, you can burn out if you push yourself too hard. It took me quite a while to realize I was pushing myself so much I was beginning to not learn anything, or enjoy it. Find your limit and stay just below the threshold.
One other thing is this. Everyone is different. These lessons are not in an order that MUST be followed. Sometimes when I can't get through a lesson, I'll move up to the next lesson and simply excel. Don't force yourself to stick with a lesson if its just not sinking in. I often go back to the troubled lesson performing it with ease after moving up.
Best of luck and practice  :)
 
V

Veezer

Guest
Thanks Russ,.. I'll certainly heed that. I've already found that some practice days are better than others, for no apparent reason.

I really like the fact that Griff's course is structured, but without it being regimented. I'm enjoying being a beginner and am really delighted with the modest amount of progress I've made so far.

So glad to be here!

Laters,

Steve.
 

Griff

Vice Assistant General Manager
Staff member
I think John really nailed it.

The way I see it, you can get to the point where you have something memorized and you can play it, but it doesn't sound perfect by any means. You might make a mistake in some spots and there are spots that slow you down a little, but you've basically got the idea.

At that point, you sort of have to put it in a group that you play each day, or every couple of days, and just keep them going until you "own them." It can take much longer to get that last 20% than the first 80%. But it doesn't make sense to halt your progress waiting for that. It's better to continue with other things and "owning it" will come in time.

Griff
 
B

Bushwhacker

Guest
Hi Veezer
I would agree with the rest, move on. Nobody is perfect, but if you have most of the SEB down, time to vary your routine. I tried for a while to get SEB down pat, but always made one or two errors, and ended up getting angry at myself, (I also put up recordings that, looking back, were atrocious!). I have moved on, and practice SEB as a 'warm up'.
Just a suggestion, as I am no expert, but maybe you should do the same and move on before it frustrates the hell outta you.
Cheers, Dave
 
V

Veezer

Guest
Hi Dave:

Yep! You've hit it! That's exactly how I've been feeling. Frustrated at making silly mistakes when I think I shouldn't. I recon I've got the main jist of it, my callouses are 'in situ' and I have improved somewhat in hitting the notes without looking at the fretboard.

I started on the next 4 licks yesterday. Are we supposed to put them all together as one 'song' like we did for SEB?

Laters chums,

Steve.
 
B

BluesLover123

Guest
I too am about 80% and was concerned about whether to move on or not!  Thanks for the information.  I am playing so much better now than when I first started.  Even my calluses are not hurting now.  I've been switching between the acoustic and the electric and I am sooo impressed! :eek:
 

Russ

Blues Newbie
When you can notice your own improvement is when it starts to pay off and actually be fun. If you can enjoy it, you will learn faster and more consistently. 
 
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