And so I have practiced tonight. Lots. To the point of hand cramping (I have the most frustrating problem with this) and tedium.
Tonight, I went anal. Spreadsheets. Metronomes. The works.
I've been doing some simple tapping exercises, Van Halen style, and recording my bpm - everyone says to start slow and increase the speed gradually, so I started with triplets at 100 bpm, and by the end, had managed them at 170bpm. The exercise was a simple 12 - 7 - 3 - 0 - 3 - 7 on every string.
I'm proud to say I'm developing a new callous on my left hand index finger - on the edge instead of the tip. I think this is the curse of doing pull-offs with such a big stretch for such small hands. If I hear one more person tell me they can't play, their hands are too small, I believe I may inadvertently let out a little squeal. If I'm willing to callous it up because my finger won't stretch to hit the note head on, I don't see what anyone else has to complain about ;-)
But if anyone can help me with the pull-offs, please send your tips on a postcard; I'm flamooooxed! Because it's such a stretch for my little hands (there I go again; hypocrisy and complaints), I seem to lose all power to pull-off. There's no real 'flicking' motion, my finger just kind of comes off the string and there's barely any sound. Oh, the frustration.
On top of that, I've been trying to up my picking speed, playing four different patterns of the relative minor up the fretboard, and have managed to get it up to 170bpm with alternate picking. 180 At a push but it starts to get a bit messy.
I topped the night off with a rendition of Travis, Why Does it Always Rain on Me? It's a pretty simple and fun strumalong that I learnt in a couple of hours. I've added it as the first song in my 'songs I can play in full at full speed and true to the record' list that I've been meaning to compile. It's the only song on there. Compare that, if you will, to my ever expanding 'Songs I can play in part and/or not quite at full speed and/or minus the last two bars of the solo where the guitarist threw in proportionately as many notes as the rest of the solo' list. I really need to work on that.
Now it's all well and good, ending with Travis. I actually feel my version sounds pretty good, but I just wish I could make the rock thing work. If I'm honest, it's not a song to push or challenge me, it was just one I was able to memorise in order to begin my 'what-will-become-super-mega-massive-songs-I-can-play-in-full-list'. Time I got more disciplined with myself. All this tapping and nowhere to use it...one day, I will manage the Beat It solo. And when I do, maybe I'll even post a video...
Pip xxx
Mood: Satisfied for having practised. Watched an old video of me doing guitar exercises a month ago and can already see progress which was motivating. Frustrated that I'm not moving fast enough, and that these exercises don't seem to translate to better playing whenever I attempt a solo or improvisation.
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Pip! Hello! Thank you for serendipitously clicking onto my blog! All right, enough with the exclamation points! I mean, 'points'.
ReplyDeleteOK, as I read this post, the music teacher in me comes out, which brings me to my first question: Do you have an instructor? Because even one lesson a month can make a hu-MON-gous difference in your performance.
You sound so committed; it's enviable. I can't help you with the 'small hands thing', although as a pianist and teacher I see it all the time. You'll sort it out, I promise.
And triplets at 170 bpm?? Girl, you're an ANIMAL! Triplets are tough on any instrument. I imagine professional flugelhorn players say, "Y'know, I'd be the most butt-kicking flugelhorn player in the galaxy if it weren't for those damnable triplets."
You keep working, sister! And yes, I chose the exclamation point. On purpose.