I practice some, mostly working out new techniques. But I play a quite a bit. Played nineteen hours this week. Some weeks I play twice that. As a young man I would play forty hours or more in a week...and I mean playing time. Didn't have time to practice, but since I was teaching and showing others how to practice, I guess I really was practicing. That brings up "multi-tasking."

At dance gigs or regular gigs I give myself certain tasks. It might be using correct left hand position or varying right hand picking techniques. Or I might limit myself to all half notes, but try to play interesting lines. In the past few years I've been training myself to play without looking at my left hand and I've gotten fairly good at it. It helps when reading music and it allows me to make more eye contact with the audience. So, actually I do a lot of practicing while I'm gigging.

You've got to know your limitations. I don't know what your limitations are. I found out what mine were when I was twelve. I found out that there weren't too many limitations, if I did it my way. -Johnny Cash

It's only music.
-niteshift

Mike Dunbar Music