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#391212 05/02/06 05:12 PM
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Do you?

Any tricks or techniques?

My favorite is, among other things, try using a metronome and playing it perfectly, no matter how slow.

All the Best,
Mike


------------------
You have to practice improvisation. -Art Tatum

Mike Dunbar Music

[This message has been edited by Mike Dunbar (edited 05-02-2006).]


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

#391213 05/02/06 09:57 PM
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My mentor is making me use a metronome. I have to bring it with me to rehearsal tomorrow. I can't get used to it...beep beep beep....*&^&^%bleep bleep bleep....but she says I have to use it. Dang, who has time to keep time all the time?


Herbie
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#391214 05/03/06 04:27 AM
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My fellow musicians kept complaining that I was speeding up on songs. Just because we finished at twice the speed we started. They are so PICKY!

So, rather than continue to drive my band members nuts, especially my drummers, I got a metronome. It's not electronic. I can't hear the beeps. I got the old, old loud clicker with the metal stick rocking back and forth.

I started practicing, not only a new song I'm making myself learn that is kind of a challenge and should be played fast (using the same technique as Mike, playing it perfectly at slow speed, and gradually increasing the speed), but also playing all kinds of stuff with the metronome just to make myself stop pushing the tempo.

Wouldn't you know it?! The darn thing SLOWS DOWN while I'm playing! I guess it's defective!

Honestly, my "hard work" to be reasonable and steady, no matter how much improvising I'm throwing in, has paid off. The whole band is happier. They make a big deal about saying how much I've improved. Man, that's irritating. Makes it sound like I had a real problem before. [Linked Image] --Jean

#391215 05/03/06 04:35 AM
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Okay, got a trick/techinique to throw in here, which I'm sure will be fascinating and thrilling to all:

To warm up at the piano before I play, I play three scales with both hands. Gets my fingers warmed up, and forces me to practice fingering and precise timing and stuff. I do 2 octaves in quarter notes, then 3 octaves in triplets, then 4 octaves in 8th notes, then I let one hand walk up 2 notes ahead and do the whole thing again with the notes in thirds from each other. Then I play a series of chords in that key. Do 3 keys, and then I let myself play some real music.

I could just start playing and warm up with a real song, but this way, I get kind of a useful workout, warms up my fingers and my brain, gets my hands locked into some of those harder keys for future reference, all that.

I have to use it as a warmup because it's not too fun. Kind of like eating your vegies first, then you get dessert.

Okay, I'm a grownup, so I can eat dessert first if I want, and I actually like vegetables, but you get the idea. --Jean

#391216 05/03/06 07:37 AM
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I don't and it shows I know.
I figure, a bloke averages singing four songs a day, at least one each a day, and more if i am recording, I am don't have time or vox box left enough for the fiddly bits like practicing.
Time wise.
I se to keep close enough to the beat in my head all the way through most times.
I know one bloke who recorde a backing over one of my vox only sings and it never missed a beat.
And he was using a software program so the beat was the same all the way through.
After I do the Opera singing workshop this month my opinion of practice may change.
Harmonica.
I just pick it up and breathe a bit heavier than norman while flapping my hands and wiggling my tongue.
Graham


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http://www.soundclick.com/bands/2/grahamhenderson_music.htm

#391217 05/03/06 12:10 PM
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Graham, I'm not going to analogize that last part.

Mike


------------------
You have to practice improvisation. -Art Tatum

Mike Dunbar Music


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

#391218 05/04/06 03:47 AM
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Yeah, better leave that to a professional. --Jean [Linked Image]

#391219 05/04/06 12:09 PM
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What I normally do is run scales and then play against jam tracks using what I have learned from the scale studies.
It works well for me.

Jerry

------------------
Jerry Jakala


http://www.jerryjakala.com
http://cdbaby.com/cd/jakalajerry2

The difference between genius and stupidity is that there is a limit on genius.-Albert Einstein
#391220 05/04/06 01:57 PM
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Lately, I've returned to an old tactic Herb Ellis suggested to me many years ago..

I practice scales and riffs and solo ideas without ever playing the root note..

So..if the passage is in C I have to leave out or substitute something else for all the C notes.

It helps you find new shapes and melodic ideas for soloing

It does me, anyway..

Also, "blowing" everything I play as if I was playing a wind instrument instead of guitar..

Bob

#391221 05/04/06 02:41 PM
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That's a great idea, Mr. Ellis must have been quite a teacher as well as a jazz giant.

As with Graham, I'm not commenting on that last part either, bob.

All the Best,
Mike

------------------
You have to practice improvisation. -Art Tatum

Mike Dunbar Music


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

#391222 05/05/06 06:27 PM
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Herb didn't teach much..
I was lucky enough to hook up with him at the old Steve Allen playhouse in Hollywood.
He amd Mike Marshall and Barney Kessell were trying to develop a methodology to take rock and roll players into jazz.
I was the "guinea pig" fo their notions..
In exchange I got to study guitat with Herb and use the old Steve allen Band (Ray Brown, Mousie Alexander etc.) as my practice rhythm section.
Not too freakin' shabby !

I'd sure like to have some of those afternoons back..

Herb was a great guy...he just wanted me (and everybody else) to enjoy music as much as he did

Bob

#391223 05/06/06 05:05 PM
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A technique I used which I found quite helpful when learning complicated pieces for finger-picking guitar was to play them over and over again, each time increasing the tempo to a breakneck speed until I started to miss notes. This taught my fingers where to go without me thinking about it. When I slowed it back down to normal speed it would play much easier and flow nicely.

Michael


"Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens." - Jimi Hendrix
#391224 05/11/06 04:46 PM
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Hi Mike, et. al.,

Lately I've been practising major scales, as parallel thirds. Most of the time this means playing the scale note as the highest note, and adding the third below. However, when I land on the home note (name note of the scale), usually I switch to a fourth below (fifth note of the scale), otherwise is sounds like I'm playing the relative minor scale instead. Maybe I should try practising parallel sixths. That could be interesting . . .

Wes Montgomery used to play octaves, which requires an instrument with very good intonation. Many guitars just aren't up to that. Nor are many guitarists, apparently, considering the awe that Wes' feats inspired.

Thanks for another interesting thread,
Emmit Sycamore

#391225 05/13/06 02:32 AM
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Emmitt,

I like the idea of practicing the major scale in thirds. Have you ever tried the harmonized scale? It's just maj min min maj maj min dim maj. I took a guitar workshop with Howard Roberts years ago, and he had us play scales in thirds (with the third on top) then add the fifths to give a scale in triads. From there we went to sevenths, 1maj7, 2min7, 3min7, 4maj7, 5dom7, 6min7, 7half-dim7(min7b5), 1maj7. Cool scale.

Thanks for posting.

Mike

------------------
You have to practice improvisation. -Art Tatum

Mike Dunbar Music


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

#391226 05/17/06 08:45 PM
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I have been practicing not closing my eyes....when I play the piano...
On the last few songs..I've posted...I've worked at keeping them open...and reading the lyrics....This is a major accomplishment for me.....so...I am practicing reading words...and playing at the same time....
I'm improving on it...anyways. I need to get a metronome...I know... That will be next....

and Mike, [Linked Image] [Linked Image] ...I don't have a Toto dog...
so next time...you rub your hands...and come chasing...do know.. [Linked Image]...it's an obnoxious
Standard Poodle..about..3 feet high...
he would most probably maul you with kisses..... [Linked Image]...

best to ya this early evenin [Linked Image]
Kaley......

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I am wondering if younger bands can still find public gigs to practice live performances anymore. With so few available gigs of any level, I can't imagine where they'd develop live skills, working an audience etc.


Brian Austin Whitney
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"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney

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Brian, Buddy Holcombe's son, Adam, has been in bands since 16, and he's 36 now. Still finds gigs, and some steady, (week after week, especially during the summers in Brigantine, NJ, where he just got married too)!

They had an agent before, who would book them steady all over the Delaware Valley. The agent needs to make his cut on a steady basis, so having a booking agent for sure works for getting steady gigs. With the Del Val area being so populated, it is easier around here to steady gig. Bars, and some clubs as before, but mainly bars and taverns/restaurants. If any band created a decent following, of course they will get the better gigs in all aspects.

They haven't tried the NY scene, as they are content with working other light duty day jobs, and playing a few times a week, (and if only one Saturday night nearby). They are on their own now, (agent free), for settling down more than in their 20's. Although very passionate in their playing and singing, they are more mentally into the songs, rather than putting on a physical show. Adam and his friend practiced all the time starting at 15, after I showed Adam a C chord on the guitar he just go from his dad. He would turn out his bedroom lights at night, to play all chords he was learning without needing to look. He got The Beatles Complete Song Book, and listened to ALL those songs. He became an expert in playing all those songs, (210 of them)! He then studied all songs played by Jimmy Paige, then Eric Clapton, etc. I don't know how much he practices now. It all seems so easy for him, that he concentrates a lot more on his singing, as his guitar playing is already great, no matter what cover song they are doing.

As for me, I used to practice all the time from age 7 on accordion, then to guitar, drums, then piano and portable organ. I went form one to another, even practicing bass on my regular 6 string, for never getting a bass guitar. The more I practiced, the more I was able to do, to the point now at age 64, I can be away form any instrument for a year or more, and right away nail any part, new or knew of form before. Weird. as if just having a casual catch with a baseball, and the glove will simply move to a curve ball thrown at me without first knowing it's going to be a curve. Sub would have me come to his studio to lay down parts for either him, others, or for mike Appel and his songs. I didn't want to even hear their songs until sitting at the keys, and with the recording button pressed for some of those times. it just ALL seems so obvious now. Finger go smoothly where needed, and my drumming can be dead on, and with being creative, with just hearing the song once right before tracking drums. So, for the past 6 years? I don't play until I am laying down something. (Tinnitus making that a needed thing for my ear concerns). I have played Buddy Rich style drums after a year off. as if I had practiced that 15 minute solo type playing every day for a year. Very strange. Cindy told me that its because I had already played SO much since being 7, that's its like a brick layer who is 65 and built all kinds of structures with bricks. It all becomes obvious and automatic. FUN! Grateful I can do that, with having Tinnitus. I will even track a new song that is right then coming into my imagination, and on the clicker for the most part. Sometimes dead on. Depends on how excited I am at the time. (Ha!) Adrenalin I guess. Or, anticipation of what I know should be coming up next. ??? But, mainly, it's my passion and hard work before that I think led to this current way of being able to play just about anything at a moment's notice and mostly, nailing it. Just strange when it happens in a pure, tight, and expressive way. Fortunate! Thankful, etc.

It seems Adam can do that already, not having to wait till he's 64.

Take Care!
John


Actually a Member Since 1996 or 97 (Number One Hundred Something).
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