The Steel Guitar Forum

How many of you "visualize" a new tune before you actually sit down to the guitar to try and pick out a first verse?
I've been able to do this for years and wonder if it was something I stumbled onto by myself or if it's a standard thing among you great pickers out there.
I "visualize" the fret board; and the bar placement as I hum my way thro' the tune. It works for me.

Ray; that is exactly what I do.
Most my practice time is spent in the car driving and doing just that.
Seeing the fret board and string grips and hearing the tones in your head as a visualization technique; is so important to learning and being more prepared to improvise something musical and interesting.
Ricky<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 02 March 2003 at 11:41 AM.]</p></FONT>

I also do just that. Not only on steel but other instruments as well. I find it helps tremendously, however I thought it was just me.

Me too.

If there's an important tune I have to learn I'll record it in a loop, and brainwash myself while driving. Good thing I usually drive solo.

I definitely visualize patterns I have been doing it for the PSG for weeks now. As an arranger it is neccesary to do that for any instrument as your writing for it.

I have always believed visualization, concentration and relaxation,(vcr) are three critical elements for being an exceptional player.

I've always done that - I sometimes go to bed straight from practising, and I'll wake up with something figured out in 'shapes'. I'll sneak into the music-room and check it, but I've not been disappointed yet!

I like to while away car journeys working stuff out from fretboard-memory, too....

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Roger Rettig

As David Donald expressed, this is a must for an arranger. I first put an arrangement together in my head which only takes a few minutes; if it is a standard 16-piece chart, I can put it on paper in about 2hours. I never use steel/guitar or any other instrument when I compose, and it always comes out as in my mind's eye. I've been told that all professional artists know exactly what their painting will look like BEFORE they put it on canvas. HJ

Sure Ray, a lot of us do the same thing, with varying degrees of success. Once you're familiar with the tuning and the pedal changes, and have them "burned into" your memory, you can even execute new licks in your head before ever playing them, and...know how they're gonna sound! It takes many years to build up this skill, but I'd venture to say most of the pro's have it!

Appreciate the responses. I recently acquired an old, old record of Red Kirk with JB playing on it; from back in the early '50's. I listened to both sides about a dozen times before I went to bed. Throughout the night my subconscious was showing me the detailed fret board of JB's guitar and each and every move he made to play the two tunes just acquired. I sat down that next morning and was able to play it with a certain degree of authority.
I can now see what the arrangers for BIG BANDS/marching bands, etc. have known for years and is required if they're to have all the different instruments intertwining those moving parts. AMAZING!
This only took me about 55 years to realize. Possibly there's still hope for me.
THANKS folks.

The late Howard Roberts, jazz guitar legend, was really big in to this. He taught it to me the first time I took a lesson with him in 1976. Believe it or not, you can actually improve technique and gain speed by doing this, as your brain doesn't know the difference between something that was seen/heard, or something imagined. Try it with one simple lick, slowly at first, then a little faster as you go, but always executed flawlessly. Just a minute or two is good for hundreds of executions. You'll be surprised at the results. Also works well for practicing golf shots.

Mike, it hasn't done a darn thing for my golf shots! Like others, I do it all the time. I also find that somethimes when I am playing I am "visualising" a beat or so ahead of where I am playing. Does that sound familiar to anyone?

To Mike Delaney and Bob Blair: An interesting point! When I was in medical school, it was thought that 70% of Dr.and/or Hospital visits were result of life-style induced problems or psychosomatic. Today, that percentage has risen to 90%+. Howard Roberts was great. I still enjoy his albums. I have found that the more senses you can get involved, the better. This really has proven true in my case: Using no fingerpicks on all 4 fingers puts me in touch with the strings (tactile stimulation) and has made a lot of difference. As for being a beat ahead, this is most important in SIGHT READING, because one must reach the point at which the notes become a 2nd nature in that you can play one while looking at the next. HJ


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Visualize, Yes! Most Musicians do this...al

Yes use all senses. I was playing a bass gig many years ago and saw a girl leaning against my big ole SVT bass cabinet. Most ladies never come this close. When I looked at her quizicly, her friend came over and said she was deaf but like to feel the vibrations...

So with her permision we picked her up and sat her on the cabinet. She stayed there all night with beers delivered. A big smile on her face.
I made sure I played very tight that night, since I had a special audience literally hang on my every note, by the seat of her pants!

Great topic, I too have been visualizing the guitar neck from early on. I know you all know Frank Falcone, ...who's he ? He was my first orchestral chord teacher in Norwalk Ct
around 1965 and he was the first to show me that you can look at the guitar neck and see what it is you are looking for.

From that point on I generally look at the Steel necks ,both of them, and the guitar as I,IV,V Instruments and visualize positions as I play, or try to play...


tp

Bob Blair -

I have the same problem - I can sit and watch the great players (and even the not-so-great ones!) on a televised tournament, and, as the afternoon wears on, I convince myself that I CAN hit the ball like that, and all I have to do is find that tempo they all seem to have so deeply ingrained. Fifteen minutes after starting my next round, I'm back down to earth with a bump! So much for 'visualization' and golf...

Happily, though, it works for the steel; sometimes my wife sees me looking 'distant' and asks, 'What have you just worked out?'

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Roger Rettig

I have an (minimum) hour commute each way daily. I have found it a very good time to "practice in my head." Also if I just turn off the radio/cd player and let my mind wander I dredge up some very interesting ideas for material to coveer or "quote".

I guess it's akin to meditation.

Roger, with my steel guitar visualizing I think I tend naturally to stick with things that are actually within or close to within my ability to execute. With golf.....maybe I'm imagining myself hitting that shot by I'm sure as heck not visualizing it!!

Herb Ellis was big on this, too. He also saidthat, when improvising, you should sing along with your playing. Not like George Benson, just enough to keep yourself from dropping back and playing the same runs repeatedly.
I work in a rather loud, large factory, and one of my favorite exercises is to make up little tunes in my head, with weird intervals
and such, then find them on the guitar when I get home. We're talking 6-string, here. With steel, I try to remember where the A&B pedals are <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Stephen Gambrell on 03 March 2003 at 01:23 PM.]</p></FONT>

Very true Stephen. Another good example of this is pianist Keith Jarrett, who is my favorite living musician. On live recordings he has that voice thing going. I notice that he holds one pitch for quite a while, that fits with many chord changes. What brilliant examples of modal jazz; the man has the gift.