Knowledge or physical

Richard Gonzales · From: Davidson, NC USA

When you feel you are not progressing, do you feel it is lack of knowledge or physical limitations?

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Scott Appleton · From: Ashland, Oregon

I know I have not been chopp'in wood .. I realize its back to practice thats what always brings about progress. Also rehersals with the band is a great place to try those hard do do licks you have been
learning. Theory is something you should be learning as you practice.

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Mullen S12 Almost Mooney
71 Tele, Regal 45
Sho Bud S10 NP
Line 6 Flextone 3 + JBL D130

Don Ricketson · From: Llano, Texas

What Jim said.

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Mullen D10-8/5
Sho-Bud S10-3/4
Evans Amps
"Making The Stars Shine"

Rick Schmidt · From: Prescott AZ, USA

I usually like to feel that it's somebody elses fault.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

No. As my hippie friend would say...

"When you can't hear the birds singing, and the sky seems dark and full of clouds, just look towards the sea and you will find greener grass for which you have been given the reason that there are no questions to be answered."

Or, as my Pappy might say...

If'n ya cain't do it, ya ain't tried hard enough!

Bill C. Buntin · From: Cleburne TX

lack of knowledge for me.

Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

Isn't that the eternal question? Steel pickers are like any other athlete - eat the same, think the same, train the same, practice the same but not necessarily always able to play the same.

Answer this question within yourself and you have really got something, and a few of us do. For the rest of us it's play and practice and practice and play until we can't not play well or drop dead trying.

I better stop, this is getting morbid....

dg

Fred Jack · From: Bastrop, Texas 78602

Could it be fear or lack of ability?
Fred

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

Or fear of having a lack of ability... so you don't try, and then be proved wanting?

Because of so much good info on this forum,
one local teacher, and my buddy Crowbear,
I have made a lot of progress.

Have I plateaued and thought progress has stopped?
Several times, but I kept at it and progress started up again.

Knowlege leads to better physical functioning.
In many cases knowlege made a route AROUND a physical dysfunction.

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 29 November 2004 at 04:00 AM.]

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

Barring injury, the difference in nerve conductivity speed between different people is only 10% or so. However, there's something called "muscle memory" which is pounded into both your brain and nervous system through repetition. There's a lot of evidence that using a metronome properly and maintaining the right state of concentration during practice can drastically speed up the learning process; exactly what the "right" state is, and how to achieve and maintain it is subject to endless debate. Classical musicians have been after this for centuries, so there's a ton of information out there.

Balancing playing because it makes you happy vs. grueling practice ordeals is another issue. I think the greatest of the great have an almost masochistic edge to their drive for excellence - they all at some point spent several years practicing 10, 12, 16 hours a day, and it seems like the best musicians claim that they're still not satisfied with their playing.

There are large differences in people's memory, ability to concentrate, and composure under pressure. These can all be improved with conscious intent, but it helps to both have started young, and have "lucky genes." Additionally, the drive to be a "star" can be quite different than the urge for instrumental prowess; of the three really great musicians I personally know, one owns a recording studio, one teaches at Berklee and the third teaches piano lessons and raises her children. They all still play live, have CD's out etc. but they opted out of the road life. Setting priorities is a good first step.

Bengt Erlandsen · From: Brekstad, NORWAY

Having no goal or understanding would be lack of progress. A little bit of understanding gives way to more progress than a lot of knowledge. To me "understanding means drawing the essence out of the "knowledge". Physical limitations is easy to become aware of. How to correct or improve picking-technique/blocking and other aspects is not only dependent on practise/practise/practise. I have no number of how many bad habits I have introduced to myself by doing exactly that. Having a teatcher would help progress a lot easier. Set certain goals that can be acheived so you have a means to measure if you are making progress or not. Take a little time to contemplate what makes progress for you. Then practise that. Practising making progress is a lot better than practising making bad habits (Bad habits are hard to get rid of and I am sure a lot of us have been on that road once in a while)

Don't let a feeling of not makin progress stop you from playing because you will eventually make the next step forward and it might just happen over night. Next day you wake up what seemed to be impossible will seem to be so easy that you don't understand why you did not do like that in the first place.

Bengt

Martin Weenick · From: Lecanto, FL, USA

Emmons always said it was 10 % talant, and 90 % "want to". I guess he "wanted to" really, really bad.

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Martin W. Sho-Bud, Super- Pro.

Ray Minich · From: Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra

Physical limitations caused by lack of knowledge due to lack of practice due to not enough hours in a day.

[This message was edited by Ray Minich on 30 November 2004 at 08:47 AM.]

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Lack of knowledge on how to overcome physical limitations.

t

Nick Reed · From: Russellville, KY USA

Richard,
Below is the current K9 clan at the Reed Household, their names are AM, FM, & Tinkerbell! The big one in the front is AM (the male) He seems to be progressing well with his scales & chord progressions on the C6th neck. Also he likes the tone of a Emmons push-pull the best. That hound really has good taste don't he!

[This message was edited by Nick Reed on 30 November 2004 at 08:33 PM.]

joe wright · From: Jackson, Michigan

When you add it all up it will depend upon the physical. Everything you want to know about the music, what pedal, what scale, how much vibrato, big chord, single note, etc. will always depend upon delivery by the physical.

Having the physical prepared allows you to accumulate the "knowledge" at an accelerated rate. Of course there should be a balance of learning but after all my study, writings, videos, etc. it all comes down to what my hands can do on any given day..

Knowing where to go is not much fun with hands that can't take you there....joe

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

I'd give my right arm to have Joe's fingers on a bad day.

Richard Gonzales · From: Davidson, NC USA

Nick- If I was cute as your dogs, I would only have to sit to be admired!

Joe Wright- I really believe what you stated to be 100% accurate !

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