I’ve been quiet on the email front for the last month.
My wife had surgery.
A maple tree fell on our shed in the backyard.
I moved my teaching studio across town.
I’m just now catching my breath, and wanted to let you know the emails shall commence!
Just a quick tip today – what you repeat is what you learn.
I’ve often said this to my students. It doesn’t matter that you know you’re playing something wrong. If you repeat it enough, your fingers get stuck in that mode.
Mistakes aren’t always bad, but if you find yourself constantly making the same mistake, something isn’t working.
The fix is straightforward – identify and specify what the mistake is. Get as specific as you can.
Don’t say, “I’m hitting the wrong string.” That may sound specific, but it’s very vague.
Instead, say, “At measure 3 in beat 2 I should be striking the A string, but instead, the pick travels too far past the A string and on the upstroke I hit the D string instead. I need to tighten up my downstroke so I don’t hit the D string on accident.”
I know that sounds overboard for a simple problem, but look at what happens. You forced yourself to think far more deeply than “I hit the wrong string” and in doing so, you are also able to find the solution.
Keep reading: How to know what to practice and what to do when your practice isn’t working.
Nicholas