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  • HITTING "THE WALL" - Jericho Time!

    Acquiring any skill worth having takes the following: valid instruction, time, practice, and performance in mixed order. However, expectations in an "I want it NOW!" world tend to diminish the value of the final, and most important ingredient in the recipe for success: patience.

    Here's what Roy has to say:

    "Virtually every student I've ever had hits a plateau at one time or another. I have myself many, many times. As they say, the only way out is through.
    One thing I would invite you to think about is what you practice. Playing riffs you can already play is playing, not practicing. Practicing should sound a little bad, IMO. You are working on things you can't quite get and eventually getting them under control. One mistake a lot of players make is that when they cop a cool riff or two their practicing becomes "congratulatory" practicing: "Dig me! I can play this (insert Cool Band/Bass Hero) riff!" That's great, but then it's time to move on.
    Are you working with a good teacher? (Like, say, Roy Vogt on Teach Me Bass Guitar? - Ed.) Guidance when you're first learning can really help you learn quicker and waste less time on blind alleys. A good teacher can help you to learn the why of what you're playing, not just how to imitate it.
    Finally, don't expect too much from yourself after just a year or so of playing. Through practice your mind and body are entering a new relationship, you're building the muscle memory that will be critical to your ultimate success. Picture a baby learning to walk, there are lots of falls, stalls, and stumbles as his body learns the intricacies of balance, momentum, and balance - but before you know it he'll be asking for keys to the car! Most of my students don't really start to stand on their own two feet until they've been "re-wired" year into playing.
    I also encourage you to find some people to jam/play in a band with. That really helps on a lot of levels. Playing bass at it's best is a team sport.
    Good luck and keep plugging away at it!"
    Roy
    Comments 5 Comments
    1. SilverFlame46's Avatar
      SilverFlame46 -
      Excellent advice. Thanks!!!
    1. TroyJames's Avatar
      TroyJames -
      I agree with SilverFlame, excellent advice. One thing I've wondered about though, there are some things I can play that other people say, 'that's really good", but to me it can be better. It can always be better. So, if I am playing something that I think can be better but is already good, does that fall into the "congratulatory" practice? My practices are getting to the point where I am more confused by practice than by the bass itself.
    1. TobiasMan's Avatar
      TobiasMan -
      I'd say that "congratulatory practice" is just playing the same things (good or not) over with the purpose of simply feeling good about how well you can do it.

      If however, you think you can do it better, and the practice is purposefully focussed on addressing the areas that you think you can do better, then it is betterment practice.

      Congratulatory playing is fun and rewarding, but simply playing what you can do reasonably well over and over will not lead to progress. Simple repetition of what you can do in "good" mode leads to ingraining the errors that have held your ability at "good" into your memory even more.
    1. TroyJames's Avatar
      TroyJames -
      Thanks TobiasMan. That clears up the concept very nicely.
      So taking something one can do reasonably well, hearing the defects and striving to better the problem, however minor, can and should be part of ones practice.
    1. TLDTR's Avatar
      TLDTR -
      Excellent advice, TobiasMan. The only way to discover new country is to push the borders. (I've been watching old westerns lately...)
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