I Have Musical Attention Deficit Disorder

[Skip Ellis]

That's what I've decided. For some reason, I can't seem to stick with a song long enough to really get it learned. A couple days ago, I started out messing with "Watch What Happens" which is a long time favorite; next thing I knew, I was in the car and heard "The Nearness of You", so came home and started working on that but somewhere along the line, I jumped to "Shadow of Your Smile". Too many good songs and not enough time, I guess....is there hope for me?

[Bobby Timmons]

What I do is forget mastering the song in practice, just get to recording it as soon as I can make it through reasonably. Then I record 1 good take per day at least 3 days in a row. Works better than practicing it forever before going for a perfect take in a single recording session and I end up with a good recording. The recording forces you to get it together better and you can listen to and improve on your playing as you go. Trying to master it in practice takes forever.

[AllanAllen]

That's what I've decided. For some reason, I can't seem to stick with a song long enough to really get it learned. A couple days ago, I started out messing with "Watch What Happens" which is a long time favorite; next thing I knew, I was in the car and heard "The Nearness of You", so came home and started working on that but somewhere along the line, I jumped to "Shadow of Your Smile". Too many good songs and not enough time, I guess....is there hope for me?

Start a band, and get a gig. It sounds like you're just meandering without any real goals. You need a reason to finish the songs. You also need to learn how to finish learning a tune, push through that part in the middle when you brain says it's all done. Tell it to shut up and keep going.

I mean, unless you're happy with how things are going.

[enalnitram]

TM might help.

[Boss Man Zwiebelsohn]

Get a bankster job and leave music to others.

[pamosmusic]

What I do is forget mastering the song in practice, just get to recording it as soon as I can make it through reasonably. Then I record 1 good take per day at least 3 days in a row. Works better than practicing it forever before going for a perfect take in a single recording session and I end up with a good recording. The recording forces you to get it together better and you can listen to and improve on your playing as you go. Trying to master it in practice takes forever.

That's not a bad idea.

I like to do twelve days, twelve keys. It's kind of arbitrary. And some tunes certainly don't take twelve days, but that makes those stretches a good time to review some old tunes.

[Doug B]

That's what I've decided. For some reason, I can't seem to stick with a song long enough to really get it learned. A couple days ago, I started out messing with "Watch What Happens" which is a long time favorite; next thing I knew, I was in the car and heard "The Nearness of You", so came home and started working on that but somewhere along the line, I jumped to "Shadow of Your Smile". Too many good songs and not enough time, I guess....is there hope for me?

You and me both buddy!

Doug

[Skip Ellis]

Start a band, and get a gig. It sounds like you're just meandering without any real goals. You need a reason to finish the songs. You also need to learn how to finish learning a tune, push through that part in the middle when you brain says it's all done. Tell it to shut up and keep going.

I mean, unless you're happy with how things are going.

You're so right - when I'm getting ready for a gig or a theater run, I'm all in, but without those things to spur me on, I don't even feel like playing. Lately I've been trying to get up a solo act for assisted living venues, which is fine and gives me a goal, but I'm finding so many great tunes that I have played but not really learned that I'm torn in a lot of different directions.

[rpjazzguitar]

Start a band, and get a gig. It sounds like you're just meandering without any real goals. You need a reason to finish the songs. You also need to learn how to finish learning a tune, push through that part in the middle when you brain says it's all done. Tell it to shut up and keep going.

I mean, unless you're happy with how things are going.

Excellent advice!

This process is so prone to distractions that it's challenging to stay on a path.

Hear a cool solo? New issue of GP arrive with some interesting lessons (no more printed GP, sadly)? You went out to hear a guitarist and now all you want to do is sound like that? etc etc.

But, a setlist for an upcoming gig is likely to focus your mind, as AllanAllen suggested.

And, for those who aren't yet at gig level, even a weekly rehearsal with some target tunes can produce that kind of result.

[AllanAllen]

You can probably just work out 6 or 7 tunes for an assisted living thing. Give them a 45 minute show the first time. You don't have to start with 3 hours of tunes.

[Bobby Timmons]

That's not a bad idea.

Yeah it's good. As soon as I get basic fluency on a tune I go record it. That's like writing a rough draft, it's not going to be an acceptable final version. Then keep recording it each day between 3-7 days. Listen back to it and improve. You get in the zone and your fluency takes much more quickly than dicking around only practicing.

I like to do twelve days, twelve keys. It's kind of arbitrary. And some tunes certainly don't take twelve days, but that makes those stretches a good time to review some old tunes.

That's good. I spend several days in 1 key then move up a half step. More for maintaining general fluency in every key. Working out tough tunes in every key isn't an essential goal of mine.

[pamosmusic]

That's good. I spend several days in 1 key then move up a half step. More for maintaining general fluency in every key. Working out tough tunes in every key isn't an essential goal of mine.

Yeah, I've been really digging deep on the Lego Bricks vibe for learning tunes, so I'm kind of banking on the long game benefit of doing twelve keys on them. I've been spending time more particularly on the particular progressions. Like, I'm working on Recordame right now, and haven't been doing the whole tune in twelve keys, but doing that How High the Moon sort of descending ii-V pattern. Major becomes minor, which is the ii in a new ii V I, etc.

[supersoul]

That's what I've decided. For some reason, I can't seem to stick with a song long enough to really get it learned. A couple days ago, I started out messing with "Watch What Happens" which is a long time favorite; next thing I knew, I was in the car and heard "The Nearness of You", so came home and started working on that but somewhere along the line, I jumped to "Shadow of Your Smile". Too many good songs and not enough time, I guess....is there hope for me?

I learn tunes each time I learn them. Like, I'll learn one, then forget about it, then have to learn it again, but the second time it goes in better and sticks around longer. The more cycles of this the more internalized it is.

[AllanAllen]

I learn tunes each time I learn them. Like, I'll learn one, then forget about it, then have to learn it again, but the second time it goes in better and sticks around longer. The more cycles of this the more internalized it is.

This is what I did, I was also looking at iReal for changes on everything I played. I wanted to stop having my phone out at gigs, I started practicing without iReal. It was hard at first and I still mess up changes, but I can hear that it's wrong and try something else next time. Mistakes don't matter, they go by just as fast as the things you play on purpose.

[digger]

I learn tunes each time I learn them. Like, I'll learn one, then forget about it, then have to learn it again, but the second time it goes in better and sticks around longer. The more cycles of this the more internalized it is.

This happens to me with just about everything in life!