practice routine
the keys to being a little better than before.
Recently I’ve been journaling. Specifically, journaling about bass. I’ll spend some time when I get a chance at work or home and I just write about whatever it is I’m thinking about in regards to the instrument, my relationship with it, music in general, and where I fit in. it’s an interesting activity to engage in. through the process of writing I’ll lay down in con…
Read more
reality check
being okay with accepting change.
my routine is in shambles. sorta. the practice routine that i've kept for the past, uh... many years... has more or less fallen apart. i really liked the routine, in that it was structured, i kept a journal and was able to keep track of what i was working on over the course of weeks or months, and it became a lifestyle. i always had something to work on which m…
Read more
inspiration
a new beginning, 30 years in.
this is a big one. where to start... i started to earnestly practice and learn guitar, and then later bass specifically, nearly 10 years ago now and i feel like i've made no progress. i mean, i have but not nearly, not even remotely close to a fraction of where i figured i'd be a decade later. i know, everyone is unhappy with their progress as a musician, …
Read more
rut rants
knock a whole lot of rust off.
okay... the burnout is strong. i've become directionless and deep in a rut. it's frustrating and it makes me literally feel terrible when i sit down to play and i'm like *siiiiigh*, "meh". it's a ruff place to be in and it's certainly hard to get out. but I think I know why I ended up here in the first place. lemme explain. full transpa…
Read more
growing pains.
ugh. so. i've been avoiding the thing that i've needed to work on the most because... well, it's just that uncomfortable to do. i mean, that is a trap of practicing/playing, right? we, certainly i, will end up practicing the things i'm already not bad at because it's easy and sounds good. i find it super easy to sit down at the start of a practice…
Read more
rut rants
burnt. out.
uuuf. well, it happens to everyone at some point. this past month I've been experiencing burn out. after my last lesson I basically didn't play for 2 weeks and when I did it was brief and not substantial. during my lesson Todd had said he feels like I'm in on a plateau, which I'd agree with. I've been putting a lot of work in with little upwards …
Read more
reality check
grittiness? grittitude? gritosity. yes, that's it.
i've sorta got 3 posts going simultaneously just because i have a few things i want to put down in words but i can't quite complete the ideas. so for the sake of actually completing something i'm going to talk about my most recent lesson, which... was a whole thing. i was listening to a psychology podcast recently (no like a legit one, not armchair psycho…
Read more
practice routine
go kick rocks.
several months ago my teacher had me starting to work on beautiful love and, as i do, i dove right in. i got it programmed into reaper, grabbed the midi melody from a transcription on musescore, and printed out the chart. i was ready. i spent the month working on it every day hoping to have it all buttoned up for my next lesson. each day i would pick apart each sect…
Read more
reality check
progress and the struggles of said progress.
recently my teacher has got me working on an exercise which is objectively, and i can't stress this enough, not difficult. at face value, at least. however, holy shit i am struggling to get through one cycle. the concept is simple enough, play this thing and then move it down a whole step. run through all twelve keys. okay, sure... play the thing, move it down a…
Read more
reality check
you get what you pay for.
as i do every year, in january i write up a brief description of my year-long goals. a year is certainly long term so i break it down further into medium and short term goals. it's a thing i do. before i write up the new goals i make a summary of the previous year's goals and if i stayed on course, how much i completed, thoughts, etc. needless to say each yea…
Read more
gear
i hate consumables.
strings. i hate strings. don't get me wrong, i love how new strings sound and am always happy when i get a new set on a bass. i'm just not a fan of changing strings. not in a i'm-not-good-at-it sort of way but i just can't stand the prospect of having to do it. lemme explain. i'm one of those people that in a video game i'll hold on to all co…
Read more