Practice Thoughts | 01: What Is Practice?
Added 2020-03-20 01:09:49 +0000 UTCWhere to Start • Lesson Archive • Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private Lesson
This videos sums up the fairly simple concept of actually using words when practicing and getting out of the dangerous but addicting and fun flow state where no conscious thinking is happening. This video and concept will fit into the big picture of how to practice as I continue to roll out more Practice Thoughts.
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Comments
Sweet, vintage SPJ 🙌🙌
Tasha McManus
2025-03-28 05:00:45 +0000 UTCThanks for joining! I'm so glad you're finding these lessons helpful! I have more practice thought ideas I'll crank out this year.
Scott Paul Johnson
2025-01-07 17:55:26 +0000 UTCWow! This is so incredibly helpful. I read multiple rave reviews about your Patreon and now I see why. The value I got out of this very first video is incalculable. Thank you so much! I am excited to work my way through your lessons.
Kim Forman
2025-01-02 17:33:31 +0000 UTCyou are amazing in talking about the harsh but necessary truth!
nikki
2024-03-09 04:06:35 +0000 UTCHey Scott, this is a great series and I'm excited to see all the episodes. I've been taking your classes since January and I love them!
James Tuverson
2023-06-29 01:42:52 +0000 UTCThank you so much! As a beginner i needed such thoughts !
Hovorov
2023-02-15 08:07:51 +0000 UTCScott, I love listening to you think! I have spent the last two weeks playing the C major scale through all the shapes, at least two hours a day, sometimes more. Today has been one of my worst days. My picking hand seems to always go to the wrong string when I am trying to change to the next shape. I started to investigate why I am suddenly having this problem when I didn't before and started talking to myself about it out loud. I finally realized I was talking and shut up because I felt crazy. Now that I've watched this, I guess if I'm crazy, you are a loon! One of the things I really LOVE about your teaching style is your willingness to be vulnerable. Thank you!
Mark Fletcher
2022-03-15 05:52:57 +0000 UTCGlad these lessons have had an impact on you
Scott Paul Johnson
2021-08-07 02:16:57 +0000 UTCThank you. I really needed to hear this. I just stumbled upon this when I joined I went right to guitar theory and the lessons therein. I accidentally stumbled upon the what is practice series. IMHO this should be something that is advised to go to first, however maybe it is and I just missed that if so I apologize. I really appreciate this thank you Scott.
S Lange
2021-08-07 01:08:13 +0000 UTCI think this is a great technique to be aware of. I can recognise now where I’ve subconsciously done this before. The brain is powerful when fully engaged and I’m often surprised by it’s ability to offer solutions just by verbalising a problem. Thanks.
Paul Burrows
2021-01-15 06:54:41 +0000 UTCAwesome stuff man, this is exactly how I've gone about learning other instruments on my own after already having some formal education on the drum set, the self-talk/critical analysis thing is huge! I've come to view practice as teaching one's self
Nate_Venture
2020-10-20 15:10:46 +0000 UTCThis makes a lot of sense, especially the analogy of the unicycle. It definitely adds depth to my "icons"... e.g. the icon known as "G chord" ... verbalizing finger positions... then maybe the notes. Then the "icon" known as "switching from G chord to C chord".... then the icon known as "C chord".. etc. A few seconds to occasionally verbalize the additional information associated with whatever I'm doing on guitar (or life)... is a great practice skill that, over time, really adds depth! Thank you!
George Brotherston
2020-09-19 04:03:36 +0000 UTCDoes your name say Chicken Coffee in Hangul? I respect that.
Hobbes
2020-09-16 07:21:05 +0000 UTC"I'm not a scientist, but ... ;) " LOL. Great video!
Hobbes
2020-09-14 23:51:26 +0000 UTCWell my thoughts are, being autonomous is the opposite of what you are trying to learn from being mindful. Being autonomous is only the result of praticing. It can good OR bad. The bad example for guitarists is noodling, which you mindlessly play through chords and random notes on scales that's in your muscle memory. This maybe pretty obvious to you, 'Of course I know that'. But another bad example is mindlessly passing through mistakes. As described in the video, sometimes you play a chord, MINDLESSLY stutter for a moment to replace your fingers for the next chord, then GET HIGH when you play the next chord even if you just stuttered. My understanding of this video is that I should prevent myself from being autonomous for what I am not good at. This process will be less exciting but boring because I can't taste the next chord if I don't resolve the stuttering inbetween playing the chords.
치킨커피
2020-08-08 20:24:01 +0000 UTCInteresting subject. I remember a book on the philosophy of learning. It's called The Art of Learning, written by a former chess master. It might be interesting on top of your ideas. You internalize skills by repeating (practice) certain techniques. Doing this will make aspects effortless. So if you learn to drive a car you'd be struggling by shifting gears. The longer you practice the more these things become autonomous. In some time you won’t even think of the stuff you’re doing, you’ll just focus on the road. I suppose it’d be the same on guitar. I hope I can internalize the scales, shapes and positions and be able to go up and down the guitar without thinking about it.
Nico Spliethof
2020-07-29 19:16:17 +0000 UTCI like this "Practice Thoughts" series. I definitely need more help with making the best use of my practice time, since some days I don't have a lot of time to practice.
Jeanna
2020-06-25 08:10:03 +0000 UTCI think I 'll put my "inner me" to work ... he's basically spent all his time criticizing my clumsiness as I do the ineffective things you describe! Sheesh! Thx.
Lauchlin McKenzie
2020-06-13 04:17:35 +0000 UTCThis makes me want to pick up my flute and practice that too (played all they way to college and still have it), but this alone is worth joining. I def agree with Dave's comment - I think that's why the second vid you did on making a list was helpful too. Funnily enough, I had just written down a list earlier this evening for working on scales, arpeggios, triads and song seeds. I tried a song seed session for the first time tonight after watching your youtube video about it and what a fun excercise - I used "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein which made it super funny at times, but the quickness really helps. This comment is a bit long now, but I'm very glad I joined your patreon - this is already extremely helpful and interesting way to look at music and practice.
Ann-Marie Daniels
2020-03-30 07:10:33 +0000 UTCCannot learn everything at once little steps make big gains.
Dave
2020-03-26 23:38:22 +0000 UTCAre people looking for advice on what to practice ie. a Pathway as this is different dependant on where they are with their current ability on Playing guitar .Notes. Chords Open chords Power chords Barre chords etc Strumming Patterns Riffs Soloing Techniques, Understanding Theory,Scales, Appreggios what to Practice first then next or what to Practice together . Learning Fretboard , Rhythm Reading Tabs Music etc hope this helps as you cannot learn everything at Your teaching methods are excellent.
Dave
2020-03-26 23:36:55 +0000 UTC
