Sunday Advice Corner: Feb 3rd
Added 2019-02-04 01:37:43 +0000 UTCA few tidbits of random music related advice that speaks to my musical experiences lately.
1) If you're feeling anything in your wrists (pain, stiffness), ice them! Truth be told, if you play a lot of guitar then icing your wrists should become a regular habit so that you can avoid things like tendonitis. I've been seeing guitarists fall victim to this a lot more lately.
2) When writing, try to be aware of the fact that there are times when we play purely by means of mechanics and muscle memory. And when we do this, we're not using our ears as much as we think we should. Instead, try to let your ear guide where you should be placing your fingers.
3) There is no one universal left and right hand technique. Certain positions and grips will work better depending on the situation.
4) Take a second to write down whatever it is you're practicing. And stick to practicing that stuff. If it gets too easy, increase the challenge. Either physically, through things like tempo, or conceptually.
5) Know where the 3rds and 7ths are in relation to the roots of your chords. Also try to know where the extensions are. Know what the relationships of the extensions, 3rds, and 7ths sound like. This kind of knowledge can really speed up the writing process.
6) Play another instrument? Set a minimum of 15 minutes a day to playing that instrument. I'm making this a goal for drums this year. I've got a notification in my phone telling me to practice drums everyday for 15 minutes. Just so I don't lose it, and sometimes, maybe I'll even go beyond 15 minutes and perhaps i'll get better at it...
