"House of the Rising Sun"

[ShirleyIplay]

Hi Jamie. It's been several months since I posted my practicing for you to respond to. BUT, I have been working on things and getting fingering, especially at the first 5 frets, which I still have trouble with. I intend to take a lesson after my vacation the First week of August, which I really need.
Attached are two stabs at the slow rythm to 4 beats at 60 bpm. I still have a little trouble getting that "f" cord, but think it's improved. Your video helps.. Also since I've been increasing my speed on licks and such, it's hard to slow down, you will notice I had to make myself slow down. lol

http://youtu.be/9gYuMTNu5Eg

http://youtu.be/CFPK915rBbY

Look forward to your's and anyone else who would like to advise me. Thank you. Trufire is a terriffic site, by the way.

[ShirleyIplay]

Jamie, I just read your post about keeping time you sent out yesterday or today. lol What an appropriate time to do that. Seems to me, but not likley, that you did it just for me. lol Looking forward to your comments, and a session over the internet soon.
Shirley

[Jamie]

Hi Shirley,

Well, you are making all the changes in time, but you are working way to hard, due to some less than optimized mechanics. Adjustments need to be made.

Your fingers are squeezing together, and your elbow is coming in to far to the body. That is because you are using the wrong muscles (pectoralis, or chest muscles, which bring in the upper arm bone) to get pressure to the strings, rather than make the fingers do their proper work, especially on the F chord.

Yes, I will straighten you out when I see you. In the meantime, see if you can improve things based on what I have said. You've got to go deep here......

[Ted]

Hey Shirl, I feel your pains. Slowing down is the hardest thing for me to do on guitar. I sometimes start out fast and sloppy and have to talk myself into slowing down as I go along. Too much playing along with Ted Nugent and Aerosmith records and reckless speeding on motorcycles when I was a kid. Going as slowly as possible and taking it all in as you go really is the key to everything.

I am learning to love going slow more and more. It's just like anything else; the more I do it, the better I get at it.

When you go super-slow, all those things Jamie talks about start to be realized and all the light bulbs start going on. As talked about in The Principles, attention and awareness are paramount. And the plain truth of it is, unless you're going as slowly as possible when learning a new thing or fixing up an old one -- you can't possibly be paying attention to what you're really doing.

So go slow. Go stupid slow. Go cold molasses in a Siberian winter slow. Go so slow you start drooling and have to wipe the spit off your chin (but don't fall asleep!). Go slow and spot that tension that's happening wherever you may find it. Pose on it. Let it go. Do it again. And again and again and again if necessary to get rid of it. Once you get rid of the tension, things start to flow and you start to be able to play and to think much faster. I think of my body as a river that is flowing steadily along. And I think of tension as blockage, a log jam, if you will. This blockage must be cleared up before I can start to flow again and get to where I want to go. Tension where you don't want it or need it is dis-ease. It's got to go. The only way to get rid of it is to slow down. Find out where it is and release it.

"Go real slow -- you'll like it more and more -- take it as it comes -- specialize in having fun!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI_RVIl4ZsA <<<<<--------<<<< This is the song I use to remind me to slow down. By now it rings in my head every time I sit down to practice. You can get creative and invent your own formula, of course.

On the other hand, the notes are coming out loud and clear in your playing for the most part. Like the song says, "specialize in having fun"; so, don't forget to play and have a good time with it and give us what ya got!

'In all my life I never dreamed that going slow is the key to things
Go too fast you're sure to crash and get dis-ease and injuries'

[Ruby6092]

Hi Shirley & Ted,

Thanks for posting your videos, Shirley. I learn from your efforts and Jamie's interventions. You will have even more fun with this song before too long.

Ted, your words on going slow are well said and a good reminder. I couldn't open the video of the song you posted that cues you to go slowly. Could you repost it? Or maybe it's on my end and if that's the case.... what song is it and I will go find it?

Marilyn

[Ted]

Hi Shirley & Ted,

Thanks for posting your videos, Shirley. I learn from your efforts and Jamie's interventions. You will have even more fun with this song before too long.

Ted, your words on going slow are well said and a good reminder. I couldn't open the video of the song you posted that cues you to go slowly. Could you repost it? Or maybe it's on my end and if that's the case.... what song is it and I will go find it?

Marilyn

The song is, The Doors "Take It As It Comes"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYEvQqIjeQ0

Unfortunately, Jim Morrison was not a taker of his own advice. The world needed lots more Doors music in it!!!!!!! Oh, yeah!!!!!!!

[ShirleyIplay]

I have been working on things and getting fingering, especially at the first 5 frets

Re: the above statement I made. I have been working all week on getting that hand position right. Even looked in your book, "The Principles" for a photo. Somehow my wrist will not turn that way. While I am waiting for next month to take my video lesson, what can I do to correct my hand posision? Thanks, Jamie.
Shirl

[ShirleyIplay]

Jamie, here is my embarrasing hand position going down the fingerboard. This may help me, and you helping me. lol
I thought I was ok, but i'm not. It's getting too far into my playing and I want to fix it. Maybe this will help.

http://youtu.be/DO4CEUWebd8

[Jamie]

The biggest problem here Shirley is the fact that you are jumping so fast into this! Where is the no tempo practice?

Do real no tempo, and place the fingers carefully. Your 4 is straight, it should be curled down to the string and leaning to the right. Study things more carefully, maybe look at some videos of other students. It should be easy to fix if you approach it right, but there is no hope of fixing it as you are going about it now.