Tag: practice

  • Consistency > Motivation

    Consistency > Motivation

    I’ve heard so many times, “It’s so hard to practice, often I just don’t feel like it. How can I keep motivated?”

    And they’re right. Especially now that the days are getting shorter and grey, it’s sometimes hard to find motivation. But IMHO we don’t need any motivation. All we need is consistency.

    Motivation comes and goes. And some days I don’t feel motivated at all. That’s why I’m trying not to rely on it.

    I just stick to the plan. I just “show up”, sit down, and practice what’s on my list. If I feel motivated, that’s awesome. But if I’m not motivated, it doesn’t matter. I just stick to the plan. I know that I will benefit. I know that i will enjoy it somehow. I know it will enable me to play the things I love.

    If you can make it a habit (through consistency), you don’t need any motivation at all!

    It’s ok if you don’t feel motivated to practice guitar, just do it anyway! Preferably at the same time every day.

    But that’s enough ranting for today *ggg*

    ​

    Here’s another gem from my upcoming book, The Anthology of Baroque Violin for Guitar. This is the 1st movement Allegro of Vivaldi’s Concerto for Strings in D minor, RV 127.

    You can download the transcription in standard notation and tablature, along with the audio files, here:
    ​https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zw6USQdUAr9QnFJfuTTI-aKXgt_mnfx2/view?usp=sharing

    Happy practicing!

    PS – Have you checked my latest book, “TCHA-KA TCHA – Understand and Master Rhythm on Guitar through Vocalizing”? It’s a proven method that has helped hundreds of my students finally make rhythm easy. ​Click here to check it out​!

  • How to practice effectively

    How to practice effectively

    Through practice, we can improve and perfect any movement, whether it’s walking, cycling, crocheting, tennis, or playing an instrument.

    But how does it actually work?

    In the wonderful TED-Ed video “How to practice effectively… for just about anyting” Annie Bosler and Don Greene illustrate the principles of effective practicing. We learn about the plasticity of the brain* and how myelin builds our neural pathways into super-efficient data highways.

    *) Neuronal plasticity is the ability of synapses, nerve cells or even entire brain areas to change their anatomy and function in order to optimize ongoing processes. Depending on the system in question, this is called synaptic plasticity or cortical plasticity, for example.

    They describe how to practice effectively and how to “master” a movement through thousands of conscious, slow, and controlled repetitions.

    Mastering any physical skill takes practice. Practice is the repetition of an action with the goal of improvement, and it helps us perform with more ease, speed, and confidence.

    Have fun upgrading your brain!