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Thread: Middle of the night practice?

  1. #1
    Registered User John Bertotti's Avatar
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    Default Middle of the night practice?

    Am I the only one who will wake up for 15-30 minutes with the urge to practice? I wake up run to the computer log into peghead nation and practice a bit then right back to bed. How odd is that?
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    Registered User Jon Hall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Middle of the night practice?

    Quote Originally Posted by John Bertotti View Post
    Am I the only one who will wake up for 15-30 minutes with the urge to practice? I wake up run to the computer log into peghead nation and practice a bit then right back to bed. How odd is that?
    That’s not too odd. Paul Glasse told a workshop that he would practice difficult passages just before he went to bed and often, when he awoke, was able to play the same passages better than when he practiced them.

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  4. #3
    Registered User John Bertotti's Avatar
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    Default Re: Middle of the night practice?

    Yes, I have noticed that if something is hanging me up I can work on it slowly, or if too much just listen to it before I go to sleep then I'll wake up and find I am better able to stumble through it. Sometimes it comes out just right. In the end, I am just glad to be making progress again. it seemed that for a long time I just couldn't seem to move on. So I switched to my drums and started practicing on them for six months then when I came back stuff that seemed way too difficult made more sense as well. I have noticed if I practice two different instruments a day I tend to progress quicker than when I focus on one. I find that very odd as well.
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    Registered User Simon DS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Middle of the night practice?

    I just recorded a tune for Song A Week Social group, Eel in the Sink while exhausted from practice, it’s got loads of triplets!

    To get a better result, I know I should have got some sleep, even just a couple of hours, and then recorded late at night/early in the morning. Always works.

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    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Middle of the night practice?

    When I lived in a farmhouse in East Galway years ago I would regularly stay up late or get up in the wee hours and play my tenor banjo - no one around to complain! Living rurally once again now but the difference is that back then I lived alone and now I don't so that's put a dent on my late night practice sessions.
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    Registered User Frankdolin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Middle of the night practice?

    Well I don't "practice", I play, a lot. But I do wake with the urge to play. 1,2, or 5 AM.

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  9. #7
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    Default Re: Middle of the night practice?

    Quote Originally Posted by Frankdolin View Post
    Well I don't "practice", I play, a lot. But I do wake with the urge to play. 1,2, or 5 AM.

    I also do not practice. I play. Practice sounds so restrictive. I play off and on all day. I play quite a bit, because I must. And, if I have a glass of wine, I will be playing. However, I don't think I have been tempted to jump out of bed to play. Even so, I love to end my days by playing until I am totally relaxed and ready to crash.
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    Registered User John Bertotti's Avatar
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    Default Re: Middle of the night practice?

    I grew up rural and hopefully will die rural or off in the mountains somewhere, anywhere but in a town. I have four others in my house but I just go to a different room and play. I have even been outside at 0300 weather and temps permitting and sometimes not permitting. But it seems early am and middle of the night are very productive to me. In all honestly, I am about to just make some straps so the mandolin can go everywhere I do. Maybe it is time to save for a better case the tkl is nice but no straps I suppose I could add some I do have leather on hand or maybe a case cover with them? I am back to being almost as obsessed as I was when I bought my first.

    If I run into problems I slow way down and get even just five or six notes or pick direction practice correct and walk away. This is usually closer to noon and late afternoons. It makes me wonder why those hours are harder for me.

    Jill, would you share a picture of your new home? I'm way out here, me, my wife, son, daughter, and mother, and 8 cats. Yes, I am the crazy mandolin-playing cat guy. The newest will come and push me out of my chair so I stand and have to play to her. cats are funny. Anyway, there is something very focusing about playing in the country.

    Sorry, got sidetracked but things have gone very well this morning so I decided to share. Thanks for the replies everyone, it's nice to know I may not be too far out there on the odd scale. Well, maybe I am but it's acceptable out there I hope.

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    My avatar is of my OldWave Oval A

    Creativity is just doing something wierd and finding out others like it.

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    Default Re: Middle of the night practice?

    I often play very early in the morning, or in the middle of the night, mostly because its quiet, not a lot of distractions.

    I find it it difficult to focus when its noisy.
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  12. #10
    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Middle of the night practice?

    Sure thing John - here's my new place: 150 year old cottage on 10 acres in beautiful Co. Mayo., we're growing organic veg, have some chickens, and will be adding more animals (donkeys, horses, alpacas, and goats) later this year most likely:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    2018 Girouard Concert oval A
    2015 JP "Whitechapel" tenor banjo
    2018 Frank Tate tenor guitar
    1969 Martin 00-18




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    Peace. Love. Mandolin. Gelsenbury's Avatar
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    Default Re: Middle of the night practice?

    I'm too worried about waking the family or neighbours to play late at night. I push it to just after 11 pm sometimes and haven't had any complaints yet. But I don't think later evening or early morning sessions are going to happen.

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    Default Re: Middle of the night practice?

    Quote Originally Posted by John Bertotti View Post
    Am I the only one who will wake up for 15-30 minutes with the urge to practice? I wake up run to the computer log into peghead nation and practice a bit then right back to bed. How odd is that?
    I suspect it's the cookies they serve up at Peghead Nation. I've always had a hunch they contained caffeine.

  16. #13
    Registered User John Bertotti's Avatar
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    Default Re: Middle of the night practice?

    What they got cookies! I missed out again! But I get plenty of caffeine, depending on the length and how hard I work on a given day I may have one or up to four zero sugar Monsters. Love the new watermelon one!

    Jill that looks great. I love rock but it took me a while to get used to this red quartzite that is in my area, it seems so alien sometimes. I wish we were always as green here as in your new place. I understand the greens there are incredible.

    Last evening was a bust I didn't wake up once to play. But I did notice if my little sessions throughout the day go well I am more inclined to wake up, but, if something stumps me I am more inclined not to wake up. Subconscious avoidance maybe.
    My avatar is of my OldWave Oval A

    Creativity is just doing something wierd and finding out others like it.

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    Default Re: Middle of the night practice?

    There's something great about playing at about 4:00 AM, when there's nothing else that needs your attention.

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    Registered User Dan Gabel's Avatar
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    Default Re: Middle of the night practice?

    Quote Originally Posted by Mandolin Cafe View Post
    I suspect it's the cookies they serve up at Peghead Nation. I've always had a hunch they contained caffeine.
    You're onto us, MandolinCafe, but please don't give away the trade secrets!

    John, I'm delighted to hear that Peghead Nation is infiltrating your sleeping hours. It's not odd at all, and it's why the proverbial doors are open 24/7, to let you do what you need to do no matter where you are on the lark-to-owl scale. I am in the owl camp, so late-night practice and playing is a regular thing for me.

    And MandolinCafe, should we launch a line of co-branded coffee to help folks wake up from all the late nights spent on the Cafe and Peghead Nation? I like where this is going.
    Dan Gabel
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    Registered User dulcillini's Avatar
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    Default Re: Middle of the night practice?

    I do it frequently. As a pharmacist retired, insomnia in various forms is very common in our trade. We tend to replay the day's transactions when we hit the pillow--it is a disease that goes with our profession. Yes, I often play at night and frankly, some of my best practice sessions occur then. One of the great things about mandolin is its portability It is easy to go to a different room, out on the deck, or in the garage.
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    Registered User Bren's Avatar
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    Default Re: Middle of the night practice?

    Middle of the night?
    I'm lucky if I can practise in the middle of the day.

    The sound of the mandolin seems to announce, "Please come and interrupt me , the oftener the better"
    Bren

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  24. #18
    Registered User John Bertotti's Avatar
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    Default Re: Middle of the night practice?

    I’ll drink the Mindnight Mandolin blend as long as it is not decaf! I need my brew fully leaded!

    Dan I grew up in Iowa not to far from Iowa City during the era of one of the greatest wrestling coaches. Dan Gable. Small world eh!
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    Creativity is just doing something wierd and finding out others like it.

  25. #19
    Registered User Dan Gabel's Avatar
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    Default Re: Middle of the night practice?

    Quote Originally Posted by John Bertotti View Post
    I’ll drink the Mindnight Mandolin blend as long as it is not decaf! I need my brew fully leaded!

    Dan I grew up in Iowa not to far from Iowa City during the era of one of the greatest wrestling coaches. Dan Gable. Small world eh!
    John, I'm not even sure a decaf option is necessary with this endeavor!

    Whenever I make a call to Iowa or surrounding states, chances are I have that conversation to clarify that I'm not that Dan Gabel, then clarify the spelling and confirm that, despite being a Jr., he's not my father, either. But I'm happy to share the name. And what a great career he's had!
    Dan Gabel
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