I come to you today as a young person, probably one of the younger individuals that frequent this forum, who has played stringed instruments off and on the majority of my life. I've spent the majority of my time playing guitar, with my interest in mandolin developing in high school as my music tastes teetered from the typical teenage interests of rock and metal towards a more nuanced appreciation of folk and country.
This all came to a head when I spotted a Rogue brand mandolin at a swap meet which I was scammed into overpaying for. I, probably embarrassingly, toted it around with me very frequently in school, playing beginner fiddle tunes I had learned online from our friend Baron Collins-Hill.
Thus emerges my problem. Its a pattern I've recognized with every instrument I've played, the burning desire to be able to play the music that bounces around in my head, but the complete inability to not only perform it, but the inability to put in the work required to achieve that level of musical understanding and prowess.
I don't know if I have an attention disability, nor have I ever been the type of person to fall back on such a thing as an excuse, but the combination of digital distractions, mental exhaustion from working, and knowing some basic songs always drives me to a rapid plateau in my playing.
Allow me to run you through a typical "practice" session of mine, so that you may understand more clearly:
- I get the desire to play so I pick up and tune my mandolin (I'm now the owner of a 2019 Weber Bitterroot, the Rogue has long since left my possession)
- I warm up by playing through some familiar tunes, often classic fiddle tunes played to a sickening familiarity, instead of with focused musical intent.
- One of many possible distractions happens, be it a buzz from my cellphone, or a notification from my computer, or whatever else might pop up at the time.
- I pull myself back to the mandolin after a few minutes, only to find myself repeating those same familiar tunes and chord progressions over and over, rarely with any variation.
- Repeat these final two steps ad nauseum
Its been a few months since I've made a dedicated effort to improve my playing, and I dont have much of anything to show for it because I can't break these habits. From a distance, I recognize them as bad habits, and I have a lifelong desire to become a competent musician and thrive in musical circles, but in the moments that matter, all I can do is plunk out a sorry and lifeless Irish Washerwoman.
I know it is within me to become a great musician, I just need to overcome these seemingly vast hurdles to begin improving.
Thank you for bearing with my life story thus far, I'd absolutely love to work with any of you fine folks to shelf this chapter of my life as a musician and move on towards a brighter one. I'm believe I am familiar with the steps I need to take, but the motivation to do anything but wallow once you're down in the mud can be monumental indeed. Even simply making this post feels like a big step in the right direction for me.
I know I need to develop a practice regimen, and I know I need to stick to it. Do you have any advice on how to build this regimen, and any techniques I can apply to follow it closely without becoming distracted?
and I know I need to play with other people in person. 99% of my playing has been done alone, by myself. The few times I have played with other musicians I have felt something new that drove me towards experimenting with new things and break that mold that I find myself stuck in. Any tips on how to find other players or a local community would be vastly appreciated as well.
Finally I know I need to be mindful while I play. Almost always I play by going through the motions, instead of thinking about what I'm doing, and my tone and technique suffer greatly from it. Advice on things to be mindful of, or pay attention to are absolutely welcome.
Even things that I haven't mentioned specifically, but that I might need to hear, please make your voice known. And if you have any questions, please ask.
Thank you, In advance
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