I’m afraid woodshedding has made me worse

[Sue Rieter]

As a novice musician, I think what Dan is doing is better than not practicing at all, and as supplemental practice, to spend time with one's partner, is likely a good thing. I feel lucky to have a partner who can deal with hearing the same thing over and over and over

That said, I tend to adhere to Brad Laird's How to Become Good Fast #13 : "I don't watch TV or have a TV on when I practice".

The only thing I use my computer for, when practicing, would be to play, over and over, things I am trying to learn by ear, or for play-along tracks.

If my TV goes on once every month (for streaming Netflix or the like), it's alot. I'm actually not sure why we have one.

[journeybear]

Unfortunately, the term may have some negative connotations for those of us who, as wayward youths, were "taken to the woodshed."

Point well taken! I saw that a few times in my journey, and deliberately left it out due to its, ah, troublesome connotations. But yes, what I found fell into three categories: noun, idiom (this), and verb, with three distinct if related meanings. Use all three in a sentence? Hmmm ... OK, parent telling child: "You want to learn how to play that mandolin? You go on now out to the woodshed on your own and do some woodshedding till you get some chops, or else I'm going to take you to the woodshed."

I can heartily agree with that dictionary definition.

Finally, a way to make a positive comment on the issue, lol. Thus far I’ve restrained myself and refrained from pointing out my concerns with the OP definition. It’s just an Internet forum after all.

I've been biting my tongue a bit, too. BTW, I see by your sig you started up a social group here called "The Woodshed Study Group." Funny, I never noticed that before, somehow ...

[Ky Slim]

Not all the commenters on this thread play bluegrass so who are these "bluegrass police" you speak of?

The idea of "BG police" is a joke. It's sarcasm about genre purists. Could easily be the "Trad Police".

Also, how does conversation about what wood shedding means equate "word policing"?

Again, "word police" is just sarcasm.

People are just sharing what their interpretation of the term is, what's the problem with that?

Nothing.

[JeffD]

‘However entrancing it is to wander unchecked through a garden of bright images, are we not enticing your mind from another subject of almost equal importance?’

-Ernest Bramah, Kai Lung's Golden Hours

Great! I have mentioned in other contexts "The discipline to do what you really want, in a world where you can do whatever you want."

[Tom G]

Dan, Strings and Things usually take trades.

[Bertram Henze]

Unfortunately, the term may have some negative connotations for those of us who, as wayward youths, were "taken to the woodshed."

Is there any word in any language, that has not been given some negative connotation by misuse already? There's only two ways to still communicate:
- the benefit-of-reasonable-doubt way, assuming what was said was meant with best intentions
- the legal way, making everything so complicated that nobody dares to interpret it for fear of revealing their ignorance

[Simon DS]

10,005 posts, well done Bertram!

[Bertram Henze]

10,005 posts, well done Bertram!

Thanks, but decimals are overrated. Just wait until my 16384th (=2^14) post...

[Mandobar]

Dan, Strings and Things usually take trades.

The mandolin is on consignment.

[Dan in NH]

The mandolin is on consignment.

Also, I returned to give the mandolin another go. This time I noticed that the bridge has a pronounced tilt, and the saddle is tilted even worse. So it I bought it then I’d need to have a new bridge & saddle fitted.

That’s probably why it is priced so low.

[NDO]

It may just need to be burped to straighten up the saddle.

[Jill McAuley]

Also, I returned to give the mandolin another go. This time I noticed that the bridge has a pronounced tilt, and the saddle is tilted even worse. So it I bought it then I’d need to have a new bridge & saddle fitted.

That’s probably why it is priced so low.

Doubt that's the reason for the low price - as it's on consignment the low price may just be indicative of the owner wanting a quick sale. The bridge might just need reset or even if it needs replaced that's not a big money fix. Could be a haggling point though or at the very least whoever buys it could point it out to the shop and might be able to negotiate a bridge replacement as part of the deal. I've successfully haggled for a lower price on consignment items in the past, just depends on how motivated the seller is.

[Simon DS]

It may just need to be burped to straighten up the saddle.

In sales this can help to close a deal.
The buyer can become fixated on some small, though obvious issue.
Then the seller spends plenty of time focusing and refocusing the buyer onto the irrelevant detail, making sure the buyer has the money in his wallet, here, now, and there are no other impediments finally offers to fix it for free.
Deal closed.