Imagination

[szulc]

Here is something I learned many years ago.
Imagine yourself playing for 5 minutes, they way you want to, be in the moment. Then pick up your guitar and close your eyes and play with no preconception or as little thought as possible, just play, do it for at least 10 minutes, anything goes but only if you are mindless, no worked out ideas or same old licks riffs or exercises.

Now take some progression and improvise, be fresh and creative(try to play new ideas), record it (Make sure you label it with the correct day and time). Make sure it is at least 3 minutes long. Do this every day for 21 days. On the 22nd day, don't play just listen to the recordings, starting with the beginning one, it would actually be nice if you used the same progression every day (you could use different keys to make it interesting).

Now, think about what you have gained in 21 days.
This is a fun and useful addition to everday practice, and it gets results. Repeat the exercise after about 1 week break.

[EricV]

Hi there,

I really like that suggestion, it´s a cool idea.
You know, Abi, a good friend of mine, oncetried something interesting, too...
He listened to ONLY piano-recordings ( solo-piano ) for 3 months. Yes, I mean ONLY those piano-recordings, NO OTHER MUSIC than that ( sure, you occasionally catch some stuff at the mall or on the radio, but you know what I mean...)

And after those 3 months, he definitely noticed a change in his playing. Hearing all that piano-stuff had changed him a bit, he played more "piano-style", less legato, cleaner etc.
Then he listened to a tape of Stevie Ray Vaughan songs ( only that one tape ) for 3 months. To get back to the guitar-stuff.
And after those other 3 months, he was kinda back in "guitar-mode", but had still some of the "piano-influence" left...

I do have an article about some stuff like that coming up soon...

Eric

[Bongo Boy]

I think this relates to the Recording Your Practice & Progress Thread--maybe we could actually merge these.

http://www.ibreathemusic.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=408

I also like this idea--the stream-of-conciousness aspect of it. I don't think it would work too well for me now (because there's so little I can do without deep concentration), but I think in 6 months it will be very applicable.

I was recording about once per week, and some folks I spoke with were surprised I'd do it that often. Being a real beginner tho, I can tell that's not too high a frequency--the changes are dramatic right now.