Listening
"to focus on everything is to focus on nothing" .. ok.. that's why practice time should be organized in different areas, and one should work (and focus) on one area at a time.
How about listening? Do you think it's a good idea to structure in a similar way the time we spend on records? Can you give us some very specific example?
I KNOW IT'S NOT AN EASY QUESTION, but I feel it's a crucial subject not often discussed.
Thank you.
Flavio
Listening to music intently (like watching a movie). I think it's important to devote a certain time to this kind of listening every day.
I was asking myself: how can I get the most out of it? Should I listen to a specific style, or a specific player, or a specific record every day for a certain time (i.e. only listening to Jimmy Reed for two months) in order to stuck certain ideas (licks, phrasing, grooves) in my head? Or is it better to listen to many different things at the same time? Or should be a combination of these two way? Listening to styles of music related to the one I'm studying (like listening to jazz or gospel) could be very important too... questions like those.. there's a lot of stuff to get inspiration from but.. focus on everything is to focus on nothing.. In the Blues Harmonica Fundamentals section there's a video lesson titled "What to Practice".. it's one of my favourite lessons and one of the most important in my opinion... I was thinking about "What to listen to".. a way to structure my listening time..
I understand, thank you. If you focus on your study songs right now, they'll take care of what you need. By the time you finish Studies 1-5 in Bending and Tongue Blocking there's not much you can't do... you're ready to study any artist in 2nd Position.
If you're studying songs of other players, right now you'll focus on songs you think you can play at your level... so focusing on just one player is not the best way to go... one song from a player could be easy and another one way above your level. So for right now, focus on a song that you think you can play is what you'll do.
After you finish Studies 1-5 in Bending and Tongue Blocking it can be beneficial to study one artist long enough to really know their style, so that you're not only able to play some of their licks, but play "like" them... thinking and phrasing like they do.
When you study songs to learn on the harmonica, you're already listening intently... so you've already been doing this. I would start listening deeper (for each of the instruments in the ensemble) to each of your study songs.
If you have more time (in other words, you've done all of your practice for that day), then you could pick an era of blues harmonica (1950's post-war Chicago blues for example) or maybe pick a favorite artist to focus on for a while. For your focused listening time I would generally say to make blues your target for a number of years. Once you have a firm foundation of what blues "is," then you can appreciate what jazz can offer you as a blues player.
With all this said... these are just my thoughts. There are a number of ways to approach this, but if you surround yourself with the artists that are known to be "great" players, then you can't go too wrong.
I hope this helps a little.
Thank you.
Now, let me try to make an example (applying what I learn).. let's say that, after my practice for the day is done, I have time to listen to three records:
1) might be a Charley Patton record (digging in the blues history)
2) might be a Big Walter record (focusing on Post-War Chicago Blues, and especially on phrasing and solo strategies)
3) might be a Jimmy Rogers record (still focusing on Post-War Chicago Blues, but especially on accompaniment playing, and also listening to each instrument in the ensemble.. I was listening to "You're the One" while I was working on Accompaniment Study 4)
During the week-end I might listen to other related material.. train imitations (De Ford Bailey), some Excello guy (Lazy Lester), and some contemporary player (Rick Estrin).
Maybe it's not a bad idea to stick with the same records for a couple of weeks, at least (I'll listen and review the material I listed forever of course..).
What do you think? Does that sound like a decent plan?
I think it would be interesting to have this subject discussed more in depth in future artists interviews.
By the way, I caught a flu and I can't practice for a few days.. but I have time to listen to music..
That's why I'm bugging you with all these questions....
Sounds like a good idea. That sure can work.
When I listen, I tend to be very targeted. When I wrote my book on Accompaniment Playing, all I did for a year was listen to guys accompanying other players. I did the same thing for my Improvising Blues Harmonica book... two years focused on listening and analyzing Instrumentals. When I was a youth and studied Paul Butterfield, I focused heavily on him for a long time. I of course listened to other music during that time, but my focused listening was very targeted. I find this works for me.
Thank you.. I think I have to fix a couple of things.. Thanks a lot.
Sure, listening is of course an important part of being a musician. What type of listening are you talking about? Are you talking about listening to music in the background... listening to music intently (like you might watch a movie... focused on what's going on)... listening to the harp part intently to learn a lick?