Practice Hints
Greetings All,
I've been practicing 45-60 minutes per day, most days and progress has been slow and somewhat discouraging. I've been doing the LOA (not for credit), Lessons and watching Hob Bosold and Sharon Barrett. Please share any practice routines that keep things interesting and allow some forward progress.
Thanks.
Phil S.
Phil, here is what has been working for me, although I’m currently on a break.
I practice twice a day. In the mornings I practice for about 30 min. on the solo harmonica studies or other studies, but not the study song. In the evenings when I have more time, I practice the study song. If I have long study session (2 or more hours) I will start and finish with the study song, but study other things in between to keep my mind from getting board.
To make efficient use of your time learn to identify when you have practice something for too long. For example, if you start making mistakes on things that you were previously doing okay on then there is a good chance you have been at it too long. That doesn’t mean you should stop practicing altogether, just move on to something else or take a short break.
Get some exercise. I’m convinced getting the blood flowing improves learning. I will normally take a short walk before practicing and during long practice sessions I will take a walk at about every 1.5 hours.
Here is the best trick that works for me. Its not the long study sessions that make a big difference, it’s the number or short study sessions (2 to 10 minutes.) Always keep your harmonica with you. Have a small list of things to work on, such as improving something like tremolos or bending, a solo harmonica exercise, or a chorus from whichever study song you are working on. Whenever you find a few minutes to practice pick something off your list and do it. Whenever I go somewhere, before I get out of my truck, I practice for 5 minutes or less. I practice simple things like tremolos while I’m driving and solo harmonica examples while I’m waiting at a red light. When I reach the point where I am playing the study song to the jam track although with several mistakes, with the jam track stored on my phone I play the song at least once when ever I have a short study session opportunity.
Make practicing fun. Learn a simple song, (Old Susanna is what I use,) and whenever you have a new technique you have learned play your song using that technique. For example, I will play a chorus of Old Susanna, with normal single notes, the next chorus I will play with slaps, followed by cords, octaves, and even add a swing rhythm to the choruses. It’s a lot more fun than just practicing a new technique to the scale.
The thing that always gives me the biggest improvement is sleep. I have found that each practice session I usually can’t tell if I have made much improvement, I know I have, I just can’t measure it. I will day after day practice something and wonder if I will ever get it, then one day I will wake up and whatever it was that I was struggling with will just work. In my life, I have occasionally had something that seemed impossible, until one day it was no longer impossible. Never have I experienced this impossible feeling so much as I have while learning harmonica, and one day I wake up and I’m doing it. Every day, practice something even if it is just for 5 minutes. Every sleep cycle that goes by where you did not practice the day before is a big gain lost.
You’ve been active on the forum, so keep asking those questions when you get stumped.
Brian in Tennessee
Thank you BR for taking the time to write such a detailed response. I've never had an issue with practicing, especially if I could identify a modicum of progress. I've not yet been able, but am trying, to make practice "fun." Oh When The Saints, Come Marching Home, is my go-to song. I'm adding Old Susana!
I'm up to the first, level 3, bending study song. I've been bemoaning the fact that I can pucker bend many notes but have been strugling when adding the tongue block. As David Barrett has suggested, I've been experimenting with multiple mouth orientations and occasionally am successful with single notes. Incorporating a pucker or TB bend into a song has, to date, not been achievable. I am a newbie and my second group class was interrupted by Covid. My local school has not worked out the innumerable Zoom kinks, so I'll stick with bluesharmonica.com.
I hope to "talk" with you again.
Phil S
Level 3 was a big change for me. For the first time I felt like I was musical. I also was able to relax more while playing. I hope you find level 3 as valuable as I did.
Brian
Try to mix fun stuff in with the challenging stuff. And spend a little time - but not too much - on things you've already mastered to reifnrce a sense of accomplishment.
Remember, your greatest growth happens just outside your comfort zone. It may feel chilly out there, but the warmth is right behind you.