Greetings, whoever-reads-this!
We've got a heat wave going on this week. Temps in the mid-90s. If it were just 10 degrees cooler, I'd probably be outside working on my backyard. I was able, however, to work on my guitar playing. Got some decent practice in- calisthenics plus a couple tunes.
My practice routine consists, first, of scales & arpeggios, all 12 keys, and at different tempos. I use slower tempos: 75 and 80. And I work on playing legato at those slower markings, giving each note its full value. What I'm trying to build is not speed but control. Control is a bitch.
Then once I've run the scales & arpeggios(and maybe other patterns), I work with playalong recordings. Again, there's a purpose to it. I work on time, feel, articulation and the use of space. I guess you'd call it guided improvisation.
And then I listen back to the things I've recorded. LIstening to how I handled the time, how I used space, how I played the tune. The simplest criterion, though, is just plain how it feels. Am I settling into the pocket or am I pushing things?
If it feels good to listen to, then I usually put it up on my YouTube page. If not, I just delete it and figure I'll come back and fight another day--or at least later on in this one.
My YouTube page was originally designed to record my gigs, and there is a Gigs section- but mostly it's just me in my practice room. I guess the page evolved in the way it wanted to evolve. ``I'm flattered as hell that people have enjoyed some of the soundz. It definitely helps my morale.
I think morale is something we could all use about now. Thanks as ever for stopping in and reading. Much love to you! More later. Stay cool.
