Re: Summer Sabbatical (Kind Of) What to work on Now?
Yes, I am 52 , eeeks , time is marching on.
Anyway this is a good topic. When I come to the Pirateship I make a little map of what to try and achieve in a month.
I find working a few different things in short chunks is good.
Some of stuff I do>
/pick a note, find it on both bass and melody side in as many places as you can all in a minute or so. do it for octaves also. You kind of force yourself to learn the fretboard fully, I should do this more!
/same for chords, where can I do an Am and so on , on both sides.
/how is that chord spelled on the neck, whats the first inversion.
/for technique, like mentioned above I really work lots at the moment on keeping that left hand groove going whilst truly improvising on the melody side. I have found this to achieve properly where the rhythm of the two hands are not strictly related in divisions of the beat very very hard. Just tapping out straight 4/4 on my right hand was surprisingly hard against an off beat left hand thing , but again I dont labour it for long periods but do it very regularly.
/pick something achievable!
/I like Genes idea about Bach , since I once studied classical guitar, but its makes sense as something that can be done and give progress.
/sometimes just have fun doing what you can play , looking for little enhancements to it to improve it and execute it better, but dont spend the whole time doing what you can already do, this was one of my problems.
/After lessons with Steve, I dug out a very old copy of a copy of the Real Book and whilst not a Jazz Guy some of these were great to do, looking at ways to play the chord progression on the left hand and then drop in the main melody on the right, it does not have to be very complex to get the tune going. I look at the progression and give myself 30 minutes to get something happening, doesnt always happen!
/I also try to exploit the dynamics as a technical exercise , I think there is lots of scope here through vibrato and attack and so on, eventually defining your own sound in some ways.
Not sure if thats any value but how we practice as well as what we practice can be a big thing. And have a have a Great Healthy summer.