I think performing is a bit like tennis and you need to be match fit to last the distance. The only way to increase your stamina / durability is to practice exactly what you want to build up. I find this to be very true especially when it comes to singing. If I haven't sung in a while due to instrumental practice, I get quite hoarse if I attempt a 3 hour gig. Although it might seem dorky, try keeping a practice page where you record how much time you practice each day. It keeps you honest and very conscious of how much time you actually hit the strings. This helped me throughout all of last year when I began this crazy journey, now practice is like having breakfast and dinner (tea), it is a must and part of the daily routine. Even the family knows that 'dad' has to play some music before we go out :-) Now I can look back and see how much practice I did in each week / month, and I can also see where I achieved milestones from my notes.
Since I purchased my beloved Duff F5, the Eastman has been "resting". My intention was to sell it as the sound and feel just don't compare and I have my baby now, but then I think it might come in handy as a reserve for an unplanned situation. And there's my 3 year old who is nuts over playing, perhaps he'll take it up one day. Anyhow, now that I have it I think I'll hold onto it just in case! My best mate Dave moved to Saskatchewan a few years ago and he tells me that he rents fiddles and mandolins for the kids a month at a time so they can try before he buys, and the price is ridiculously cheap. I haven't seen that here in Sydney but perhaps they do where you are. Lastly, I find that the weekends can present a problem for my practice / playing because the yard jobs affect my hands & fingers. Using the lawn mower and whipper snipper (edger/trimmer) really give my hands a buzz and I find that it affects my playing. So if I have a gig, no lawns that day. Good luck for next weekend Erik, you've got time to sort this out. Hol-shtein On Jul 16, 12:38 am, Nelson <nelsonpeddyco...@knology.net> wrote: > Erik, > > I don't know if this is related to your situation or not, but I'll add > it. I have a fibromyalgia sort of thing that causes muscle fatigue. > Sometimes, I can't play because my arms just don't want to work. > > I find that the best way to take care of it is regular practice and > not cheating myself on the sleep. For me, marathon practice sessions > don't seem to help me much at all. I pick up my mandolin every night > for at least 30 minutes. Some of that is spent playing a tune I am > trying to learn, but most of it is spent just fiddlin' around on the > thing. Sometimes, the time gets away from me and I end up playing for > a couple of hours. That is my version of transcendtal meditation - > when I seem to lose my consciousness of everything around me but what > I an doing with the instrument. (Then again, it could be the sour > mash working its magic.) Those are the only times when my daily > stress really goes away for a while. > > It seems to me like the best advice is pointless at this time: keep at > least one mandolin at home at all times. I have an MK that lives in > my office. I can play it during lunch, which I try to do every day. > > Does your music store lease or loan instruments? Maybe they would let > you borrow a floor model since they are doing a good bit of work for > you. > > Nelson > > On Jul 15, 9:15 am, Don Grieser <adobeinthepi...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > It takes a lot less muscle strength to fret a note than we all > > normally use. Remember that and you'll be fine. > > > On Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 8:04 AM, erik berry<eberr...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > New pickups and bridges. Broke 30 strings on the last tour, including > > > 8 in one night. Needed new gear to arrive in mail, I spent 5 minutes > > > taking a look and then said "a professional's gonna have to help me > > > here." It's sort of one of those things where every little bit that's > > > pushed me here seemed like it had to happen at the time. Now I'm here > > > and I'm scared. > > > > I'm not too nervous about a crowd saying to itself, "that mandolin > > > player's fatigued, I can tell. Looks like he got some sun though." I'm > > > nervous about being so fatigued that the other guys in the band > > > (who've been gigging with side projects this summer) will have to > > > cover me. It's a big gig for them too and I don't want to let them > > > down. > > > > THanks for the elastic band advice. I don't plan on running scales so > > > much as playing the hell out of my band's tunes in the garage. And > > > thanks for the reminder that I'm my own biggest critic. > > > > erik > > > > On Jul 15, 8:29 am, mistertaterbug <taterbugmu...@gmail.com> wrote: > > >> Nothing substitutes for regular practice/playing. Nothing. I have a > > >> pub gig tonight which will consist of a lot of fast-moving bluegrass > > >> songs and usually some songs I don't know or don't play regularly > > >> enough to be on top of. I'm not ready for it, but it's a bar crowd, so > > >> who's going to know if I screw up or my confidence level is down? Me, > > >> that's who. Won't matter otherwise. I already know I'm not going to be > > >> on top of it, but it doesn't matter. I'll enjoy it, get paid, have a > > >> beer and go home. > > > >> It's been my experience that doing anything makes one better at it and > > >> keeps your "chops" up(sorry), and the reverse is certainly true. I > > >> can't say that I agree with Topher in the least except for the rubber > > >> bands advice. I know of a few fellows here in Tennyshoe that have used > > >> that treatment to great benefit. But onward to protest...How would > > >> playing a nylon-stringed instrument with a different scale length > > >> prepare one for a gig using a mandolin with metal strings? Nylon does > > >> not play like bronze/brass/steel strings. Hell, even plain steel plays > > >> differently than wound steel, so how does this help? I suppose Topher > > >> should have told you which ukelele you are supposed to warm up with, > > >> as they are different. Also, are you going to be playing scales on > > >> your gig? How about warming up with minimal amount of scales/exercises > > >> and go right to the meat? > > > >> So you've got the "biggest gig of your life" coming up and you've got > > >> your mandolins off someplace else getting an oil change and front end > > >> alignment? Why? > > > >> Tatuh > > > >> On Jul 15, 3:11 am, Topher Gayle <surfns...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > >> > Wow - That really does seem like a conundrum. > > > >> > Both hanging on to a paint scraper, and shoveling will tire your grip, > > >> > and > > >> > also maybe overuse your clenching muscles. I am not a doctor or > > >> > anything, > > >> > but I bet it would be a good thing to work the reverse muscles to keep > > >> > some > > >> > sort of muscular balance. So maybe take a heavy elastic band and open > > >> > your > > >> > hand against the resistance for a few minutes before and after each > > >> > hour of > > >> > shoveling or scraping? > > > >> > Aside from that, I dunno - pick up a ukulele and tune it like a > > >> > low-pitched > > >> > mando and run scales? > > > >> > Topher > > > >> > On Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 9:59 PM, MinnesotaMandolin > > >> > <eberr...@gmail.com>wrote: > > > >> > > Anyone ever run into this? My personal situation (just bought a > > >> > > house, > > >> > > getting married in a few weeks, new garage, garden, etc) has resulted > > >> > > in my being unable to play mandolin for several weeks due to the > > >> > > physical work I've been doing. It's normally tricky at home anyway > > >> > > because the house is little and my 2 year old is a big fan of dad's > > >> > > instrument, but not necessarily of dad's efforts at practicing said > > >> > > instrument. > > > >> > > In about 10 days I have a huge gig. I won't go into the details, but > > >> > > suffice to say it's going to be the biggest show of my life (thus > > >> > > far). > > > >> > > My mandolins are in the shop, getting ready for this gig, and won't > > >> > > be > > >> > > back in my hands until probably thursday. > > > >> > > I find if I let the instrument go for some days and then play a > > >> > > show, > > >> > > I can feel muscle exhaustion. It goes away quickly, but in a day > > >> > > quickly, not during a show quickly. Any suggestions for jump starting > > >> > > my abilities? The band is rehearsing on Saturday. I'm planning on > > >> > > practicing or just playing for 30 or more minutes, at night in the > > >> > > garage if that's what I gotta do. > > > >> > > Any one got any song or exercise suggestions to help cover my bases. > > >> > > Anyone got any similar stories? Any advice on how to scrape paint or > > >> > > shovel gravel in a way that helps with mando technique? > > > >> > > thanks, > > >> > > erik- Hide quoted text - > > > >> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. 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