My experience is that everyone starts out with their own unique reason and understanding, and one way or another, they fumble around, get some ah ha moments, then stumble around some more, figure out some things and keep on ..at it till they get where they want to be.
In workshops, so far, the best things for me is watching what the instructor is doing, and being able to take it in and understand it. Everyone is at a different place, folks don't know the same things like a stepped reader in school, where one thing builds on another, but have just their experience, their habits, hang ups, egos...know one thing and not another. I find I learn a lot from Sir Tater's tabs, secrets, not short cuts....things I try to carry over into other things I play. My ear tricks me a lot, and dots do it until I know the tune. An instructor is there to share something, its up to the folks there to find a way to take best advantage of the time, for their own benefit and learning. What about those old stories about the demanding or difficult piano teachers/opera or dance teachers....and what their students had to endure to be able to learn. I pay for the experience, the skill, its up to me to see and get the benefit, the lesson, the missing bit. Some very worthwhile instructors can and do play hard ball, ..and they can because they have something to offer if folks want to take notice and put up with them. I don't really want any short cuts or tricks...but after a while, one learns how to make something easier to do by how its approached with the fingers, position on the fretboard, etc. I think that happens quicker when one is playing lots, and slower if one plays less, because of exposure to the issues. Just the other day...I saw a U Tube clip where the person mentioned the flatted third...it was an ah ha moment here, but out there, maybe most folks already know that. Some folks are quick, others are slow, but if we want it, its all work...and worth it. One time I went to a Scottish Fiddle workshop, and it was all ear and memory, a difficult area for me. The person instructing asked me not to play as my sound was confusing the issues for all those danged fiddles. I understand it now, as I saw/heard another mando player doing the same thing recently. At the time, I was mighty put out and left rather grandly in a huff, I told her and all the others that not only would I not play but I would not stick around either, and made my exit with door slamming and all too. I was mortified .... it should have been handled differently, but it wasn't. I could not hear what I was subjecting them to, I did not know or understand then, but I think I do now. She could have handled it differently, but it was a fair sized group and she was likely stressed and not sure herself. Its all part of the process I reckon. Some are lucky...some are not. I bet there are enough stories about mortification and music lessons and recitals and all to fill a few encyclopedia sets, I personally have at least 5. <G> linda. On Oct 7, 2:08 am, Bill Burnette <bburne...@gmail.com> wrote: > Isn't anyone who attends a workshop or takes any kind of lessons looking for > some information, insight, or if you want to call it that, shortcut they may > be missing? They don't know what it is- they just know the folks they are > seeking enlightenment from have something they don't seem to have. Maybe > it's talent. Maybe it's insight. Maybe it's some secret knowledge they're > not privy to. I'm under no illusions there is any way around time spent > practicing/playing- but a lot- or most- people have no concept of that going > in. I've played guitar for 37 years and mandolin for 4 years- I've never had > a guitar lesson- in retrospect I think I might have benefited from taking > lessons as it took me a long time to figure out a lot of things on my own. > So, when I first took up mandolin, I took a couple of lessons from Roland > White. Between the second and third lesson I picked out Skaggs' solo to > "Highway 40 Blues" and the Ronnie McCoury solo to Steve Earle's "Carrie > Brown". I told Roland I'd done that and he wanted me to play them for him. I > did and he just looked at me and said "you don't need lessons- you know how > to play music". Haven't taken any lessons since- not sure I agree with his > assessment though- still seems I'm missing something... > > Bill > > On Tue, Oct 6, 2009 at 9:28 AM, Mike Hedding <michaelhedd...@gmail.com>wrote: > > > > > In my opinion, being naive about what it takes to become as > > accomplished and people like Grier and Compton is part of the > > development of any musician. > > > I would have a hard time believing anyone truly knows the depth of > > what they are undertaking when they are first starting and part of > > being a beginner is looking for shortcuts and then the eventual > > realization that there truly aren't any. > > > I can understand someone's intolerance for constant questions about > > shortcuts and gimmicks and what not but I think it's easy to forget > > when ourselves were once in that position. > > > I think trying to find the shortcuts and then not finding them is part > > of the development process of a musician. If this process didn't > > happen I don't think we'd have the appreciation for someone like Grier > > or Compton because the waded through the frustrations of learning and > > made it through to the other side. > > > Part of being a good workshop leader or teacher in my opinion is > > understanding that beginners and intermediate players aren't > > necessarily lazy (although sometimes this may be the case) we are just > > naive and don't understand what you've been through. > > > On Oct 5, 10:53 pm, mistertaterbug <taterbugmu...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Bill, > > > You might do a little thinking on the kinds of questions that are > > > asked in workshops and to whom they're asked. The persons you have > > > named all have spent years learning how to do what they do. Most of > > > the folks you named don't do a lot of workshops because they don't > > > have to. Some to them need the extra income. Some enjoy them, some > > > don't. Workshops are really variable depending on skills levels > > > present, personalities, group size, whether the participants know each > > > other or not, you name it. > > > > David Grier is a very bright individual who has a low tolerance for > > > folks who seek the answers without putting in the time and work he > > > did. I have no idea what the question was, nor do I need to know. But > > > I do know David to be ultimately fair and accommodating with people > > > who are making an effort to be responsible for their own progress > > > instead of looking for shortcuts to flash and dash. > > > > Tbugs > > > > On Oct 1, 12:46 pm, Bill Burnette <bburne...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > I have to say based on my one experience, I'm not a fan of David Grier > > the > > > > man. I attended a workshop at IBMA a couple of years ago and he acted > > like > > > > it was the last place he wanted to be. Whenever someone asked him a > > > > question, he acted like it was the stupidest question he'd ever heard. > > Other > > > > members of the panel, Bryan Sutton, Robert Bolin and Tim May on the > > other > > > > hand, were all very gracious and patient with the audience. Skip > > > > Cherryholmes was also on the panel and by his own admission was not in > > the > > > > same league as a picker with the others, and several times during his > > solos > > > > David would cut him a look and roll his eyes. Based on that experience > > I > > > > wouldn't pay $1 to see or hear him play. I also attended the mandolin > > > > workshop and found Adam Steffey, Emory Lester, Danny Roberts and Sierra > > Hull > > > > to be very gracious and accessible as well, so David really stood out > > in > > > > contrast. > > > > > Bill in Nashville > > > > > On Thu, Oct 1, 2009 at 12:25 PM, malagrass <malayt...@bellsouth.net> > > wrote: > > > > > > Man, you gotta love these guy's. David's non PC explanation of > > > > > "listening" and how how many writers of tab are not good musicians > > > > > "thats why they're writing books" > > > > > > How right you are...............great job to both these guys. Both > > are > > > > > my favorite and heavily listened too. > > > > > > JM > > > > > > On Sep 29, 4:05 pm, Robin Gravina <robin.grav...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > It was fun to hear and would have liked to hear more talking from > > the > > > > > > twosome. Are we expecting an onslaught of cd's from the Tater? If > > so, > > > > > hear > > > > > > hear. The world surely and sorely needs it. > > > > > > > On Tue, Sep 29, 2009 at 9:47 PM, Jonas Mattebo < > > jonas.matt...@gmail.com > > > > > >wrote: > > > > > > > > Thanks for this! I enjoyed the interview, crappy phone line and > > all... > > > > > > > I just wish I could see a show! Both David and Mike are > > favourites of > > > > > > > mine. > > > > > > > > /Jonas > > > > > > > > 29 sep 2009 kl. 18.17 skrev Dasspunk: > > > > > > > > > Fred I'm surprised y'all don't have more interest in this sort > > of > > > > > > > > thing up your way. On the other hand, your "professional" > > football > > > > > > > > team wears purple. Purple! > > > > > > > > > Here's the interview if folks missed it... Compton and Grier > > live > > > > > from > > > > > > > > the Road Master! > > > > > > > > >http://titsh.com/compton.grier.interview.mp3 > > > > > > > > > B > > > > > > > > > On Sep 29, 10:48 am, Fred <fkel...@scicable.net> wrote: > > > > > > > >> Good time! Wish our local radio heads were a tad more > > interested in > > > > > > > >> doing this. If any of you Twin Cities folks want to help out, > > give > > > > > a > > > > > > > >> call to KFAI (our best shot at a roots interview)--Pam > > Kolapailo or > > > > > > > >> Dakota Dave Hull at 612-341-3144, their main number. > > > > > > > > >> We've been sending them messages with no response as yet so > > maybe if > > > > > > > >> listeners let them know they'd like to hear these guys on the > > radio > > > > > > > >> we > > > > > > > >> can get it done. They're in their pledge drive this week too > > so > > > > > > > >> something like this would sure seem to help them as well as > > push the > > > > > > > >> concert. > > > > > > > > >> Dasspunk wrote: > > > > > > > >>> Mike and Mr. Grier are en route to the Midwest and will be > > doing a > > > > > > > >>> radio interview at 10:30am (about 10 minutes from now) on > > WORT FM > > > > > > > >>> (Madison, WI). > > > > > > > > >>> You can listen in free here: > >http://www.wort-fm.org/listen.php > > > > > > > > >>> Should be entertaining... :) > > > > > > > > >>> Brian- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. 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