How do you relax

Here is a lesson for that song........

http://grouptherapy.guernsey.net/americanpie.html

Practice it in pieces. Practice it until you can do it blindfolded and you will relax. This is one of those songs that has some parts that don't sound like the song with guitar alone, you need the words to go with it. Of course by then you will be sick of the song but you will be able to play it. Then you will have fullfilled one of your fantasies. 8)

Thanks JoesphLefty

When you say pratice it in pieces do you mean learn the 1st verse and when I have got that down pat then move onto the chorus and so on ?.......

thanks again

any ideas on teaching ones self to relax ?......

Stop thinking so much. Right now you're probably focusing so much on the "what" (what notes you're playing) that you're not putting anything on the "how" (how to relax and play well). Relaxation isn't easy, especially when the "what" seems to be the first challenge in playing.

Follow the above advice. Break it down into peices and get it down so well that you don't have to think about what notes to hit and you can put more attention into enjoying the music and relaxing your body. When you hit that zen moment you'll know it and want more. I've found that my memory has improoved as I've played more and more, so the what isn't so hard and I can give how some more attention.

Thanks Metaellihead

I just showed a friend this post who came over and plays a little himself and agrees with has been said , my mate also said have a few cold ales and play a country song Kiss an angel Goodmorning ( that's the song I 've been trying to right for months ) after a few coldies he says I'll relax anyway BUT ONLY A FEW he said ........

Then have a go at American Pie , he agrees that some parts of that song don't sound like the song with guitar only but I'll have fun playing it at parties as everyone knows the words ........

My mate just showed the c/b bit where you move a finger and got me strumming the chorus by only using the G chord just so I could feel the music inside me .... Strange thing to say I thought .

Anyways thanks I'm feeling alot better must go now and get that intro right ..

Thanks again

Thanks JoesphLefty

When you say pratice it in pieces do you mean learn the 1st verse and when I have got that down pat then move onto the chorus and so on ?.......

thanks again

any ideas on teaching ones self to relax ?......

Hilch, I know what you mean. I dont know how long you have been playing but I am going to assume you started fairly recently, like me. For me it has been 8 months. But my philosophy is that as long as I continue to pick it up and practice, then I will get good at this. One day you and I will look back and wonder what all the fuss was about when thinking about strumming, relaxing, chord changes, etc.

One thing that helps me is to pick out two or three chords that I know fairly well. I sit in my practice area with the lights down and every thing just as quiet as I can get it. I start playing those chords and I change when I am ready to change. I keep a nice steady rythem. I rock my body back and forth a bit while I am doing it and that seems to help me keep time. The body thing really seems to help. But just playing comfortable chords allows me to relax and just get into the feeling.

Dont get frustrated. Its just one of those building blocks that you and I will have to get over and then it will just be something silly to us.

Also, I'll second you on something else. When I play at home, I am SO relaxed and I just enjoy the heck out of playing (Unless I am learning something new) but when I am with my guitar teacher I am SO TENSE. But its gotten better over time and I think it will for you too. My teacher is terrific and very supportive but seeing him play and knowing that I am not "adequate" really makes me nervous. But in another six months, I am pretty sure that I'll be over that too.

Geoo

First of all, look for blocks that repeat - generally that'll be the intro, verse, chorus, bridge and outro. Isolate those blocks.
Take the first block, you want to learn and see if there are any patterns, within the block - like chord sequences, you sometimes find definite patterns. Isolate those patterns and learn them, one at a time. When you have them all down pat, start to build them together, until you have the whole block off pat. Then start on the next block - but always warm-up with the block(s) you've already learnt - it helps you remember them and gets you into the rhythm of the piece.
If you look at David Hodge's lesson on House of the Rising Sun, there are 3 "blocks", each of, I think 3 bars, which are played in the sequence 1, 2, 1, 3. When you've learnt the first one, you've mastered half the tune! The second one is a modification on the first - so 3/4 is all but in the bag and the 3rd is the easiest of the lot. Until you've seen the patterns in the tune, it looks fairly daunting.
American Pie will not be so different - it'll be blocks and patterns.

One day you and I will look back and wonder what all the fuss was about when thinking about strumming, relaxing, chord changes, etc.

yep ;)

thats a good philosophy. you can't goand loose faith in your ability to do something. the day you do that is the day you will actually fail to do that which you always wanted to do.

oh ye, and about the dreamer thing. if you don't dream you have nothing. example: after 2.5 years of playing i still dreaming of being able to play faster. if i stop dreaming about that, i will never be able to play faster because i would have lost that goal.

that is my philosophy.

re: playing the song, just go with blocks as greybeard said. as soon as you get one done move onto the other. if you get stuck don't be afraid of learning one bar at a time. when you nail one bar move to the next. in no time ou'll have finished the whole song.

now i notice your actual problem is about relaxing. well, to relax you need to know the song on the tips of your fingertips... literally :p

you see van halen, or steve vai, or satriani, and you see them blazing across the fretboard as if they're drinking coffee. thats how you recognize a good player from a better one. they can both play the same things, with the same soul and style...

but one has a "i'm doing nothing really... this is just plain stuff" look on his face!

Took me ages to get to where I could relax. I needed to be able to play a smooth chord change without having to think too much. I think my first success was D Em G A7 - repeated. One day it clicked and I could play the sequence without looking. Then I could relax and start to feel some rhythm - it feels good when that happens for the first time.

As has been mentioned earlier - just work on a small piece of the song until you can play it blindfold.

Good luck

Hey Hilch ,

Try this pick 3 chords that are easy to play for you say open G - C - D7 ( D ) or what ever you can play well and know exactly where your fingers should be ...

Plain old up down strumming up..down..up..down..about 60 on your metronome ( not fast ) nice and easy just strum one chord say G up .. down .. up .. down ..

then change to a different chord same thing

then next chord ect

now close your eyes think of nothing but keeping the rythmn up ..down..up..down changing chords when you feel like it but keep the flow going every chord change big breath in and out keep the flow ...

hope it works

cheers

L.K

relaxation? Foster's....works for me....but don't get too relaxed to play....

:D :D :D

Vic

I like to practice while watching tv. There comes a time, when you know a song really well that you can follow a tv show while playing it. I would like to say that 0 percent of my attention is on the guitar but there must be some or I couldn't play the song. I even change songs without knowing.

By the way this drives my wife nuts, so play quitely.

Right now it's Percocet, but I should be off it in a day or two. :lol:

OK, you're 42. We're close to the same age, both been around the block, etc. You gotta know that it's the journey to your goal that is rewarding, and makes the goal itself rewarding.

It could be the Perocet talking though. I love everyone. :lol: :lol:

That may be why alot of players drink alot to relax, If you look at it you can see why so many became addicted they were young and trying to do something in front of alot of people most needed something to relax, Of course as they got older it started working against them.