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(@scrybe)
Famed Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 2241
 

Misanthrope - point taken. I was just trying to argue against the idea that music is like some kind of magic that person A can do with no trouble/practice/effort whereas person B can never do no matter how hard they try. There's too much of an acceptance of the idea that musicality is like the gene for blue eyes - you either have it or you don't. I'm sure that a lot of our musical ability/difficulties our dictated most by our attitude. And we have a different attitude too music than we do to language and other things which are innate but also require nurturing simply because music isn't as important to functioning in society as, say, language is.

Anyways - glad to be of some help and also glad to see how this thread's developed since yesterday (I've just been asleep for nearly 24hrs, lol, not too well right now).

Agreed with King Patzer on the scale practice - also practice intervals (e.g. play the C major scale fully, then play C - D, C - E, C - F, and so on). I'm sure a lot of guitarists struggle to hear intervals because at most they play scales in a purely linear fashion and don't play each interval (or other ways of playing scales). I actually tried playing the G major scale the other day, but harmonising each note in the scale with a third above, and it was like total brain melt-down, lol, I kept 'forgetting' bits of a scale I've played countless times, just because I was getting my hands and ears to do something they weren't used to.

Ra Er Ga.

Ninjazz have SuperChops.

http://www.blipfoto.com/Scrybe


   
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(@unimogbert)
Estimable Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 174
 

I was just trying to argue against the idea that music is like some kind of magic that person A can do with no trouble/practice/effort whereas person B can never do no matter how hard they try.

This is important. And I agree with it.

My posting about aptitudes might have hinted that I agree with the magical theory of ability.
In practice, aptitudes just suggest tendencies for some things to be easier for some people than others.

I am an example of someone who, based on measured aptitudes, shouldn't be playing guitar (or any other instrument which requires use of one's fingers).

I have 35th percentile (low!) finger dexterity. You'd think that I'd have no chance at playing guitar. Yet I play anyway. And fingerstyle too! It just takes me longer (weeks vs hours ) to learn the moves than somebody with very high finger dexterity.

Unimogbert
(indeterminate, er, intermediate fingerstyle acoustic)


   
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(@stellabloo)
Estimable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 189
 

I am an example of someone who, based on measured aptitudes, shouldn't be playing guitar (or any other instrument which requires use of one's fingers).
I have 35th percentile (low!) finger dexterity.

:shock: They can measure that?

:? Learn something new every day I guess!

Well since analogies are flying left and right here :roll: I would have to compare musical ability to something like athletic ability. I know people who are athletically gifted, ex-olympians, that sort of thing. Percentage of inherited ability vs. training can be debated, but this I know: I am not one of those natural athletes. I am a bookworm by nature.

Fortunately, my non-giftedness has not kept me off skis or a mountain bike and while I had to learn every manuever slowly and (literally!) painfully, I can now boast some semblence of "athletic ability". After all these years :?

In other words, just because I'm not and was never a competetive athlete, doesn't mean that I can't enjoy some sports ... yes, even someone like me :roll: But I'm so glad that learning to play guitar doesn't hurt as much !!!! (just my ego lol)

What if the Hokey Pokey IS what it's really all about?

~ why yes, I am available on youtube ~
http://www.youtube.com/stellabloo


   
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(@ignar-hillstrom)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 5349
 

One of the few things I remembered from psychology study was a research project some American university did about 'musical talent'. After interviewing thousands of musicians, both amateur, professional and world-class concert pianists/violinists the conclusion was that the only variable that consistently predicted the level of performance was 'hours spend practicing'. Starting at a young age gives a relatively small boost and for the rest hardly anything matters. So just practice, have fun and in a few decades you'll be good. :lol:


   
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(@stellabloo)
Estimable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 189
 

So just practice, have fun and in a few decades you'll be good. :lol:

Thanks Arjen - by the time I'm ready for the nursing home I should be a virtuoso :wink:

What if the Hokey Pokey IS what it's really all about?

~ why yes, I am available on youtube ~
http://www.youtube.com/stellabloo


   
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(@ricochet)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 7833
 

If you get old enough, do you have another shot at being a prodigy?

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."


   
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