a group who encourage and motivate one another to stick to, and get the most out of, our practice time

14 Members, Created 5/7/2014 -

Administrators: skiptomylou (owner)

Back in the swing

From laertes22 on 7/21/2014 9:03:09 AM

Well, I allowed myself to get slack with my practice regimen after my vacation.  Admittedly, I have been quite busy.  I am doing yoga 3-4 times a week at my gym plus doing DDP Yoga almost every night at home.  My fiancee and I are switching to the Paleo lifestyle (I don't like to use the term "diet" because of the implications of trendiness or fads or unhealthiness) , so I've been spending hour upon hours in the kitchen, it seems like.  Plus, she has us doing sessions with a life coach and also working on wedding plans.  It seems like I haven't had the time or the energy to practice the last couple of weeks.  Still, that is no excuse.  So, I planned out my meals for the week and started doing like 90% of my cooking for the week on Sunday, so I have more free time.  Plus, the life coaching sessions will be over soon.  With at least 2 of my excuses out of the way, I sat down and tried to figure out how to get back in the swing of things with practice.  I moved my banjo and fiddle from my desk in my bedroom and set them by my couch in the living room.  That encouraged me to pick them up when I'm just sitting around and watching TV or listening to a podcast.  That was kind of the jumping off point to me getting back to regular practice.

  I have mainly been working on the Cuckoo and Cluck Old Hen in Sawmill tuning on banjo, and to a lesser degree on Colored Aristocracy.  I have Cuckoo and COH memorized and can play both fairly smoothly.  I love the "bluesy" sound of some of those Sawmill/modal tunes.  I can't believe I never learned Cluck Old Hen before, with it being such an OT standard.  Still working on Colored Aristocracy from the tab, and haven't committed it to memory, but it is getting there.  

 On Fiddle, I have been working on Cluck Old Hen and Colored Aristocracy.  I'm still looking for a simple arrangement of the Cuckoo that I like.  I've been listening to a good bit of Tommy Jarrell's stuff lately, and hearing him play makes me just want to grab my fiddle and start playing.  

-Gen

1 Comments
	Zischkale says: 7/22/2014 1:39:17 PM If you're greatly reducing carbs in your diet and replacing the calories with those from protein I think you're in the right place there, a habit instead of a "diet." Sounds like a good call to me, I'm sure the yoga is good too, that planking stuff is a workout! You oughta have your health before your music, in the long run. I'm all about sawmill tuning--lowering that 2nd makes it very easy to find the blues scale. There are a lot of ways to play Cluck Old Hen, but it's a blast no matter what. It's also my favorite tune to play on fiddle right now, I think. Next sawmill tune I want to learn is Cold Frosty Morning. I'm working on the same thing primarily, committing things to memory--got to have a good mini-repertoire available when people want to hear me play. Man, find a copy of that field recording Mike Seeger did of Tommy and Blanton Owen--hopefully this link is good: banjohangout.org/archive/269541 It's awesome, and Tommy plays this song called "When Sorrows Encompass Me 'Round" that's just about perfect. He fiddles this lick right before that song to check his tuning, it's right on the money if you're wanting bluesy old-time. Keep on pickin'!
Post a Comment
You must be logged in and a member of this group to post a comment.

Page: 1  2  Last