I’ve been very productive in my writing lately discussing my musical practice from various angles. I have a bit more energy for writing just now, so let me continue on with yet another angle on practice.

  • Guitar:
    • Pick-style playing: I need to practice lines, not just scales or arpeggios. Ted Greene’s books on playing lines is a good start, as is the Charlie Parker Omnibook. Play musical lines, not exercises. Work out some of Joe Pass’s and Wes Montgomery’s lines in particular. Practice strumming chords using ideas from the drum rudiments (I read an article once by a guitar player who did that). Lock it down.
    • Fingerstyle Playing: This is my favorite way of playing. It’s not good for complex and/or fast single-note lines, but it’s good for chord-melodies and for comping. I like the sound of multiple strings being sounded at the same time as opposed to strumming. Don’t get me wrong, certain styles of playing absolutely call for strumming, particularly funk and rock & roll, but I appreciate the piano-like quality of being able to sound all the notes of a chord at the same time, or of being able to arpeggiate a chord in the same manner as a piano. I just wish I could be more accurate and faster with my fingers. I still feel as if I struggle.
    • Open Tunings: This is where the deeper blues lie. I particularly like open-G tuning - it really brings out the country blues aesthetic. I don’t feel the need to collect a whole bunch of different tunings; just open-D/E and open-G/A will do for me. There is a lot to explore in both of these tunings. The Stefan Grossman video materials really add a lot of depth and breadth to my playing, introducing me to a vast and varied repertoire of tunes.
  • Singing:
    • Sight Singing Notation: This is basically ear training, though it would be a great skill for composition as well as for more authentic instrumental reading. As I have written in previous posts, Arnold’s Fanatic’s Guide has a great approach to teaching sight singing in multiple keys. Even doing the one note exercises helps to open up my ear quite a bit.
    • Singing the Blues: This is where I need to take singing a bit seriously. I don’t really want to take singing lessons or anything like that, but I should be able to sing at least some blues with conviction. In particular, my bottleneck repertoire really screams for me to be able to sing the tunes, but also the electric guitar playing would be more authentic if I can phrase like a singer in conversation with a guitar.
    • Singing Jazz: I have no real desire to be a jazz singer, but I would certainly know the jazz standards better if I at least knew the lyrics. I should be able to sing each of these tunes - provided they have lyrics - in a very basic manner. Only then can I claim to have really learned the tunes.