Today I played along with a burned blues cd. By the time I got to the final song my back was stiff so I decided to stop, but 75 minutes of playing the blues was fun practice. Each time I pick up the guitar I see progress, learn new things, or get some random insight. Because of this I consider myself lucky. I have read a lot of internet articles about beginning guitar, and I think I have had it easier than some people.
During the first month of playing I was concerned that my fingers were too short to be effective at playing, but I eventually stopped considering it, and decided to try my best with what I had. I not only have short fingers, but they are skinny. When I compared my hands/fingers with my 2 former teachers, they both had short fingers, maybe 1-2mm longer than mine, but mine were thinner. I think the thinness is a blessing since I can easily fit my fingers onto the strings without having them rub against adjoining strings. So although it could be better, it could also be worse.
One of the insights I had this week was the use of the “blue” note in the pentatonic scale. The blue note is D# (or Eb), and each pent. pattern has this note two or three times in different places. When I first began playing the pent. scale I knew only the blue notes on the key indicator pattern, not realizing, or caring, where the note was in the other 4 patterns. A couple of weeks ago I decided that the blue note was the note which made the blues the blues, and was too important a note to only use in one of the patterns. So I looked at my scale patterns and determined that the note was indeed D#, and so all I had to do was find D# wherever it occurred and mark it onto the scale patterns as a note which was to become a part of the pattern.
I now have the blue note memorized in most places, and the last few practice sessions I began to see how it could be used with effectiveness. In today’s session I could determine by ear when to use it, and it opens up options for soloing.
As usual, my fingers are becoming stronger, lighter, more relaxed as the weeks go by. My confidence is growing because of this, which makes me want to practice even more. When I read of the great musicians who practice 8-12 hours a day, I can understand where the motivation comes from. Having realized the gifts they have been given, practicing is not seen as a chore, but rather as something that will release the many latent abilities and skills which they know they possess. The less talented players don’t practice as much because they sense they have a limited amount of ability, and so practicing one hour a day is all that is needed to achieve their potential. The counter to this is what if the less talented player is wrong in their assessment, and more practice will yield more positive results. It all comes down to belief, will, love of the activity, and a sense of obsession with it.
