The Zipper’s Stuck
2013 March 10
When the zipper’s stuck, is your instinct to pull?
It’s always mine. I’m impatient. But that’s not the best solution, getting the zipper caught further or tearing the fabric.
Playing a section of music incorrectly is like getting the zipper stuck. I often want to rush through practicing the parts that aren’t easy.
Instead, it’s best to:
- Slow down
- Break down the music into sections and parts
- Identify the parts that are difficult
- Practice parts in isolation
- Try clapping the rhythm
- Try humming the melody or riff
- Play parts before the tricky section and after and play it all the way through
- Play the composition all the way through after you have worked out the sections
Still stuck? Take a break and come back to it.
Quick note: Sometimes you have to look at things froma new angle (especially because one can play the same note or chord on guitar in many ways.)
I often get stuck transcribing a piece of music when I’m trying to make it too complicated with the finger patterns.
KISS: Keep it simple, stupid. Find the easy answer. That often gets me unstuck.
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