Patience Over Skill: Learning a Second Instrument
Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers theorizes it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill, like learning guitar. But how long does it take a competent musician to learn a second instrument?
Gladwell once told blogger Bob Lefsetz that that learning time could be cut in half, if the skills carry over.
This feels correct to me. One already knows not only the concepts of music, but also how to practice, how to go about learning the skill. Plus, motor skills might be mostly the same, like fingers moving on a fretboard.
But here’s a conflict that might be hard to measure: frustration level!
It took me a few years to be able to play guitar decently. I practiced everyday during high school. But it’s taken me twice as long to master the mandolin in my adulthood, even though my picking and fretting hands have the motor skills.
Why has it taken me twice as long when it should have been cut in half? My impatience! My brain hates relearning a new fretboard of the mandolin when the guitar’s already makes sense, so I give up more quickly.
My frustration levels were a bigger impedance the second time around on mandolin than my ignorance the first time around on guitar.
Again, it’s important to remember: patience is often a stronger virtue than skill.
(PS: My fingers are getting around the mandolin’s fretboard more confidently, now! Actually, a fretboard tuned in fifths makes more sense than the guitar’s refraction.
I also love the ease of traveling with a mandolin, especially airline travel! Carry on ready, stress free.)
I stumbled upon a unique idea happening in Detroit:
Fix-up smaller houses in Detroit neighborhood’s that need a help; offer the houses as a residency to writers in Detroit neighborhood that needs help. The writer gets to keep the house after staying two years. Another vacancy is prevented.
Could it work?
Write a House is giving it a shot.
They are currently fixing up the Peach House on a block that is just one mile north of my friend (and session drummer), Stuart Tucker’s neighborhood in Hamtramck!
This wouldn’t be an easy move, by any stretch. Stuart’s neighborhood in Hamtramck is quite active, maintained, and diverse. But that block where the Peach House is located isn’t as vibrant. When you get off the Davison Freeway, there is notable blight. Also, there is a strip club two blocks away on Conant.
This wouldn’t be an easy move, but again, saving a neighborhood isn’t easy. Powerhouse Productions, another local nonprofit focused on bringing artists into Detroit offers an honest, inspiring reminder about the complications of living in the Motor City. They also are located close to the Peach House.
Either way, it’s a cool idea to draw creative career-focused folks to the area, give them a chance at homeownership, and give a neighborhood that has activity greater potential of surviving the Detroit financial fallout.
I have three gigs left this week, and then that’s a wrap for 2013, musically speaking!
I crossed the 200 gig marker this year, not including hosting the open mic night at Mash. I estimate 38-41,000 miles of car traveling this year. 2012-2013 has included 13 states, four visits to Canada, and two frets job replacements on my Taylor guitar.
I’m ready to see my new nephew, Houston, soon and tell him all about it!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone! I’m having a holiday sale until the New Year.
Check out my $16 T-shirt/music bundles, including free shipping in the USA!
Buy at my Bandcamp store here!
Music bundles include digital downloads of Burning the Boats EP & my newest single, “Love Birds.” Also, an unheard demo from the Burning the Boats sessions is included!
Shirts were printed by the wonderful VGKids, right from Ypsilanti, Michigan!
I promise your shirt won’t be pre-worn by Lois!
Last week, Megan Gebhart (check out her 52cupsofcoffee) tweeted, “Just reminded myself that every person’s path is different because every person is different. Comparing paths is unproductive.”
I love that reminder.
I’ve been often guilty of overly analyzing the success stories of my musical heroes–combing through bios, reading over Wikis, watching interview videos on Youtube–looking for the holy grail that leads to creative success. While it’s fun to research our heroes’ milestones, it’s more important to allow our lives to pave our own way.
The outside world loves to paint a simplified picture of the path to success; our inner hearts desire to paint our own.
