Larry
"Uncle Larry"
If you guys would indulge me while I describe highlights of my inner time journeys...
So for the last 5 weeks or so my practice time has been completely devoted to time.
I set the metronome to 20 BPM, and try and bury the click...without subdividing, just my alternating hands on a snare drum. I will subdivide for a portion...it is easier to nail it more consistently. I go back and forth, mainly trying to not subdivide as to make it easier to clear my mind. Staring at something shiny directly in front of me seems to help too lol. A focal point to ground from or something.
The first week it kicked my ass all over the place and it seemed impossibly long between clicks. If I got it twice every 10 times...that was good. I would go for 20 clicks without getting it once most of the time for the first couple of weeks. It kicked my ass.
Now, in the last week, my perception is that it's not impossibly long between hits. In fact, it doesn't seem long at all now. 3 seconds go by alarmingly fast! My time perception changed. In the last week...I can nail it a lot...if my conscious mind doesn't creep in. For instance, if I bury it thrice in a row, I say to myself, "Hey, I'm getting it". Then the next few will be off lol. So I'm trying to not think those thoughts lol. It's really hard for me to clear my mind of chatter, then stay cleared. Really hard.
I want my time to be executed unconsciously. On autopilot.
I have to say, studying strict time....being able to play it just with sticks for now...light hits too...is a real adventure for me. It seems like uncharted territory to me, 20 bpm...and I have to make up my own rules that work for me to try and develop this very abstract concept of being completely even at impossibly slow tempos.
Which brings me to my next ob....My dominant side is more aligned with the click than my left side. I would have thought time was a global brain thing, but now I'm not sure. Does each half of the brain have it's own time center separate from the other half? Anyone? I really have no clue. That's just a theory. I'm just trying to make sense of what time means to me. What's going on on a physiological level...that info would help me make sense of how my brain processes time. Where is my time center? Is there just one? My goal is to have completely steady unassisted time. As far as I know, the only way to do that is to play to a metronome and figure it out for myself. Do they have classes for time?
As a side note, anyone who was familiar with my trials and tribulations of trying to play to a looper pedal live...I've been trying to do it now for probably 4 years at maybe 60 - 75% success rate...sometimes much worse lol. I wouldn't be off by much, but I was not completely on. But since I've been doing the 20 BPM thing, (about 5 weeks) honestly my success rate has gone way up to like 95% or better! I've gone whole nights without going off! That never happened before!
My reward for that is I have to play with that confounded looper pedal more and more lol. Hey, not complaining, I'll take it. It can only strengthen me.
Any comments on any portion of this novel are appreciated, and thanks for staying till the end lol.
So for the last 5 weeks or so my practice time has been completely devoted to time.
I set the metronome to 20 BPM, and try and bury the click...without subdividing, just my alternating hands on a snare drum. I will subdivide for a portion...it is easier to nail it more consistently. I go back and forth, mainly trying to not subdivide as to make it easier to clear my mind. Staring at something shiny directly in front of me seems to help too lol. A focal point to ground from or something.
The first week it kicked my ass all over the place and it seemed impossibly long between clicks. If I got it twice every 10 times...that was good. I would go for 20 clicks without getting it once most of the time for the first couple of weeks. It kicked my ass.
Now, in the last week, my perception is that it's not impossibly long between hits. In fact, it doesn't seem long at all now. 3 seconds go by alarmingly fast! My time perception changed. In the last week...I can nail it a lot...if my conscious mind doesn't creep in. For instance, if I bury it thrice in a row, I say to myself, "Hey, I'm getting it". Then the next few will be off lol. So I'm trying to not think those thoughts lol. It's really hard for me to clear my mind of chatter, then stay cleared. Really hard.
I want my time to be executed unconsciously. On autopilot.
I have to say, studying strict time....being able to play it just with sticks for now...light hits too...is a real adventure for me. It seems like uncharted territory to me, 20 bpm...and I have to make up my own rules that work for me to try and develop this very abstract concept of being completely even at impossibly slow tempos.
Which brings me to my next ob....My dominant side is more aligned with the click than my left side. I would have thought time was a global brain thing, but now I'm not sure. Does each half of the brain have it's own time center separate from the other half? Anyone? I really have no clue. That's just a theory. I'm just trying to make sense of what time means to me. What's going on on a physiological level...that info would help me make sense of how my brain processes time. Where is my time center? Is there just one? My goal is to have completely steady unassisted time. As far as I know, the only way to do that is to play to a metronome and figure it out for myself. Do they have classes for time?
As a side note, anyone who was familiar with my trials and tribulations of trying to play to a looper pedal live...I've been trying to do it now for probably 4 years at maybe 60 - 75% success rate...sometimes much worse lol. I wouldn't be off by much, but I was not completely on. But since I've been doing the 20 BPM thing, (about 5 weeks) honestly my success rate has gone way up to like 95% or better! I've gone whole nights without going off! That never happened before!
My reward for that is I have to play with that confounded looper pedal more and more lol. Hey, not complaining, I'll take it. It can only strengthen me.
Any comments on any portion of this novel are appreciated, and thanks for staying till the end lol.