What is Practising?

I zoned out because I've been sitting at a pc a bit long but when he refers to linear practicing I take it he means practicing all of the things you do equally. And when he says practice what you like he means to say don't be so systematic because practicing what you like enhances the other things.

It sort of ties in with that other article someone posted about practicing new things and practicing them in different orders.
 
Linear (in this instance) means plotting everything out... 10 mins of this, an hour of that...He's implying that you should follow your intuition instead of a clock. And if you follow that intuition to practice the things that speak to you emotionally, your entire playing will improve (for example, instead of focusing on strict time w/ a metronome, maybe you focus on playing along to James Brown records, and lo and behold, your time gets better).
 
Sacred cows slain? Doesn't sound like it to me.

Right at the beginning, he says "copy copy copy" and tells a story about how he and his classmates would regularly memorize and repeat every solo they heard on a Miles record -- so the rest of conversation is for those who have done that sort of thing already, and who have, in the process, acquired some vocabulary, considerable facility, and strong fundamentals.

The vast majority of drummers just aren't there, and that's why 99% of the time, you'll hear teachers saying "get your fundamentals together". I would LOVE to tell every student "ok, now go find your musical self", but that advice needs to be timely.
 
I think it is interesting to approach an instrument as a tool and a means to an end....jump in and create something and see what happens. Create artistic output regardless of the skill one does or does not have.

I could not do that...cause I'm obsessed with trying to do something as best I can. So I have to practice.

But I accept and like the notion of not worrying about skill except to the level that would let one creat something.

I've been thinking about grabbing an accordion and eschewing all the worry and obsession and just making sounds for the fun of it.
 
“If you get up from your kit hoping that a bunch of people heard what you just did, you were just playing. But if you get up from your kit hoping that no one in the world heard what you just did, you were practicing.” Ralph Peterson, jazz drummer
 
“If you get up from your kit hoping that a bunch of people heard what you just did, you were just playing. But if you get up from your kit hoping that no one in the world heard what you just did, you were practicing.” Ralph Peterson, jazz drummer

One of the most truthful things I've ever read!
 
“If you get up from your kit hoping that a bunch of people heard what you just did, you were just playing. But if you get up from your kit hoping that no one in the world heard what you just did, you were practicing.” Ralph Peterson, jazz drummer

Thanks, that's a great insight.
 
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