Rhythm, Rhythm - Wherefore Art Thou Rhythm?

AHA - lesson day so it's late and I'm up and writing a post, big surprise! I love lesson days, it's worth a bit of sleep deprivation, what I hate is that there's a week between them but that's probably a good thing for my health (and their sanity)! One of my crazy doodles today (I got a bit silly with this one, the shark is just for fun and some added suspense haha!). It's not literal just an image to express how I'm feeling really and to give an overview to today's post.

As you've come to expect there's lots to work on and shock horror I need to find my rhythmic side, believe me I am trying, I know there is one in there - after all I can dance pretty well in a embarrassing mum kind of way. I love funky rhythmic music and I like things that don't follow a straight line in general so I'm sure it's in there somewhere! Buried deep!

I think last weeks going to be a walk in the park compared to this one but I'm game, why not it's only sanity and it's pretty overrated anyway! No I'm kidding I like the challenge but what I like most is feeling like I'm moving towards a destination that will finally make me feel like I'm on the first rung to being able to play like I want to - at least I hope so, I think so & I really do hope so. It's a BIG ladder but that first rung is so important to me, this weeks practice won't get me there but for the first time it's in sight.

Timing was the issue of the day for a long time, now it's rhythm (and still timing but not quite so catastrophically!), for both teachers but in different ways. I can tell you one thing though I made the right decision because we're covering issues I know were screaming at me & holding me back & I'm enjoying the HELL out of learning both ways of playing, no matter how hard (and I'm going to need to remind myself of that fact often I think over the next few months!).

So where to start...! Tom's given me some great starting points and it's a case of doing what I did last week, start small and figure it out, step by step, idea by idea, struggle by struggle (by struggle!). The hardest thing is taking everything I did last week and totally rethinking it as I suspected would be the case (come on admit it I did tell you!). Don't get me wrong everything I did really counts, it's like learning an alphabet but in the wrong order and getting some of the pronunciation wrong. Ok it's not exactly like that but as an mental image it'll give you an idea. Repetition keeps cropping up as a regular issue too. Too much, not enough, in the wrong place, not done in the right way. It's easy to get stressed over it but I have to remember it's not a straight line eg

1) I had to introduce repetition first as I wasn't doing any.
2) I have to learn how to use it
3) I have to learn how to use rhythm with it
4) I have to learn to use when to use it

Not necessarily in that order and there's lots missing but you get the idea, as a concept I'm still trying desperately to understand it. Eventually it'll fall into place but for now ARGH!

No easy quick solution, a good dose of stubbornness and hard hard work that's what's needed. One thing is for certain, this is my biggest battle yet but I think it's going to be my first real victory when I get there because it's going to consolidate a lot about what I think is so bad about my playing. I don't think it will be any time soon but I'm just imagining that feeling when I get there and it will really be worth it.

I love these guys & I love this journey - I just don't love my playing .... YET!