Work Glorious Work

And then comes the less glamorous side of all this - the real work.

Yesterday was lesson day and everyone gets something cool to learn, a song they want to play or a few cool riffs.  What do I get - homework - bucket loads of homework.  Practice sheets for drums, practice sheets for piano, practice sheets for bass!  But that's the cost of what I want to do, learning a song is fun but if I want to write and I want to play lots of instruments and I want to learn fast and this is what will get me there.  Nose to the grindstone and all that!

But.. it's actually great because everything I learn this way opens tonnes of new doors and gives me lots of new choices for my songs.  It's learning how to apply the new skills that's the hardest part but we're getting there and things are speeding up now I'm beginning to understand what I struggle with and why and how to fix it.

That's also the best thing about having two teachers as well, I have one that pushes me forward learning as much as possible and teaches me how to apply it to my song writing and I have another who's all about technique so it's about not just learning how to play but how to play well with great technical detail (eventually!) and that gives me options for how I want to divide up my time each week.  At the moment I'm learning the solo for Hotel California on guitar and as challenging as it is I'm loving doing all those bends, it's very very fun!  My fingers are being shredded to death but I don't care, it feels like I'm finally learning how to really play.

One other thing that's become apparent is that while I struggle to let go in front of these guys, although I am getting better, I do have recording as an option to let my wild side fly ... and I've begun doing that!  I don't mind playing recordings of me being a muppet and having fun so it gives them a chance to see what I can do (and not do!!) when they're not around.  It's important because I'm a lot more adventurous and creative when I do that because I can experiment without feeling like a total idiot (at least until I play it for them!) and of course I can re-record as many times as I like removing the whole........... get ready .................. get set ............... GO! element of playing in front of your teacher that sends all us students to quivering incapable jelly.

So hi ho hi ho it's off to work I go!!  (sorry that was really bad but I couldn't resist it was just too funny).