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Can Following the Wrong Path Make You a Worse Player?

 
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nylenny



Joined: 31 Mar 2007
Posts: 291
PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 1:22 pm    Post subject: Can Following the Wrong Path Make You a Worse Player? Reply with quote
It has recently struck me that following the wrong path can actually make you a worse player. From my personal perspective, I can think of two paths that could weaken a player:

a) learning weak language (you are what you eat); and
b) an over-reliance on analysis (not using your ear enough).

If this is the case, it really makes sense to learn language passed down through the generations.

I'd be interested in hearing what others think about this topic.
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Mark
VM Coach


Joined: 26 Feb 2007
Posts: 479
Location: Portland, OR
PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 7:34 pm    Post subject: Re: Can Following the Wrong Path Make You a Worse Player? Reply with quote
nylenny wrote:
It has recently struck me that following the wrong path can actually make you a worse player.


Len,

Great topic, and one that I think about all the time. Unfortunately, most aspiring players equate study time invested as the primary measurement of how far they will grow, without stopping to consider the disastrous effect of being on the wrong path. I think many are vaguely aware of the danger it presents, but in more of a casual "I know I probably have some bad habits" sort of way, and not long-term.

Speaking of which, the "you are what you eat" comment underlines the danger of staying with an inferior path, just as consuming bad food can lead to serious illness and disease over a period of time. So yes, a player can indeed regress, and in fact will get worse with each hour, day, week, and year invested, whereas a player with the right path can make effective progress and see great results in just 30 minutes a day. Of course, if you do the math and multiply that half-hour a day? Well, I've literally seen players with marginal ability become excellent almost overnight. It's all about finding the path, which sadly eludes the majority of students. Sad

The other analogy I use is that of a traveler entering a train station with a destination in mind, then being confronted with numerous choices with only one being the optimum route from point A to point B. If you get misguided advice (bad travel agent?) and choose the wrong train, you can be going in the opposite direction, FAR removed from where you really wish to go. All for now...

- Mark
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Dean



Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 287
Location: California
PostPosted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 5:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I ,too ,look at the path issue...The only outside of the path I venture into ,is the " How can I make this piece mine " venture.Does anyone have thoughts on this.
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nylenny



Joined: 31 Mar 2007
Posts: 291
PostPosted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 12:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Dean said:

Quote:
The only outside of the path I venture into ,is the " How can I make this piece mine " venture.Does anyone have thoughts on this.


I've thought about this too. This is where arranging comes in.

First, I try to make sure that all of my language is top-notch. I really appreciate that all of the licks in Mark's lessons and the Good Vibes Guitar Solos is language from the masters -- Oscar Peterson, George Benson, et al. This is where the lessons excel -- I've looked at the language on a few other websites, and it's just not as strong. But how could it be? Unless that other source got the language from such players, it is most likely weaker, and you'll be wasting your time learning it.

I keep a journal of those licks that are meaningful to me. Then I arrange them into solos. Once they are in solos, with "connectors" that are composed by me, I feel that I own the solo.
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nylenny



Joined: 31 Mar 2007
Posts: 291
PostPosted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The path concept, coupled with the fact that, "you are what you eat" really underscores the importance of learning good language.

I have only recently started to appreciate the importance of this. If you transcribe and practice weak language, that is what you eventually will sound like. So it's really important to find the right stuff to transcribe.
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corky4strings



Joined: 21 May 2008
Posts: 109
Location: plain, pa.
PostPosted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 4:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
when i was a kid and if i hung out with a trouble maker my parents always told me if you keep hanging out with this person your gonna end up just like him. the word of mom and pop
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corky




let your fingers do the walking i do
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