Isn't learning funny?

[Pauline]

I've just had a practice after a week away and as expected (seeing as I had only been playing for two weeks) quite a few notes were ropey to say the least...... but hey! guess what? I was able to do tonguing which I just couldn't do before. How did that happen?

 

[Pete Thomas]

Strangely this happens. I have always found that after taking a break from the instrument, you suddenly find an improvement. Doesn't work though if you take 5 years off. A week or two is good.

 

[old_git]

Pauline,
Absolutely normal. Spent thirty years trying to help people to understand motorcycles, cars, race circuits, skid pans and how to stay alive on the road. It takes time to sort out all the recent knowledge gained, so you have discovered what your coach or author meant. The basic problem is that the teacher knows what they meant, so they assume you must. Class situations are worse, as peer group pressure can prevent participants asking questions, in case they are thought to be obtuse. Coaches are coached to check by asking questions, watching your reactions and sometimes getting you to teach them.
You have just had a 'So that's what they meant' or 'I've managed it' moment. Well done.

 

[Lisa]

I'm going on holiday for a week later in the month, I don't want to risk taking my alto with me on the plane but worry that I'll be so poor when I get back to it.

L

 

[Rogerb]

I wouldn't worry, Lisa, for the reasons mentioned, but if you're worried, just take your mpc (and maybe, the crook) and practise some long notes (in a suitably remote place!!) 🙂

 

[sharon]

Funny thing this happened to me this week - didn't play for about 4 days and today's practice went well. BUT did the same last week and when I came back I was rubbish for a couple of days!

Same thing happens with running. If you run regularly and take say up to a fortnight off - when you get back, far from being creaky you're usually much better. Must be a muscle memory thing.

Sharon

 

[Linky Lee]

I'm supposed to be learning a tune for my grade 8 at the moment. It's got a couple awkward sections in it.

I spent the weekend sou d engineering the Burghfield Common (my village) Music Festival (First time it's ever ran). The festival was great, 18 bands, flowing beer and the weather held up till Monday morning when us poor sods had to take all the gear back 🙁

Needless to say I hadn't managed any real practise and was completely shattered for my 8.15 lesson this morning after staying up to watch the snooker.

I played dreadfully, though for some reason I played the tricky bits much better than I have ever before. Cleaner, faster, stronger beat. More expressive.

At one point in the lesson, I couldn't manage to play a middle register B, my brain wouldn't process it.
Obviously because I've been drilling these hard bits the fingers and mouth etc. have learnt what to do, and it works on auto pilot now, pitty about the rest though.

Learning really is a funny thing.

 

[Rogerb]

The best round of golf I ever played was after not picking-up a club for several months.

I know this doesn't often work but I think, when it does, the reason is that one's *expectations* are lower, and one relaxes just a bit.
This is particularly true for people who, like me, suffer from 'testitis', or 'paralysis by analysis' 😱
I can play through an exercise quite well just before my lesson, but tend to 'lose it' under the stern (not stern at all, actually!) eye of my teacher 🙁

 

[pjmorris]

I used to canoe competitively, but the only time I ever got promoted from one division to the next at an event was when i was sat on the start line with a thumping hangover! Paddled much better under those circumstances - maybe it was just being desparate to get to the other end!

Not sure how this would help playing the sax though!! But even in the 8 weeks I've been learning I played much better after a trip to London. I'd put it down to the new La Voz reeds, but maybe it was the break - especially as for the rest of the week it got progressively worse.

Have fun.

Peter

 

[old_git]

It is common to refer to a learning curve, suggesting smooth progression. Sadly not true. Learning is more like a sawtooth waveform, with leaps forward and some slipping back.
As knowledge increases, so does the awareness of faults. This is responsible for learning depression, despite explaining this to sufferers, they just think you are being kind.
The break in tuition/practising allows the brain to decode and file the mass of information that's been absorbed and time to, not consciously, improve muscle operation and control.
Despite knowing this, it still affects me and I would be a much better coach now having been reminded of the experiences yet again.

 

[Rogerb]

Yes, it doesn't help much when you know what you are experiencing yourself is 'normal', does it?

It is, possibly slightly less frustrating than 'ignorance' (not blissful!), but only slightly 😉

In my case it's definitely about 'expectations'.... I get frustrated when I play a 'bum note', and this tends to lead to more.

One of the benefits of ensemble playing is that one has to just 'keep going'.... my teacher says when you play a bum note you should just glance at the player next to you and hope they get the blame 😱 😀

 

[philthd]

that or look down at your horn in disgust, and at the first opportunity pick it up, inspect it and waggle a few keys around so it looks like a mechanical issue


i find a good balance is to practise different things in different sessions, so for any individual thing youve had this magical time to rest whilst not letting up on your overall practising

 

[spike]

do as Zoot - the avatar was not chosen lightly.

 

[Pauline]

Thanks everyone for your input. Looks like it's normal then! However, I'm not quite sure what to do about the summer when I will be away in Arizona and Texas for the whole of August. Is it possible to take it with me or that a complete no-no? :S

 

[tengu01]

I think you should take it with you. Get a robust case like a hiscox and carry it on hand-luggage. I have not had any problems with that in the past and airport staff are normally quite sympathetic about musical instruments as long as you aren^t trying to carry 40kg of handluggage alongside it 🙂

Take it with you and have fun during your break. The best thing about holidays is that you really have time to enjoy playing