Robin, we share this interest. I have never heard of suggestopedia and find the ideas and practice very interesting. I agree the emotional/physical thing has to be right to learn effectively. I do find the setting I play in, important and it needs to feel pleasant and comfortable, basically, I must feel at ease. I need to hear the melody/rhythm in my head, to have the tune make any sense to me..to try and play it. Some folks seem to be more visual (seeing the dots, in one's mind, for example) to learn, others, more auditory..in that hearing is important, and then others think more about the position of their body (ie fingers in the case of mandolin and then sensations of strumming, etc.) as they play and basically 'feel' it. I gather most folks have one or two preferred senses they use most effectively when learning. This seem to vary between individuals and it works best when two of the favored senses are working at the same time or nearly so, mine seems to be auditory and feeling for example. That plus a clear goal works for me. I think we adults generally already know how we learn from experience, and that we use the techniques that work for us without really paying attention to what they are, because it works. I have found though that I have had to find new learning methods to be able to memorise tunes and to be able to use picking techniques the tater shows me. It involves both mental work and physical effort of using hands and fingers at the same time. (A big ask for some, it seems to me). Playing music is a complex skill.
I have heard that a teacher can often spot the sensory preferences of students by listening to what they say, ie visual students will often say 'I see what you mean', in passing conversation, auditory students will say ...'I hear what you are saying' and the feeling people will say......something like 'I like the feel of this tune...etc.'. For me it requires a great deal of concentration and lots of repetition to get a tune up to any kind of standard. I consider myself a determined slow learner. Fact is, I do learn though, bad fingers and all. I find the Tater's methods of teaching really work for me. I find there are lots of things to learn in a given tune, if I am paying attention. There also seems to be good chances for that circular learning as things tend to come up again and again that I need work on and want to improve on. I find the auditory thing in the brain the most important, it has to be embedded there correctly for me to play it, then next is ..the feeling of the strings under the fingers combined with the strum. Its great to talk about this, its been on my mind recently. I am very interested to know what people do to learn to play an instrument. I suppose for some its ...just easy and comes natural. Especially those folks with hands that look more like big spiders and they have the same flexibility as spider legs do, in those hands as well. <G> Linda On Jan 13, 9:17 am, "Robin Gravina" <[email protected]> wrote: > well there is a way of learning languages, called suggestopedia and invented > by a Bulgarian, which was extensively used behind the iron curtain before it > all fell: I have met a lot of Russians and other Eastern Europeans who spoke > superb English or Spanish due to the method. It consisted of making a really > pleasant space, with plants and comfy chairs and having the teacher read > texts, first in your own language, then in the language to be learned - all > set to the rhythm of slow baroque music - I think it was something around 60 > bpm, but I may not remember well. Then there were games to reinforce the > language input, and even some conventional exercises. > > Basically the idea was to remove the emotional barriers which stop people > learning, and to make the experience as unthreatening as possible whilst > creating good conditions for concentration and a flexible mind. There is > also a carefully planned curriculum so that things come up again and again > in a sort of circular way. > > Not sure how that fits in here, I just thought I'd mention it! As a sort of > teacher I'm very interested in how people learn, and the emotional/physical > factor is for me one of the most important. > > Now, is that old time? > Robin > > On Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 9:42 PM, Linda <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Ah, yes, learning how to learn, what works a ...vast and interesting > > topic. There are at least two physio therapists here in Hobart that > > specialise in helping musicians with issues they have that are > > generally down to bad posture and unhelpful positions when playing an > > instrument. Then there is learning how to keep what is > > learned...another area. Lately I have found that to keep tunes one > > has learned they have to be played danged often, the more tunes one > > knows then the more tunes one must play just to keep them. I suppose > > after a good long while one just 'knows' the tunes and they are always > > there when wanted. Thats my experience anyway. > > Linda > > > On Jan 13, 3:35 am, Don Grieser <[email protected]> wrote: > > > When I needed some physical therapy, the first thing he talked to me > > about > > > was posture. It's funny to hear Chris Thile talked about it, because > > > whenever I've seen him play sitting down, he's all hunched over. > > > > On Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 6:55 AM, Robin Gravina <[email protected] > > >wrote: > > > > > ah so that happens to you too!! > > > > > Robin > > > > > On Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 2:53 PM, Don Christy <[email protected] > > >wrote: > > > > >> Yeah, this book had a ton of pictures and discussion of proper sitting > > and > > > >> arrangement of the arms, legs, etc. > > > >> It's amazing how much of the physical and mental aspects of proficient > > > >> (name just about any endeavor) are the same. My experience is more > > with > > > >> motorcycles and sports. In the case of the former, tension in the arms > > can > > > >> be a KILLER (say when you panic and tighten up because you're into a > > > >> decreasing radius curve a little too hot). Probably the same thing > > when a > > > >> mandolin player tenses up trying to play too fast or too loud or just > > trying > > > >> to play for Tater [?]. Just another kind of crash [?] > > > >> Don > > > > >> On Sun, Jan 11, 2009 at 9:47 PM, mistertaterbug < > > [email protected]>wrote: > > > > >>> Really good stuff, Don. I have seen some of these quotes repeated > > > >>> almost verbatim in musical instruction books. I agree wholeheartedly > > > >>> on all points. One fellow that I met at the first Mandolin Symposium > > > >>> said that they spent over an hour and a half in one of Chris Thile's > > > >>> classes just talking about how to sit in a chair when practicing. He > > > >>> was not as interested as Chris was in how to sit in a chair, but the > > > >>> point still transfers, I think, that there is right and wrong > > > >>> methodology to this fanatic pursuit we share. Thanks again, Don. > > > > >>> Tater > > > > >>> On Jan 11, 8:50 pm, Don Christy <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >>> > So I was reading a rare vintage instruction book and thought it had > > > >>> > some interesting and timeless advice: > > > > >>> > - A few minutes in the right way are worth more than hours of > > practice > > > >>> > in the wrong way. > > > >>> > - Wrong practice will lead you in the wrong direction. > > > >>> > - Never begin to practice before you are sure you know how. > > Languid, > > > >>> > thoughtless practice should be avoided. > > > >>> > - Put ambition, put energy, put the fire of determined will behind > > > >>> > your practice, and the results will be astonishing. > > > >>> > - Not only keep the muscles of the right arm in a relaxed > > condition, > > > >>> > but guard against tension in any part of the body. > > > >>> > - ... constant repetition is necessary in developing a good style. > > > >>> > - ... the only way to learn to execute ... is to practice ... > > > > >>> > The really interesting thing is that this is not a book on learning > > to > > > >>> > play music. It's a book on penmanship: > > > >>> > The Palmer Method of Business Writing by A. N. Palmer. (1935) > > > > >>> > Who knew that becoming proficient in playing mandolin and in > > > >>> > penmanship required so many of the same concepts?? > > > > >>> > Don > > > > 332.gif > > > < 1KViewDownload > > > > 361.gif > > > < 1KViewDownload --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
