Diary of progress in relearning to play music

[frodo10]

Hello.  Why put this in the anything but piano board?  Because it does not involve piano.  But it does involve music and playing an instrument (the classical guitar) and some might find it interesting. Maybe none will be interested.  I plan to make 1 diary entry a month until success or I quit.  This is my entry for July.  Future diary posts will likely be much shorter than this introductory one.

My background: I’m age 66 male (will be 67 in a few days). I was studying classical guitar at University of Toronto for masters degree in guitar performance when ˝ way thru, I stopped going to classes and went instead to the Library to study a used pre-calculus textbook that I bought at a Toronto book store.  I’m a retired actuary after 30 years of service.  I haven't touched a guitar for 42 years until now.

OA of hands: I tried to learn the piano but quit when I started to get osteoarthritis (OA) in my hands about maybe 10 years ago.  My mom had crippled hands from OA so I figured I was in store for the same.  But 10 years later, my OA is pretty much the same as it was 10 years ago.  It is pretty much limited to the DIP joint of my right index finger. I have a Heberden's node there which is a bony swelling that develop on the fingers as a result of osteoarthritis.

Classical guitar with OA:  I woke up about 3-4 weeks ago having had a dream about playing guitar.  I bought a guitar on line the next day.  Soon after playing about 30-60 minutes a day, my right index DIP joint was stiff and sore as it was when I went to bed on the night I took for the first time what is a miracle product for me – undenatured type 2 collagen.  The next morning my finger felt perfect and has felt perfect or close to perfect ever since.  Time will tell.  I also do physical therapy for my hands and take turmeric curcumin. I have additional things I can do if later my finger(s) become worse: 1) Collagen peptides that I can take in addition to the undenatured type 2 collagen, and 2) Voltaren topical gel.

Relearning after 42 years of not playing:  It was a weird sensation for the first couple days but things started coming back pretty quickly.  I practice 30-60 minutes a day and will gradually increase this to about 2 hours a day max. 

First step: pick 2 pieces to record and post.  I chose the 2 pieces that I post below and will hopefully post them here in about a year (if this thread isn’t removed by nils).  I have read thru and fingered these pieces and all looks great to me. 

2nd step:  How get your “chops" in shape after 42 years?  I decided to start from scratch (I mean from scratch) and will be working on the following material to clean up my technique and remove all the weaknesses I had 42 years ago.  I believe my brain is working better than ever by far and I can identify weaknesses that I was unable to 42 years ago. 

List of material I will be working from:
1)   Arron Shearer classical guitar technique volume 1 and 2 and Shearer Slur, ornament and reach exercises
2)   Scott Tennant “Pumping Nylon” book and DVD.  This book fills in many gaps that the Shearer book has.  Some of his ideas are game changing for me. Others are incompatible with Shearer.  I tend to agree with Shearer on most and Tennant does have some flawed ideas IMO.
3)   My own set of exercises

Fingernails used in playing guitar:  The biggest weakness I had was inability to get a beautiful tone from the guitar.  I was able to improve this somewhat when I studied with Norbert Kraft at University of Toronto.  Scott Tennant has game changing ideas here concerning nail shaping and use of heat to shape the fingernails.  For now though, I have decided to play without nails and cut fingernails to the shortest possible length so only flesh comes into contact with the strings.  This is new to me.  I always used nails in the past. Note: While Tarrega initially played with nails, he eventually adopted a flesh-only technique, which is associated with the "Tárrega school" of playing.  The Yamaha SLG200NW silent guitar that I have shows every imperfection in sound so clearly.  Every squeak of the strings.  Fingernails that scrape against the wound bass strings of the guitar sound like hideous noise.  I am able to get a beautiful sound with flesh only and the first 2 pieces that I record will be played without fingernails.  Scott Tennant says you can get a beautiful sound without nails and the reason for nails is to get a louder sound.  Lute players play without nails.  Classical harp players play without nails.  Classical guitar greats Sor, and Tarrega played without nails.

Looking to do tempos close to these. 
 
Vals Venezolano No 3 Antonio Lauro

 
Bach Cello Suite No. 3 In C Major 3. Courante – NOTE: This player struggles with this piece.  The reason IMO is he is relying on using first finger bars too much.  This is extremely tiring to the hand and it shows in his playing.

 
HAPPY PRACTICING!

[psipsi8]

My background: I’m age 66 male (will be 67 in a few days). I was studying classical guitar at University of Toronto for masters degree in guitar performance when ˝ way thru, I stopped going to classes and went instead to the Library to study a used pre-calculus textbook that I bought at a Toronto book store.  I’m a retired actuary after 30 years of service.  I haven't touched a guitar for 42 years until now.

Ha ha! That's really funny! I was studying engineering at the UofT and in my second year, I used to spend all my time at the library of the music department listening to recordings and checking out scores and music books. I was taking 2 music courses after auditioning to get in to the real music program so I could take them as part of my "breadth requirement" for non-technical courses but the time spent in the library was out of my own interest and unrelated to these courses. I am certain that you will overcome your problems if you don't overdo it, and get back into getting pleasure from playing your beloved instrument.

[frodo10]

Ha ha! That's really funny! I was studying engineering at the UofT and in my second year, I used to spend all my time at the library of the music department listening to recordings and checking out scores and music books. I was taking 2 music courses after auditioning to get in to the real music program so I could take them as part of my "breadth requirement" for non-technical courses but the time spent in the library was out of my own interest and unrelated to these courses. I am certain that you will overcome your problems if you don't overdo it, and get back into getting pleasure from playing your beloved instrument.

That’s pretty coincidental.  Engineering sounds exciting.  I’ll bet we never crossed paths at UofT since I’m guessing that I’m maybe a few years older than you.    I read in your prior post that you also restarted playing (piano) after a long gap.  This seems to be a pretty common thing here.  I wish us all good luck on our comebacks.  Thanks.

[psipsi8]

Only around 20 years  . But it's all good. What matters is getting back into the things we love! You'd be surprised by how many of my classmates in engineering were musically inclined! One year, we put together a concert where one played the piano, the other the violin, etc. All at a high level. There was a big audience too. Some of my former classmates eventually pursued careers in music.

[essence]

I went the other way. while at University of Manchester studying for a PhD in theoretical physics I would go off to the music department for an afternoon break and spend on hour or two in one of their practice rooms. Nobody stopped me.

[frodo10]

It's great to hear these stories of love for both music and science!

A lot of famous composers/musicians went to college to learn another discipline but most would skip classes to pursue music.  After his father died, Schumann studied law at University of Leipzig to fool his mother to keep sending money while he played hooky to work on piano and composing.  Handel, Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky are other examples that started in law.  But some had music as their hobby.  Borodin was one of a rare few that had successful careers in both music and another discipline – very successful chemist.  Charles Ives is another example – worked as a very successful actuary. 

[frodo10]

August diary entry – Total 24.2 hours practiced in July with guitar in hand

Just got over eye shingles.  Not bad but I should have gotten vaccinated.  Arthritic finger doing pretty well, knock on wood. Things are going well so far but a comeback only takes you to a point where you left off.  All the weaknesses you had will still be there, even 42 years later, unless you take steps to correct. 

Started playing guitar at about age 12.  I was one of those that practiced 15 minutes a week, usually immediately before I had my lesson.  It wasn’t until I got thru a few books and started the Carcassi classical guitar method that I started practicing maybe 45 min a day.  Rough estimate of total hours practiced age 12-25 (13 years): (1*.05+1*.25+4*.75+4*1.25+3*2) *365 = 5,200 hours – well short of 10,000 hours.  I wasn’t a great player.

I keep thinking of 2 items as a kid learning that defined 2 of my greatest weaknesses:

1) Unable to get a beautiful tone when playing.  But I noticed that when I arched and tilted my right wrist clockwise so the thumb raises and then plucked a note with the right thumb in a rest stroke (i.e. thumb coming to rest on the adjacent string after plucking) and WITHOUT use of thumbnail, I would get a beautiful tone.  I thought to myself: wouldn’t it be great if my tones sounded like that.  That’s the sound you want!  Not that tinny sound I was getting from poorly shaped nails. 

2) Hands need to be happy.  When I was about age 16 and taking lessons in a big city after a long bus ride, my teacher had me play for Carlos Barbosa-Lima, a world class classical guitarist.  I played the allegro from Bach’s prelude, fugue and allegro (BWV 998).  Barbosa-Lima said that my hands needed to be happy (i.e. comfortable) when playing.  My teacher asks Lima:  So, you can take him on as a student?  Lima:  No.  He is doing well in your hands.  At my next lesson my teacher starts yelling at me:  Why did you pick that piece?  And this brings me to the next point here – this piece was over my head.  You can’t have happy hands playing pieces over your head.

And I am now working on these 2 items and additional items.  I am starting from scratch including how to sit and hold the guitar.  I highlighted, underlined and took notes on the text of the Shearer methods and Tennant’s book plus DVD that I mentioned on my first post. 

BTW, don’t be surprised if I suddenly announce that I quit due to: A) OA of hands, B) Some other physical development or C) Some other reason. Que sera, sera.

A PS member: “Nobody cares, Frodo.”
Frodo: “I know.  That’s what makes this fun.”    

Next month, in addition to a progress update I’ll talk about the importance of finger independence whether acquired naturally or with painstaking work and conscious effort.  I will relate this concept to both guitar and piano. Unlike when I was young, I now like to analyze things.

Back to work now – 30-75 minutes a day with guitar in hand.  HAPPY PRACTICING!

[frodo10]

September diary entry – Total 7.1 hours practiced in August with guitar in hand

7.1 Hours?  Let’s hear your excuses! 
In order of appearance:
1) Developed wart on right thumb next to fingernail.  My first wart.
2) Totally unexpected actuarial project came up. 
3) Hurt myself with 2 small but fairly deep puncture wounds on the tip of my left-hand pinky.

Why these are not acceptable excuses:
1) The wart is on the right side of the thumb viewing my thumb palm down.  I am treating this with salicylic acid and pumice stone for the next 12 weeks.  I can leave a big enough space on the left-side of the thumb, the part that that plucks the string, so the band-aid does not come into significant contact with the string.
2) You can’t find 30-45 minutes a day for this? BTW, I record in an XLS the minutes I practice each day timed using a stop watch rounded to the nearest minute.
3) The punctures are in the exact location that presses the string to the fretboard of the guitar with left hand.  The strings are like wires that press into the cuts. Although I have been working mostly on left hand finger independence and have made very good progress here, I could have worked on the right hand alone and done this very efficiently.    I plan to do this for the first week of September until this is healed.

13.8 minutes a day isn’t going to cut it.  I should be able to do better in September and hope to do 22+ hours practice for that month.  Next month I will also give that discussion of the importance of finger independence as promised before. 

Until then – HAPPY PRACTICING! 

P.S. I will talk more about the following next month:  Some of the finger independence exercises that I do for the left hand can, if overdone, lead to tendonitis.  Tennant calls his book “Pumping Nylon” for good reason.  He mentions nothing about tendonitis in his book though. I hope I have sense to know when to move on.  Helpful for guitarist AND pianist tendinitis are PT exercises that you can find online for golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow.  I recommend everyone consider doing some of these even if not having issues.  Also, helpful for guitarists and pianists with healthy hands are PT exercises for Osteoarthritis of the hands.

[frodo10]

October diary entry – Total 22.7 hours practiced in September with guitar in hand
Total Accumulated time since started: 65.0 hours – includes 11 hours prior to July.

Setting goals both short term and longer term is important to making progress.  But I believe you need to be flexible to change your goals as new information becomes available.  The most important thing is to have fun.  If for some reason I am not having fun then I’ll put this aside and work on several other hobbies I have.  Or I may decide to quit this project entirely.  So far everything is going well and I am having fun.

Having completed studying ideas of technique and practice from both the Arron Shearer classical guitar method, including his slur and reach development exercise book, and Scott Tennant’s pumping nylon book and DVD, I am modifying my program to work on only 2 things in this phase 1:  1) A set of exercises I have compiled that covers all the techniques needed for my selected first 2 pieces, and 2) the 2 pieces that I originally selected.  I have mainly focused on #1 but I will dive into these 2 pieces starting this month.  This is when the fun really begins.  But I have truly enjoyed putting together my set of exercises – many my own and many from the 2 sources mentioned above.  The exercises I believe are concise and get to the heart of the technical challenges facing me.  Work smart, not hard.  I don’t have time to waste on a massive amount of exercises.  I can get through all the exercises in about 2 hours.  I have also truly enjoyed reviewing ALL aspects of my technique and will continue to review this.  Good technique is the foundation of good playing.

Finger independence – guitar
For guitar, left hand finger independence is important for control, economy of movement and ease with a whole range of technical challenges.  The left hand (LH) is the hand that presses strings to the fretboard of the guitar.  Scott Tennant in his “Pumping Nylon” book only says the following: “It is crucial that the [left-hand] fingers be able to maneuver independently of one another.”  Then he gives several pages of LH exercises to achieve this.  He also says earlier that “Ideally, the [LH] fingers should be about ˝ inch above the string, but definitely no more than one inch.  Moving the fingers any more than one inch defeats our goal of economy of motion.”  His exercises are great to make sure the fingers are close to the string and non-playing fingers have little “unwanted extra movement” – my words.  I have made very good progress here.  Unlike the exercises for piano finger independence, these exercises are strenuous on the tendons, I feel, so I need to be careful to not over-do it.  I worked on these non-stop for a few weeks then reached a plateau so I moved on.  When I did these again a couple weeks later – the improvement really showed!  My tendons and muscles had a chance to recover.  In the future, I will work on these in small amounts and occasionally.

Buzzing notes:  When I first started to play guitar a few months ago, I noticed buzzing from the 4th string.  First, I checked the action of the guitar (which can cause buzzing notes) and it was good.  I then determined the buzzing was partially from the right hand plucking the strings in a way that caused the string to slap against the frets.  Right hand technique exercises and a switch to a high-tension 4th string cleared this up.  Later I noticed buzzing when playing in low positions on all the bass strings.  My fingers are always nicely placed just behind the fret so it’s just a matter of my left hand not pressing hard enough on the strings.  I am trying to conserve energy which I like, but I can easily press harder on the strings in lower positions to prevent buzzing and this buzzing has cleared up.  There is nothing a guitarist hates more than buzzing notes!

Next month I’ll talk about Physical Therapy for osteoarthritis, golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow for healthy (and unhealthy) hands for both guitar and piano players.  Until next month:  Happy Practicing!