Success with learning to jam on guitar starts with the way we organize our studies.
A framework is the structure of our practice. It’s what holds it all together. And, different frameworks get different results. There is so much we can do on any given day. How to hold vital dimensions of exploration in our minds, while applying our best efforts in these domains, determine our outcomes.
Each of us decides how to structure our practice. It can be tight or loose; specific or wandering, direct or indirect, disciplined or undisciplined. No matter how you are practicing, there is a framework. And, it can change day to day just as the activities and specifics can change. All of this is a work in progress, for a life-time. It ebbs and flows just like everything else. There is no ultimate way to do anything. Let’s always keep fresh mind.
Using a log or a journal is one way we can track what we are doing, but I’ve rarely seen many students keep this activity going. I’ve written down a lot of things, but typically not what I practiced. Moreso, it is categories and sub-categories of things I practice and think about…topics, exercises, maps, tune charts, song lists, etc. This helps me organize my studies. It is a framework, not a journal, that provides insight into progress. And, it acts more as a collage than a sequential list of things to do.
What is more common is having a mental map – a framework – in our mind that we constantly rework. Writing things down can be good, but it often gets tossed out for just playing. We really don’t need another thing to do to add to our practice time. Just practice. If you write down your progress, and it helps you, keep going. However, you know when you are better than before, what works, and what you’d like to play today. So, please let’s not add stress by thinking that we have to keep a chart for what we practiced. Do it if it makes sense to you. If it adds stress, even for a second, ditch it.
What is vital is that we touch-in on the essential dimensions of improvement and keep our practice positive. We aren’t supposed to be anywhere but where we are. The statement “I should be better” is just plain bullcrap. The statement “I can work with focused awareness today to improve as a musicianer” is where we start. There’s no pressure to be better than anyone. And, there’s joy in finding out that our work is helping us become musicianers with more depth, effortlessness, and ability. We find joy in the rhythm of our practice. Our framework is working.
