A dads observation on learning

[Sponserv]

Originally Posted by rllink

I was thinking about this last night and I have to wonder if the son took the course just so that he had something he could relate to with his dad. So that he could have a better understanding of what his dad is so passionate about. He wants to show his dad that he is interested in him, not necessarily in guitars. He is making an effort to connect with his dad, that should be enough in itself. But now dad wants more and the son doesn't want to go there. Maybe dad should back off and enjoy the fact that his son wants to talk to him at all.

Thanks RL.

This is the greatest summation of the whole thread. I will back off and relish the fact that my son can talk to me about classic rock. I never really considered he may have taken the rock history course to just have something he can talk to me about that we both relate to. (Forehead slapping moment)

And will, as you say, be forever grateful that he talks to me at all. There are no guarantees that will continue.

Thanks again.

[rllink]

Originally Posted by Sponserv

Thanks RL.

This is the greatest summation of the whole thread. I will back off and relish the fact that my son can talk to me about classic rock. I never really considered he may have taken the rock history course to just have something he can talk to me about that we both relate to. (Forehead slapping moment)

And will, as you say, be forever grateful that he talks to me at all. There are no guarantees that will continue.

Thanks again.

I have a son too. I have experience.

[edgrissom]

Does he want to play guitar?

[EZYPIKINS]

I learned to speak, even before I knew there was an alphabet of 36 letters.

I learned to count to 100 before I could write the numbers down.

There are 12 notes. Ant 3 major inversions.

Unless you are trying to understand music theory, remember the numbers.

[fazool]

Originally Posted by EZYPIKINS

I learned to speak, even before I knew there was an alphabet of 36 letters....

ummmmmm......

[macuaig]

About not doing things unless you’ll be instantly great at them, this wisdom from Kurt Vonnegut…
—-

“When I was 15, I spent a month working on an archeological dig. I was talking to one of the archeologists one day during our lunch break and he asked those kinds of “getting to know you” questions you ask young people: Do you play sports? What’s your favorite subject? And I told him, no I don’t play any sports. I do theater, I’m in choir, I play the violin and piano, I used to take art classes.

And he went WOW. That’s amazing! And I said, “Oh no, but I’m not any good at ANY of them.”

And he said something then that I will never forget and which absolutely blew my mind because no one had ever said anything like it to me before: “I don’t think being good at things is the point of doing them. I think you’ve got all these wonderful experiences with different skills, and that all teaches you things and makes you an interesting person, no matter how well you do them.”

And that honestly changed my life. Because I went from a failure, someone who hadn’t been talented enough at anything to excel, to someone who did things because I enjoyed them. I had been raised in such an achievement-oriented environment, so inundated with the myth of Talent, that I thought it was only worth doing things if you could “Win” at them.”

by Kurt Vonnegut

[Guitars44me]

Originally Posted by macuaig

About not doing things unless you’ll be instantly great at them, this wisdom from Kurt Vonnegut…
—-

“When I was 15, I spent a month working on an archeological dig. I was talking to one of the archeologists one day during our lunch break and he asked those kinds of “getting to know you” questions you ask young people: Do you play sports? What’s your favorite subject? And I told him, no I don’t play any sports. I do theater, I’m in choir, I play the violin and piano, I used to take art classes.

And he went WOW. That’s amazing! And I said, “Oh no, but I’m not any good at ANY of them.”

And he said something then that I will never forget and which absolutely blew my mind because no one had ever said anything like it to me before: “I don’t think being good at things is the point of doing them. I think you’ve got all these wonderful experiences with different skills, and that all teaches you things and makes you an interesting person, no matter how well you do them.”

And that honestly changed my life. Because I went from a failure, someone who hadn’t been talented enough at anything to excel, to someone who did things because I enjoyed them. I had been raised in such an achievement-oriented environment, so inundated with the myth of Talent, that I thought it was only worth doing things if you could “Win” at them.”

by Kurt Vonnegut

Excellent quote from KV. I read it to Cindy and she replied with a quote from someone, no idea who

Anything worth doing is worth doing badly at first

Be the best YOU you can be. You are the only one there is

Paul

[jmagill]

Leave the kid alone.

My wife and I are professional musicians. We never pushed music at our three kids, we just kept music around them all the time. Growing up, they saw Mom & Dad playing instruments and just figured playing music was natural. When they asked to take lessons, we provided them.

Now, Andrew Finn, our oldest, travels the world as a professional violinist and still plays with us occasionally when his schedule permits.

Our younger son went through a 'black-t-shirt-death-metal' drummer phase, but now he plays acoustic and electric guitar (that he taught himself) and plays and sings at open-mikes in Brooklyn.

Our daughter is a beautiful singer who never had a vocal lesson.

Lessons can show you the efficient way to do things, avoid time-consuming bad practices, and inspire and challenge you, but after the lesson, you need to go away and do the work.

At 15, I got a guitar and a Mel Bay chord book and taught myself to play. A few years later I got a mandolin and learned to play it. Then came the tinwhistle. Then the hammered dulcimer and a few other things. Never had a lesson.

No matter how good your teacher, no matter how talented you are, if you don't do the work, you won't get far. In this way, everyone is self-taught.

So leave the boy alone. Just keep playing music around him. If the music is in him, it will come out.
.

[jmagill]

Originally Posted by Guitars44me

Anything worth doing is worth doing badly at first

Exactly.

As someone who runs a music camp, it bugs me when people say they're "learning to play" an instrument, and I always correct them by saying, "No. You're not learning to play, you play. You're just at the beginning of your journey."

All of us, even the best in the world, are always learning. We never stop learning.
.

[Guitars44me]

Originally Posted by jmagill

Exactly.

As someone who runs a music camp, it bugs me when people say they're "learning to play" an instrument, and I always correct them by saying, "No. You're not learning to play, you play. You're just at the beginning of your journey."

All of us, even the best in the world, are always learning. We never stop learning.
.

When Segovia was 89 or 90 he was still touring the world. He was asked, maestro, you’re the best in the world. Why do you continue to practice so much?

Segovia replied, I have every intention of being much better before I die

I probably paraphrased a bit, but that’s the gist of it…

Off to practice! Cheers

Paul