How Much Stuff You've Studied Throughout the Years Has actually Stayed with You?

[Lucidology]

In my particular case, think I've retained most of the concepts
but practically none of the verbatim licks or transcriptions ...

 

[russ6100]

In my particular case, think I've retained most of the concepts
but practically none of the verbatim licks or transcriptions ...

Most of the concepts - nearly 100% and many of the licks and transcribed stuff I remember but probably just as many I don't.

 

[anderson110]

Well, I have about 3 licks, so... 3 licks?

Seriously, though, most of the concepts (intervals, chord construction, rhythm concepts), some of the staple fingering patterns. Not much else. I suck at remembering songs.

 

[Seraphine]

Lucid... I always find your threads cool. Like the one months ago about 'youtube' and being able to "see" and hear gtr playing. Great for working things out and cheaper! than when we used to go to concerts to learn this way!

This brought to my mind quicksmart... Education is what we recall ten years after. .. with a side order of "Use it or lose it".

I'm also reminded of a time when visiting friends and a woman asked me to play some of my own material, as I was playing a box in our circle, whilst we were out back in their garden at night.

"I don't remember any of my stuff, to be able to play it." I said. She found that statement incredulous lol... "I don't know any musicians who don't remember their own stuff!" she replied. I said, she mustn't know many musicians! lol

I managed part of one tune and lyrics, that I could pull up... and explained that much of my music is complex. At least for one gtr. I told her a story of Eric Clapton going on tour and choosing the songs he might throw out and how he had to "learn" them.. or work 'em up.

The use it or lose it law is very real and though I've always found the ability to play is maintained at a high level... as in ( sorry Splatt ) we Master the gtr eventually eh? Especially after playing for decades ( seriously playing ) and after 30.. 40 or more years... we better have Mastered our Craft. Just as other disciplines have been Mastered.

I find much is a matter of revising and working on whatever has started rusting and bringing it back, basically. Like not gigging for a few years or not composing.... Takes a little while and then... It's easy to ring that bell.

It's odd though.. some of it is like riding a bike and somethings aren't? There's things I learned 35 .. 40 years ago and I recall the situation I learned it in... people.. time and technique or some piece I could rip on the gtr.. and other things come at times and it's like "Oh Yea!"... I remember that!

The studies ( and more ) have been digested and assimilated.. the Conscious and Subconscious and sometimes even the Superconscious possesses it all and can at times manifest it. Just filling myself up with it all never did much... but using it is the trick... Like it's not what comes to us, but what comes through us that is the matter.

 

[The Kid]

Not a whole lot Joe.... not a whole lot.

 

[Neer]

I spent a lot of time in the past working on concepts and licks, etc. My feeling on it all is that somehow, in the grand scheme of things, my conscience will allow me to hang onto that which musically serves its purpose for me--in other words, much of it gets filtered out and only that which works with my own sense of musicality will stick.

I've been disappointed by my own musical ability in the past, only because it does not measure up to the lofty goals I set for myself, and doesn't really measure up to the big boys who I'm so fond of. But I've learned to accept and embrace who I am, and I continue to learn and revisit some of those concepts which once fell by the wayside but now might benefit me as I evolve. In other words, don't throw away your old shoes--they might come back in style.

 

[IGuitUpIGuitDown]

I remember a great deal of the music I've transcribed (by ear). I train myself to remember it, and keep up with the really difficult pieces when I practice. Some of the easier stuff from alternative/grunge bands gets forgotten a bit, but it's a hell of a lot easier to relearn that - than starting over from scratch, relearning the progressive rock songs!

For me, the key is: music I've always wanted to play. That way you tend to "keep it."

 

[Jeremy_Green]

Hard to say really, It's all in there somewhere.. And comes out in various situations... Everything you do informs everything else I believe.

 

[monty]

Some of it still has to be stashed somewhere in my brain, I just dont seem to remember.

 

[p.j.]

Most of the theory has stayed w/ me including the drum rudiments I learned starting in 3rd grade. Paradiddle, paradiddle, flamadiddle....

PJ

 

[JSeth]

Pretty much all of the harmony/theory stuff... diatonic, basic modal interchange, lydian chords, functional reharmonization (I do need to actually THINK about that one to use it! At least past the basics...)...

The "feeling" from playing with a metronome; different rhythmic patterns and how they feel against different grooves has stayed with me... even though my fingers may not be playing them as clean as they would if I were woodshedding and working scales for an hour a day...

The "Modern Compositional Guidelines" that they taught at Berklee in the 70's (then transferred to me by my friend Martin Headman)... and always stretching out my lines (for soloing) and reaching for interesting intervals...

 

[slackandsteel]

I remember all the stuff I learned from when I was twelve years old until about fifteen, all the song progressions, chords, solos etc and most of the words! I can play you all the old Yardbirds, Stones, Cream, and a lot of the first couple of Hendrix albums.

Newer stuff? Fuggediboutit.

That being said, it's not as if I haven't learned a ton since those days some 45 years ago (when I didn't really know much about what I was doing). But the reality is the newer stuff seeps in a bit in my playing but not to a huge extent, with some notable exceptions of course.

 

[djdrdave]

Yep lots of stuff, calculus, electrical engineering classes, finite element analysis. Hopefully i could learn it again given the need.

 

[Lucidology]

Most of the theory has stayed w/ me including the drum rudiments I learned starting in 3rd grade. Paradiddle, paradiddle, flamadiddle....

PJ

Oh man ... I'm envious of those you who have those Paradiddles, etc. packed into your musical DNA ...
Invaluable ....!!

 

[Seraphine]

In my particular case, think I've retained most of the concepts
but practically none of the verbatim licks or transcriptions ...

"As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few.
The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods.
The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble."

~ R.W. Emerson

I've always gotten along better with Thoreau

"Music is perpetual, and only the hearing is intermittent."

~ Henry David Thoreau

 

[Don A]

I think I've forgotten more than I remember.

 

[Lucidology]

I think I've forgotten more than I remember.

in that this is true for me as well ...

 

[Seraphine]

Used to do 'Mr Magic' and 'Everything Must Change' for years.... I don't remember 'em now. Will need work 'em up again.

hmmmm shall we make a list of music gone astray?

 

[Lucidology]

Used to do 'Mr Magic' and 'Everything Must Change' for years.... I don't remember 'em now. Will need work 'em up again.

hmmmm shall we make a list of music gone astray?

If we were to names tunes once learned now forgotten ..
there would be many 'Real Book' tunes in my list ...

 

[Mr Boggie]

Counting 1, 4, 5 on my fingers to run through the notes.. and C.A.G.E.D.