BLOG – Post Shred

Slight tingling of the hand. Lightning bolts up the arm. Dull, dead weight, tingling lightning bolts, shooting up the arm. Every single one of these sensations used to be a regular feeling for me. These are the side effects of an overuse injury, which can (and have) lead to weeks away from my instrument. I am referring to the common condition amongst instrumentalists, typists, painters, or anyone with excessive use of their hands. The condition is known as Repetitive Motion Injury. I have been living with RMI since the age of 15 years old, when I discovered first hand that musicians weren’t meant to practice marathon 6-8 hour in a row practice sessions (exactly the mentality to subscribed to at that time).

I will never forget the feeling of having a physical therapist look me dead in the eye and say, “If you don’t change the way you are doing things, you won’t be playing the guitar for much longer”. The sinking pit in my stomach kept me silent the entire car ride home. I remember thinking through every scenario in which I was over-exerting my hands, trying to outline and detail what steps could be taken differently. After time spent away from my instrument, it gave me the perspective I needed to approach practicing with a “big picture” mentality. A few of the things I have learned in my experience with RMI are:

1. STRETCH! WARM UP SLOWLY! – This is one that many people overlook, they jump right into practicing their most challenging content, giving their body no chance to stretch or get acclimated to the activity in which they are about to participate.

2.Take 5-10 minute breaks for every 15-20 minutes that you practice. The brain tends to focus better in shorter, more concentrated practice sessions.

3. Stay hydrated! – The human body functions at a consistently higher level when it is hydrated properly. I would recommend 8 oz. of water for every hour of practice you complete.

4. Maintain your instrument!* – Playing on a guitar with high action certainly has its merits (pending on what style you play), but having a guitar with high action for no reason is unnecessary punishment on your hands. It can strain your fretting hand to a point where holding any chord will feel like a chore. This is a lesson I learned the hard way recently. By ignoring the fact my instrument needed to be set up, I was inflicting hours of abuse on my hands through teaching/practicing/rehearsals/shows etc……

Last week I briefly outlined my plan to document 10,000 hours of practice through this blog, and by not paying enough attention to have my instruments properly set up, I lost an entire week of practicing. After getting my instruments back over the weekend and allowing my hands to re-acclimate themselves; I feel ready to follow through on my proposed task from last week. If you suffer from RMI injuries, take a step back to see if there are any small changes you can make to your daily routine to make life easier on your hands. No matter what obstacles stand in your way, keep doing what you love. There is no better way to spend your time on the planet. Later this week I will explain my outline for the 10,000 hour plan and have my first video lesson post on tapping arpeggios!

It’s 10:54 pm on a sunday night in my less-than-optimal-allston apartment. Every sunday night i have out my calculator, practice journals, and laptop for note taking purposes. I am in no way opposed to being well read/researched/practiced on a topic, but I have been out of college nearly 2 years now, and yet I feel like a perpetual student.

For nearly two years I’ve been telling people about this asinine plan I have to document 10,000 hours of practice. Usually I get a very enthusiastic response in return(and a larger demographic of nay-sayers, or people who think I am completely insane) I had heard this 10,000 hour principle talked about before, but it wasn’t until I read Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers”, that my brain started to register that this very theory was what I lived between the fall of 2000 to the spring of 2005. REEEEWIND

I was a complete recluse during my latter middle to high school days. I would wake up early to practice before school, cut classes to practice once there, and race home to ensure I would fulfill my weekly ritual of 6 to 8 hours of practice on school days, and 8 to 14 hours a day on weekends. It was CONSTANT and more importantly it was my constant. REH, Hot Licks, Hal Leonard, Berklee Press, and MI Press all received a significant amount of income I made in my teen years to pour into instructional videos to receive further instruction outside of my weekly lesson at the local music store. Between the fall of 2000 and spring of 2005 I had practiced within the neighborhood of 13,000 hours. Upon doing this math, I realized I did not feel like a master at all. Thats when I had my bulb of light moment. I’ll just do it all over again. This time, keeping track of the hours as I go, documenting what I learn as I go.

No one is ever going to walk up to a guitarist playing an Yngwie Malmsteen/John Petrucci/Paul Gilbert/(Insert guitarist of your liking here) lick and go, “ wow, you sound more XXXX than XXXX. Here is a gold medal for your efforts. Congratulations, you have won guitar!”. Upon realizing this i wanted to start developing my own style. Sure, thats easier said than done, but thats what this next 10,000 hours of content is all about. Tracking the evolution of myself as a guitarist/musician/artist, and hopefully having some things to offer others that can find influence or inspiration from. I look forward to sharing my journey with you. lets get lost in the abyss together

RMI vs. Practicing Round 1

Why am I doing this?!?!?!