Official Luthiers Forum!

Thanks Colin for a review of your warm up exercises...I do similar ones and do believe that getting the joints warmed up and fluids circulating helps both the playing and the ability to play longer.

I also agree that scales are the foundation of all practice. For me to keep from getting bored and to get both my head and hands in synch, I practice modal scales for all of the modes. It breaks me out of patterns of just major and minor and helps me to remember finger placement so that the next movement is anticipated rather than repeating the pattern by strictly muscle memory. I alternate patterns with each hand also as it helps me to prepare for passages that tend to get my fingers tied with either hand.

This past Saturday? I practiced for about an hour, and later in the day - I played an hour set / solo at the 1st annual Fireweed Folk Festival in Copper Center, AK. Lots of fun, enjoyed pickin with some good friends later that night - from about 10PM 'til little after 3AM.

GREAT weekend! I love the summers in Alaska.

BTW, we've had a Black Bear in our yard a few times over the past week. Big handsome feller! Very cool to see - but not so cool for pets and kids.