i just listened to this lesson. Really good info. I look forward to thinking about and “practicing” these tips. Regarding tip #10 on Rest - something that may also help is to Stretch (fingers and forearm muscles) before, and/or during practice, especially if you have not played your instrument for a few days, or if you have done some hard manual labor. I work around the house a lot doing all types of yard work, and lately i have used a chainsaw quite a bit cleaning up after a storm we had 2 months ago. Hand and Arm (especially forearm) muscles can get really tight. Just a short couple of minutes to stretch can make a huge difference.
Discuss the lesson: 11 Tips for Successful Practice
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@carlwells2535 perhaps on another thread, but would love to hear more about the Huber you ordered. Style, wood, stuff like that. And I hope the shoulder is improving.
I just started watching this course and think it’s going to be quite helpful. I liked the tip about “keeping your instrument close” and the little “not more than 6 feet away” pop up cracked me up. I’m fortunate enough to have a music room in the house with a baby grand piano in the middle and all my instruments hanging on the wall or in a stand, ready to play. I even brought my mandolin on the current trip I’m on (got to play it with some guys at my high school reunion) and have been playing it in my resort room on non scuba diving days. Well, best get back to the course!
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I’m glad “do-overs” are free.
First short term goal is to get my calluses back 
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Thank you Ben, this lesson came at the right time, Just played with a bunch of people for 6 days straight from 6:30 am through the day and into the evening with breaks for meals and sanity checks. I learned a ton but came home feeling a bit overwhelmed with what to do next… there is so much to learn! Your words of wisdom will get me back on track with the beginning mandolin curriculum. Nine months into playing mando and 5 months since the Kilgore camp and still fired up, just need to recharge the batteries and I’ll be back. Thank you again!
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Hey @BanjoBen:
Would a lesson on bad practice habits be worthwhile?
For example…one thing I noticed about some of my practice early in my journey, I sometimes would play through some songs/licks somewhat softly. And after hearing all of these “soft” notes, I would sorta convince myself that I was getting it.
However, when I tried to play it regular, I realized how much I had not yet really gotten it, you know? I really hadn’t learned the pick resistance or speed needed to execute the song at jam-level or performance-level volume.
So, that’d be an example of a bad practice habit, and I bet you know of a few, too? Just a thought.
Like everyone else, I really loved all of these practice videos, some of them have really revolutionized my thinking when I do have the chance to practice.
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What level of competency do you recommend an individual display before moving on to the next lesson? I am at a clean 160BPM for the Forward Roll lesson, but not cleanly and consistently up to the final target of the last example at 170BPM. Should I continue to focus on the Forward Roll practice until I reach the 170BPM, or should I also begin the next lesson while I continue to refine the current lesson? Thanks!
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Begin the next lesson while you continue to refine the current lesson. From observing the pro’s, you’ll spend the rest of your days refining the rolls. Keep it fun and interesting. If you’ve seen the lessons on how to practice, spend a third of your practice time on something you know, a third on something new, and a third on just having fun, or a lick, whatever will want you to pick up the next time. Hope this helps.
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Fantastic advice–much appreciated!
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