Practice with the b to boss course

I was wondering whether those of you who have done or are doing the course have written down the tabs for all lessons so that you can quickly revisit a lesson with the backing track?

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Hello @betterapproach.team, YEAHS! :smiley:

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Thank you @AstridHandbikebee63
It seems to be the best way
Hope all is well with you

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Yes. I transcribe to 5"x3" cards. Though I donā€™t actually use tab. I prefer to convert the tab to scale degree numbers (e.g. 1 & 2 where the tab would be 4 & -4). I have a notation involving dots above or below to indicate the low & high octave, and use an underline if I wish to specify a draw (e.g. for the low 5 which could be draw 2 or blow 3).

Iā€™d rather learn the tune that way & come to ā€˜knowā€™ where to find that note, than to learn by positions alone.

Iā€™m probably influenced in this because I use scale degrees when learning tunes on other instruments too (indeed, it makes the tunes instrument independent).

YMMV as they say.

And with out backing track too. :smiley:

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This is very helpful @DavidW and appreciated. I am doing the course over 3 months and have realised I need to constantly revisit lessons to ensure I am grasping it all properly. I am going through everything I have done and making more notes. I like what you said re notations. It is about putting in the time, but when you love something you find time.

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Hi @betterapproach.team ,

Currently working my way through the course and I am currently towards the end of Module 2.

Iā€™ve been making notes on every lesson including the tabs and timing. Itā€™s made it easy to go back and quickly review something. Iā€™ll probably continue doing what Iā€™m doing through the end.

Took me a couple lessons worth of notes to figure out how to represent the timing with the tabs in the notes for easy reference. So now, I show the tabs followed by the count underneath the tabs. I highlight (change color) on the count where the tabs line up. This has worked for me.

Personally, I use an open source knowledge base (Logseq) so everything is easily queried. Works for me anyway.

Where are you at in the lessons?

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Thanks for asking @betterapproach.team :slightly_smiling_face:! I am okay! Itā€™s freezing cold here in the country right now, so the only thing that helps is to make yourself comfortable at home and play the harp.

I had already completed the BTB course. Occasionally, however, I use my notes to solidify something further.
During the course, I took a screenshot at the end of the lesson. Then jot it down in a large notebook. The tabs + and - notated in rhythm, special features such as ā€™ or ", an arc when sliding and <ā€”> Slide marked.
At first I used tabs with up and down arrows as moves and bubbles. It didnā€™t work that well.

After about a year of learning the harp I sorted out some notes :spiral_notepad:. I find that I can apply what Iā€™ve learned. Also that the feeling for the right notes has developed and I can play longer foreign songs without tabs. I wouldnā€™t have thought that last year.
When it comes to very fast songs, my development is still lacking. But I think that since the bending and now also the overblows work as far as possible, that will also happen.
I still continue to play the scales, bends and overblows every day. This takes about 15 - 20 minutes. The initial problems with shortness of breath, too much or too little saliva no longer exist.

Now that winter is over, I finally want to focus on learning and reading music. I use my keyboard at the same time. Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to learn it and I miss it.

Iā€™m just doing this as a hobby. Nevertheless, it is important to me because it is good for me physically and mentally.

Sorry for the long text! But I want to show you and others that sticking with it is worth it. Even if you sometimes think it doesnā€™t work. Yes, development sometimes goes unnoticed!

Let it be well with you! Greetings from Astrid :woman_in_lotus_position:

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Fantastic @AstridHandbikebee63
This history is helpful
I hope to get to your level over the next year

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Oh yes @betterapproach.team you will! Even without putting you under pressure! Keep calm, itā€™s so important!
I donā€™t know if you already know my spontaneous improvisation. Iā€™ll put them back here for you. Please feel free to listen to it on Youtube.

No, it doesnā€™t always work! It depends on the form of the day and it has yet to really become ā€œflesh and bloodā€. Also, donā€™t forget our age as we started late. Certainly we will hardly manage to catch up for forty years. It doesnā€™t matter, we challenge and support each other! That counts and it feels so good! Donā€™t be too strict on yourself, give yourself a break too!
I tend to find less time to practice and study in the summer. My priority is more outside when riding a handbike to maintain my stability with my health. The harp is welcome to be there to play in a nice place.

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I have subscribed to you @AstridHandbikebee63 on YouTube :joy:
Yeah it is about fun

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Thanks @burpsan
I am module 2 level 27
Love the course

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Good idea re cards @DavidW
Appreciated

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Ah, you are the subscriber @betterapproach.team, :wink::joy:.
Sorry, you canā€™t see who subscribes, just how many subscribers you have. Yes, itā€™s about fun!

But with the songs I play, you can also see my weaknesses that still exist! Thatā€™s what itā€™s all about for me! See and hear in a year if I make further progress.

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Not sure if this helps but I have 2 screens. I put one on the backing track and one on the lesson or song section. You could also use 2 devices or split your screen. Its not difficult once you know. Do you have a techy friend?

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I was making notation on a computer at first, using ā€˜markdownā€™ in Obsidian, but I work with computers all day long, so I like to use none computer solutions for hobby & pastime activities where possible & for me at least 5x3 cards are a good solution. Simple interface, always on, infinite battery life, easy to sort.

Iā€™d need bigger cards for longer songs. LOL!

Each to their ownā€¦ :slight_smile:

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@DavidW That makes sense. If I was on a computer all day, Iā€™d want a break from it too.

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Nice! Iā€™m just a tad behind starting Tom Petty on Lesson 23.

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I took a little different approach. I found that i couldnā€™t really feel the song or lick while trying to read the tab. I committed to using it at first during the lesdon and then never looking again. I think it really helped my speed and eneral feel of the song. Everyone has their own ideas about what works best for them

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Amen to that @rmajor874 .
When it comes to learning (& many other things), thereā€™s no ā€œone size fits allā€.

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Welcome to the forum, @rmajor874 !

Yeah, we all try to figure out what works best for oneself. Btw, I do try and do what youā€™re doing ā€¦ though I do start with getting notes down and working through it in my mind ā€¦ what you described follows if I understand you correctly ā€¦ developing an ear for it, and play by feel. I.e., the tabs have gone out the window at that point. If I need a quick review Iā€™ve got a quick reference.

Of course, Iā€™m open to learning from others in figuring out the best way to learn and retain. It feels like Luke to his credit has definitely created a nice pedagogical approach to this course, which I appreciate. Feels like Iā€™m learning by leaps and bounds and everything falls in place at the right moment.

Enjoy!

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