Taking advantage of the resources on Vibesworkshop.com

David, I'd love to participate more on all the lessons, but I have to make choices because of limited practise time.
Another thing is there's so much information available on the site, it's often very hard to know what exercise to choose, the problem being : what is better for me, considering my actual level, that one or the other one ? Know what I mean ?
But anyway, I'm 100% on posting the more I can, this is a big chance we have that oportunity.
For me the key word is determination.

family, jobs etc.

i agree a little with david but i do realize that guys are busy with their jobs, raising families or even gigging. and i know there are a lot of players who are subscribers. i do wish they'd be more involved.

if every subscriber posted once every month, or even every other month, we'd be listening to a lot more players!! and that would be a good thing! for us and for the subscriber!

hey david,

same here.i didn´t have enough time to participate on your solo lessons although i watched them all and practiced some of them. sometimes we have to make choices what to do with our time but be sure every post you make will be great for every player to see.

tarik

Hello David,

I read your last reply on the 'closing solo playing lesson', so your post didn't come as a surprise to me.

My time is also limited (work, kids, other household related things) I try to play daily between 30 min-1hour.

I try to follow lessons as consistent as possible because the help, support,guidance, tips... are a not to underestimate value to me. Sometimes it could mean posting daily, sometimes working a period and then posting a result. I do 1 lesson at a time, else I'm afraid I'd be trying to much at the same time, instead of lesser things, but more focused. Also, knowing that apart from the lessons, I do my warm up, study something from a book, try some impro for fun.....

I guess it will be different for everyone.

Thanks already for all your help, and I hope to be able to have some wonderful lessons from you yet to come.

Greetings,
Stefan

Similar to what everyone is saying, sometimes for me unfortunately vibesworkshop becomes something to surf as I eat breakfast, or to check when I have five minutes before bed, or when I'm supposed to be answering emails at work (don't tell my boss!). Sure, I practice every day, but some weeks I have so much to work on outside of vibesworkshop (music-related or otherwise...) that I can't devote much time to the lessons. For instance, this month I got back into my old college's jazz ensemble, but they'd already been working on the music since August, so most of my practice time has been spent running through charts to catch up.
I think when I don't have time to post, I'm absorbing material just by watching the lessons (even if I'm watching them during work hours...). I agree with David that posting and getting feedback is the most valuable way to learn, but watching a lesson first thing in the morning rather than staring into space when I eat my breakfast has been helpful too. I think I could be more disciplined about following the lessons, but I also think anything is better than nothing. There just need to be more hours in a day to devote to the vibraphone...

PS: I am starting a new resolution to post at least one audio at the end of each month, so hopefully that'll help too!

I think most reasons have been posted here under...

Now I know subscribers who never post... but who practice "secretly" as you said. If this is not the best way to improve, it's one way... well their way.

Maybe what would help everyone is when we watch/listen to a lesson and find it useful, simply write a short note to say it. Even if not posting our work later. I know some guys already do it, and it always please me to read them.

Now I also know guys who sometimes have a question on one specific subject, and who search on the site, having the reflexe to use the V-Books. Those books still need huge improvement to be better organised but we're working on it, and they can yet be used.

So... we have two main ways to "take advantage of the resources of the site": follow the current lessons and/or use the existing resources, no matter how old they are.

But one thing is positive, encouraging, useful and very little time consuming: speak it out! :o)

First of all there are so many great stuff and players that I am SO happy to be a member of this great community. OFcorse I would like to hear more and more players post so that I can get inspired and criticised by them and become better and better. I know that when someone have lots of gigs or family or whatever, it's very difficult to practise BUT I strongly believe that all vibe player could post at least once a month something, even if that is a practise tape (Just an idea I had). Also I know that sometime some posts don;t get comments by other players and that sucks but at the same time it's ok. IF a post has 0 answers next time will have more.

Yes Mr Friedman, I am very happy that you are on the site and teach us. I feel also like taking private lessons with you and the fact that you been able to follow my playing and make me a better musician (like I was on your college and studying together) it's one of the greatest gift of my life and thank you for that and for your patience to make us better.

I think at this point everybody who works at this site and especially TONY deserve a big THANK YOU!

Take 3 ya all!!!!!!

Dimitris

Every word rings true from the busy schedule and family obligations to the pure love we all have for this amazing instrument. We all know the ecstasy of playing something that really worked for where you are at that exact moment in time and evolution, and deciding to share it with VW community -- to bare one's soul like all artists (at any stage of development) must do. These wonderful videos from the beginning of time are a history lesson as we see and hear how we evolve, not for the purpose of comparison to others or even to thyself, but to share and share alike without ego and fear. Comparison, after all, is the thief of joy!

i reread this!

i always think it's very simple. the great players put their stuff out there. they do gigs, and nowadays with the internet they post. they believe in excellence and they don't have excuses.

it's important to understand what i'm saying here. it's not judgmental at all. just facts. great players have less excuses than players who are not as great. i think that's why we have these categories. amateurs are players who love the instrument maybe as much as the rest of us, but simply can not put the time in that is needed. that's fine, i love amateurs because of their love for the instrument. i love talking with them and even teaching them. their problem is that there are other things above practicing. sometimes like family, children, money. all very impportant things which is why this is NOT judgmental.

then there are pros who won't get to a high level because of the things that come before the instrument. i have a buddy who is an outdoors guy. he loves it! he's a decent musician, but pretty good at best. he's not going to put in the time to be great. i have another buddy who has balanced it all and is a great musician. so who can say.

what i'm saying is great students come in with the lessons completed. the average ones come in with excuses. makes sense right? not a surprise to anyone???

david's thoughts here are to me saying take a step forward. make time (make time) to put stuff out on this site. maybe you can't go the whole way and leave the family, get a cheap apartment and practice 8 hours a day, however you can say you'll post a tune a month on the site. something like that :-)

OK - I'll try to be brave and upload a sample of my playing. Here's a take of All Blues I did with a bass player last year...