I can relate to this so much. Trying to learn piano by ear and YouTube videos, I am definitely not good at being a beginner. The things that would probably help me the most seem sooo tedious.I don't want to practice scales; I want to play a song. And not Mary Had A Little Lamb.I want to learn something intricate and beautiful and impressive. I started learning I Giorni by Ludovico Einaudi. It felt like my brain was melting. I had to concentrate so hard on the mechanics that I wasn't hearing what I was playing, really. Once muscle memory kicked in, it got easier to pay attention to technique and those aha moments kicked in. Suddenly I realized a LOT of things I wasn't catching. Very humbling. But I keep going back, keep trying, and I'm learning so much. I think we'll both learn our songs and play them beautifully someday, and we'll be so glad we didn't give up!
Thank you, Susan - yes! It sounds like you know exactly what I mean about those aha moments..... realizing what we weren’t seeing. It can be wonderful, I think. I am laughing at your story of finding something challenging enough.... jumping into something “more” is my approach, too. Whatever we do has to sustain us enough to make us “want” to keep learning.... I hope you keep finding your way through the song.
Kudos to you for picking up a new instrument! We all need to bend our gray cells to keep them limber.
There’s something very rewarding in being consistent, doing the work and celebrating the results no matter how subtle they are. This year I’m focusing on being in this moment of where I am in my learning process instead of always thinking ahead and feeling like I should be improving more quickly. That’s where I get my feet all tangled up and frustration sets in. It’s far more peaceful and pleasant this way.
Keep at it. You’re doing great! And I think Edgar is a much better name than Edward. Lol
Ps I don’t think I’ll ever do eyelashes, but who knows!
Thank you, Julia. I’m glad to see you back (here)! It sounds like you have a wonderful perspective on your year... being more present in our processes can make a real difference in how we feel in the doing -- and removes the stress and anxiety of always wishing we were at a different point. In art, I totally know and embrace this. I’m trying with guitar. Thank you for this note. And I’m laughing about the Edgar moment.... do you play? When I made my diagram yesterday, I didn’t realize I had it totally wrong.... I had “Edgar Ate Dynamite, Good Boy, Edgar” (and I kept thinking how odd that seemed as a sentiment). I mentioned it late last night and realized I had it wrong.... and only afterwards realized I always was thinking Edgar. Hah! I probably should mix it up.... Edith Ate Doritos.... Edwina.... Happy Sunday!
I'm a beginner too. A couple of weeks ago I decided I was going to teach myself Gregg Shorthand. What? Why, at 63, am I trying to learn a dead language? For me it's the meditation of repetition and focus. In the daily process of learning new brief forms, refining the fluidity and accuracy of my lines, and learning to read shorthand dictation, I am clearing my mind of clutter.
The benefit I receive isn't that I'll someday be able to apply this skill in some office setting, or taking notes in school. I believe the benefit is in the process of learning; it is it's own reward. So, I continue to plow through my Gregg Shorthand Simplified, a couple of chapters a night. And you know what? It's actually making sense. I can feel the incremental "Aha!" moments when I discover that I'm reading this stuff faster and faster; or when my hand seemingly, without input from my brain, writes a word or a brief form all by itself. That is cool!
I only wish I had taken more than a semester of shorthand in high school. But it's never too late to teach an old dog how to tie its shoelaces . . . or something to that effect.
I was always fascinated with shorthand as a kid because my mother used it. (I tried but never picked it up.) What an interesting choice for you to focus on now, but yes, the continued learning is the point and the satisfaction! I think this is awesome. What are you using to practice? Are you taking notes as you watch videos or things? I’m simply curious. Learning to sketch note is a similar mindset (though of course very different approach). Watching videos or Ted Talks often works well for practice fodder for me. -- And thank you for giving an example of the aha moments you are encountering. I am surprised to find that this had resonance with people today! Enjoy the week ahead.
Hi Amy. You know, the idea of learning Gregg Shorthand came from way back in my high school days when I thought it might be handy to know how to type and take dictation. I did a stint in the Army after I graduated. The shorthand dropped by the wayside, but the typing definitely helped me to get a more desirable job in the service. After the Army I tried to be a court reporter and studied machine shorthand. But I hit a plateau in terms of my speed, and got frustrated after three or four semesters which caused me to give up. I eventually found a different career.
I think there was something satisfying to me in the daily focus required to learn a shorthand skill. Taking it again today might be me trying to regain that feeling which comes from a daily practice or ritual. I’m not spiritual in a religious sense, but maybe there’s a spiritual rhythm in the “practice” of any modality.
I’m still too slow at getting my hand to write the correct form for the words I hear, so right now I couldn’t take dictation from YouTube unless I put it on super slow-motion . . . hay, wait a minute. That might not be a bad idea.
I’m working my way through the chapters of this old Gregg Shorthand book I found in the library. It was published before I was born. That’s OLD! According to the book, I have less than a dozen more theory items and forms to learn. From then on it’ll just be practicing more and more vocabulary. But now reading shorthand is the other half of this exciting venture. I downloaded some old novels written in shorthand, and boy are they tough to understand. Reading Alice In Wonderland in Gregg Shorthand is no picnic.
Oh Amy, just love your reflections on playing music. I’m only dealing with 4 strings and what a challenge. If we both keep practicing TAB notes we’ll be ready for TAPS Across America 2024! https://youtu.be/oeT1ffPcRLY For a person who has played guitar since their youth, I swear their fingers bend differently to make bar chords! So hard for them to understand that we simply cannot do it as older adults. But, in the end, picking up an instrument and being able to make some music and sing...what JOY we can bring into our lives. Carry on and have fun!
Thanks, Carol - and thank you for reading and commenting here on the substack. As you know, I just never fully succeeded with my ukulele although I returned to it over and over in the last few years. (I have a total favorite uke video person, and I really wish he did guitar videos because he is so calm and chill.... I enjoyed always just sitting and following his videos). I always felt like my uke issues were partly because I wasn’t willing to sing along. Lol. My process with guitar feels a bit like Deja vu .... and I know that it may not stick. I actually think that I’ll have a better experience with ukulele maybe when I pick it back up. (I hope that’s true because I still love it.) You are SO right about the bending of fingers. When my son was focusing on showing me a simple barre the other night (after really seeing that I can’t yet “reach” the way I need to for others), he kept saying, “I just rotate my finger this way...”.... for the life of me, my finger doesn’t seem to do that. Lol. You have ALWAYS been an inspiration with your uke practice. Have a good day!
Looks like my link didn’t work. It’s the AllForUke channel X - his name is Kevin. He has several beginner uke series that I just loved. There are other I watched, but Kevin was my favorite. I’ve found it to be much harder to find a good guitar channel. I have found a woman I really like (Lauren Bateman) - and she tailors for older beginners. I also like Andy, who you might know from uke videos, too. I like his approach.
Took me a minute to figure out what CMP stands for. Got if!
But more importantly, congratulations on starting to learn something new. I’m going to write soon about touch typing – so important – and using the Dvorak keyboard. It didn’t quite work out the way that I anticipated.
Anything that requires your brain to carve new neural pathways is good for your health and your creativity.
Thanks for commenting, Fran! I look forward to hearing about the Dvorak experience. I agree about learning new things....we underestimate the value maybe... or get caught in the weeds maybe with the reality of the learning curve. Have a good week! (And sorry that CMP was obscure. That’s a good reminder for me.)
Loved this post, Amy. Not being good at being a beginner- I can totally relate. But I’m also trying to be more aware of this so that I choose to enjoy (or be open-minded to) things that I haven’t tried extensively before. For me this year it’s ice skating- I’m learning to figure skate (taking an adult class) at the same time the kids in my kids are taking a learn-to-skate class. It’s cool to learn all the techniques even though I’m sometimes wobbly! I also have to override my natural reaction to wonder where this hobby will lead- and just enjoy it in the beginner stages (even if it never leads to something more than a few just-for-fun Saturday sessions for a few weeks, months, or years.)
As for guitar ... I’ve had less practice than you’ve described and agree some of it feels backwards (compared to piano). Maybe I’ll pick it up again in the future and try to learn using that “just be a beginner” mindset.
How cool that you are taking skating classes -- and really, it’s great for your kids to see you continuing to learn and try new things! Questions like “is there a purpose” or “where will it lead” (that you raise here) are things that trip me up, too. The more we understand our responses, the more able we are to work around them and embrace the beginner mindset maybe -- good luck!
I can relate to this so much. Trying to learn piano by ear and YouTube videos, I am definitely not good at being a beginner. The things that would probably help me the most seem sooo tedious.I don't want to practice scales; I want to play a song. And not Mary Had A Little Lamb.I want to learn something intricate and beautiful and impressive. I started learning I Giorni by Ludovico Einaudi. It felt like my brain was melting. I had to concentrate so hard on the mechanics that I wasn't hearing what I was playing, really. Once muscle memory kicked in, it got easier to pay attention to technique and those aha moments kicked in. Suddenly I realized a LOT of things I wasn't catching. Very humbling. But I keep going back, keep trying, and I'm learning so much. I think we'll both learn our songs and play them beautifully someday, and we'll be so glad we didn't give up!
Thank you, Susan - yes! It sounds like you know exactly what I mean about those aha moments..... realizing what we weren’t seeing. It can be wonderful, I think. I am laughing at your story of finding something challenging enough.... jumping into something “more” is my approach, too. Whatever we do has to sustain us enough to make us “want” to keep learning.... I hope you keep finding your way through the song.
Kudos to you for picking up a new instrument! We all need to bend our gray cells to keep them limber.
There’s something very rewarding in being consistent, doing the work and celebrating the results no matter how subtle they are. This year I’m focusing on being in this moment of where I am in my learning process instead of always thinking ahead and feeling like I should be improving more quickly. That’s where I get my feet all tangled up and frustration sets in. It’s far more peaceful and pleasant this way.
Keep at it. You’re doing great! And I think Edgar is a much better name than Edward. Lol
Ps I don’t think I’ll ever do eyelashes, but who knows!
Thank you, Julia. I’m glad to see you back (here)! It sounds like you have a wonderful perspective on your year... being more present in our processes can make a real difference in how we feel in the doing -- and removes the stress and anxiety of always wishing we were at a different point. In art, I totally know and embrace this. I’m trying with guitar. Thank you for this note. And I’m laughing about the Edgar moment.... do you play? When I made my diagram yesterday, I didn’t realize I had it totally wrong.... I had “Edgar Ate Dynamite, Good Boy, Edgar” (and I kept thinking how odd that seemed as a sentiment). I mentioned it late last night and realized I had it wrong.... and only afterwards realized I always was thinking Edgar. Hah! I probably should mix it up.... Edith Ate Doritos.... Edwina.... Happy Sunday!
I'm a beginner too. A couple of weeks ago I decided I was going to teach myself Gregg Shorthand. What? Why, at 63, am I trying to learn a dead language? For me it's the meditation of repetition and focus. In the daily process of learning new brief forms, refining the fluidity and accuracy of my lines, and learning to read shorthand dictation, I am clearing my mind of clutter.
The benefit I receive isn't that I'll someday be able to apply this skill in some office setting, or taking notes in school. I believe the benefit is in the process of learning; it is it's own reward. So, I continue to plow through my Gregg Shorthand Simplified, a couple of chapters a night. And you know what? It's actually making sense. I can feel the incremental "Aha!" moments when I discover that I'm reading this stuff faster and faster; or when my hand seemingly, without input from my brain, writes a word or a brief form all by itself. That is cool!
I only wish I had taken more than a semester of shorthand in high school. But it's never too late to teach an old dog how to tie its shoelaces . . . or something to that effect.
I was always fascinated with shorthand as a kid because my mother used it. (I tried but never picked it up.) What an interesting choice for you to focus on now, but yes, the continued learning is the point and the satisfaction! I think this is awesome. What are you using to practice? Are you taking notes as you watch videos or things? I’m simply curious. Learning to sketch note is a similar mindset (though of course very different approach). Watching videos or Ted Talks often works well for practice fodder for me. -- And thank you for giving an example of the aha moments you are encountering. I am surprised to find that this had resonance with people today! Enjoy the week ahead.
Hi Amy. You know, the idea of learning Gregg Shorthand came from way back in my high school days when I thought it might be handy to know how to type and take dictation. I did a stint in the Army after I graduated. The shorthand dropped by the wayside, but the typing definitely helped me to get a more desirable job in the service. After the Army I tried to be a court reporter and studied machine shorthand. But I hit a plateau in terms of my speed, and got frustrated after three or four semesters which caused me to give up. I eventually found a different career.
I think there was something satisfying to me in the daily focus required to learn a shorthand skill. Taking it again today might be me trying to regain that feeling which comes from a daily practice or ritual. I’m not spiritual in a religious sense, but maybe there’s a spiritual rhythm in the “practice” of any modality.
I’m still too slow at getting my hand to write the correct form for the words I hear, so right now I couldn’t take dictation from YouTube unless I put it on super slow-motion . . . hay, wait a minute. That might not be a bad idea.
I’m working my way through the chapters of this old Gregg Shorthand book I found in the library. It was published before I was born. That’s OLD! According to the book, I have less than a dozen more theory items and forms to learn. From then on it’ll just be practicing more and more vocabulary. But now reading shorthand is the other half of this exciting venture. I downloaded some old novels written in shorthand, and boy are they tough to understand. Reading Alice In Wonderland in Gregg Shorthand is no picnic.
Oh Amy, just love your reflections on playing music. I’m only dealing with 4 strings and what a challenge. If we both keep practicing TAB notes we’ll be ready for TAPS Across America 2024! https://youtu.be/oeT1ffPcRLY For a person who has played guitar since their youth, I swear their fingers bend differently to make bar chords! So hard for them to understand that we simply cannot do it as older adults. But, in the end, picking up an instrument and being able to make some music and sing...what JOY we can bring into our lives. Carry on and have fun!
Thanks, Carol - and thank you for reading and commenting here on the substack. As you know, I just never fully succeeded with my ukulele although I returned to it over and over in the last few years. (I have a total favorite uke video person, and I really wish he did guitar videos because he is so calm and chill.... I enjoyed always just sitting and following his videos). I always felt like my uke issues were partly because I wasn’t willing to sing along. Lol. My process with guitar feels a bit like Deja vu .... and I know that it may not stick. I actually think that I’ll have a better experience with ukulele maybe when I pick it back up. (I hope that’s true because I still love it.) You are SO right about the bending of fingers. When my son was focusing on showing me a simple barre the other night (after really seeing that I can’t yet “reach” the way I need to for others), he kept saying, “I just rotate my finger this way...”.... for the life of me, my finger doesn’t seem to do that. Lol. You have ALWAYS been an inspiration with your uke practice. Have a good day!
Is your ukulele guy Stu F? Love him.
Looks like my link didn’t work. It’s the AllForUke channel X - his name is Kevin. He has several beginner uke series that I just loved. There are other I watched, but Kevin was my favorite. I’ve found it to be much harder to find a good guitar channel. I have found a woman I really like (Lauren Bateman) - and she tailors for older beginners. I also like Andy, who you might know from uke videos, too. I like his approach.
Took me a minute to figure out what CMP stands for. Got if!
But more importantly, congratulations on starting to learn something new. I’m going to write soon about touch typing – so important – and using the Dvorak keyboard. It didn’t quite work out the way that I anticipated.
Anything that requires your brain to carve new neural pathways is good for your health and your creativity.
Thanks for commenting, Fran! I look forward to hearing about the Dvorak experience. I agree about learning new things....we underestimate the value maybe... or get caught in the weeds maybe with the reality of the learning curve. Have a good week! (And sorry that CMP was obscure. That’s a good reminder for me.)
Loved this post, Amy. Not being good at being a beginner- I can totally relate. But I’m also trying to be more aware of this so that I choose to enjoy (or be open-minded to) things that I haven’t tried extensively before. For me this year it’s ice skating- I’m learning to figure skate (taking an adult class) at the same time the kids in my kids are taking a learn-to-skate class. It’s cool to learn all the techniques even though I’m sometimes wobbly! I also have to override my natural reaction to wonder where this hobby will lead- and just enjoy it in the beginner stages (even if it never leads to something more than a few just-for-fun Saturday sessions for a few weeks, months, or years.)
As for guitar ... I’ve had less practice than you’ve described and agree some of it feels backwards (compared to piano). Maybe I’ll pick it up again in the future and try to learn using that “just be a beginner” mindset.
How cool that you are taking skating classes -- and really, it’s great for your kids to see you continuing to learn and try new things! Questions like “is there a purpose” or “where will it lead” (that you raise here) are things that trip me up, too. The more we understand our responses, the more able we are to work around them and embrace the beginner mindset maybe -- good luck!