|
|
Post by Zi on Feb 18, 2024 11:20:48 GMT
I was reading a book about the brain and music but I got distracted by local history and started reading a series of 12 books. I think I've missed a couple because I couldn't get them but it's meant that the other book got sidetracked and I've just picked it up again. Anyway, he's now discussing what makes an expert and has gone to the 10,000 hours thing. What's quite endearing about him is how he's insistent that 'natural talent' is not a good way to think and that if you put in your 10,000 hours you'd be pretty good.
He cheered me up enormously.I say that as well because I'm learning crotchet. I've had many attempts to learn and many teachers but it's failed each time. However, my husband gave me some more lucet tools for Christmas. These are small, acrylic ones and they're apparently useful to weavers. I'd never used them for that - my original wooden lucet is really large. I have never managed to do anything with the lucet and the instructions have always baffled me but this time I thought I'd give it a proper go and actually, ignored the instructions and worked from first principles producing a huge chain of glittery stuff that will be nice for the Christmas tree and yes I will get to the point. I promise. After working with the lucet, I had a go at crotchet and I'm now zooming along. I can actually do some. It's even recognisable as crotchet rather than a series of knots. I think the lucet gave me a foundation. And that means I've got a bit further towards the 10,000 hours...
There's hope for that there recorder even now... perhaps...
|
|
|
|
Post by keff on Feb 18, 2024 12:07:50 GMT
Well done Zi. It is knitting that I can't get my head or fingers around. Other half has shown me many a time but it doesn't stick and I am not going to knit a jumper anyway. I did learn to use a sewing machine and made a few covid face masks.
I have heard of the 10,000 hour theory and think it is probably about right although not tested it myself. I consider myself to be an expert in nothing. With respect to piano I have been taking lessons of various types as an adult for 35 years. Lets say thirty minutes practice for six days a week equates to 5,460 hours. Academic subject, three years as an undergraduate, ten week terms with no time for very little else apart from eating and sleeping then three years post grad work, say 48 weeks per year, 40 hours per week, total is 7,200 hours. (I am actually surprised by how many hours I put into my university career. I didn't enjoy being an undergraduate because of the workload and pressure of wanting to do well.)
|
|
|
|
Post by corenfa on Feb 18, 2024 14:42:43 GMT
I did the calculation before, I have spent the 10000 hours on piano and I am not an expert. Since you only need one counterexample to disprove something, there you go.
|
|
|
|
Post by Zi on Feb 19, 2024 10:05:29 GMT
I think it's like the 10000 steps. And the 5 a day. They're useful heuristics that give you something to aim at. Some idiot on the TV - when I watched TV a long long time ago - was very critical over the 10 thou steps. He did what he thought was an 'experiment' and he gave people really silly ideas of what the 10 thou steps meant. One person either saw through it or didn't understand and it really worked for them urging them to maintain and do more. I have a pedometer and I aim at but don't always get 10 thou. In summer I invariably do a lot, lot more. But I love it as it's a ball park figure that makes sense to me. Ditto I count 5 veg every day.
The book I'm reading is extremely compassionate. He was put off playing the guitar when he was very young because some idiot told him his hands were too small... It's left him with a sort of regret and a desire to make sure that no one else ever stops having a go at something they'd like to do.
I will never make a wonderful piece of crotchet but I could very likely make a shawl, a scarf, a blankie... I feel pleased! Getting to first base has given me more pleasure than I can explain. I will never make a great musician but if I bothered to work at it I'd be a lot better than I am now!
|
|
|
|
Post by Zi on Feb 20, 2024 9:38:57 GMT
Well done Zi. It is knitting that I can't get my head or fingers around. Other half has shown me many a time but it doesn't stick and I am not going to knit a jumper anyway. I did learn to use a sewing machine and made a few covid face masks. I meant to say something yesterday. I can knit well enough to follow a pattern and make plain things. I could likely knit a jumper but it would be a simple one. However, both Mr Z and I always wanted a knitting machine. So, several years ago we got one. We spent a whole afternoon getting something that was seriously ugly and we were delighted with it. It wasn't anything usable either and had dangly bits where it shouldn't have and Mr Z suggested we ignored them and continued onwards. But we were both over-the-moon with it. We laughed our way through its production and still recall the fun we had. We really must do something again. I say all this because we had zero expectations and I really wish that everything I attempted was like that. For most things, it really is. But for some reason I ceased to think about playing music in that way. I so hope that this is the year where I laugh my way through the wreckage and enjoy the process again. I'm seriously impressed over the covid masks keff! I bought ours. And I'm supposed to know how to sew...  |
|
|
|
Post by Zi on Feb 20, 2024 9:41:20 GMT
Re the book and the hours - it looks like he thinks it's a useful metric as well. He doesn't think 10 thou and you're done...
|
|
|
|
Post by keff on Feb 20, 2024 11:33:34 GMT
We don't have a knitting machine but we do have four sewing machines. A few years ago other half said she would knit me an arran jumper. We bought about £100 worth of wool but it wasn't enough and we had to buy half as much again and I do not have a large figure. We have given the name "shorn" to this garment!
With respect to sewing machines the oldest was bought before we were married and was used until 1997 when we acquired our first computer controlled machine which was 'state of the art' at the time. Other half loved it but about ten years ago one of the electronic boards became unreliable and the manufacturer didn't have exactly the same type of board as a replacement. The machine was repaired but it didn't have the same capability.
Another reason why other half was upset was because she believed sewing machines should last a life time. It took ages before I persuaded her that modern computer controlled machines would last for ten to fifteen years and then I presented her with a Bernina mechanical machine as a birthday present to ensure it would last a lifetime. The fourth machine was acquired four years ago, almost top of the range combined embroidery and sewing machine and this has already been back to the dealership for a software upgrade.
|
|
|
|
Post by Zi on Feb 20, 2024 12:17:12 GMT
£100 worth of wool but it wasn't enough yes... wool is expensive. I weave - mostly small bits and I design a lot of tartan so have tons of 'samples' I've woven. The wool is expensive for that. I use carpet wool some of the time - it's fine as long as you don't want to wear it. And it's cheaper. The fine wools are seriously expensive. So, it's not a hobby I do to save money! I don't think I *have* a hobby that saves money... Everything we do makes stuff more expensive... For example, growing our own veg/fruit is definitely more costly... but it's so much nicer and so much fun (most of the time). It sounds like you and OH have fun with those hobbies. As I say, I wish I could keep the music in that 'fun' place... it certainly wriggled away from that place last year... and I'm not sure how. PS we bought an ancient Singer sewing machine which dates back from year dot but it still sort of works... it's mechanical of course... It's a lovely thing and we didn't buy it to sew on... |
|
|
|
Post by keff on Feb 21, 2024 12:09:51 GMT
Both other half and I have an interest in weaving since we both come from wool weaving areas. Other half from the blanket making town of Witney and myself from the Yorkshire Heavy Woollen District. There is a craft centre in Sedbergh where the top floor is given over to amateur weavers and there are quite a number of different sized hand looms. Downstairs there is a loom which if memory serves is about two hundred years old and came out of the Early's mill in Witney.
|
|
|
|
Post by Zi on Feb 21, 2024 14:42:55 GMT
There's something extremely satisfying about weaving. It's very therapeutic. I don't find crotchet or knitting therapeutic.  |
|
|
|
Post by pavane on Feb 21, 2024 16:38:10 GMT
Innate capability vs hard slog is basically a slight variant on the nature/nurture argument, and I think in both cases the answer boils down to a combination of the two. However, I definitely believe that most people have greater natural abilities in some areas than others, and that if you work reasonably hard at something you tend to be good at, you'll do better than if you put the same time into something you are not naturally good at. So the 10000 hours thing is just an average thing - put a lot of hours into anything and, unless it's something you are terrible at, you'll get to the point where you are ok. I could put 10000 hours into learning to play tennis and still be utterly hopeless. I could put the same time into learning to play an instrument and, probably, be ok, but not by any means a master.
2 hours a day is roughly 700 hours a year, at which rate it would take about 14 years to clock up 10000 hours, which would make it very difficult for most people under the age of about 20 to be really good at an instrument, yet some clearly are.
|
|
|
|
Post by Zi on Feb 22, 2024 8:42:00 GMT
Agree. Very sensible. It's much easier to do though if you enjoy it and maybe that's partly the problem. Children don't always get much of a say. For all kinds of quite often sensible reasons.
|
|
|
|
Post by Zi on Feb 23, 2024 10:35:25 GMT
I finished the book... he had some ideas on why and how music developed from an evolutionary point of view but they were rather breathless and at the end. The book ends rather suddenly. It's not quite a 'whimper' but it's certainly not a 'bang'. I turned the page looking for more. Perhaps he was close to the deadline or ran out of steam... I'm not sure.
Anyway, he is certain that the first instruments were percussion. And he was persuasive so maybe that has answered one of my questions. Perhaps. I'm still thinking...
Re playing music - I think I've come away with the vague idea that I have the wrong brain... which is sadly rather fundamental...
|
|
|
|
Post by keff on Feb 23, 2024 11:11:10 GMT
that I have the wrong brain If you like music you don't have the wrong brain. |
|
|
|
Post by Zi on Feb 23, 2024 16:00:17 GMT
You're right keff! It's best to be positive and in any case I can't swap it now! |
|
