Mark #2 – Are you an observer?
Great musicians observe other musicians. As I look back over the years, a lot of my growth as a musician came from watching other people. I remember watching a particular drummer at my church when I was really young. I never took drum lessons but I studied his playing – how he held the sticks, his facial expression, his body language, how he hit the snare, hi-hat patterns, etc. Watching him play and trying it myself made all the difference. I would have never figured that stuff out on my own.
Watching professionals play is like a free lesson. Observe what they do and then try it out yourself. Observing and listening go hand in hand. When you don’t have the opportunity to observe great musicians at a particular venue, you should be listening.
Press in to the difficulty of what you saw and practice it till you get it. It can be done with hard work!
This is good advice for other things too… thanks bud.