Music Learning

I used to try to learn songs on the piano by going right to playing the songs, taking little to no time to get the chord names into my brain outside of what was necessary to play the songs. The result was that I could play songs that sounded quite nice. The drawback was that if I didn't play the songs regularly, I forgot them.

I'm wondering about that as I think of learning chord melody on the guitar. I bet I could memorize some nice stuff, but am I really learning anything other than how to play a particular song? 

I suppose if I learn to play a ton of songs, eventually it will get easier and faster to play other songs. But the problem is that my brain simply cannot keep in my muscle memory more than about two songs at any given time. So I learn two, and I have to keep on repeating them to keep them in my memory, and as I try to learn another song, and another, things get very time consuming (keeping the older songs in memory while adding new songs).

So I brought this up to my online jazz teacher who got back to me that he'll respond with his answer soon when he has a live Q & A. 

I'm wondering if the answer is to learn chords (on piano or guitar) in isolation as well as in the context of learning songs?

Piano Guitar

Yea I was tempted to go back to the Sudnow Piano Method. Then I was actually a bit inspired to go back to guitar by (believe it or not) watching some of my videos. Tempted to learn chord melody guitar using a different method. Liking Charlie Christian swing guitar. Yes, all over the place!

Brain

Two muscles ...the part that's in charge of fight, flight, freeze...... other part in charge of problem solving and other things.....abused/neglected kids have the one in charge of fight, flight or freeze overworked and too ready to use.....the other muscle doesn't get practiced enough.....therefore it's not used......abused and neglected kids need those other skills but their brains don't have the connections needed on that weaker muscle.

Kids need attentiveness....if not received then it further prevents that other part of the brain from developing. Implications: teach skills while being attentive

Drawing Board

Went ahead of myself in my Jazz guitar lessons and tried to learn chord melody. Perhaps I have just follow the lessons In The Correct Order.

Thinking of trading my Les Paul for a Martin.

Learned some very cool information about the brain today.

Behind!

I am behind in my guitar practicing! Did manage to learn the single note melody to "Take the A Train." Must push on! 

College

College, Day 1, 2016:

College, Day 1, 2017:

Zoey Was Born April 10, 2009

"April come she will ...

...August, die she must."

- Paul Simon

Haiku

Dog and me with vet
Blue sky rain windy sunbeam
Me with vet alone