That is another bad habit also....many players are so entrenched into the sheet & use it as a crutch much too much...memorization is a good technique to master. It frees up the mind to be more creative while playing. Good post Jonny !
It might sound silly but as an excercise I suggest..and I have mentioned this in previous posts on SZ for years...
1- blindfold yourself and try to play some familiar songs concentrate on less mistakes
2- have someone Talk to you while your playing this will stenghten your ability to multitask & let the playing become secondary & effortless
3- with repeated playing try to completley memorize at least one song a week. Everytime you forget any parts just adlib adding your own twist to it.
What a load of tosh!
And this one I took note of :
"Everytime you forget any parts just adlib adding your own twist to it." you mean like when someone changes the lyrics in the anthem, they should just add their own twist and thats all okay?