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The
Principles of Practice
Based on "The Principles of Correct
Practice for Guitar"
by Jamie Andreas
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| IN
THIS ISSUE |
February
18, 2001 Volume 33
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Remember the Titanic!
Principled Players know that Attention is the foundation of Awareness,
which is the foundation of our playing ability. This is true in
the physical arena, and the mental arena as well. One of the proper
uses of our Attention in relation to our practicing is maintaining
an overall awareness of our goals, of the direction we have decided
to pursue. We must not let that awareness be lost due to momentary
circumstances.
I will frequently have to re-focus students who have, for example,
been neglecting an important but long range area of study, like
learning to read, or maintaining technical exercises, because they
got all excited about some song they are working on, and lost awareness
of all the other things we were developing. They usually don't even
realize they have done this.
This is why I never trust students to keep their focus. I always
write in their notebooks myself, and check up on what they were
supposed to do. It is also why I never trust myself, but rather,
make sure I write down what I intend to do, and check up on myself.
Jumping from one thing to another is no way to make progress, usually,
we will leave things half done. We must learn how to maintain our
long range focus at the same time that we function in our day to
day practice, and we can do this even while we allow ourselves a
degree of flexibility.
We must use a microscope AND a telescope as we work day by day.
Here is a good metaphor I use with students. I tell them to imagine
that they are on a journey. They are the captain of their own ship,
sailing to the land of their Guitar Goals. As captain of their ship,
it is their responsibility to spend some time in the cabin studying
their maps (following their practice schedules, practice notes and
logs, etc.) and ALSO to go up on deck sometimes, check out the stars,
look out on the water to see if there are any icebergs ahead, etc.
(sit down and think, reflect, and assess their progress and goals
and actual performance, get rid of old goals if desired, but by
conscious decision, not lack of awareness, choose new goals, if
desired).
It is important for all of us to consistently ask ourselves "have
I set goals for myself, am I actually working toward them, are my
efforts yielding results". If the answer is no, then we know
we must change our course. So many people run their guitar practice,
(and their lives) like a captain who stays in the cabin all the
time, hitting the bottle! They don't know where they're going, or
if they are getting there. Don't let this happen to you. Remember
the Titanic!
Right Hand Shots
I have posted some shots I took of a student I taught while in
Philadelphia a few weeks ago. I was walking Charlie through the
Foundaton Exercises in "The Principles". While doing "The
Right Hand String Shifting Exercise" his hand went out of position
mid-way, as it often does for students. I believe these shots, from
the players perspective, will be helpful to you in your practicing.
Check them out. And let's give Charlie, er, a hand: Right
Hand Shots.
Finger Flapping & The Ring Finger
Jamie,
My question is about left hand finger flapping. When I practice
finger flapping I notice that my ring finger will not move without
my pinky or middle finger moving with it. So when I try to raise
it off the string about an inch, it only goes about half an inch,
and that's when I'm trying very hard. So, to assist in helping the
finger learn to move by itself, I raised it about an inch using
my right hand and would hold it there for a few moments. The problem
is, now the back of my left hand is a little sore.
I know you are not a Doctor but with your knowledge about hand tension
and muscles I figure you can answer my question. Is raising my finger
with my other hand good or bad? The presence of mild pain says that
it is bad (I'm thinking about carpal tunnel syndrome). But stretching
weak and tense muscles can also cause pain. Could the pain just
be the stretching of the muscle? It has been two days and my hand
is still sore. If lifting the finger with my other hand is not a
good idea, what suggestion do you have on training my ring finger
to move on its own?
New player from Phoenix AZ,
Brian Jones
Let me clear up a few mis-conceptions about Finger Flapping in general,
and the ring finger in particular. Anatomically, you will not be
able to raise the ring finger as high as other fingers, especially
if you are trying to hold the others down, so don't expect to. Actually,
I do not say to do that anyway, but just to keep the other fingers
as relaxed as possible. Most importantly, keep them separated and
relaxed while any individual finger is moving. Develop the ring
finger as much as you can, but do not expect it to be capable of
what the other fingers are capable of in terms of upward movement.
The lightness induced in the finger by finger flapping is meant
to guard against tension remaining in any particular finger. It
should be used often when practicing, and in the midst of various
left hand activities, for instance, hold a C chord, and allow 1
and 3 to become Light, while you keep the weight coming through
2. Then, flap with 1 and 3 at the same time. It is wonderful training
for the whole musculature. Experiment with other possibilities.
The Principles and Bass Guitar
Jamie: How much of your book applies to steel string vs. classical
style and positioning?
Also, my 10 year old son is just beginning to play the bass guitar.
Any suggestions you can give me to help him get started in the right
direction.
Thanks,
Bill
Hi Bill,
My book applies to any style of guitar where the fingers are used
to play the notes, and the hands are attached to the arms! As far
as the bass guitar, it just so happens that all the left hand exercises
in my book are especially necessary for bass players.
This is because the strength and stretch requirements of the bass
are so great, that if one practices wrong, with excess tension in
the muscles, and the fingers do not develop the necessary independent
strength and stretch, it is especially disastrous.
I have had many bass students over the years. As with guitar, the
most important factor in progress is knowing how to practice, which
means knowing the right thing to do, and knowing how to make sure
you are doing it.
Secondary Dominants...(huh?)
Hi Jamie,
Can you explain secondary dominants and how the circle of 4th's and
5th's work?
Thanx,
Mandy
Hi Mandy,
I suspect that probably I can't. That would be like somebody writing
to you, and asking you if you could explain long division, and you
weren't even sure if they understood how to add and subtract! If I
were to attempt to answer your question, my answer may very well be
un-intelligible to you, if you don't already understand all the necessary
concepts that lead up to understanding secondary dominants.
I will tell you this, though. If you are asking that question, my
first suspicion is that you DON'T understand all the necessary concepts
leading up to secondary dominants.
So, do what I do when I hit a brick wall in my understanding of something?
I go back to the beginning, and start all over again. In this case,
make sure you have a solid understanding of the following:
1. The musical alphabet, whole and half steps
2. Major and minor scale construction
3. Intervals, and triad construction
4. The harmonized scale, and the chord functions contained within
it.
5. A clear understanding of the role of the Tonic and Dominant chords
(1 and 5).
Now, Mandy, just in case you DO have an understanding of all that,
I will tell you that using a secondary dominant simply means grabbing
the 5 chord from the key that comes next in the circle of 5ths, and
sticking it in front of the 5 chord of the key you are in. It is done
all the time. For instance, in this progression in C: C-F-G-C-C-F-D7-G-C
The D7 is the secondary dominant. This is especially nice if you use
a first inversion D7, so the bass line will move chromatically.
One last piece of advice, Mandy. If this is all greek to you, and
you take lessons, grab your teacher and make him break these things
down for you until they are broken down into small enough pieces for
you to "digest".
All
material copyright © 2003 by Jamie Andreas, GuitarPrinciples.com |
