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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
24, 2001 Volume 34
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Making a
List and Checking it Twice!
Be a "Superior Person"
I spoke about Attention last time, and how it relates to the physical
and mental aspects of learning the guitar. I'd like to say a few
words about that other quality so necessary for being "all
that we can be" on guitar and anything else: the quality of
Intention. There is an old saying "the road to Hell is paved with good
intentions." That is not true. It is paved with "bad intentions."
The person who really understands Intention knows that Intention
is the power of our will to accomplish, to do, to achieve what we
desire. Good Intention is "strong" Intention. The person
who has this power is what we call a "man of his word."
His word is powerful because it is always connected to his action.
He does not give his word, his intention, to others or himself,
lightly.
Bad Intention Is Really Weak Intention
A person with weak intention says what is convenient to say at the
time. He is a shallow person. He will speak for effect, and to influence
an manipulate himself and others. He will tell himself he will do
various things, just to make himself feel a little better about
himself now and then, but his actions will rarely, and only inconsistently,
back up his words, his stated intentions.
We would all do well to constantly and honestly assess our own power
of Intention, our own power to "put our money where our mouth
is." To achieve success, in guitar or anywhere else, we must
have strong Intention, which is truly Good Intention. It could be
put very simply like this: you must be a person who is capable of
telling yourself what to do, and then doing it! If you can achieve
that, you will be a superior person. Very often, in my years of teaching, I would come across a student
who seemed to spend most of every lesson talking about how they
were GOING to really start getting it together, get organized, practice,
etc., blah, blah, blah...In fact, if I listen real close, I swear
I can hear them even now! If you want to see results, if you want to see movement and action
in your life and in your progress on the guitar, develop the habit
of: 1. Thinking about what you want, what you desire, what would "turn
you on" to have or achieve as a goal.
2. Write these goals down!
3. Decide on which action you will take to achieve these stated
goals.
4. DO IT! I myself worked for many years to train myself in this way. It
has made me a "superior person." Yes, the sad truth is
most people cannot do this. Rather, they, float through each day,
kind of vaguely reacting to events and conditions that intrude into
their world, ocassionally mumbling about what they WILL do (someday).
Don't be one of these people. Try the above steps with your guitar
practice and everything else. Don't LET the day happen, MAKE the day happen! You must be a person who can make a to-do list, and then DO IT!
I know many people who only get half way there. They make lists,
and they never look at them! That's called "bad Intention,"
and now you know where those people are going!
Instant Gratification
I love getting these kinds of letters for many reasons. One reason
is because sometimes I tink some of you folks might think I'm making
this stuff up when I talk about how great "The Principles"
are, and how powerfully they help players make the progress they
have been trying to make. Now it is true that when I read this I said "hmm, I could
have written that myself", but I didn't, honest: RECEIVED 2/21/01 FROM DEREK CHARNLY, ENGLAND Dear Jamie, As a questor of all knowledge and information especially on
guitar and music matters I found you on the internet and followed
it up.
Received your book on Saturday, after a few minutes reading and
thinking about your words on paying attention and no tempo practice
I put the book down and addressed a problem that had dogged me for
about twelve months... and WOW within a few second I had the answer.
As a very busy guy.....family, full time job, and businese's
etc., but obsessively dedicated to guitar music, I now have the
answers to making my practice time ten times more effective and
definetely moving in the right direction by studying and using the
principles.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Jamie for taking the time energy
and thought in writing the Principles of correct practice for guitar,
it is absolutely full of priceless information and insights that
are simply not available anywhere else in the world, I should know,
I have spent a lot of time and money searching. P.S. Please feel free to use this as a testimonial, I am very
excited about my future progress and will keep you informed. Sincerely Derek You're very welcome, Derek, and I am very excited about your future
progress on the guitar also. Feels good, doesn't it! I also look
forward to hearing from more and more people like you. There is
no GOOD reason (anymore) for anyone to not become the player they
want to be!
Learning to Fingerpick
I am a beginning guitarist at 35 however dabbled in guitars
for years on Rock stages. I have just now realized the realistic
beauty in the difference of playing a guitar and banging on an electric
thinking it is music. Throughout my musical experience as a "sound man"
for many local groups I've often admired many professional groups
but just came to realize there are some guys out there who can play
without banging on it. I've also noticed that these artist that
play their best licks (to me) don't use a pick but fingerpick and
I admire very strongly admire and have deep respect for there playing
as well as there talent, a few come to mind such as Chet Atkins,
Stephen Stills, Adrian Legg, Mark Knopfler, these guys make music
not noise and I would not mind sounding even a little like them.
My question is, would I have to start at the beginning or on
an amateur level to learn how to use this technique and to be good
at it? Thanks Gary Okay Gary, so you have been involved with guitar for a long time,
and now you find your tastes are changing from "banging"
on an electric guitar to the more refined "fingerpicking"
styles. You are finding yourself attracted to a more refined, perhaps
deeper experience with the guitar. You are finding the old ways
are just not doing it for you anymore. Sounds like mid-life crises
to me! Just kidding. Actually, I hear this all the time from people; it seems to be
kind of a natural thing. There is something deeply satisfying about
the intimacy of the fingerpicking styles, not to mention the fact
that using all the fingers of the right hand makes it possible to
play in a much more sophisticated (musically) manner than does playing
with a pick. This is because it allows you to play many melodies
at once, as in keeping a bass line going while perhaps two other
"voices" are being played with the fingers. Here are a few things to consider. For myself, as a classical player,
I use the classical position and use of the fingers while playing,
even if I am playing Chet Atkins style. The "old time"
players who play finger style, including Chet himself, don't necessarily
do that. They still get what they want from the instrument, but
their technique would be considered "inadequate" by classical
standards. This is true also of Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton.
They have "put together" their own technical approach,
and it works for them. Perhaps you can do the same, and then, everybody
will be happy! However, if you were to come to me for lessons, I
would teach you the "classical" position. If Chet, Mark,
or Eric were to come to me for lessons, I would teach them the same
way! Of course, I assume they are perfectly happy with how they
play, so I don't expect to see them! Once in a while, a folk or
country type player will want to go further, as when Paul Simon
studied classical guitar with Laurindo Almeida. He could already
play fingerpicking styles quite well, but wanted the full power
and potential of the right hand on the strings that classical technique
provides. So whether you have to "start at the beginning" depends
on what you really want for yourself. Do you want to play like Mark
or Eric or Chet? Then maybe you don't have to start at the beginning.
Maybe you can put something together that works for you just by
watching, studying and copying them. As far as my own teaching approach, when it comes to right hand
technique, I always and only teach what is called the "classical
technique". I always and only start at the beginning with people,
because it is always necessary. Realize this: what is called "classical
technique" is simply the end result of two hundred years of
study and experimentation by the great players of the world to discover
the OPTIMAL way of using the right hand for playing the guitar.
That means the way to use the human hand for the most power, and
speed, and tone production on the guitar. Not all styles require
that, so you can settle for less if you just want to crank out some
fingerpicking blues. If, however, you want to advance into classical
repertoire, well, I guess you'll have to bite the bullet and start
at the beginning.
Starting at the beginning means gaining individual control of EACH
finger of the right hand. Exercises, and the necessary practice
approaches, are covered in detail in "The Principles of Correct
Practice for Guitar".
My Position on Hand Position!
Hey Jamie,
I utilize your "principles" with marked positive results
-- THANK YOU! I now, to the initial dismay of my students, incorporated
your principles in my teaching.
While playing a Chet Atkins arrangement in class last week, in order
to demonstrate a triad progression, one of my students commented
"Oh, so its do what I say and not as I do teaching". When
playing Atkins style I use numerous thumb chords and rest the palm
of my right hand on the bridge to dampen the alternating bass, as
Chet teaches.
I am very vigilant now, thanks to your "principles", at
watching for tension while playing this, my favorite style of music,
but it doesn't follow what you prescribe as far as positioning.
I found I can play many songs from my repertoire using your prescribed
positioning with new found success but with many others I must adjust
to get the sound needed for that certain style. I have found it
virtually impossible to switch right hand positioning during a piece.
My student was right - I am a hypocrite musician. Any words of wisdom?
Thanks Dean Hey Dean, Don't worry, as long as you admit you're a hypocrite, you're not
a hypocrite! So you're cool on that one!
From my answer to the question before yours, you can get a feel
for my response to your quandary. If the music requires a "damped"
bass, you MUST alter the hand position from the "normal"
position. Classical players do it too, when a damped, or "pizzicato"
sound is required. Any you're right, the point is to learn how to
be relaxed in the required position. So, adapting to a necessary
positioning of the right hand is not "wrong".
As far as switching from one position to another while playing,
I think you should develop that ability. Just practice the actual
move as you would anything else, using No Tempo Practice, Posing,
and working it up with the Basic Practice Approach.
All
material copyright © 2003 by Jamie Andreas, GuitarPrinciples.com |
