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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 |
November
25, 2001 Volume 66
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Relaxation
Hi Jamie
Supposedly, when certain people (these people obviously are those
who are the best at playing guitar) play guitar, they experience
a complete relaxation both physically and mentally. I was wondering
if you experience this when you play? Additionally, I would like
to know, if the answer is yes, how I can develop my playing so I
experience this (that is, if the answer involves something that
is not in your book)?
Thank you.
Ben
Hi Ben,
I think very likely there exists here in your question Ben, a very
common misconception about this word that we hear all the time,
and one that I use often as well: relaxation. I will make my best
attempt to bring your understanding of this subject up to a higher
level.
No, it is not true that good players experience a "complete
relaxation" when they play, at least not in the sense that
many people think of when they use the word "relaxation".
People tend to think of a very passive state, as we might think
of in going to sleep, or being hypnotized. Often, this elusive state
of "relaxation" is described as such a thing, which is
very misleading to those trying to grasp it. It makes them wary
of any sensation of "effort" in their playing, and this
wariness makes them reject certain approaches and inner sensations
that are quite appropriate, and would, if pursued, lead to further
development of ability.
First of all, understand this: relaxation is not a state, it is
not a condition that you experience. Relaxation is an activity,
relaxation is something you do. The failure to perform the action
of relaxation does result in a state or condition which we might
call "discomfort" or chronic tension. The state that result
from performing the action of relaxation may be called "poise"
, balance, or "comfort in action".
Relaxation is something we are either good at, or not so good at.
Relaxation, like so many abilities, such as thinking, is something
some people never do, and also, again, like thinking, it is something
many people believe they are doing when they are NOT doing it.
Look at the word: re-lax. The prefix "re" means to "do
again", as in repeat and repetition. What are we supposed to
be "doing again"? "Laxing", that's what. Lax
means "loose". The word "relax" is pre-supposing
we were loose to begin with, and then, we made some kind of effort,
which, when it comes to motor activities, means a contraction of
muscle tissue, and then we "re-loosed", or relaxed, and
returned that muscle to it's original condition of "laxness",
or looseness.
Well, the fact is, many people are NOT loose to begin with. Many
people are chronically tense, playing guitar or not. Many people
are chronically tense in all the muscles of the playing mechanism
during playing, and for these people, there is no possibility of "re-laxing", since there is no looseness to return to.
Now, you ask "how can I develop this ability if it is not
covered in your book"? Well, everything about my book is designed
to develop this ability. Everything in my book is designed to DEVELOP
this state of looseness, and then train you to return to it after
making an effort. (And also to train you to make the smallest effort
possible!)
Look at it this way: a person who is chronically tense is like a
person who has no "awareness" of their actual condition.
They have no communication with their own body. They have no "wiring"
between their mind and their body. That is why so often people think
they are relaxed when they are not, they think they are loose when
they are not. They don't know what loose is, they have never felt
it. Someone with their muscles obviously in knots, perhaps their
shoulder up to their earlobe, will happily and sincerely report
"Hey, I'm relaxed"! In reality, they are not feeling anything,
and they assume this state of numbness is "being relaxed".
They might as well be under general anesthesia!
The way this wiring is created is through the power of the mind,
through attention to the body while practicing. Real attention,
not "thinking about" the body, but BEING the body, "thinking
AS the body". The second principle of correct practice states
"practicing is the infusion of conscious awareness into the
body through the mechanism of attention". Everything about
my book shows you how to do this, IF you actually DO what I tell
you.
It is important to understand that this "looseness" of
the body, and this awareness of the body is a natural thing; every
child has it. However, it can be degraded, and it can be lost. Just
as it can be developed through attention to the body, it is lost
through in-attention to the body, and this in-attention to the body
is what most people learn as children, and begin to practice with
great fervor. It happens because attention begins to go elsewhere
then to our "beingness" in our bodies. It goes into our
"beingness" in our minds. As the years go by, we identify
not with our bodies, but with the mental and emotional operations
going on between our ears, that we call "ourselves". And
a lot of these mental and emotional operations are pretty screwed
up! A lot of them are full of tension, negativity and conflict,
and the quality of all this energy manifests in the physical body,
and that is why there are so many up-tight, constricted people walking
around.
So, when someone picks up a guitar and asks their body to start
learning and doing all these new things, all of this history comes
into play. Of course, we are all going to find ourselves somewhere
along the spectrum here, and we will each have our own particulars
to deal with, but I have laid out in general what we all go through,
and what we all must deal with.
Get In Touch With Your Inner Animal
This division between mind and body which lies at the root of people's
inability to be "lax" and then to perform the action of
"re-laxation", is not present in animals. Animals are
not holed up in their tense little minds, worrying about the mess
their lives are in, and the mess the world is in, and having this
tension reflected in their bodies. Animals exist in the moment,
in direct contact with their own world, their own reality. They
act when they need to act, and they don't sit around and worry about
the next time they might need to act. They live "as" their
bodies, and so they have a natural grace and poise, a natural physical
appropriateness to every circumstance. They would not have to "discover
their discomfort" because they wouldn't lose it in the first
place. (I'm not saying an animal cannot become as screwed up as
a human, given enough contact with "human society"). This
is why so many martial art forms, such as tai chi, have drawn inspiration
from observing the form and movement of animals.
Part of the price of developing the vast powers of the human mind
has been the loss of this natural state of connection to our physical
selves. But I believe we must regain it for ourselves, and certainly
we must if we want to play the guitar well! At one point in my life,
I realized I needed to strengthen my awareness of myself as an animal,
so I put up signs around the house like "you are an animal",
and "get in touch with your inner animal", (while everyone
else was trying to get in touch with their inner child!).
You must be in touch with your animal nature when you practice and
play. You can begin to develop this in all areas of your life. How
many people pay attention to how they sit, stand, walk, and breath
throughout all the moments of the day. How many people are communing
with these aspects of their physical reality as the moments stream
by? Ask yourself these questions about yourself. Ask yourself where
your attention and energy really are all the time. What are you
really thinking about all day, what are you really feeling? What
are you really doing with, or to, your body. Start to develop in
these areas and see what happens to your guitar playing.
Let me sum up by repeating that relaxation is not a state you will
come to, it is an ability you will develop. It goes hand in hand
with effort and exertion, it is not the cessation of effort and
exertion. It is made possible by heightened awareness and sensitivity
to your entire self, including your physical self, and its connection
to your mental and emotional selves.
There is a state you will come to, however, when you develop the
ability to be "lax", and then to "re-lax" after
effort, and that state is called "poise", which is the
maintenance of balance in the midst of action. When you talk about
this something that all the good players have, that something is
poise. And we would all do well to study the poise of the great
players. Watch them, "feel" them as you watch, imagine
it is you. You will subliminally take on these qualities as you
do so. And you will become increasingly aware of, and uncomfortable
with, your own lack of poise as you continue this process.
How To Detect Tension
Hi Jamie,
Tension - Ok.. I understand the whole tension thing, and why it
would slow you down, but what I have no clue how to do is to detect
tension.
When playing in front of a mirror I can't see any tension, when
playing I feel relaxed. My shoulders don't look like they higher
up than they would be if I was just sitting there... So, basically,
I would like some advice on how to recognize tension, and how to
"relax" it. The Principles just say to focus on it and
relax it, but any further explanation would be nice.
Hi Patrick
Everything I said above is part of the answer to your question.
I hope you understand, after reading it, why it is so possible to
think you are relaxed when you are not. Making someone aware of
their own real state of bodily tension is quite easy in person,
long distance is quite difficult. It is like the eye learning how
to see itself. We are so close to it, it is difficult to put the
necessary space between us and it in order to be able to observe
it. However, I will give you a technique for doing so, and it will
be based on the Principle in my book regarding a mistake that's
defined as an unwanted result, and tracing back from result, or
effect to cause.
When you are practicing and you're having difficulty with something
STOP YOURSELF, FREEZE YOUR MOTION AT THE SPLIT SECOND OF YOUR DIFFICULTY,
and observe yourself internally with your mind, and your feeling
awareness of your body, and externally, by looking in the mirror.
From the position that you find yourself in, RELAX. I guarantee
that you will find yourself holding tension that is not needed to
accomplish the movements and positioning of the fingers that are
required by the music you are attempting to play.
The difference between the level of tension that you find yourself
in when you freeze your action and the more relaxed state which
you are able to relax into, while still maintaining your positioning
is your tension. I am telling you how to find your tension in its
most obvious manifestation. If you practice this, your awareness
will become more refined and subtle, and you will begin to become
aware of the build-up of that tension during the playing process.
In fact, you may become aware of yourself tensing up merely thinking
about playing the guitar! (Just kidding).
Lastly, realize that the fact that your shoulder is not in a different
position than it normally would be in means nothing. Your shoulder
can be quite tense without any move to a different position, any
raising or whatever. It is usually kept in a state of isometric
contraction by most people during playing, and learning to feel
that, and lessen that chronic tension, is something I develop in
all students by training them in The Principles. You must read what
I am saying, give it great attention and thought, and learn to do
feel and release this tension yourself. The technique I gave you
should get you off to a good start.
Non Starter Lessons Give Principled Player New Start!
Anthony B., a longtime Principled Player writes:
I have been playing for about 3 years now and have been using
the "principles" for the last 2 years. I have had incredible
growth and continue to grow vertically and experience the wonders
of playing guitar. Recently, I have been struggling a little with
a few bars of a song I have been trying to learn.
Your starter lessons have been timely. I guess after using no tempo
and posing for 2 years one still needs to be reminded as to how
focused your "attention" and "intention" must
be. You mentioned that there is something in these lessons for everyone
and you were correct. After working with starter lessons 2 and 3
it became apparent that the reason I was struggling to learn that
part of the song I have been working on is that I was not applying
the principles correctly. I had become complacent and was not really
concentrating and slowing building up to playing during that passage.
After ten days, I have been able to play the part I was trying to
learn for the last 2 months!!! There is nothing better than a humbling
reminder of the basics of the principles.
Thanks again
Tony
Yes, that is the point I am always making. The greatest sin anyone
can make against their own growth and development is to take anything
for granted. That is simply a form of "non-attention".
We will pay for that mistake, as Tony found out. The NonStarter
Lessons, and the Spanish Romance Practice Secrets were created to
a large extent to provide a means of review of The Principles, and
a also a means of integration. I hope they are being used to their
full potential.
" Non-Starter Lessons" now known as "The
Path Level One: Chords & Rhythm"
Spanish
Romance Practice Secrets
Also, I have been chronicling the great success of John Parsons
in recent weeks, as he has been working with the Spanish Romance.
I have not been hearing from all the other people who have bought
this product, and that is not making me too happy! I hope you have
not all given it a quick look and put it on a shelf somewhere. I
want everyone to get what John is getting out of it: real Vertical
Growth as a reward for the Correct Practice he is doing! John Parsons' work with "Spanish
Romance"
Will Working Out Hurt Guitar Practice
Hi Jamie
I'm thinking to sign into a gym, and I'll be doing exercises
for all the parts of my body including biceps, triceps, shoulders,
forearms, is this gonna affect my playing? Am I going to lose the
heavy arm, and light finger that I'm starting to develop?
I'm Chelo thanx for everything, and bye.
Hi Chelo,
In my experience, no. Although if you were to play immediately after
subjecting the muscles to a strenuous workout you would most likely
experience some different sensations and responses from those muscles,
your overall awareness and sensitivity will not suffer from this
development you are beginning.
In other words, the new wiring you are creating by using The Principles
in your practice will remain as long as you continue to use it and
reinforce it. You'll just develop into a big, muscular, but sensitive
guy!
All
material copyright © 2003 by Jamie Andreas, GuitarPrinciples.com |
