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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 |
December
29, 2002 Volume 106
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The Basics of Business Part Five
(an examination of the essential nature of Business,
and an exposition of the Business Philosophy of GuitarPrinciples)
War is the most basic, primitive and primal way of serving our most
basic, primitive and primal needs. It is an "energy exchange"
between two parties whereby the fulfillment of needs is mediated,
and wholly determined, by the use of power. It is a matter of the
strong completely dominating the weak.
In ancient times, war was typically tied directly to survival. For
instance, tribes would have to compete for hunting grounds. If a
tribe came into your area, and started hunting your game, and eating
your food, with no concern for your needs, no concern for whether
you lived or died, they are already making war upon you. They are
already engaged in a one sided, win-lose relationship with you.
You wouldn't have much choice but to go to war, since you already
are in a war, whether you like it or not. Similarly, most reasonable
people agree that if someone makes it their business to kill us
for their own benefit, we have the right to defend our basic need
to stay alive. (It is interesting that even pacifists like the Quakers
during American Colonial times had no compunction against paying
others to go kill those who threatened them, although they didn't
believe in doing it themselves).
One of the truest things ever said is "might makes right",
which really means "if I have more power than you, I can do
what I want to do, and it is really okay". If you study the
entire history of the human race, you will see nothing but this
truism demonstrated over and over again. Because of the rarity of
true spirituality on the planet (in spite of all the "religion"),
humanity consistently defaults to its lowest level of functioning,
and whoever has the power, does what they want to do for one simple
reason: they can.
That is why the economic foundation of most civilizations throughout
human history has been slavery. Conquering another group of people
and taking them as slaves has historically been one of the primary
spoils of war. We regard slavery today as such a grotesque perversion
of rightful human relationship, but the fact is that in the 10,
000 years of what we call civilization, this is a relatively new
sensibility. Even the most educated Greek, the truest lovers of
freedom ever, would never have conceived that a civilized society
could function without the institution of slavery. In the Bible,
we don't hear a peep about the evils of slavery, rather, we get
some advice on how best to treat our slaves!
So, without being able to even rely on God for some commentary on
this vital human question, it is amazing that we have somehow in
recent centuries felt our way to the idea that there is something
not quite right about one human being actually owning another.
It only became possible to entertain this audacious notion that
a society could function and flourish without slavery because of
the development of that special vehicle of power which occurred
hand in hand with the development of trade and business: money.
Money is a form of power available to anyone able to take part in
the engine that generates wealth, money, and power: an economy.
While most ancient societies (above the level of the tribal), powered
their economies mostly with slave labor, over time, the superiority
of an economic system based on principles other than those that
led to slavery became apparent. Feudal wealth and power, gained
and sustained by war, began to be encroached upon by the development
of a middle class gaining power through the practice of business.
A society that is powered by people able to use their energy and
talents knowing they themselves will benefit, as well as others,
will simply produce more and produce better than one in which the
great majority are controlled by the vastly more privileged minority.
With the development and use of money, it became possible for humans
to share power, and conduct the flow of power in new ways, ways
that impacted on society and government as they evolved to perform
their primary function of servicing the needs of their people. Capitalism,
the system whereby great power is allowed to form and cause great
changes in the world, finds itself tempered by socialism, which
cries for a recognition of the imbalances of power that exist (in
all of nature), imbalances that become magnified as power is abused.
Apparently, various countries and cultures are still trying to find
the right approach to an economy that works best for them, and I
imagine we will be fumbling and re-fining for quite awhile, but
it is clear that reasonable people throughout the world agree that
a world that did not need to satisfy needs and distribute power
through the practice of war, but could do so through the practice
of business (which should be the mutual satisfaction of needs through
win-win power exchanges, rather than win-lose power exchanges),
is greatly to be desired.
The Challenge For Business
Although the institutions of business and money make possible new
structures in the acquisition and distribution of power amongst
people, we will still find ourselves governed by the 3 laws of power.
We will still find ourselves required to have the wisdom to act
rightly in relationship to our true responsibilities, or suffer
the consequences that accrue for all those who abuse power.
Evil and repressive leaders and governments are eventually brought
down by those they oppress, by the very power they seek to repress
or destroy in the people they control.
For a business operating in a free market system, ruination for
the abuse of power occurs even more rapidly.
Businesses that demonstrate they are not really concerned with the
needs of their customers, businesses that use their power to take
from the customer without really giving to the customer, will bring
destruction on themselves, as the customer becomes aware of this
one-sided setup. With the speed and depth of communication now available
through the Internet, this dynamic has dramatic, and sometimes devastating
consequences for many businesses, especially ones that drew their
power mostly from the fact that they had a monopoly on vital information
(all kinds of "brokers", real estate, the financial industry).
These business were able to profit simply from the fact that they
had access to information that ordinary people didn't, not necessarily
that they added any value to that information along the way. In
short, the people have been empowered, so business people better
look out! Money talks, results talk, getting what you pay for talks,
and you know what walks!
In this environment where those who are really waging one-sided
war on their customers (read "victims) are so easily unmasked,
there is one thing that businesses are trying to acquire, one thing
that has always been seen as vital by the wise businessperson, and
that one thing is TRUST. Winning trust is so vital, that even those
who would abuse power if they could, are trying to get your trust,
realizing they can't abuse you so easily anymore.
To "trust" is to share power. If you step on a bridge
to cross a river, and you "trust" the bridge not to collapse,
you are sharing your power with the bridge. You are sharing, or
making vulnerable, your ability to provide for your own well being
and survival. If you believe the bridge is strong, you will trust
it, and share your power. One of the most difficult and yet important
skills for all of us to develop is the ability to accurately gauge
who and what can be trusted, with whom and what can we safely share
our power.
Most of us have been damaged to one degree or another by trusting
and sharing our power when it was not really safe to do so, as we
later found out. The ability to discern this accurately comes only
from intense study of oneself and others in all the myriad ways
in which we relate to one another. If we do this competently, we
learn to see deeply into the human heart and the reality of what
we call human nature. We learn to become able to tell when someone
is only taking, and not giving, or when their so-called giving is
really a tactic for further taking (people doing you "favors"
so they can cash in on it later, usually expecting a huge return
on their investment).
In any relationship where one party knows that their needs are of
no concern to the other party, or even that concern for their needs
would be discarded if necessary or convenient, the quality of trust
will never be present. And anytime we know our right needs are not
going to be served, the quality of trust should NOT be present,
just as we should not put our full weight on the bridge we know
to be weak.
If trust cannot be established, whether between two people or two
countries, war will always be either possible, probable, or inevitable.
Trust can never be established unless two conditions exist: all
right needs are in fact being acknowledged (respected) all the way
around, by all parties to a relationship; and that fact is itself
recognized and respected.
It is possible that right needs are being served by one party, and
the other party doesn't recognize it. A parent may truly be respecting
the right needs of a child, and the child may not see this, or refuse
to see it because they are more interested in having their wrong
needs served. A school teacher may in fact be doing what is best
for her students, and yet be resented for "being mean",
or "giving too much homework" by certain immature students.
Parent and child, student and teacher, business and customer; in
all of these relationships, if inter-dependency and commitment to
serving mutual needs is recognized and respected, power will willingly
be shared, trust will be present. And then, truly wonderful things
can happen.
A business that operates on these principles will, without fail,
win the trust of their customers. Their customers will share their
power with the business, and part of the power they share will be
in the form of money. The customer will have their needs served,
they will receive the actual product or service they need and desire.
Likewise, the business will have its needs served; it's need to
serve the need of the customer (which called the business into being,
hopefully), and its need for money, the "energy", the
"power" which fuels a business on the mundane and functional
level.
The unique (and fun) thing about the business relationship is that
both parties are empowered; the seller has a product or service,
and the buyer has money. Each party wants what the other has, and
it is just a matter of working out the details!
If the buyer knows they are going to get what they want, and have
their needs serviced, they have no problem trusting, sharing their
power, which means handing over their money.
It's as simple as that. Anyone who understands that, and practices
business based on this understanding, will be successful in business.
Trade, and business (the vehicle through which we conduct trade)
is, in its highest form, (like all successful and spiritual human
interactions) nothing but the proper conducting of the flow of power.
Next: what does all this mean for GuitarPrinciples?
To be continued...
An Optimum Course of Study!
I have been working out of Principles for about 3 months and
have barely started Mel Bay I. I just received The Path Level One.
From what Jamie says in The Path, I've gone far enough in Principles
to start working with The Path. Would it be counterproductive to
work out of Mel Bay during practice? Right now, I am still trying
to get a firm handle on the physical/mental aspect of playing and
very little of my practice time is devoted to practicing music.
My response:
Yes, you should try to work some practice time on The Path into
your schedule. One of the reasons I wrote it is because in my private
teaching, I include this training, which leads quickly to playing
actual music, as soon as possible.
I would certainly have you working in that book after 3 months.
You say you are "trying to get a handle on the physical and
mental aspects of playing". Well, so am I!
The point being that you will always be working on the fundamental
aspects of practicing and playing, don't put off working on actual
music, and getting to the point that you can actually play that
music. Some people put it off for years, don't be one of them.
You are smart, the best thing for any beginner to do is to use The
Principles, The Path, and the Mel Bay Course. I put this together
because it is what I do with private students, and I consider it
the absolutely optimum course of study for anyone beginning guitar,
or needing to fill in the holes in their training.
The Mel Bay Course will start you on note reading and music theory,
however, it is woefully inadequate when it comes to explaining rhythm,
and I have had to, over the years, devise my own "Rhythm Course"
to give sufficient and concise explanation and training in what
rhythm is really about. That Rhythm Course is part of The Path:
Level One, and should be used by everyone doing the Mel Bay Course.
Best,
Jamie
Fixing Tense Picking
Hello Ney!!
My name is Sebastian and I live in Sweden. I have big problems
with my picking technique. My right shoulder and hand wants to tense
up. I bought Jamie's book a while ago and I'm doing the "chair"
the "balloon" etc. I have 4 questions: NR 1 is about the
following statement.
"The wrist will move the pick up and down (although it is not
a clear cutup and down, it is a compound motion that uses the flat
up and down wrist motion simultaneously with the "opening a
round door knob" type motion of the wrist" "Now imagine
that at the same time that you move your hand to the left as you
describe we add another simultaneous motion:... that of moving your
wrist (still holding the pick...)counter clock wise as if you were
watching a clock facing you... That is what I describe as the "opening,
or turning a circular doorknob".
I'm not certain what you mean by "flat up and down wrist motion?
And I am also confused by opening, or turning a circular doorknob".
1: Do you mean that you pick from the wrist on one string but when
you move over all strings you move from the elbow but still play
up and down with the pick like its two motions?
2: I'm not certain about the pick hand fingers either. Doesn't holding
them off the pickguard in the air create tension?
3: And when you practice no tempo or with a tempo with up and down
strokes, has the volume of each stroke got to be equal. I'm really
confused!!
4: Is about shoulder/neck tension. I have just changed sitting positions
from the more sloppy to the correct position described on Jamie's
page and in the book. I'm using following and I think I have tensions
but I'm not sure if its tension. How to you get to be certain on
this. And if you do
have it,how do you get control?
PS. I listened to the track on Jamie's page. Splendid my friend!!
Your are absolutely fantastic.
All the best
Sebastian K Hi Sebastian,
1) Yes that is what I mean. The turning the door knob motion is
just like turning a key inside a door if you substitute a guitar
pick for the key.
So picking is done from the elbow and wrist simultaneously. The
elbow cover the larger motions and the wrist covers the smaller
parts of the motion, like accenting a note once the arm had brought
the pick to the string and initiated the stroke.
2) Playing the guitar requires tension (read Jamie's newsletters)
but this necessary tension has to be minimized to the point of making
the motions effortless by comparison to a motion executed with too
much tension. I must note that it is relative tension that counts
and we have to use minimal tension. Most beginners and experienced
players use way too much tension all the time. You need more tension
the louder you play acoustically and electrically as well as for
bending strings to larger intervals. This tension is then quickly
reduced when a quieter passage comes up.
By keeping your fingers on the pick guard or on the guitar top you
are adding a lot of unneeded tension to your entire arm structure.
Can you play that way? Sure I see it all the time. Can you excel
that way? Sometimes in a very limited arena and with chronic injuries
of various degrees of harm from nagging pains to career halt (as
in the recent Megadeath guitarist's sad forced retirement after
a sensationally brilliant international career that inspired many
metal fans). Not everyone will develop such injuries but they will
plateau in skill and virtuosity at an intermediate to advanced level
(you see these players a lot working as sidemen for superstars many
chart topping acts. They are quite good and obviously up to the
requirements of recording and touring with the biggest current acts
in the world.
One fact stands out however: The absolute majority of those players
cannot develop a solo career as a guitarist of sufficient mastery
and musical impact for lack of enough ability to play at a level
that makes people want to go to see them as guitarists only by themselves.
Very few names come to mind as the exceptions to the general "rule":
Joe Satriani (stones sideman), Jeff Golub, who by the way HAD to
treat his tendonitis (Rod Stewart sideman). Most fight to overcome
their rigidity that stubbornly stands in the way of the necessary
flow of movement. This tug of war produces great internal wear on
your body's structures and constant damage is done gradually which
is not given a chance to heal because of daily playing.
3) The volume of the stroke has to be equal as a starting point
and you should practice it as such. However,you need to practice
different levels of dynamics (loudness) as the musical lick or phrase
requires. That is a topic on my upcoming video. Proper dynamic accentuation
during practice is absolutely necessary because it is these differences
in dynamics that make the lick different from another lick as much
as the left hand difference in fingering.
4) The only way to detect tension that I am aware of is to observe
yourself when you are relaxed away from the guitar and see how you
feel and then see if you feel uncomfortably tense by comparison
when you practice. Any pain should be an immediate warning sign
of utmost urgency . Don't ignore it. Analyze what you are doing
from toe to head that is causing too much tension and pain.
All my best to you,
NEY MELLO
(Jamie's note: Another technique to use for detecting tension while
in the act of playing, in other words, identifying stress points,
is to use "stop and drop". In a problem passage, stop,
freeze your motion right at the exact moment of trouble. Then, do
not move a muscle, but simply observe the state of your body. What
you see, and it can be ugly, is what is happening every time you
play that passage. Now, you must use all The Principles, especially
"following" and the Basic Practice Approach, to change
the learned behavior of those muscles. As usual, the bad news is
it's a lot of work, the good news is, IT WORKS!)
For more of Ney's insight into pick mastery, and to hear that amazing
clip Sebastian was talking about, see here.
A Rising Tide for the New Year?
GuitarPrinciples Beginning, Just Beginning, To Get Noticed By
"The Establishment"
I always say that none of you thousands of people out there would
be using The Principles, and the tens of thousands of you would
not know of The Principles, or GuitarPrinciples itself, if it were
left up the "powers that be". You know, "the establishment"
that most people who were young when I was, grew up regarding with
GREAT suspicion (if not downright antipathy).
When I wrote The Principles, I couldn't get any publisher interested
in it, I couldn't even get them to look at it! Now, I'm not saying
I tried very hard. I got real disinterested, real fast, in trying
to persuade people whose main interest was creating dollars, not
guitar players, that I had the "secret", the "method"
that worked; for everyone, of any level, wanting to play any style.
Actually, I spent many years simply doing presentations in local
music stores and shops. It was clear to me, and anyone who came
into contact with my work, that I was speaking the truth.
But, how can you expect some guy wanting to impress his boss with
discovering the next hot selling guitar instruction book, to get
excited by a book that starts with explaining the true foundation
of mastery, from beginning to end, by explaining "Desire, Attention,
and Awareness". I think they are looking for something a little
more along the lines of "100 Hottest, Burningest Licks To (try
to) Play To Make Everyone Think You Are A Guitar God"!
Well, thank God, the Internet came along and changed all our lives.
GuitarPrinciples has been able to go directly to the source of its
reason for existing, directly to the people with the need we exist
to serve: directly to you.
And, the wonderful thing about the truth, as perplexing, unwelcome,
and complex as it can often be, is that, if truly looked at, it
is immediately seen for what it is, because it IS what is!
And so, we have been seen, and the response, and especially all
the events and growth of the past year, have been overwhelming.
Everyone here, Geraldine (who most of you know, and many of you
have had quite a bit of contact with, and without whom GuitarPrinciples
simply wouldn't function or grow as it has), Steve (who manages
our affiliations and does much vital office work), and myself, are
constantly amazed, encouraged, and re-invigorated as we see and
hear of the impact that our work is having on guitar players from
everywhere, and of every kind and every age. Let's just say, we
like our work!
Well, we were REALLY excited a while ago when people started telling
us they heard of GuitarPrinciples in a popular guitar magazine from
the U.K., "GuitarTechnique", a heavy metal mag, no less!
We are very grateful to one of our new Principled Players for sending
us the magazine, we really wanted to see it.
It turns out that someone had written to the magazine, telling them
that their mag and articles and lessons were great BUT, if anyone
wanted to know what becoming a great guitarist was REALLY about,
they HAD to go to www.GuitarPrinciples.com. He even went on to use
one of the phrases we hear alot from our fans, "The Holy Grail
of Guitar Sites (the other phrase we hear alot refers to The Principles
as "The International Bible Of Guitar").
Now, I am extremely grateful to the magazine for publishing this
rave from one of our Principled Players (Jon Pegg, thanks Jon!).
But, I had to notice a funny thing as I read the response from the
magazine, as they responded to the subtle hint and implication that
there was a great and fundamental lack existing in their magazine,
and other existing guitar instructional resources.
This is something that I have identified as an inherent, shall we
say, situation (not necessarily problem), that we have to deal with
at GuitarPrinciples. It is this: it is going to be a little difficult
to gain acceptance or "good will" from the established
holders of power in our business, because one of the inherent implications
of what we are saying, and why in fact we exist, is to teach guitar
students that these power holders are not actually doing their job.
They are not identifying, and certainly not serving, the real needs
of their marketplace. In fact, they are not even noticing they are
not serving it! They are not noticing what was so painfully obvious
to me for 30 years: most of the people buying the magazines, books
and videos, could not actually play any of it! At least not what
we professionals call playing!
As I had said to Donna when I was in California, after she showed
me HER mountain of accumulated books: the only thing definitely
happening here is that a whole lot of very pretty books, with very
pretty pictures and famous names, are being sold. But rather than
each book really building a new layer of playing ability in anyone,
their contents always remained unlearned, unconquered, and useless.
It leaves the poor desperate guitar student no choice but to act
like some kind of addict "one more, just one more guitar book,
that's all I need". Let me tell you, if you really learned
how to practice, how to learn all that stuff in those books, you
would spend less time buying books and more time mastering the ones
you have!
Now, all of this being the case, it seems to me that the growth
of our company, and the spreading of the word about what is going
on here at GuitarPrinciples, and the amazing things happening in
people's lives, playing lives and otherwise, is going to depend
on what it has depended on so far: the players themselves. That's
where the purity is, not in the "Industry".
Players simply sharing their enthusiasm with other players, that's
what it's about. It makes me so happy when I hear of Principled
Players beginning to become teachers out of a new found sense of
their own power; power to change their own playing, and power to
initiate and develop playing ability in others. Now, they have a
"scientific", which means "re-producible" method
for creating results. I especially love it when I hear about some
beginners doing this, and I highly recommend that. (You don't have
to be an advanced player to teach The Principles. Rather, teaching
becomes a powerful part of your own learning process, more on that
later).
So, all of this got the little wheels turning in my head (I have
lots of little wheels in my head), and I thought "why not make
it easy for people to unburden themselves of their overwhelming
urge to spread the good news to other guitar players. Maybe other
players out there who have benefited from all that GuitarPrinciples
does and makes available would like to drop a line to some of the
magazines out there. It's kind of a "rear attack". I figure
that if enough members of their marketplace make enough noise, they
will have to come and give GuitarPrinciples a look; sounds good
for GuitarPrinciples, and it sounds good for guitar players!
Anyway, it is supposed to be guitar players that work at these magazines,
anyway!
Go take a look at the page
I put together displaying our first bit of "professional notice".
If you are so inclined, check out the couple of links to other guitar
mags, magazines that I'm sure would just love to hear from you!
In any case, we thank all of you for your good will and support,
and we are looking forward to a volcanic year, with great new things
in store for us, and for you!
Jamie, Why Don't You Talk About Music?
Here was an intriguing question I received recently:
Jamie, I've always enjoyed your newsletter. Lots of times you
are talking about physical technique with guitar. I think you should
write more about music. One thing I haven't found in any books is
the basic idea that music is an emotional expression. I'd like to
hear your thoughts on what different chord sequences mean to you...I've
often hear chords are like words in a sentence and you can use them
to make complete ideas.
Other than the standard major is happy, minor is sad, I haven't
seen much to explain where to use what. I don't know if I'm making
any sense. The book Money Chords contains a lot of sequences from
popular songs. I guess one example of what I'm talking about is
how it's often said I-V7-I builds tension and then returns to rest.
That's the kind of feeling you get out of that sequence. For instance,
what chord sequence sounds like a building triumph, or would pump
you up at a sporting event...? Hope this makes some sense.
Ed
Hi Ed,
There are a couple of very good reasons I don't talk alot about
the emotional/expressive nature of music, at least with the kind
of specificity you ask for. However, I have made general statements
such as you mention, and, I have emphasized the all important point
that music is not only emotionally expressive, but is, in fact,
of the same nature as emotion itself.
First, in my teaching work, I focus on the most essential needs
people have, and that is technique itself, the actual ability to
play. That is what is frustrating millions of would-be and would-be-better
guitar players, not an inability to feel music, but ian inability
to make music.
Now, this leads to the second reason: beyond making for interesting
after dinner conversation, and perhaps being able to sell books
like "money chords", there is really not much need to
talk about the emotional nature of music; that is like talking about
how much you love somebody all the time, instead of just loving
them.
The intensity of your emotional response and involvement to music
is your personal, evolving creation. It grows and deepens over time,
depending on how much of yourself you give to it, and how much of
your "self" you lose as you become one with music. What
good is giving mechanical formulas? Do you think if we input all
the emotional nuances of chord progressions into a computer, the
computer would write a great song, or play a great lead? Believe
me, I often hear music that might as well have been written that
way! I often hear music that sounds like somebody sat down and "thought
it up", instead of "felt it up".
I prefer to give people the key that unlocks the musical experience
for them as players: being able to make notes, make sounds, play
music. I have complete faith they will take it from there, they
will embark on the necessary musical and emotional odyssey that
turns one into an artist, a musician. If a person is deaf, and wants
desperately to experience and know the wonder of music, and you
have the power to make them hear; would you do that, or would you
write them an essay describing in words how wonderful music is?
Make them able to hear, they will take it from there!
Now, I am not saying there is no value to formal and intellectual
study of music, it expands us and I do it all the time. But, you
must understand that it is not primary, it is secondary. To paraphrase
a rather famous quotation: "if I have all the knowledge of
music theory in my head, but have not the love of music in my heart,
I am as empty as a clanging gong". So, your primary focus as
a musician should be your own personal, emotionally based relationship
to music, discovering the emotional nature of music for yourself,
with yourself as the supreme and first authority (they are your
emotions), and everyone and everything else second.
All of the above is my response to a sentiment I run across from
time to time, a sentiment voiced by someone who doesn't quite understand
the whole picture of what GuitarPrinciples is about (and unfortunately,
the only thing that really tortures me is being mis-understood!).
Someone once posted this on the Forum:
"I think you are beginning to become a musician when you
begin to develop your OWN style out of the numerous influences we
all have. And now back to the principles: Playing according to the
principles makes you a technician not much more. AND when you have
a limited time budget there might too little room for creativity
and developing your own distinct style ... This really concerns
me"
Concern with technique does not make you unconcerned with music,
unless you are too dumb to figure that out for yourself! Actually,
some personality types avoid refining technique because they have
no focus or discipline, and use the above rationale as an excuse.
Other personality types avoid making music, and get all "tunnel-visioned"
on technique, hoping someday in the far future to enjoy making music
"when they are ready". This is an excuse for not "taking
the plunge", and facing our own unavoidable imperfection and
vulnerability, and so, never making music, and never having fun!
Understand the truth, and avoid these extremes.
Pay your dues to develop the technique necessary to really make
the music you want to play. Once you are beginning to become physically
able to make the notes, give yourself completely, mentally and most
importantly, emotionally to the music. Once you truly "touch"
the music, you will not be able to prevent your own style and individuality
from emerging, and most importantly, your own ability to touch others
with music as well.
All
material copyright © 2003 by Jamie Andreas, GuitarPrinciples.com |
