• "From the Principles: Fingers Do Two Things-Go On & Come Off "
• Memory Lapses While Playing
• Success Stories: Conquering A Difficult Chord Change- Dm/F-G

I often wonder if users of The Principles understand the meaning of the quote that opens the 4th chapter, the one dealing with the left hand. It is by one of the people on my "top ten" list of personal favorites from among the great souls of history. I am speaking of Lao Tzu (604 b.c.), credited as the "founder of Taoism".

Of course, anyone familiar with the wise and mystical old hermit knows that founding anything was the last thing on Lao Tzu's mind! He was quite occupied living entirely in the present, and in fact was forced to write the famous "Tao Te Ching" or "The Way of Life" while he was busy trying to run away from everyone else and live in the mountains! (The keeper of the city gate, knowing the great wisdom the sage possessed, would not let him pass unless he wrote down the essence of his knowledge and realization).

When one reads the "Tao Teh Ching", one realizes that it could be called "The Principles of Correct Existence". It is full of Principles that will enlighten anyone's viewpoint on anything, if applied to this business of Life. The 4th chapter of my book opens with Lao Tzu's quote "the use of clay in molding a pitcher comes from the hollow of its absence. Doors, windows in a house are used for their emptiness. Thus we are helped by what is not, to use what is".

In his enigmatic way, Lao Tzu is elaborating on a fundamental Principle of Taoism, as well as other great systems of thought, the concept of the dualistic nature of manifest existence. Briefly stated, this concept teaches that all things are composed of two elements that appear as opposites, but actually, taken together, form one thing. Further, the existence of one actually depends on the existence of the other. It is not possible to understand anything, unless we consider the dualistic nature of whatever we are trying to understand. Much of the trouble in the world can be traced to an ignorant over-adherence to one of the poles of a pair of polar opposites.

We could apply this to anything in life, good and evil, rich and poor, male and female, inhale and exhale: all of them opposites, but each an integral part of a larger entity or process. The enlightened mind knows that to eliminate one would eliminate the other. Being guitar players, let's see what this means for us. More specifically, what it means to the functioning of the left hand.

On & Off

Our fingers do two things when we play; they go on, and they come off. Unfortunately, most players, and certainly beginners, are almost wholly focused on the "on" part, and do not pay the proper respect to the "off" part. Also unfortunately, there is a heavy price for this unbalanced focus. Many technical problems will have at their root, wholly or partially, the improperly timed release of inactive fingers (or no release at all). Sometimes, the finger which should release does the opposite; it starts clutching on for dear life! When finger release is in harmony with the use of force of active fingers, we are helped in the use of the active finger by the non-use, or release, of the presently inactive finger. We are aided in using what is by what is not. When finger release is not what it should be, we are hindered in our use of what is (or should be).

This is why the left hand exercises in The Principles promote the experience of both states of the finger, on and off, light finger and firm finger. All the left hand exercises should be done with attention to these alternating states, and the physical feeling focused on. Whenever we play scales, or really anything, we must examine our left hand finger work along these lines. We must be as aware of the "coming off" of the fingers as we are of the "going on" of the fingers. I would like to give you a few examples of passages that gave me trouble for years until I uncovered the root of the problem by applying the Principles discussed above.

Here is a pull off figure from a very virtuosic piece for classical players by Fernando Sor the "Mozart Variations". It is played at about 132 bpm in 16ths. The figure is repeated constantly throughout the whole variation, and if you are not doing it with perfect finger release, you are not going to have the stamina to get through it, accurately that is. ^ indicates the pull off, the fingers are 2, 1, 4, 2, respectively.

        ^ ^
----7-6-9-7--------
---------------------
---------------------
---------------------
---------------------
---------------------

You can hear me playing the passage in which this occurs(at 132 bpm) here.

Try this pull off at your top speed, over and over, and notice what your 1st finger does. Does it release as 4 touches the string, and then pulls off, or does it continue its pressure on the string. Well, maybe you will be luckier than I was. Maybe you somehow avoided this bad habit. But most people I have seen have not. It took me about two years to eliminate this from my playing after I discovered its disastrous effects, but what a difference in my playing ability it has made!

Here is another passage, one that I considered impossible (although I had heard the great players play it) until I applied this principle. In fact, it was impossible the way I was doing it. I never realized how badly my 1st finger was clutching needlessly at it's already played note, and thus preventing the other fingers from doing their job. The first two notes are played together with fingers 2(3rd string) and 3(1st). Then 4 reaches up to pull off from the 4th fret to the waiting 3rd finger still on the 2nd fret. Quite a challenge at performance speed even when you are doing it correctly, especially in the context of the piece!

       ^  ^
---2-1--4-2-0-----------
---------------------------
---2----------1-------------
---------------------------
---------------------------
---------------------------

You can hear me playing the passage in which this occurs here.

For years I had been torturing my hand by trying to do this without releasing the 1st finger from its duty, and holding it down (actually, mashing it into the fingerboard) while I was asking my 4th and 3rd to do that pull off. It was not a pretty sight, or a pretty sound. This also took also about two years to fully correct. What should happen is this: the 1st should release AS the 4 reaches, and move to the 3rd string immediately to prepare for the G# it will play along with the open E after the 4-2 pull off. Of course, you may notice the 1st doesn't exactly WANT to do that. It will probably say, "hey, I can't do that, what are you, nuts! I'm staying here and holding on tight, good luck to you other fingers!"

Well, that is what training and practice are all about. The fact is, as I managed to convince my 1st to release AS 4 reached for the G#, it began to develop a new kind of strength and limberness which improved all my playing. It is very important to remember as we practice and attempt new things that some things will seem impossible not because they really are impossible, but because they are unreachable from where we are presently in our development. As we move to a further point, the unreachable becomes reachable. Of course, how to move to that next point is always the question. If you begin to examine your left hand action with a focus on the "off" part as well as the "on" part of their functioning, you will find more of what is for you "unreachable" coming into view. You will begin to agree with Lao Tzu that "we are helped by what is not, to use what is".

Hi Jamie,

Currently, I play exclusively in the classic style and solely for my own enjoyment. Since more people are finding out that I have taken up the guitar, I am sure that eventually it will be necessary to play in front of other people. I have read all your articles on memorization and performance. While they have been extremely helpful, I am encountering a problem that I have not been able to successfully resolve.

I have accumulated approximately twenty classical miniature pieces that have been memorized. I am able to play any one of these pieces without major errors most of the time and in a fashion I would find acceptable if I were playing in front of someone. On certain days, however, without warning, I will be playing a piece which was "flawless" the day before and completely forget where my fingers are supposed to go next. This happens even though I can clearly hear the next phrase in my head. If I lay the guitar down for a while, I am able to play the piece again without any problems. The fear of this kind of lapse happening without warning, has kept me from playing in front of any one.

Can you give me any insight on why these lapses occur. How can I best avoid them or at least minimize them. I suppose I would also like to know if this situation is common among guitarists.

Dick S

There could be many different reasons why you lose your focus and forget what to do next while playing a piece. However, based on what you have said I will hazard a guess as to the reason. I will also make some comments on your essential position in relation to your feelings about yourself as a player.

First of all, when this memory loss occurs, there is some kind of internal "motion" going on in you, most probably of an emotional nature, which is sabotaging your muscle memory. Muscle memory is strong, and very self-sufficient. It can run on and on by itself. But, as I mentioned in my essay "On Memorizing" (one of the "Essential Essays" contained in the Newsletter Archives), it is quite stupid. If it loses its place, it cannot find it by itself, and must re-wind to the beginning, and hope for the best on the replay. Assuming you have done the necessary amount and quality of practice to make your muscle memory strong enough, then some other factor, this internal "motion", is creating static that is disrupting your muscle memory.

In any case, as I stated in my essay on muscle memory, in order to be properly protected from memory loss while playing, you need the back-up of "head memory", or "mental memory", the conscious awareness of what the notes actually are. The ability to say them out loud in order, and to see them internally, in your mind's eye, as well as the ability to internally imagine yourself playing them. Professional players throughout history have used this mental practice technique to strongly solidify music they will be performing. It is done by closing the eyes and mentally rehearsing the music. I describe it in the essay. Make sure you are doing this, and if you are finding it difficult, no big deal, it gets easier with time and practice. Try doing it with short easy things at first and work up to more difficult pieces.

Now Dick, the point I really want to make is this. You say "the fear of this kind of lapse happening has kept me from playing for anyone". I will bet that this fear is actually causing, or contributing to your memory lapses even when you are simply playing for yourself! What you need to understand is that EVERY player goes through this in some form, and the ones who make progress with it are the ones who go play in front of others ANYWAY!

I remember times in my life when, before walking out on stage, I would feel like there was a hangman's noose over the chair I was about to sit down and play in! I was scared to death. I did it anyway. I refuse to be controlled by my fear, I refuse to take it seriously, I refuse to allow it to keep me small and limited. Whoever the "me" is that is afraid of something as stupidly inconsequential as making a playing mistake in front of other people, whoever that is, I don't want to respect her fear anyway. In fact, if there is a part of me that is so afraid of being embarrassed that it will attempt to control my life and actions through fear, I will deliberately go out of my way to defy that part, to offend that part, and embarrass the hell out of it! And I have done that.

I have gone out in front of audiences and allowed myself to fall apart and make an idiot out of myself just to prove to myself that it wasn't the end of the world. No one from the audience rushed up to kill me, no one shot me from their seat! Actually, it was quite comforting; after screwing up and having it understood that I am not perfect, and neither the audience nor myself should demand that I be, I was able to relax and play my best, or better!

Most people don't do that. When they have a "fear" part, they defend that part. That is what you are doing. You are keeping it safe. I say, "Don't defend yourself, offend yourself". As you do, as you show that "fear" part of you that you will no longer respect it's concerns, it begins to lose power. You must learn to "walk through your fear", not wait for it to leave the neighborhood, it never does.

The essay you really need to read is the one on "Stage Fright". I will quote a few paragraphs which speak directly to your situation:

From "Stage Fright":

Many people make a big mistake by trying to "fight" their stage fright, or to trick by performing little mental maneuvers, like imagining the audience naked or in their underwear. Well, I do believe in doing whatever gets you through the night, but don't confuse it with getting to the heart of the matter. When Fear, when Stage Fright arises, it is because deep inside yourself, you are devoting a large part of your attention on YOURSELF, and not the music. In fact, here is something very interesting to ponder. It can be just as detrimental to your performance to be sitting there performing and be feeling really good about yourself as it is to be feeling bad about yourself. Most of us performers have experienced playing really well, and then sitting there patting ourselves on the back (in our heads), when we should be busy playing. Guess what happens? Bam, there goes that passage! Either it gets messed up, or just suffers from a lack of feeling or involvement, because we were to busy thinking about ourselves, this time in a "positive" sense.

There must be no "self" when you play. There must be only the music.

When we do make that inner error of putting self before music, whether "positive" or "negative", the thing to do is to become aware of what you are doing. Take hold of your attention, and place it on the music, and feel your passion for it (which is what you are supposed to be doing, it's what the people came for).

Fear (which is the result of your inner error) is like an unwelcome visitor who just pops in to see how miserable he can make your life. He stands there and starts saying nasty things to you to see if he can get your goat. Like any bully, if he sees he starts to get a reaction from you, he gets more power, he gets bolder. Pretty soon, he'll have you on your knees. However, if he sees you are ignoring him and playing your guitar instead, he gets all deflated. It's no fun, he hangs around a little bit, gets bored, and leaves.

The way THROUGH stage fright is to stay centered in that passion, to be with it, to lose the sense of DOING the music, and stay with the sense of BEING the music. This is the responsibility of the performer, just as it is the responsibility of the audience member. When this is done, there is no stage fright, because there is no one there to be afraid. When Attention is where it should be, on the music, instead of on the self, you cannot be "self-conscious", you can only be "music conscious". Then, the magic can really take place...

Hi Jamie,

I am a classical guitar student and have been working on etude no. 4 of Leo Brouwer's Easy Etudes. I am thrilled to report that through using the principles, I have been able breakdown a chord fingering and progression to isolate the exact point of tension that has prevented me from playing the passage smoothly, and make the correct adjustments to my technique. A breakthrough for me that has raised my overall playing ability!

The chord progression, I have been working through is a 1st inversion of d minor (1st finger on the 6th string F, 2nd finger on the 3rd string A, and 4th finger on the 2nd string D), moving to G major (3rd finger on the 6th string G, releasing the A leaving G in open position, and keeping the 4th finger engaged on the 2nd string D). It has been the movement of engaging the G on the 6th string with the 3rd finger from the F, while keeping the D with the 4th finger in place that has been difficult for me to do without a great deal of tension in the 3rd finger. I absolutely refused to believe that this chord progression had to be as tense as I was making it. Through employing no tempo and slow tempo over several days and analyzing what I was feeling in my left hand, I finally saw the light.

The problem was not in the 3rd finger, it was simply carrying the tension from an improperly engaged 4th finger! I then went to work on the 4th finger to establish a position that was relaxed and allowed tension free movement of the 3rd finger, again using posing and no tempo work. Currently, I am using slow tempo to cement the movements and bring the passage up to the same tempo I can play the rest of the piece. I realize that I am just about quoting the process from the book, but the chord progression causing me so much trouble tested my comprehension of the principles and how deep I was capable of going to deploy them. It has been a positive experience that I wanted to share.

Thanks.
Dave Currens

Hi Dave,

That sounds great, a good example of the mental focus it takes to "confront our confusion", and uncover our blind spots. Also a good example of what is, in common language, called THINKING, a word that is encountered far more often than the thing itself!

Let me mention that on the chord change you describe:

-----------------------------------
------3--------------3------------
------2--------------0------------
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
------1--------------3------------

You want to also keep a "heavy arm" as you hold the first chord into the second. There should be space between each finger as you hold the first chord, no "finger squeezing", which sounds like what you were suffering from. The 3rd finger should be very "free" as you hold the first chord, just waiting to drop down. It does take some muscle development to achieve a feeling of ease here, but believe me, anybody can develop this if they go about it the right way, which you are. Congratulations!

From Marnie, who attended our July workshop:

Hi Jamie & Geraldine,

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the workshop and I'm looking forward to my practices now. It's funny how things can become so much more enjoyable once you understand the "principles" and start to see noticeable improvements. I've been raving about the workshop to everyone I meet and I've forwarded Jamie's website and newsletters to several people.

Best regards,
Marnie

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