Gratitude & Hope

[Ruby6092]

Hi,

I am happy and relieved to be a new member of this community. I learned about Jamie while reading Gary Marcus's new book, "Guitar Zero" last weekend. (i am also new to posting on forums's and will put up a picture once I figure it out). My wrists and thumbs have been sore from the way I was practicing guitar. I was pretty blue about it and concerned I would have to give up my guitar. I didn't know if I was developing arthritis or a repetitive motion injury? I spent a couple of hours reading the website and then ordered the GP for Beginners package which arrived 2 days ago. Best of all, I was lucky enough to get on Jamie's schedule for a 15 min skype session last week before the material arrived. Those 15 minutes changed me and give me hope that I will be able to continue my love relationship with my guitar. I learned more about body mechanics and technique then I have in 5 months of weekly lessons. But, even better, Jamie invited me into a different way of relating with my guitar.

So, my guitar story before my sore thumbs is that I taught myself to play folk music on a nylon string guitar in the late 60's. For several years I was part of a group that led songs in worship, parties and around campfires. I put my guitar away once I graduated from college and only played it occasionally through all the ups and downs of the last four decades. I decided I wanted to celebrate my 60th year of life by learning how to play, read music, create music and express my love and gratitude back. I traded up and invested in an acoustic-electric that I fell in love with -- honestly, I wept the first time I played and felt it respond to me! I've been studying with a guitar teacher since September and look forward to my lessons and practice time. I've been learning fingerstyle with an interest in classical, folk, early rock (Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, etc) and blues. I've also been working on performance anxiety and playing for forgiving audiences of family & friends. I, too, have purchased a variety of method books, downloaded music, online lessons---it can get overwhelming pretty quickly.

What I want to say is that even though I now see that I've spent the last five months practicing all wrong with too much tension; even though i have been learning songs that are too advanced for me with my current teacher; and even though my hands-shoulders are cranky about it, I have learned such valuable life lessons from my guitar. One of the things I had been thinking about was guitar practice as a kind of mindfulness practice, but I didn't know how to apply it. Then I met with Jamie. That old saying, "When the student is ready, the teacher appears" describes what that skype session was like for me. Her mastery blew me away. I am not referring to her own guitar playing expertise, but to Jamie's keen attention to detail and observation. It is her ability to deploy her attention and to articulate what she sees in concrete and understandable ways that was most helpful to me. Her emphasis on breathing, relaxation, focus, going slowly, is the opposite of the hurried and rather frantic way I'd been practicing. I understand that if I want to be able to even play my guitar, then I need to start all over again with a Beginner's Mind. No grasping for new music-- just, this breath--this thumb sensation on this sting--this shoulder relaxing--humility, patience and calm.

Thanks to all of you who have posted video on this Forum for Jamie to review. I am learning from you as well.

Marilyn

[Jamie]

Hi Marilyn,

I'm glad to see you here! And glad you are checking out the work of other players, that will greatly accelerate your progress.

Also, it is a good opportunity for me to announce that Gary will be doing a q&a on topics covered in his book here on the GP forum in the near future. I would like interested people to check out Gary's new book ("Guitar Zero", by cognitive psychologist Dr. Gary Marcus, detailing his journey to become a guitar player at 40...something we are quite familiar with around here!). Then, gather some questions, and we'll have some back and forth with Gary.

read more about "Guitar Zero"....http://garymarcus.com/books/guitarzero.html

I am very grateful to Gary for profiling me and my work in his book, and it will be quite interesting to see what might questions and comments might develop as people familiar with, and using my work, read his account of the journey we are all on.