English Dance p69

[polydorus]

Thanks Jamie

I know this piece so well that it seems artificial go really slow all the time, so I was slowing down on points of Interest and playing other bits a little faster.

I was experimenting with using the rest stroke as something new to do with the piece and I still think that the open A base string really needs muting when the open E is played as it doesn't sound very good. But probably touching A with 2 of the left hand is a better approach as it is what you would do if you were making an E chord.

[Jamie]

Simon, I do no tempo practice on pieces I have played for 35 years! And there is nothing artificial about it. I have to tell you, and you can do what you want with it, but you have no idea what no tempo practice is, or why we do it. Your statement shows that.

It seems artificial to you because when you do it, is IS artificial, or more properly, superficial. You do not know what you are looking for or how to look. That is all I can tell you, and I will not mention it again. And you don't have to answer me or explain, I understand perfectly where you are at. And it is fine for you to be there, it is just that it severely limits my ability to help you.

[polydorus]

Thanks Jamie

Point taken!

I will try to mend my ways.

[Jamie]

Simon, observe carefully my demonstrations of no tempo practice on my dvd and in the course. And realize that the mind is extremely active during no tempo practice, constantly monitoring the body. that is how discoveries are made, and technique is transformed.

[polydorus]

Thanks Jamie

I think my misunderstanding has been that I have seen no tempo practice as a way of learning a piece - finding the best fingering and overcoming the difficult bits etc. But once I have leant a piece thoroughly, I have used slow and variable tempo practice.

[Jamie]

You are not studying my work properly. I have written extensively against that conception you have. No tempo practice is a constant, and brings more growth than anything, always. You just don't really know what it is. Find out.

[polydorus]

Hi Jamie
Have reread the the no tempo section in the principles and watched you doing it on the DVD, I think I understand what you mean by no tempo practice, but I haven't been using it in all the right places, just when learning new pieces and principles exercises, but not for pieces I know reasonably well.