Magnification

Magnify the most difficult details. 

Oblique Strategy

Working on Slip, another demanding work-in-progress. Once again fingers of my left hand are anchored throughout the piece. Several odd rhythmic changes require my constant attention.  As I am developing the possibilities of the piece I am also working with the space around me.  I wish to maintain my freedom by incorporating the principles of the Alexander Technique and practice good use.  I'd like to say maintain good use, but that is a dream at this point for me.

When this Oblique Strategy popped up today I wondered which difficulty might I magnify.  The shapes my left hand must assume and hold, the changing rhythms, or practicing good use?  Can I keep a sense of the space around me and within me?  Why within?  By noticing the movement of my chest as I breathe I notice two things. One is if I am holding my breath as a "system of control."  While the other aspect I've been noticing is that when I sense my inner space is confined, I notice I am collapsing down and in from my neck and shoulder blades.  The collapsing limits my freedom to play, is a detriment to my long time ability to play, and tires me out.

As I pondered this Oblique Strategy during a break, I saw once again the importance of minding my use.  With good use, I increase the freedom in my left hand, I lessen the tendency to collapse about the guitar and though this does require additional attention I am in a sense growing my attention muscle.  With this growth my future musical pursuits will prosper along with the rest of my life.  By decreasing the strain on my system, I might be better able to hear the additional possibilities hidden within Slip.

Returning to the guitar, I decided focus on my use instead of Slip.  I played through two pieces not as demanding on my hands while working with the AT directions to foster freedom in my neck, back and spine.  Noticing the fatigue from the past two hours of practice I decided that taking a longer break from practice was in order.  Though the possibilities of the Slip continue to pull at me even now I inhibit my desire to jump back in there.  Time to work with the Musician and allow a rest.  After all does not Music reside in the space between the notes?

Photo by Sam Droege

Tipping the Scales

Balance the consistency principle with the inconsistency principle. 

Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt

As this Oblique Strategy arose in my mind this morning I had a sense something interesting would arrive.  I wondered if I was becoming too consistent of late.  I've been picking up the guitar, making slow progress practicing pieces, but there has been no creative spark.  I'm disciplined enough to remain in the process of practice, but when the juice arrives, my practice is amplified in a sense.  How to investigate the inconsistency principle and restore balance?

One thought was to pick up my electric guitar and see what happens.  Maybe even plug in some effects. Looking at the definition of inconsistency I found this explanation when used as an adjective - "not in agreement or harmony."  I could go for something atonal or I could learn more about harmony.  Playing around with an Eb sus4 and Eb sus2 chords I now had a direction.  Then the Strategy spoke to me when I began playing around in eleven which reversed itself.  The pattern of this was 4/4/3/3/4/4.  Then it switched to 4/3/4.  More inconsistency arrived when the rhythm changed to ten, then to seven and eventually mellowing out in six.

My playing was energized and challenging.  I was alive again.  I made some notes and will investigate this more tomorrow as the scale tips toward balance.

Photo by elycefeliz

Composing Free From Desire

Does composing a piece of music differ from composing my life?  I want integrity and truth in my notes as I do in my life.  Variety in pieces as I do in my days.  Logic and coherence, efficiency and color, mystery and clarity, are all important in both music and life.  Perhaps this is why when listening to a group of people sharing about their lives today, Eno's Oblique Strategy Disconnect From Desire arose again in my mind.

I am a musician, not a conductor.  Certainly I have enough difficulties conducting my own life, so why do I frequently "know" how others should be conducting theirs?  As a musician I have my part to play, same as in life.  I may know how I'd play another's part, but alas it is theirs to play.  Of course I have my opinions, some knowledge, and always hope for a situation.  But how do I know when my "desire" is in the best interest of a piece of music, let alone in the life of another, or for humanity in general?

Disconnect From Desire became a guiding light while listening. Connect with the now and leave the mental noise.  Connect with the now and increase the signal I'm hearing.  I saw where this can guide my practice for the next few days as I prepare for my next gig.  Disconnect From Desire for the outcome of my practice and just play the notes.  Be there now with the notes; no where else, ever.  Rise above my desires.  When I care for the head, the heart, and the hands; music just might be available.  At the very least I'll be available.

Photo:  What the Eye Sees by Jack Mallon.

Disconnect From Desire

Last night was the works-in-progress showing with The Field/DC.  Having this opportunity to perform meant a lot to me and even though I understand that it is about works-in-progress,  it still carries the weight of a performance.  In a black box setting no less.

 My performance began poorly.  This permeated the set, keeping the music tethered.  Why?  Certainly the inspiration from the muse is in the notes and several members of the audience heard this. I could offer reasons and have to myself in my journal.  I've also seen how I can be more effective in the next opportunity.  No matter how I practice getting ready for performance, there is no other situation I can manufacture that provides that additional edge to be navigated.  As the aphorism states - we begin again constantly, so I will, always do. 

A bit of a funk was about me this morning as I rose.  I did practice my morning routine, but it was clouded by this negative impression from last night.   I knew it would pass, everything does.  Rather than work with music, I did some practical work and then went to an afternoon showing of A Most Wanted Man with my wife, followed by a late lunch.  Arriving home I picked up the guitar and played the opening phrase from last night beautifully.  Ahhh, a bit of teeth grinding.  Can I live with the uncertainty of live performance?   Sensing it was not yet time to practice as I was tired and the mood could tip back, I read and had a short nap.

Upon awakening, I picked up the guitar again.  I re-familiarized myself with a piece that I've not played in a while and decided I could keep this one in my pocket for a longer performance this coming Tuesday night.  I then allowed my fingers to find an arpeggio and played this in five.  Another one appeared and then another.  The whisper of the muse, urging me to follow, to connect.  I worked with this a bit, and then a break to eat.   Returning to the spark, more notes arrived.  Happy with the guitar now, knowing why I devote myself to this each day.  A darker twist in the music arrived and I'm smiling.

Since I was not certain where to go next with this idea, I notate what is there.  I title it Study in Five. Then returning to the guitar, the darker phase lengthens a bit.  Stuck again, I consult the web version of Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies.  The oracle offers - Disconnect From Desire.  As I ponder how this relates to the evenings work, I sense a larger offering is being made.  What desires did I hold regarding last night?  About performing music in general?  My head, my heart, and my hands are fallible, yet still the muse invites me back.  If tonight's idea is only a way to soften my heart and to kindle my head with a musical challenge,  my hands were ready to create the sounds.

After pondering the strategy, I returned to the guitar.  Playing what I had so far, I listened for what was next.  More notes arrived, leading up to a possible ending.  My spirit is ready for a new beginning.

Photo by Tankawho

What Would Eno Do?

Yesterday I decided it was time to revisit a musical idea that began a while back.  I listened to the rough takes, and found the score which had the parts sketched out.  Today as I prepared to practice, I recalled what I knew of the piece and reflected on possibilities.  I found myself thinking what would Eno do?  Certainly Eno's Oblique Strategies, other writings, and his music have impacted me tremendously.  Countless times I have invoked his guidance.

As I paused before I opened my guitar case, again I thought what would Eno do?   Then I thought what would Bartok do?  A wonderful set of opposing creative forces to guide me.  I played the first piece that ever came through me to begin my practice.  A way of Blessing my space and invoking the muse.  Moving to the work in progress,  I played with the opening chords.  There is something there, yet I sense that more is possible.  Again "what would Eno do" arose in my mind but right behind this was "what would Patrick do?"  So I did nothing.  Just sat.  Open to possibilities.

After a while, smiling I explored and played around with the idea.  Turning to the end of the incomplete score, I played through the ending.  Simple, yet powerful.  Yes, this is a good ending, and I have a beginning, and there are possibilities for the middle.  But still, I yearn for that little bit of magic to bring this together.  Playing with the end some more, I know there's a piece in here.

After 30 minutes I take a break for an AT lie down.  Rising I visit Flipper, the fish we inherited from our granddaughters move this week.  Flipper is a Beta, a beautiful blue fish.  Today I really saw him for the first time.  Flipper was still.  And he communicated this to me, just be still. So I was.  From this space, I know that all is possible.  I just need to remember this.  The playing resumed ...

Trust in the You of Now

 

Trust in the you of now

One of  my favorite Oblique Strategies formulated by Brain Eno and Peter Schmidt in 1975. What more could I ask of myself? I am always changing; life is always changing.  I'm not the musician I used to be nor am I the one I will become. Thus I need to trust my intuitions, trust when I 'feel' inadequate and arrive back in the here and now.

Knowing where I am right now a bridge from the possible to the impossible resides.  Arriving, trusting, and moving from where I am is an ongoing process.  A process I must reengage with over and over. Wherein lies the source?  Right here.  Right now.

Event Horizon

Balance the consistency principle with the inconsistency principle.  Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt

The wisdom of Oblique Strategies once again informs the practice of my life.  What is consistent - Habits.  And what is inconsistent - my conscious choice of how I use myself, how I move through life, how I respond to situations. By interjecting and inviting in moments of awareness throughout my day, the scales begin to tip and my habits are examined.  As these moments of awareness become more frequent through strengthening the habit of pausing and checking in with myself, life is enhanced for myself and the world.  May I become consistent with examining my inconsistencies.

Where is the Edge?

Today I had a luxurious morning of reading, journaling, Qi Gong, and sitting which inspired my thinking about habits.  Afterwards I had a  leisurely breakfast with my wife.  We spent some time together, and then she departed to be with friends for the weekend.  I relished the precious time I had with my guitar in the afternoon.  So invigorationg to be rested and feel that there is an expanse of time in front of me to devote to music.  I worked on the fingerings for the opening section of Clouds Never Die, and then worked on the progressions in the second section.  Then a new take on the third section materialized.  A light lunch followed by a brisk walk in the bright sunshine.  Such a treat to have done all of this by 4pm.  Back home for reading and a nap.

While reviewing the revised second section, I was still not satisfied with how this develops.  Brian Eno's Oblique Strategy - Where is the Edge? came to mind.  The logical initial answer is where the music stops flowing for me.  A bit deeper thinking about the edge however led to the possibility of the issue being earlier in the section. That the harmonic development was dictating a particular direction.  Or is the edge a result of my guitar technique or knowledge of music theory?  Perhaps I had reached the edge of my imagination in this musical situation?  Maybe the space that the piece is creating had an edge that needed a broader view?

As I played more I asked myself - Do clouds have edges?  Are edges distinct or fuzzy?  Not surprisingly, as the initial inspiration of this piece arose when I was playing around with Haiku's last month, this arrived:

                            Edges leading where?
                    Clouds obscuring then uncover
                             Music whispers by.

I decided to play the piece from the beginning and listen for the musical edge that needed to be explored.  As I began playing and I came to the end of the first section, my hand moved to a chord from the third section.  Suddenly a new take on the first section was unfolding and I was moved by what I was hearing.  After playing with this for about 40 minutes, I was unable to find the chord that would resolve the section and my left hand was fatiguing.  A little house ordering, and then I decided to do an AT lie down.  My back was happy for this and after a few minutes I heard a possibility of the resolution.  When I returned to the guitar this new chord completed the section.  The issue still resides in the next section, but I'll leave this for tomorrows work.


Ever so grateful for the time and space to devote to the guitar.  I could get used to this.

What edge are you exploring? Describe it, poke it, expand your view field of this edge, of all edges.

Making Bricks

One of my favorite of Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies is "Not building a wall, making a brick."  Something working class about this that I like.  One small effort that is mobile in a sense.  A brick can be used in many ways, even unrelated to "a wall."  Besides a wall requires a plan, and at times that plan eludes me.  Then this craftsman works on making a brick.

Tonight's brick was to find five chords in C hijaz that are built on fourths.  The works is done.  I still can not hear them in my mind's ear, but I will.  Would also be nice if I could name them.  C'est la vie.  For now I can let them rest in the brain and continue working on a new brick tomorrow.

                   
                                     Completed Walls

Making a Brick

Circumstances and exhaustion allowed me to sleep in today.  Picking up my guitar on a rainy morning, I was searching for how to begin, how to reconnect with my guitar.  Since the Laboratory Collaboration performance on Friday night, I have not played much.  When in doubt, work on technique was my thought.  And so I did.  Beginning with using the AT directions, I then did some work on my right hand arpeggios.  Pausing frequently to check in how I was using my body, thinking length and width.

After 30 minutes of this, I began improvising in D.  Playing around with drones, and also how to move between the major and minor scales in a musical way.  Still paying attention to the AT work, I was once again feeling like a guitarist.  I then played through Livin' the Dream and Matka Boska.

Remembering the musical idea I had for a poem by Ahron Taub from the Laboratory Collaboration called Danse Vivante, I began to explore what I had.  When I presented the idea to the other musicians we were able to take off from there, yet I also had the notion that a solo piece may be contained within this nugget.  As I continued exploring this one of my favorite Oblique Strategies came to mind - " not building a wall, but making a brick."  I took the idea a little farther and made the effort to both record and notate what I had. 

The bridge back to my practice has been crossed and tomorrow, I have a place to begin work on my next brick.

Honor Thy Mistake

Honor thy mistake as a hidden intention is one of Brian Eno and Peter Schmitt's Oblique Strategies, one that I have always liked.  Of late I have been in a bit of a quandary musically. Many new musical pieces and ideas have presented themselves in the past months while increased family and personal commitments have increased the complexity of my life.

I have been examining this and looking for clarity and direction in my musical pursuits. Today I wrote down three lists. The first one titled "What Can I Play Today?" and listed those pieces currently known to me. The second list was titled "What Might I Play Soon?" meaning pieces that could be polished and brought back into my regular practice routine. The third list was called "What Do I Want to Develop and Learn?" So far this last list is blank but two candidates will be added when I am complete here.

This process introduced clarity concerning where I am and where I am going. Always good for me to know this while remaining open to new possibilities. I then took a long brisk walk in the light of the full moon. Admiring the moon through the barren tree tops of the neighborhood, reflecting  on all of the good in my life, & enjoying the crisp air and shadows.

Returning home I was ready to enjoy playing. I played through Gathered Hearts giving a bit more attention to the opening notes, enjoying the rest before the second section, allowing the piece to be. My intention was to then play through Kinnara. I thought how might I play this if it was the last piece I would ever play? I sat with this a bit on my stool and brought my hands to play when suddenly a different chord was played. I followed this gently, probing what might be there, finding immediately the next chord then another and ...

I continued to explore the gentle dissonant chords I was finding, delighting in seeing where they might go. Allowing myself to let go of the piece I wanted to play and Honoring My Mistake.

Smiling.

Breathing.