Heart Strings

Music should go right through you, leave some of itself inside you, and take some of you with it when it leaves. - Henry Threadgill

Sounds like the action of love to me.  As a musician do I cultivate the ability to play in such a way that the heart is stirred?  How might this be?  Do I have a connection with my own heart might be one answer.  Do I have a connection with the listener?  Do I have a connection with something greater? 

May I have the discipline to develop these connections today and always.  If not music, may I at least bring a little love into our World.

Photo by Xanna Ziskey

Framing the Mind

"Things are easy to do" is the first quote on a page of notes from an interview with the Alexander Technique & author Pedro de Alcantara on Harmonious Bodies a couple years ago.  How to arrive at the place where "things are easy to do?'  Pedro goes on to speak of putting yourself in the frame of mind to do so, to work on the frame of mind. Using the Alexander Technique to broaden my awareness is an ongoing part of my musical approach.  A method of connecting the body & mind with what I am doing right now.

These partial scores are accented with recordings of the various works in progress.  Some of the recordings have captured a piece in it's entirety while others like the scores are partial.  Along with a few completed pieces these works in progress will form my next recorded release - When the Ocean Courts the Drop.  As I have a more time this week than usual to devote to music, my focus is on completing the notation of some these scores.

Where to begin I found myself asking yesterday?  The recordings have been organized, the partial scores assembled and now the work of listening and notating awaited me.  This is difficult work for me.  My ear is not developed enough to undertake this work with ease.  One of my favorite Guitar Craft aphorisms - Establish the possible and move gradually to the impossible arises. With this aphorism framing my thinking, I decided to begin with a piece that has a recording that sounds complete and has a partially developed score. 

Ironically in my last Alexander Technique lesson with David Jernigan, he had me singing a song and finding the melody on the guitar.  The musician in him has noticed this musical weakness of my ear before and on this particular evening this formed a good frame to address our AT & musical work.  I am generally comfortable playing for David these days, even improvising.  But singing?  Singing when his family is in the adjacent room with a mere wall between us?  But I did, even though it was a bit of a struggle.  Could I keep the AT directions alive which we had been working with earlier in the lesson while dealing with my internal opinions about myself?  Could I remain free and confront this habit of mine that does not like to expose myself & my inadequacies?  David assisted by his gentle presence, keeping the AT work alive with me. 

I have been working with developing my ear in my practice for the past two weeks and now I confront the limitation of this part of my musicality.  The recorded melodies I am working with capturing and notating are not as simple as what I have worked with.  My pitch recognition lacks and so I struggle.  And I pause and direct.  Pause and breath in, knowing that in making this effort the ear is being developed.  And f I can keep the notion of "things are easy to do" alive I am not quite as overwhelmed as I might be. 

Success smiled on me yesterday, notating a 90 seconds of a two minute and 40 second piece.  A few times I wanted to throw in the towel, but paused instead.  At times setting down the guitar and enlivening my Qi with a few simple Qi Gong exercises.  Gently backing off from end gaining with pauses to direct my thinking via AT.  Connections developed between the ear and the mind, the mind and the guitar, and from where I am to where I wish to be.  May these connections continue to develop and broaden

The First Note

       
                                       Happy New Day!

This morning while shaving I had a thought about how to play with arpeggios.  I continued thinking yes, the first day of the year, it would be nice to work on a fresh and new exploration.  But what chord would serve the arpeggio?  When I want to pick up my guitar I paused.  Deciding to play my first note of this the new year with intention, I thought what note shall I play?  Eb came almost immediately to my mind. This wasn't a total surprise, as over the years there's always been something about an E flat that resonates with me.

For a moment, I thought think about another note.  But then I said no, Eb arose,  this is where I shall begin my playing for this year.  And so with care and attention I brought my hands to my guitar.  Allowing Eb to sing, I then chose an interval of the fourth and played Ab followed by a G and an E.  From here I began to play and explore, quickly finding an opening phrase.  Somewhat dark and melancholy I played this a few times and found another phrase.  Smiling as I put away my guitar as I had to attend an afternoon event with some friends.

Returning home, I was happy that I played my first note of the year with intentionality.  How might this small act of quality serve my playing for the coming year?  This one act changing everything.  Perhaps if I begin all my practice sessions with choosing one note,  I could connect all my practices throughout the year to this first practice.  Might this change me, my playing, or the world?  To extend the moment of my practicing, connecting with all that was and will be?

During the afternoon this initial phrase took on a title, Lifting the Veil. Somewhat easily the following phrases and ideas developed.  There is now a beginning, a middle, and an end to this piece and there  seems there is a connection throughout. I played this for my wife and she also felt there was a wholeness and musicality. Picking up my guitar one more time this evening I played through Lifting the Veil.  Transitions need to be worked out and fingering's remembered, but there is music within these notes.

What more could I hope for? 

Laughing My Way to Freedom

I had a class in AT with David Jernigan tonight, good to be sharing this with Peter.  Today I am tired from a late night watching the NCAA Basketball Final and then be awakened at 4:20am by a fierce thunderstorm.  Part of me wanted to stay home, but I knew I always get energized by working with an AT teacher so I went.  David continues to invite me to find ways to incorporate thinking about how I am going to do something.

David has slowly and subtly expanded and opened my presence.  Reminding me to be in the space that I am in.  As I pause to think of this now at my desk, I sense my shoulders begin to widen, my spine lengthening, and in general I feel a lightness.  Remembering, finding the space, or opening to my breath are windows into the present moment.  When I arrive in the moment,  I have an opportunity to make a choice or to go with my habit(s.) By becoming aware of and exercising my thinking, I may even have the choice to act in a more constructive way; particularly when certain persistent mental formations manifest.  All is interrelated, and one part affects all others.  Thus a change in thinking can positively influence a lifetime of reactions, while this change of reaction can influence future thinking.  My experience has been that all of this happens slowly, and requires my active participation.

I always enjoy playing guitar after class, as being awake in my body is what I need to play well.  Tonight I began working with the tremolo piece, playing just one bar at a time.  Pausing between transitions to think of the AT directions and maintain my freedom.  After playing through the piece in this manner, I moved to the middle section where I still work too hard to play.  One bar of each, with a pause was how I played these six bars for several takes.  Then I played through these bars regularly, pausing between the repetitions of the section.  Finally I began to play the entire piece.  After successfully navigating the middle section, I found my thinking wandering to when am I going to find the name for this piece, can I call it the Tremolo Etude in Seven?  My playing collapsed.  I laughed.  And then I laughed some more.  No need to take myself too seriously in these pursuits, I thought.  Then I noticed there was a certain freedom as I began to play again, the laughter having shifted something in myself.

Finding myself in the room once again, allowing my body to expand and become free, I began playing on an out breath.  How many times do I forget to do this?  Always opportunities to remember, to connect with the body, the breath, my thinking, my guitar, and even music.  Yes, laughter is appropriate in my practice session, I've been serious for too many hours of this joyous life.  Pausing and smiling now, I am soon to resume playing.  May my smile connect me to life and my laughter lighten my efforts.  May music continue to inspire me and to connect me to what is real. 

The Stimulus of Anticipation

For the past two months my life has been played fast at a volume of 10.  Now the day after the last major professional task is done, my body twitches.  Looking, almost needing to create pressure on myself.  Though tired I had to get out of bed and stretch.  I suspect a nap or two is in my future, but for now I found it hard to even complete an AT lie down.  Physics tells us that an object in motion prefers to remain in motion, and today my body is this object. 

Day after day I practice returning to the Present Moment using Mindfulness Meditation, Qi Gong, the Alexander Technique.  In the midst of the pressures of life, these moments of return during my day, where I reconnect with what is real and true, are precious and sustain me.  Now here today, with no looming major professional event(s) on my horizon, I crave the stimulus of anticipation.  I did a little Qi Gong, sat for a few minutes, and then moved to a lie down.  None of them were satisfying, unable to maintain my discipline that has been developed over decades.  Which brings me back to my favorite Guitar Craft aphorism We Begin Again Constantly. 

My wife is now awake and soon I'll practice Qi Gong and sitting with her.  The power of a sangha, even if it is only one other person; whose energy, commitment, and practice can permeate mine.  Perhaps I'll play a song or two while I wait for her.  Connection remains key.  Connection with my body, my aims, the Present Moment, with Music and Life.  Letting go of the unnecessary demands I am creating for myself today, and embracing what is important - right now!

With a Little Help From My Wife.

Today was my sixth day in a row at work, one that spread Holiday joy, but drained me physically.  After a shower, rest, and a light dinner I was ready to spend the night in a chair watching CSI and  related programs.  Rare behavior for me, but I really am tired.  Then my wife told me that I would practice, that I needed to practice.  She is a wise person, so I listened.

Unlike last night, I found it easy to pick up my guitar. Fortunately strings and nails remained intact tonight. Like last night I focused on using the Alexander Technique to address my use in relationship to the guitar. I was looking at how I begin a piece of music.  Beginning, pausing, coming into a relationship with my body, and beginning again.  Beginning at times in the middle of the piece, just a different look at how I begin.  Was I there when I began to play?

Connection seemed to be the theme for tonight. Connection with my body, with my length, with the earth below me and the universe above me.  At one point, with my guitar on my body I was playing with my arms in space, similar to something David and I did in class recently.  My right hand came into position from below the body of the guitar rather than from my across. I noticed a freedom in my elbow and an advantageous positioning of my wrist from this. This new movement was free of habitual patterning.

I worked with two different parts of pieces which challenge my right hand, to see if this "freedom" impacted my execution.  And then I noticed that my energy was flowing.  After playing with pieces,  I began to improvise.  A sweet little melody tinkled out which I worked with for the remainder of my time.  A loving push from my wife, aligned with my ongoing commitment to music and my intentional connection with life energies led to an insight about my playing and a gentle kiss with music. A brief but fruitful practice.  What is your commitment?  How do you connect?

10 minutes later:

I forgot to mention that to honor the life of Don Von Vliet I practiced with my hat on tonight. May he Rest in Peace, thanks for the memories and the music Captain. Here are his Ten Rules for Guitar Playing.

Time Remembered

On my commute home today I was listening to Time Remembered, a beautiful lyrical interpretation of the music of Bill Evans by John McLaughlin. John assembled a group consisting of The Aighetta Quartet, a classical guitar group, and Yan Maresz on acoustic bass guitar. I've listened to this for years. Always inspired by how gentle yet powerful, composed but improvised, Bill Evans yet John McLaughlin this music is. As soon as My Bells ended I wanted to listen again, yet I had already had this same impulse twice. Rewarded for my patience by a burning solo on the title track Time Remembered.

After dinner I wanted to get to guitar practice as tonight is the first game of the season for Maryland Basketball, the one sport I actively watch. I found a chord and followed it with another. Before I knew it I was engaged with the beauty of discovery. One chord after another gently flowing forward. I began writing this down and continued to explore. Not sure where the chords will go nor if an ending will be revealed. I sense a connection to what I heard on McLaughlin's lovely renditions. Half time is a few minutes away so I'll spend another twenty minutes enjoying the process.

Providing Opportunity for the Muse to Arrive

Grateful today for the new piece Broken Wing which arrived last night. Why does this happen? I can not control the time nor circumstance but I do create the opportunity. My musical practice is regular and ongoing. Many years ago in my early days in Guitar Craft my practice was too rigid. Exercise after exercise followed by working on pieces that were very difficult to play. Robert told me that I needed to play more. To provide a time each evening to just play. During this time I should abandon concerns with technique and see what music might be available to me.

This is an ongoing part of my practice, a time to improvise and listen. Last night I noticed the possibility of a state I have experienced before. I stayed with the flow and played with what I had. Within an hour Broken Wing was a piece of music. Moments such as this when the creative spark is kindled energize me for a long time. Tonight I played with Broken Wing, examining possibilities within the inherent structure of the piece, playing with each section to listen to what might be.

Tomorrow I will perform this for The Field, a works in progress structure that meets for ten weeks. The Field is a space to explore, take chances, and to bring works alive. Another reason to be grateful.

The question I had for myself when I began writing tonight concerns the space I create for myself while practicing. The intent is to be quiet  in my mind, at peace with where I am musically, and attentive to the use of myself. Ever striving for greater connection with myself, my guitar, with music, and the unknown. Tonight while practicing and working with a notion from my last Alexander Technique class to allow the space to support me left arm, I wondered what is the energy in the space around me? Can I allow this energy to be love? Will I connect?

Tonight I almost did not play ...

photo by: chun http://www.flickr.com/photos/chung660326/

Tonight I almost did not play my guitar. After all it is Christmas Day, I had a full day of laughter, love, and time spent with family. A late night last night with friends, food, & frolicking. A long month professionally. But I love playing my guitar. Love what comes over me when I am present with the notes. The nourishment for my heart when a note rings true.

So tired tonight, my right hand nails needing attention before I played. I followed a link to You Tube and heard Renaud Garcia-Fons play a five string double bass. So beautiful and inspiring. Then I knew - pick up my guitar. I may never reach his heights, but I can strive to reach my own. Took me a few minutes to settle in, and then music whispered a phrase. I looked at this a while and then played through Lost Ballon, followed by Dandelion Wish. Then another phrase appeared, soft & sensitive, supportive of my state. Played with this and smiled, kissed my guitar and put her away. I knew I did not need to develop these phrases or capture the idea. just let go. Music is always there, always.


Tonight I did not need to make great demands on myself, but I did need to play my guitar. The perfect ending to a lovely day. May we all find our connection with the creative spirit. Merry Christmas to all, Santa is never far away.