Finding the Feel of It

So, I've had a recent revelation: using vision to play is not helping me but is in fact getting in my way. I tested this theory out on the piano and found that it is indeed the case. When I look at my hands, there seems to be a real disconnect. How to explain . . . 

I think it may be because I'm trying to use my vision to direct the movement of my hands. I look at the key I want to press, but then my hand won't go there. Is it the lack of eye-hand coordination? Maybe. I do seem to have difficulty with that in everyday life.

So why does it work better to not look? Well, I'm not sure, but if my hand is in the right place, I can tell my finger to push down and it obeys quite readily. I say to my hand: 113243, 112154. It has no trouble doing that. And I get instant feedback with auditory input--if the note is right, I know I've pushed the right key. When I try to use vision and I get the wrong note, I don't know why it's not right. Isn't that strange?

Now, with guitar I've got a whole lot of additional information to process. Strings, frets with left, strings with right hand. Then there's the neck and the body of the guitar--all parts that are touched by the skin, either with hand or arm or chest or belly. Lots of contact.

But there's something about all that touching that is . . . how to describe? It creates a closeness with the instrument that can't be obtained by looking alone, an intimacy, a connection that is more direct, more primal, if you will. Holding the instrument, wrapping my arms around it, pressing the strings, holding the neck, plucking the strings (better than using a pick)--all of that connects me to the instrument, which is already a warm thing, being made of wood as it is from a formerly living thing.

Now, add the feeling of vibrations and the feeling of the strings and the wood--the different sizes and types of strings with a rough or smooth texture. The smoothness of the wood of the neck in the palm of my hand. 

And then there's the proprioreceptor sensation--my hand, arm in space--that is part of the skin's job as well, which I had been unaware of.

Then finally, the sound of the strings, alone and in combination. The infinite variety of sound that comes from an infinite variety of vibrations--again, it's a feeling, being felt, as it were, by the inner ear.

So, how to get better at locating the places where the vibrations are produced? Finding them quickly, picking them out from the entire space that is the guitar as it's held?

So much to do! It will take time but I'm looking forward to it because I like the feeling of communion with my guitar, my lovely little guitarra!

So yesterday Elden gave me some assignments that he wants me to do regularly, if not every day.

1.  To do composing directly from my head--that is, as soon as a musical idea occurs to me, I should write it down, record it in some way immediately. Then put it into MuseScore later. But DO NOT add anything after that. The next thing that is added should once again come out of my head directly. 

So the next time I'm doing a technique exercise and some musical idea occurs to me, I should write it down as soon as it drops out of my head--usually because I'm singing it.

    I like this idea. Usually I have all kinds of musical thoughts that occur to me when I'm practicing some little exercise.  I tried it this morning with my usual stretching exercise, in which I repeatedly play the first four measures of the Bach Prelude (arr. by Elden). Sometimes I sing during that, whatever comes to mind. So today I wrote down what I was singing, then later I transcribed it into MuseScore, along with the stretching chords. Then I put my vocal piece into a clarinet staff and played it together. It sounds a bit simple but it's also kind of cool. I wanted to add more but I stopped myself, because that's a violation of the rules of this game. Fun!! Can't wait to do it again!

Questions and Answers and Revelations

So, I decided to get back to this blog after around four years(!) because it's a good place to make note of things. Whether or not I can follow up remains to be seen.

So, Elden asked some very interesting questions which completely changed the way I look at my lessons and my relationship with music and musicianship.

Here are the questions and my answers:

1) Describe yourself as the ideal version of you as a musician. What are you like? What is your music like? Is it instrumental or singer-songwriter? what do you play? Piano guitar, both? What are your day to day activities as a musician? Do you perform? If so, describe your ideal balance of activities. 

 Ideal me plays better than current me does now.  

 But if I did have more advanced skills, I would want to use them to play mostly instrumental music, preferably my own compositions or improvised pieces, including arrangements of others’ music. I think my music, whatever the genre, would be impressionistic, in the vein of Debussy, perhaps, or some more contemporary version of that kind of music.  I would like it to be complex, perhaps bringing together different elements (rhythmical, harmonic, melodic, textural, timbral) or ideas that at first seem not to go together but, once joined, surprise with how well they enhance one another’s beauty and depth.

 I would want to play both piano and guitar, but my goal in learning to play any intrument is not so I can perform, primarily (at least not as an entertainer), but so I can hear the music that’s in my head, both written and imagined. Some of the music I hear in my head is jazz, which I haven’t really learned to play as yet. A third instrument that I would like to “play” is my voice. That’s the instrument I’m most experienced with and it’s possibly my main instrument, though it isn’t a chordal instrument, so it’s limited in that way. I guess of the three instruments, voice is the only one I’d enjoy performing with as a way of entertaining others, as long as I don’t have to accompany myself! 😊 (Only because I’m not very good at it, although if I’m ideal me then I would have no problem with that!)

 If I had enough time, ideally, I would like to spend my day creating and playing music. I’m not sure I know what musicians do day to day, but I suppose they practice, more pointedly for upcoming performances; less goal-driven for general maintenance. But I think they must also listen to music, mining it for ideas, perhaps. In that same way, I think listening to music should also be part of my daily activities, ideally, and analyzing it for how I can use it in my own practice (something I’m not doing enough of now). This is akin to what writers do in their day to day activities—write, edit, read, study writing. I guess I would apply those methods to creating music as well—play, listen, analyze, intensively practice with problem-solving in mind to work out difficult parts of the process.

 2) What are 5 existing musical pieces that would represent your ideal aesthetic?

Claude Debussy: “Clair de Lune”

Marcus Norris: “There Can Be No More Kings: A Hood Fantasy" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x80-X_QcFFg

Keith Jarrett:  “October 17, 1988”

Miles Davis:  “Flamenco Sketches”

Toru Takemitsu: “Rain Tree” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0jO-WN9U9U

3) If you could write only one musical composition (under 4 mins in length) that represents you, what would it sound like? What would it include? Be as detailed as possible

(Or just begin writing it LOL)

 Wow, this is an interesting, difficult question. How to describe a hypothetical musical composition? The first thought I had was the metaphor of a rain forest, mostly for the depth and breadth of sounds that can be heard there—birds, other animals, rain, insects—at different levels—top, middle, bottom of the trees—and across the area. I’d like my composition to have that kind of range and complexity—of elements and melodic lines and harmonies. It would be interesting in its layered combinations that are surprising and also beautiful. The only problem is I might not be able to play it myself on a single instrument, so I’d need other musicians to help bring it to life.

 4) What are you most interested in studying in music right now and in the future? What interests you the most and what would you like to learn more about?

Answering this set of questions was very enlightening for me. I see now that I really would like to learn more about

a.   writing for multiple instruments--instrumental pieces, primarily

b.    playing jazz on guitar

c.    continuing to study music for composition ideas

d.    continuing to employ good methods for improving technical skills