I have often been asked by my students and fellow musicians about my approach to daily practice. Strangely enough, my philosophy regarding practice doesn't come from a musician at all, but rather from a martial arts instructor.
Perhaps I should explain. As regular readers of this column know, I have, over the years, studied several different styles of martial arts, including weapons forms. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to train with a master of the katana (the Samurai long sword.) I believed that my sword skills were adequate, but I knew that I could do better. As I watched the Sensei use the sword, I was impressed with the speed, precision, power, and ease with which he moved. At one point, he put his sword away and told me to attack him with mine. I obliged. Needless to say, I immediately found myself on the ground as the Sensei stood over me holding my sword. He was able to see every weakness in my stance, balance, and technique before I even moved. The outcome was inevitable. He then proceeded to share with me the Samurai's approach to perfecting their technique. He said, "Make every cut as if it were the only one which you will ever get to do. Do the same with every step, every stance, and every move." Since that day, I have applied this mindset to all of my martial arts training, and it has yielded great benefits. I did not stop there. I realized that this same philosophy can, and should, be applied to my guitar practice. I set about my practice with a renewed sense of precision and attention to detail. There was no more 'going through the motions.' There was no more repetition for its own sake. The goal was no longer merely practice, but perfect practice. Every scale, every chord, and every musical piece was slowed down and played with strict attention to technique, tone, and fluidity. Each piece was played with focused concentration, as though that was the only time that I would ever get to play it. The results were quite rewarding, albeit seemingly paradoxical. As a result of slowing down, my playing became faster. As a result of focused concentration on the fundamentals, my playing developed an increased sense of freedom and spontaneity. Most importantly, this approach to my daily practice has helped me to enjoy and appreciate music even more. I advise my students to practice in the same manner. When you are given a song, or a scale, or an exercise to practice, don't just 'get through it' and consider that to be enough. Conversely, don't play something over and over as though the repetition itself will achieve the desired results. Concentrate not only on what you are playing, but also on how you are playing it. Remember that, if you are not practicing correctly, you are practicing mistakes. Take the time to do it the right way. The rewards are well worth the extra effort.
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Guitar Lessons From a Master Swordsman, Part 1
By John Phillips That got your attention. Those who are familiar with this column know that I like to draw inspiration from various artists and artistic disciplines and apply what I learn to the study of the guitar. As a martial artist, I often find parallels between the studies of music and martial science. This month's column is gleaned from the teachings of Miyamoto Musashi, a Samurai from 17th century Japan. He is considered the greatest swordsman of his day and possibly of all time. Before his death, he passed on a set of nine principles for his students to follow. In this article I will cover the first five of these principles. These are excerpted from Thomas Cleary's excellent translation of The Book of Five Rings. I often use these principles in my teaching as well as my own practice. I will provide brief commentary on each. 1. Think of what is right and true. Although music is an art, there is also a science to it. We call it music theory. If you are experiencing writers' block with your songwriting, or you are unable to decipher a particular part of a song you are trying to learn, stop. Remember what you know to be true and try your various options. If that doesn't work, consult your teacher. He or she will explain what to do and why it works. 2. Practice and cultivate the science. Daily practice is essential. This is where a lot of people struggle. We don't always feel like practicing and we can always find an excuse not to practice. I get it. Sometimes I feel the same way. The way I see it, however, is that in life we may either have success or excuses. Choose success. A qualified teacher will be able to offer advice on how to stay motivated (already covered in a past edition of this column) as well as how to maximize your practice time. 3. Become acquainted with the arts. Listen to other instruments. Ask yourself questions such as: How would a pianist approach this piece? How would a saxophone player play this phrase? What kind of rhythm is that percussionist using? How does my guitar part fit in and compliment what the other musicians in the group are playing? Study various types of music. Remember; you are not 'just' a guitarist. You are a musician. 4. Know the principles of the crafts. Learn theory. Understand why things sound the way they do. Learn how chords and melodies are built and arranged. Know why you do what you do. 5. Understand the harm and benefit in everything. There is harm in practicing the wrong way. Hours of daily practice will do you no good if you develop carpal tunnel syndrome. The full benefits of practice may only be achieved with a balanced and physiologically correct approach. As I often say, practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. That's it for now. Next month, I will conclude the final four principles. Until then, keep playing! If you have any questions regarding music or topics which you would like to see in future columns, contact me on my website at www.guitarlessonsmanatee.com. To inquire about guitar lessons or more information about jam sessions, call 941-915-4694. Works cited: Cleary, Thomas. The Book of Five Rings. Boston: Shambhala Publications, inc.,1993. Print. Guitar Lessons From a Master Swordsman, Part 2
By John Phillips Welcome to part two of my series on the teachings of Miyamoto Musashi. As explained in the previous column, Musashi is considered by many to be the greatest swordsman of all time. What, you may ask, does that have to do with playing the guitar? The answer is simple. Whenever I discover an artist who excels at what they do, I take note. The principles which lead to success often apply regardless of your chosen field of endeavor. Musashi set forth nine principles for his students to follow. In last month's column, I listed and briefly expounded upon the first five of these teachings. Today I shall conclude with the final four, and how they apply to the study of the guitar. 6. Learn to see everything accurately. In order to do this, it is important to have both a working knowledge of music theory and a familiarity with various styles of music. For example, let's say that you aspire to be a 'rock' guitarist (a very popular choice.) Excellent. What exactly is 'rock'? Initially, it was a blend of country music and the blues. Since then, however, it has been influenced by many styles such as jazz, classical, atonal, folk, reggae, and hip-hop, to name a few. Clearly, if you plan to be a great rock guitarist, you have your work cut out for you. Whatever your aspirations, learn as much as you can about various types of music. There is some really great stuff out there. 7. Become aware of what is not obvious. There are often many subtleties in a piece of music which make it sound great. Elements such as vibrato, dynamics, legato, and harmonics, for example, may not be obvious at first, but they are the very things that make the song beautiful. A musician should be able to identify these nuances and use them in his or her own playing. 8. Be careful even in small matters. Little things can make a big difference. The position of your left-hand thumb, for example, seems like a small matter. Nevertheless, it can greatly affect every aspect of your playing, and can mean the difference between suffering or avoiding a repetitive strain injury. Your right hand position seems like a small thing, yet it will absolutely affect your progress and overall skill level. Perfect practice makes perfect. Otherwise, you are practicing mistakes. 9. Do not do anything useless. This is a big one, and a sensitive subject for many students. I find that this principle applies chiefly to the area of time management. Every week, I hear someone tell me that they didn't have time to practice. Sometimes, there are legitimate reasons for this. More often than not, however, it comes down to an issue of priorities and poor time management. It is amazing how much time we manage to find each day for television, playing video games, surfing the Internet, and social media. If you intend to excel at guitar, it is going to require daily study and practice. Make it a priority. This may require some sacrifices, particularly regarding the aforementioned distractions. You will find that the rewards far outweigh the costs. It is fun to be really good at something. This is a gift which is enjoyable not only for yourself, but which may also be shared with others. It is worth it. In conclusion, I have found these nine principles to be extremely helpful. They are excellent guidelines to follow in order to stay 'on track' and to ensure that you get the most out of your studies. That's it for now. Until next time, keep playing! If you have any questions regarding music or topics which you would like to see in future columns, contact me on my website at www.guitarlessonsmanatee.com. To inquire about guitar lessons or more information about jam sessions, call 941-915-4694. Works cited: Cleary, Thomas. The Book of Five Rings. Boston: Shambhala Publications, inc.,1993. Print. This month's column is all about that wonderful feeling called frustration.
We all feel this way from time to time, so I thought I would begin by sharing some quotes from famous artists as they share their thoughts on this topic. "I've spent so long on some paintings that I no longer know what to think of them, and I am definitely getting harder to please; nothing satisfies me..."(Claude Monet) "Being an artist is inherently frustrating in the sense that you always fall short of your ambitions."(Frank Gordon) "I have moments of huge frustration because of my inability to express myself ... as clearly as I would like to."(David Gilmour) Sound familiar? All of these quotes were from successful artists, people “at the top of their game.” Yet they were all haunted by the same nagging sense of frustration. Why? They were always trying to improve. They thought they could do better. To use a track and field analogy, they “set the bar very high.” This, in itself, is a very good thing. The desire to excel, to improve, and to surpass your abilities of the day before, are all excellent qualities. These very traits lead us to become better than we ever thought we could be. They lead us to excel. That's good. These qualities, however, must also be tempered by humility, patience, and the enjoyment of where we are right now and what we are able to do at this point. Have the humility to accept your current limitations as you patiently push beyond them. Have fun. Enjoy the journey. These are not contradictory qualities. They are simply opposite sides of the same coin. I don't need to regale you with stories and anecdotes of artists and musicians who have allowed frustration to drive them to distraction. They were all about the drive, the passion, the success; yet they missed out on the true enjoyment of their artistic gifts. They lacked the perspective and balance that comes with humility, peace that comes with patience, and the simple enjoyment of where we are at this moment. Balance is essential. In short, if you desire to excel, you are going to experience moments of frustration. Let these moments lead you further into excellence. Use them as a tool for good. Never forget, however, to temper these moments with humility, patience, and joy. These qualities will also guide you into higher levels of skill and satisfaction. To sum it all up, I conclude with a quote from Thomas Carlyle: “No pressure, No diamonds." |
AuthorJohn Phillips, Archives
July 2018
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