I've been studying and arranging a number of Domenico Scarlatti's sonatas these days and ran across this wonderful performance of the brilliant K208, as played by Andreas Staier. I love the way his rhythm bends, dips, falls apart, comes to full stop, and yet always feels human and expressive. It's a sort of improvisation in many ways - a form of speaking.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Visualizing
Ordinary people believe only in the possible. Extraordinary people visualize not what is possible or probable, but rather what is impossible. And by visualizing the impossible, they begin to see it as possible. - Cherie Carter-Scott
Above all else, we must see ourselves playing the way we want to play and keep that image in our mind - no matter what the present reality of our playing is. All physical practice must be guided by this image. If we don't imagine ourselves playing well, if we are constantly thinking about how we don't play well, if we continually speak to others about how we don't play well, no amount of physical work can overcome that self image.
The common problem among most people (myself included) is that we become hypnotized by the outer world (see my last post). We see ourselves with deficiencies in tone, accuracy, memorization, confidence, etc. and we keep thinking and focusing on our problems. This continues to manifest them.
Let's understand a little bit about how the mind works. When we have an image of ourselves (positive or negative) continually repeated in the conscious mind, the subconscious tries to find ways to create that image. An interesting fact about the subconscious is - it cannot tell the difference between reality and imagination. If we continually think that we can't play well because of our present circumstances, the subconscious will find ways to continue to create that reality. On the other hand, if we create a positive image of our playing in our imagination and repeatedly see ourselves in that way, the subconscious mind begins to look for ways to create that reality.
So, we start by creating the positive image of our playing in our imagination regardless of the present situation. 5-10 minutes a day is enough. You want to see and feel yourself playing the way you wish as if it is happening NOW. It's important to think and feel like you are playing this way NOW because the subconscious doesn't understand the future. The subconscious only works with NOW feelings and images. Remember to always visualize as if you have what you want NOW. Don't worry if the mind wanders or if the image is hazy - just keep bringing it back to the image for 5-10 minutes. Once in a while, the image will become clear and you will lose yourself in it - that's wonderful, enjoy it! Even if the visualizing feels cold and mechanical - that's ok too. The important point is to do it every day so it becomes a habit.
You want to do this daily for 5-10 minutes a day. Momentum in visualizing is key. It's like we are planting a seed. We must cultivate and nourish the seed everyday. At first, when we repeat this new image of ourselves playing well, nothing seems to be happening. Be patient - there has to be momentum in the new idea for it to grow. A seed grows underground and out of sight for weeks. Keep visualizing the positive image every day even if you don't see results.
After a few weeks of visualizing the positive playing, you'll start getting little insights. The playing will be exactly the same, but you begin to have new ideas about how to overcome the problem areas. You might notice yourself finding articles and videos which help you rethink your playing. You may find yourself trying new approaches, new ways of listening, new ways of feeling as you practice. This is all part of the process.
After more time visualizing daily, you'll see tangible progress. You'll notice that the accumulation of the insights begin to take root physically. You might not be 100% there, but you'll see evidence of progress. Some days will be better than others - that's normal. Keep visualizing yourself playing as you wish and progress will be made towards that image.
Now, let me state the obvious here. You do have to physically practice! I'm not saying that you just visualize every day and BAM! - suddenly you play like your favorite guitarist. What I am saying is - by visualizing the way you want to play daily, the subconscious mind has no choice but to look for ways through your physical practice to create that image. This means that while you practice, you are going to get new insights about your playing - so be aware of that small voice or intuition. If it tells you to try another approach - by all means try it. Insights may come while you are practicing, or they might come while you walk in the park, or while you are talking to a friend, or in your dreams. Be grateful when they come.
Also, understand that everyone progresses differently. Some people will get tremendous insights in a few weeks while others might take longer. Don't keep asking "when is it going to happen". Be patient, enjoy the visualization of yourself playing well every day, practice well and keep your mind open to the new ideas. Stay relaxed - don't try to force this. Remember, if you continually visualize the positive image daily, you are guiding yourself to that image. This isn't wishful thinking - this is mental science. Take the time and dedicate yourself to this everyday. Over time, you'll see wonderful results from this simple, yet powerful technique.
Above all else, we must see ourselves playing the way we want to play and keep that image in our mind - no matter what the present reality of our playing is. All physical practice must be guided by this image. If we don't imagine ourselves playing well, if we are constantly thinking about how we don't play well, if we continually speak to others about how we don't play well, no amount of physical work can overcome that self image.
The common problem among most people (myself included) is that we become hypnotized by the outer world (see my last post). We see ourselves with deficiencies in tone, accuracy, memorization, confidence, etc. and we keep thinking and focusing on our problems. This continues to manifest them.
Let's understand a little bit about how the mind works. When we have an image of ourselves (positive or negative) continually repeated in the conscious mind, the subconscious tries to find ways to create that image. An interesting fact about the subconscious is - it cannot tell the difference between reality and imagination. If we continually think that we can't play well because of our present circumstances, the subconscious will find ways to continue to create that reality. On the other hand, if we create a positive image of our playing in our imagination and repeatedly see ourselves in that way, the subconscious mind begins to look for ways to create that reality.
So, we start by creating the positive image of our playing in our imagination regardless of the present situation. 5-10 minutes a day is enough. You want to see and feel yourself playing the way you wish as if it is happening NOW. It's important to think and feel like you are playing this way NOW because the subconscious doesn't understand the future. The subconscious only works with NOW feelings and images. Remember to always visualize as if you have what you want NOW. Don't worry if the mind wanders or if the image is hazy - just keep bringing it back to the image for 5-10 minutes. Once in a while, the image will become clear and you will lose yourself in it - that's wonderful, enjoy it! Even if the visualizing feels cold and mechanical - that's ok too. The important point is to do it every day so it becomes a habit.
You want to do this daily for 5-10 minutes a day. Momentum in visualizing is key. It's like we are planting a seed. We must cultivate and nourish the seed everyday. At first, when we repeat this new image of ourselves playing well, nothing seems to be happening. Be patient - there has to be momentum in the new idea for it to grow. A seed grows underground and out of sight for weeks. Keep visualizing the positive image every day even if you don't see results.
After a few weeks of visualizing the positive playing, you'll start getting little insights. The playing will be exactly the same, but you begin to have new ideas about how to overcome the problem areas. You might notice yourself finding articles and videos which help you rethink your playing. You may find yourself trying new approaches, new ways of listening, new ways of feeling as you practice. This is all part of the process.
After more time visualizing daily, you'll see tangible progress. You'll notice that the accumulation of the insights begin to take root physically. You might not be 100% there, but you'll see evidence of progress. Some days will be better than others - that's normal. Keep visualizing yourself playing as you wish and progress will be made towards that image.
Now, let me state the obvious here. You do have to physically practice! I'm not saying that you just visualize every day and BAM! - suddenly you play like your favorite guitarist. What I am saying is - by visualizing the way you want to play daily, the subconscious mind has no choice but to look for ways through your physical practice to create that image. This means that while you practice, you are going to get new insights about your playing - so be aware of that small voice or intuition. If it tells you to try another approach - by all means try it. Insights may come while you are practicing, or they might come while you walk in the park, or while you are talking to a friend, or in your dreams. Be grateful when they come.
Also, understand that everyone progresses differently. Some people will get tremendous insights in a few weeks while others might take longer. Don't keep asking "when is it going to happen". Be patient, enjoy the visualization of yourself playing well every day, practice well and keep your mind open to the new ideas. Stay relaxed - don't try to force this. Remember, if you continually visualize the positive image daily, you are guiding yourself to that image. This isn't wishful thinking - this is mental science. Take the time and dedicate yourself to this everyday. Over time, you'll see wonderful results from this simple, yet powerful technique.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
The Inner World
"The outer world not only influences our inner world - it bullies it, it dominates it, it mesmerizes it. We're hypnotized by the outer world" - John Kehoe
We all live in two worlds - the inner world and the outer world. The outer world is where our playing is. The inner world is where our emotions and thoughts are. These two worlds are connected - they influence each other.
We are taught from when we are children to be hypnotized by the outer world. If something bad happens to us, we think about it and our attitude becomes negative. If something good happens to us, we think about it and our attitude becomes positive. It is very important to understand that the outer world DOES NOT have to affect the inner world. We can choose our own thoughts and feelings regardless of what is happening.
When we are practicing, we want to also practice the correct attitudes no matter how "difficult" something seems to be for us. Even if the practice is going badly, we want to remember to not let the outer world affect our attitude. I admit that this isn't easy, but if we can remember to practice attitude as much as finger movement, we will see that the playing will begin to reflect that attitude.
I'm not suggesting this so we can all feel better about playing badly. What I'm saying is this - the attitude of confidence, the attitude of expressiveness, the attitude of spontaneity, the attitude of enjoyment, the attitude of ease, all the positive (as well as negative) attitudes that we have when we practice and perform DIRECTLY affect our physical playing. If you want to play better, you must also practice the attitude of the great players - confidence, calmness of mind, enjoyment, ease, etc. Do not wait for your playing to be perfect in order to practice the right attitudes. Practice your attidues now with the understanding that it will directly affect your playing. In doing this consistently, you are using the inner world to affect your outer world.
Experiment and play with this idea. Have fun with it. Write down the attitudes you would like to have when playing and keep the list in front of you while you practice. Watch great performers and notice their attitudes as they play. Don't worry if you slip or become negative - just try to reset your attitude whenever you can. Keep practicing and cultivate your positive attitudes and "act as if" you are playing the way you want. If you stick with it, you will see how important this is.
We all live in two worlds - the inner world and the outer world. The outer world is where our playing is. The inner world is where our emotions and thoughts are. These two worlds are connected - they influence each other.
We are taught from when we are children to be hypnotized by the outer world. If something bad happens to us, we think about it and our attitude becomes negative. If something good happens to us, we think about it and our attitude becomes positive. It is very important to understand that the outer world DOES NOT have to affect the inner world. We can choose our own thoughts and feelings regardless of what is happening.
When we are practicing, we want to also practice the correct attitudes no matter how "difficult" something seems to be for us. Even if the practice is going badly, we want to remember to not let the outer world affect our attitude. I admit that this isn't easy, but if we can remember to practice attitude as much as finger movement, we will see that the playing will begin to reflect that attitude.
I'm not suggesting this so we can all feel better about playing badly. What I'm saying is this - the attitude of confidence, the attitude of expressiveness, the attitude of spontaneity, the attitude of enjoyment, the attitude of ease, all the positive (as well as negative) attitudes that we have when we practice and perform DIRECTLY affect our physical playing. If you want to play better, you must also practice the attitude of the great players - confidence, calmness of mind, enjoyment, ease, etc. Do not wait for your playing to be perfect in order to practice the right attitudes. Practice your attidues now with the understanding that it will directly affect your playing. In doing this consistently, you are using the inner world to affect your outer world.
Experiment and play with this idea. Have fun with it. Write down the attitudes you would like to have when playing and keep the list in front of you while you practice. Watch great performers and notice their attitudes as they play. Don't worry if you slip or become negative - just try to reset your attitude whenever you can. Keep practicing and cultivate your positive attitudes and "act as if" you are playing the way you want. If you stick with it, you will see how important this is.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Music for the Guitar Getaway on August 1-3
To those who are interested in the Guitar Getaway in the Poconos from August 1-3, I've chosen the music that we will perform as a guitar ensemble. Those who have reserved a spot will recieve the parts via email within a day or two. In the meantime, you can look at the scores and listen to the HQ midi files of the pieces.
First, you'll need to Download the Sibelius "Scorch" Plugin
Then, you can go here to view the scores and listen to each piece.
Susato - Rondo and Salterello
Telemann - Quartet in D
Faure - Berceuse
Dowland - Lachrimae
Some of the scores have downloadable Midi Files which you can use to practice with - something I would suggest. We still have some openings for the getaway, so if you are interested but have any questions or concerns, feel free to email me at kevinrgallagher at earthlink.net
Best wishes,
Kevin
First, you'll need to Download the Sibelius "Scorch" Plugin
Then, you can go here to view the scores and listen to each piece.
Susato - Rondo and Salterello
Telemann - Quartet in D
Faure - Berceuse
Dowland - Lachrimae
Some of the scores have downloadable Midi Files which you can use to practice with - something I would suggest. We still have some openings for the getaway, so if you are interested but have any questions or concerns, feel free to email me at kevinrgallagher at earthlink.net
Best wishes,
Kevin
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Interests
We must be careful in our study to be interested in what helps us and not what hurts us. Often, when we practice we become focused on what is negative in our playing. There's nothing wrong with noticing what needs improvement, but we want to make sure that we are interested in what makes us better - and not focus on the problem. By this, I don't mean to just ignore mistakes, but to make sure we are continually focusing on what we want.
For example, let's say we have two students practicing a fast scale at 120bpm and both of them are having problems with part of it. Student #1 may think "I can't play this scale this fast - this is hard!" while Student #2 may think "I made a mistake, but that's ok - I want to play this scale fluidly"
In both mental attitudes, the students may slow down and work on the scale, but with Student #1, the interest is now on the difficulty, while Student #2's interest is on playing the scale fast and fluid.
This might seem trivial to some, but understand the fact that "The only thing that can grow is the thing you give energy to" (Emerson). Both students may physically work on the scale in the same way, but because one is looking at the difficulty while the other looks for the solution, the results will be different. Student #1 may keep thinking about how hard it is and tense up every time the scale is played, thereby making it harder to play and reinforcing his belief that "this is hard!". Student #2's search for fluidity gets him to eventually relax and enjoy the feeling of speed. As he keeps relaxing, he builds the belief that "this is easy".
I know this example is black and white. Often, we have a mix of emotions while we practice. For example, there are probably days where Student #2 feels that the scale is too difficult and doubts his abilities. But if he can keep the majority of his thoughts on what he wants, and continually imagines what he wants, and keeps interested in only what he wants, with time, what he wants will start to appear.
For example, let's say we have two students practicing a fast scale at 120bpm and both of them are having problems with part of it. Student #1 may think "I can't play this scale this fast - this is hard!" while Student #2 may think "I made a mistake, but that's ok - I want to play this scale fluidly"
In both mental attitudes, the students may slow down and work on the scale, but with Student #1, the interest is now on the difficulty, while Student #2's interest is on playing the scale fast and fluid.
This might seem trivial to some, but understand the fact that "The only thing that can grow is the thing you give energy to" (Emerson). Both students may physically work on the scale in the same way, but because one is looking at the difficulty while the other looks for the solution, the results will be different. Student #1 may keep thinking about how hard it is and tense up every time the scale is played, thereby making it harder to play and reinforcing his belief that "this is hard!". Student #2's search for fluidity gets him to eventually relax and enjoy the feeling of speed. As he keeps relaxing, he builds the belief that "this is easy".
I know this example is black and white. Often, we have a mix of emotions while we practice. For example, there are probably days where Student #2 feels that the scale is too difficult and doubts his abilities. But if he can keep the majority of his thoughts on what he wants, and continually imagines what he wants, and keeps interested in only what he wants, with time, what he wants will start to appear.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
¡Viva España!
I'm off to Spain to visit some old and new friends, study, research, and clear my head for a few days. What better place to go than the birthplace of the guitar?
In the meantime, I recently had an interview for guitar theory in depth - a great site for those who want to get more into music theory on the guitar (very important in my opinion). Most of the interview deals with my "Jeckyll and Hyde" personality in regards to the guitar (classical guitar and electric guitar) but other topics are covered as well.
Kevin Gallagher interview for Guitar Theory in Depth
Many thanks to Alex Cortes for the interview.
Hope you all are enjoying the new summer,
Kevin
In the meantime, I recently had an interview for guitar theory in depth - a great site for those who want to get more into music theory on the guitar (very important in my opinion). Most of the interview deals with my "Jeckyll and Hyde" personality in regards to the guitar (classical guitar and electric guitar) but other topics are covered as well.
Kevin Gallagher interview for Guitar Theory in Depth
Many thanks to Alex Cortes for the interview.
Hope you all are enjoying the new summer,
Kevin
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
fingering vs fretboard
As a teacher of this fantastic art, I often learn more from my students than from the books I've studied or the teachers I've had. Since the study of the guitar is directly influenced by our perceptions, I thought I would share this insight I recently had in a lesson.
As a boy, I never had problems memorizing or understanding what I was playing on the guitar. In fact, the first lesson I ever had was learning a I - IV - V blues progression and the chords and scales that went along with it. When I learned scales or songs at that time, "proper" fingering was never really thought about. I basically would see the notes or tablature, put my fingers where I was supposed to, and off I went. I memorized the shapes of the chords and the scales without really thinking much about how to finger them.
In a recent lesson, I noticed a student perform the correct left hand fingering - but on the wrong string. Most of the time I would have just politely pointed out the error and moved on, but something about this kind of mistake struck me as being deeper than a technical slip. As an experiment, I asked him to play me a scale he knew - which he did. I then asked him to play the same scale using only the index finger of the left hand. To my amazement, the student could not remember the scale - even though he had been playing it for years with the "proper" fingering.
It suddenly dawned on me - some people memorize fingering patterns, but not fretboard patterns. They know the fingering for the scale is 2-4-1-2-4-1-3-4 on the left hand, but they don't know the exact frets and strings the fingering belongs to. Or - they may know a chord's fingering, but because they don't know the fretboard shape of the chord well, they can't easily change to another fingering.
Knowing where you are placing your fingers is more important to memorize than fingering. Fingering is simply the way to get to the frets - the real target and the real knowledge is knowing the fret/string we are playing. Once we have that clear in our head, the fingering can be altered and refined while the proper target (the fret/string) is always in our sights.
Try this for an exercise -
1. Take a 3 octave scale you know well, and play the whole thing with one finger - can you do it? Now start the scale from the top note and go down with one finger. Now start the scale from the 7th note instead of the 1st. If any of this is difficult to do, you've probably memorized the fingering, but not the scale's fretboard pattern. If that is the case, play the scale as you normally would, but this time pay attention to the fretboard pattern of the scale - not your fingering. Really look and study the frets/strings you are playing. After a few repeats, try the exercise again. Also try starting at random spots in the scale. See if you can keep the scale's fretboard shape firmly in your mind regardless of the fingering you choose.
2. Take a simple piece that you have memorized - something very easy to play or can sight read well. Now, change the fingering randomly but don't change positions. If you played a chord with 1st and 2nd fingers, use 3rd and 4th instead. If you played a scale passage with 4-1-0 as the fingering, change it to 1-3-0. Don't make any of the fingering logical or smooth - that's not the point. The point is to be able to change fingerings randomly and still keep the fretboard shapes clearly in your mind.
I've always wondered why rock and jazz guitarists seem to learn classical guitar music easily and I think this is one of the reasons. Pick up any rock or jazz guitar method book and you'll see that fingering is rarely talked about, while fretboard diagrams, and scale/chord shapes are everywhere. From the beginning, these players start looking at the fretboard shapes - while in classical guitar, we tend to emphasise the fingering of the shapes. Fingering is extremely important, but without the proper target, we can only hope that the fingers will land correctly. Know clearly where you want to go and you'll find the way to get there.
As a boy, I never had problems memorizing or understanding what I was playing on the guitar. In fact, the first lesson I ever had was learning a I - IV - V blues progression and the chords and scales that went along with it. When I learned scales or songs at that time, "proper" fingering was never really thought about. I basically would see the notes or tablature, put my fingers where I was supposed to, and off I went. I memorized the shapes of the chords and the scales without really thinking much about how to finger them.
In a recent lesson, I noticed a student perform the correct left hand fingering - but on the wrong string. Most of the time I would have just politely pointed out the error and moved on, but something about this kind of mistake struck me as being deeper than a technical slip. As an experiment, I asked him to play me a scale he knew - which he did. I then asked him to play the same scale using only the index finger of the left hand. To my amazement, the student could not remember the scale - even though he had been playing it for years with the "proper" fingering.
It suddenly dawned on me - some people memorize fingering patterns, but not fretboard patterns. They know the fingering for the scale is 2-4-1-2-4-1-3-4 on the left hand, but they don't know the exact frets and strings the fingering belongs to. Or - they may know a chord's fingering, but because they don't know the fretboard shape of the chord well, they can't easily change to another fingering.
Knowing where you are placing your fingers is more important to memorize than fingering. Fingering is simply the way to get to the frets - the real target and the real knowledge is knowing the fret/string we are playing. Once we have that clear in our head, the fingering can be altered and refined while the proper target (the fret/string) is always in our sights.
Try this for an exercise -
1. Take a 3 octave scale you know well, and play the whole thing with one finger - can you do it? Now start the scale from the top note and go down with one finger. Now start the scale from the 7th note instead of the 1st. If any of this is difficult to do, you've probably memorized the fingering, but not the scale's fretboard pattern. If that is the case, play the scale as you normally would, but this time pay attention to the fretboard pattern of the scale - not your fingering. Really look and study the frets/strings you are playing. After a few repeats, try the exercise again. Also try starting at random spots in the scale. See if you can keep the scale's fretboard shape firmly in your mind regardless of the fingering you choose.
2. Take a simple piece that you have memorized - something very easy to play or can sight read well. Now, change the fingering randomly but don't change positions. If you played a chord with 1st and 2nd fingers, use 3rd and 4th instead. If you played a scale passage with 4-1-0 as the fingering, change it to 1-3-0. Don't make any of the fingering logical or smooth - that's not the point. The point is to be able to change fingerings randomly and still keep the fretboard shapes clearly in your mind.
I've always wondered why rock and jazz guitarists seem to learn classical guitar music easily and I think this is one of the reasons. Pick up any rock or jazz guitar method book and you'll see that fingering is rarely talked about, while fretboard diagrams, and scale/chord shapes are everywhere. From the beginning, these players start looking at the fretboard shapes - while in classical guitar, we tend to emphasise the fingering of the shapes. Fingering is extremely important, but without the proper target, we can only hope that the fingers will land correctly. Know clearly where you want to go and you'll find the way to get there.
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