Month: December 2020

Imagine you’re a symphony orchestra. Imagine you’re playing this scene from a movie. Imagine you’re an ancient folk instrument. Imagine you are a whale song. Imagine yourself other than what your instrument is, and here is sound in your head as you play.

Read something new everyday. Try to explore something new everyday. It’s easy for me to get carried away with this, and spend 90 minutes on some violin etude book. But just trying something new helps open the mind, and maybe you get even more out of the rest of your practice or playing.

Listen to music. Listen for when the lead line seems to come “home.” That’s it. Don’t analyse, just observe. When you hear things you recognize, take note. Again, don’t analyse, just take note. Just observe, like a little child sitting on the floor listening to rest of the family talk. Take it in, and observe. You can’t analyze, you don’t have the frame of reference. Learn to hear natively. At any age.

Analysis will come later.

It is precise. It is powerful. It is relaxed. It can do the job. It is the life force. It is the Dionysian. The left hand the Apollonian.

Believe in the power of your right hand. It is strong.

(if you are left-handed guitarist, believe in the power of your left hand.)

To start the day or practice session, when you first pick up your instrument, play something pretty. Play a note, just let is soak in for a bit. Listen to your inner ear and try to find what it is telling you. Imagine you a full orchestra. Imagine you are tiny solo instrument in a big hall. Imagine you are an ancient folk song. Imagine you are the orchestra playing a movie score. Imagine and follow it. Don’t try to impress. Just play something pretty.

you’ll learn it faster if you play it slower. and learn it slower if you play it faster.

-jon garner (that’s me, yo)

Play what actually understand. What you are hearing and feeling. Don’t play things you can’t hear. You can practice them, to learn to hear them. And you can go for things that you hear, and miss them. But, stay present, stay honest. Play what is true to you, at this moment. Simple and true will sound better than complex and dishonest or fake, or approximating, as Bill Evans calls it.

You have to believe in your own genius. You have to believe that given the time and focus on your own path, you will find it. This means you must be you to the fullest extent. Which is an exhausting place to go to, because it must be unearthed. There is so much sitting on top of it. So many rules, preconcieved notions, baggage and perhaps fears, lying in large boulder, mounds of earth. Ugh. this metaphor.

So, yes, you must study the other geniuses, but don’t try to be them. You can’t. You won’t. And, they didn’t get their by trying to be someone else. They can point the way, they can help you level up faster than you would otherwise. Admire, respect, but do not worship them.

Back to belief. You have to have it, or the door doesn’t open. I’m not sure why, but it is an essential key. You don’t have to be arrogant and think you are a genius and better than everyone. But, perhaps, there is a genius in us if we do the work. A lot of work. Built acquiring knowledge from others and finding our own path.

It is not a competition, even if in the marketplace it can be. But, you must forget that when you go about digging and building. You don’t have to be better, you have to be you. Forget better. Let others decide. What does it even mean? Not in art. It’s not a footrace. Unless you questioning who is fastest. Then, there will be a winner. But, do we care? not for long. It is art.

Extensive self study is required. Admit your weaknesses. You will be surprised how many remain. Don’t chastise yourself, just aim to fix them. Knowing that there will always be gaps, but genius can show through, even with gaps. Perfection will not be attained, so don’t worry.

Believe.

It is in you. Do the work.