Technique vs musicality
Musicians have commonly quite different approaches in dealing with technical difficulties. But we have all in common that we need our technique to express the music.
I remember Armand Coeck once told me: ‘If you have a technical difficulty, make it even more difficult and practise this. By time the original difficulty will become like a toy in your hands.’
Unfortunately, many difficulties are so difficult that there is no question about making it even worse! But after years I still like the idea of this statement, because difficulties are relative.
In all aspects of life we seek to exceed our limitations.
When I look at my own evolution as a guitar player, I see moments of fast improvement and periods – even years – of stagnation, although I always continued to practise. Unfortunately, practice itself is no guarantee for improvement. How we practice is the clue.
Some musicians deal with technique when there is some difficulty appearing in a certain piece of music. Others deal with technique as a given in itself.
I have followed both paths. When I was younger, I began the day by doing technical exercises – mostly right hand formulae: arpeggios, picados, razgueados, repetition of fingers,... There was no music at all when doing this.
But after this robot-like practice I didn’t care any more about technique for the rest of the day and I only played music. When a technical problem occurred I didn’t care to much about it and I hoped it would be solved next day.
But growing older, I discovered the real value of SLOW practice. Not at all robot-like, fully engaged with your mind. When I mean slow practice, I don’t mean lazy playing, but slower than slow in full concentration. In first instance, it is like climbing on a steep rock in slow motion; it’s tiring and boring. But your finger movements are in great control and risk of making mistakes is small. I believe anyone can improve his/her technique by practising that way; we don’t need any special talent to do so.
At the end of the day I believe there is no dogma in how to deal with technique: there can be moments in your life you have to focus on it, but other moments you can let it free.
But one thing is sure: the stronger our technique is, the freer we are in expressing our musicality.
Musicians have commonly quite different approaches in dealing with technical difficulties. But we have all in common that we need our technique to express the music.
I remember Armand Coeck once told me: ‘If you have a technical difficulty, make it even more difficult and practise this. By time the original difficulty will become like a toy in your hands.’
Unfortunately, many difficulties are so difficult that there is no question about making it even worse! But after years I still like the idea of this statement, because difficulties are relative.
In all aspects of life we seek to exceed our limitations.
When I look at my own evolution as a guitar player, I see moments of fast improvement and periods – even years – of stagnation, although I always continued to practise. Unfortunately, practice itself is no guarantee for improvement. How we practice is the clue.
Some musicians deal with technique when there is some difficulty appearing in a certain piece of music. Others deal with technique as a given in itself.
I have followed both paths. When I was younger, I began the day by doing technical exercises – mostly right hand formulae: arpeggios, picados, razgueados, repetition of fingers,... There was no music at all when doing this.
But after this robot-like practice I didn’t care any more about technique for the rest of the day and I only played music. When a technical problem occurred I didn’t care to much about it and I hoped it would be solved next day.
But growing older, I discovered the real value of SLOW practice. Not at all robot-like, fully engaged with your mind. When I mean slow practice, I don’t mean lazy playing, but slower than slow in full concentration. In first instance, it is like climbing on a steep rock in slow motion; it’s tiring and boring. But your finger movements are in great control and risk of making mistakes is small. I believe anyone can improve his/her technique by practising that way; we don’t need any special talent to do so.
At the end of the day I believe there is no dogma in how to deal with technique: there can be moments in your life you have to focus on it, but other moments you can let it free.
But one thing is sure: the stronger our technique is, the freer we are in expressing our musicality.
