Check Your Wiring And Follow Your Heart

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bass, creative recovery, finger speed, George Harrison, gifted, gypsy jazz, lead guitar, musical genres, rhythm guitar, rock guitar, women in rock

       Did you know you came perfectly wired to play a certain style? I’m convinced that musicians are. The problem is when we don’t realize that and then try to attain the skills and wiring to play a style that we aren’t equipped to do-and that’s where the frustration sets in. Luckily it’s a style of rock or blues you love already. Problem is when you go into denial over it….and decide to go somewhere else musically-which can lead to a lot of frustration and angst. 

It happened to me in the 80’s when I decided to go along with the crowd and forget my love of 60-70’s rock and go into metal. I’ve never had fast fingers. But there I was,in my 20’s,trying to zip all over the fingerboard,which usually meant my left hand froze up in confusion. “Do what???” was the message my hands were sending to my brain. Or maybe it was the other way around. Then I felt like a failure because I couldn’t do it. Then that led to frustration. In retrospect,I didn’t enjoy playing in the 80’s anywhere as much as I thought. I spent a whole lotta time wishing I could play a certain way to be accepted by myself and others,which led nowhere cause my fingers aren’t of the quicksilver quality. Learning scales didn’t help. Neither did so called “speed excersises”. As a result I wound up on bass or playing rhythm guitar,which I wasn’t happy with either as so many chick players seemed to be doing that and only that. 

A lot of players,in the same boat I was,wound up hurting themselves by developing carpal tunnel or some other malady due to pushing their hands into doing things they simply weren’t wired to do. Luckily that never happened to me,despite the fact I’ve had more than one job that had repetitive hand motion as a main duty. 

Recently I made the discovery that by going back to the “root music” I grew up loving,I am totally and gratefully equipped to do. This has created a new dimension of personal music appreciation. I feel like I got my “get out of jail” card. I had myself in a self imposed and enforced prison. Or rather my ego mind did. 

What music did you grow up hearing and just loving? No doubt,depending on what years you were a grade school kid,if I could hear you I’d be getting a huge variety of responses. It could be rock,blues/rock,grunge,new wave,jazz fusion,pop,etc. Whatever that love is,

that’s the genre you’re supposed to be playing! 

To clarify,I don’t mean to say you’re only supposed to play one style. For example, in addition to rock,I have a knack for playing classical and fingerpicking guitar. Key is I can do both well and with ease-which tells me this falls within my “wiring”. (I’m playing Gypsy Jazz too,and it delights me) 

The keys lay in knowing what styles you like and what you’re wired for. Where those two streets meet,those genres are for you. My classical guitar teacher,for example,was also a very talented bluegrass flatpicker. From what I understood from other players,this was a highly unusual thing. The styles were far apart-yet he could do both with total ease and flair. 

So see where your fingers naturally fall,and search your heart to find where the musical inner gold lies. Make a list and check it against the songbooks you already have. Do they match? Are they in stark contrast to what you’re discovering? If so,you can sell or give away the books that are not sincerely you,and then go for the books that are,along with purchasing CDs of groups & artists you haven’t heard in years but enjoyed. I just picked up a used copy of a George Harrison CD & am enjoying it very much. 

Summertime Zen Playing

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angels, bass, Buddah, drums, focusing on playing, Ganesha, inner critic, lead guitar, Led Zeppelin, Musicians, Practicing music, Quan Yin, rhythm guitar, rock and roll, rock music, Saraswati, women in rock, women rock musicians, Zen

     While I’ve written about it in my other blog,I thought I’d mention it on here,too. I’ve picked up a book to re-read that I got a few years back in which the author shares the ways of Zen and bringing it into your musical practice. The main beginning point is to be in a true present,which means when you’re sitting with your bass,your guitar,etc your mind and heart- all of yourself is there also. Think about it- how many times have we all sat down to learn a song or technique,while our inner critic is yammering about a ton of things,like the fact you need to vacuum,you have a bill due next week,some conversation you had with someone recently,and so on and so on? You may go thru the motions of playing,but in the end,more than likely,you retained little if anything during that time. The tune didn’t stick in your head, the new to you chord forms didn’t take,and you feel like you’ve hit a plateau in your playing…..a brick wall. It isn’t your playing,it’s from a lack of being where you’re supposed to be at. 

     It’s your inner critic playing it’s old tricks to keep you stuck and hoping you’ll put the guitar down and go vacuum instead. Getting angry with your inner critic doesn’t help,BTW. It only feeds it. So- how do we deal with the inner chatter and get more out of our time with the instrument we’ve chosen to play? 

     I start off with sitting and taking a few slow deep breaths- on the inhale I remind myself that I’m here to spend quality time with my bass. On the slow exhale,I release any pressing/distracting thoughts such as dishes or bills,etc. I settle within myself and become truly present. There’s a mystic who wrote a beautiful quote that I can’t recall word for word- but it goes something like “as you tune your instrument you tune yourself also,and bring yourself in alignment with it” That idea has stuck with me ever since I read it,and so now for the past few years,when I’m tuning,I inwardly align myself with the spirit of my instrument…..my playing.

    Now,your inner critic isn’t going to like this-and more than likely in the middle of your playing it’s going to send some thoughts crashing right into your mind to distract you. When this happens,simply mentally say “Thank you for sharing” and mentally go right back to what you were doing. Your “ego mind” (the part that wants to keep you small) more than likely will be perplexed at this and not know what to do. You acknowledged it,thanked it,but has nothing to feed on. So it may send a few more disturbing to you thoughts or memories,in which you are to give the same response. In time,this will subside.

    You can also enhance your playing space with a few visual cues for getting in the “Zen Zone” such as an electric candle in a holder. Have the electric candle going before you start to work with your breathing. If you’re a buddhist,perhaps a small statue alongside the candle,or an Angel, Quan Yin,or Saraswati. Whatever your path,if you choose,have a small picture or statue that reflects your path. This can be very helpful in setting the tone of your practice and enhance your focus. 

     Be aware of the tricks your inner critic will play as well. How many times have you sat down wanting to learn a tune,look at the tab,and in your head comes the statement “I’ll never get this down” “This is too hard” or “I’m not good enough to play this yet?” That is your inner critic seeking to keep you small. I was totally sabotaged as a teen when I took a music theory class. I went in with the thought it was going to be beyond my ability to understand it,that it was too complicated,and guess what- my intention came to pass. I didn’t understand a single thing in that class and I was too embarrassed to ask questions as I was the only girl in the class and didn’t want to appear to be dumb. My inner critic convinced me I wasn’t smart enough and I had mental block after mental block about everything presented to me. 

     So when the inner critic hits you with the previous false statements,again,tell it “thank you for sharing” and start working on that tab-even if it takes a couple of measure of it at a time. Work with the song,get the riffs or lead down,starting slow at first,and then progress from there.