Re: [Harp-L] Re: Relaxing while playing

[Michelle LeFree <mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Michael Easton writes:
> It took me years to discover this.  I would always tense up waiting
> for my solo then have an asthma attack in the middle of it and run
> out of air in the middle of a solo.   Over the past few years I've
> learned to release the tension while the guitarist does his solo or
> the vocalist is leading into mine.
>
> Tension can lead to playing the same chops all the time because you
> aren't relaxed enough to create new ideas on the fly.
>
> If I want to create tension in the song I play behind the beat, I
> don't work myself up to create it.    The gigs go a lot nicer when you
> learn to relax.
>
> It's not only harp players.  Most of us probably played with band
> mates that had to drink hard liquor or light up a bowl before, during
> and after a gig to relieve the
> tension.   Learning to tell your body to relax is a lot cheaper and
> healthier.
>
> Mike
> www.harmonicarepair.com
>    

Great advice from Madcat and Mike. Here's a useful technique for 
isolating and releasing tension as you play any musical instrument (or 
other  potentially stressful activity I suppose). I learned it from an 
online guitar teacher named Jamie Andreas. He calls it, "posing."

You use this "posing" technique in practice sessions to start with, as 
it involves actually stopping abruptly right in the middle of an 
/arbitrary /passage to examine you entire body from toe to scalp for 
points of stress. When you discover a muscle or muscle group that is 
tense, consciously release that tension (if you need to actually massage 
a muscle, that's OK too), and then move on to the next region. If you 
are like me you will discover muscular tension you don't even realize is 
happening because your mind is concentrating on your playing. After a 
good measure of  practice "posing" you eventually get to the point where 
you don't need to actually stop playing to find and release points of 
muscular tension. (Sounds a bit like "Transcendental Meditation" to me, 
to date myself...)

I have long since given up guitar but the "posing" technique stuck with 
me. After all, I'm always looking for good, legal ways to relax, 'cuz 
"I'm Built For Comfort, Not For Speed."

Try it -- it works!

Michelle