Marcin comes to pick me up and we go to his place for some guitar work while we have time for it. It's our last meeting during this visit, and indeed it has this 'the end' flavour.
We begin at 23.52
First we review TR preparatory exercise. 8 bars of 4. Patterns that begin from the higher strings.
Right hand only to begin with, quarter notes. Yesterday's practice is still present in our hands, it's notice-able. We practice slowly and with care.
After repeating 8 patterns several times, we loop numbers 8 & 6 (and call them respectively 'chords 1 & 2' for now, number 7 becomes 'chord 3')
Back to 8 bars of 4, add the left hand in the Position of Readiness. Again move to looping chords 1 & 2 at the end. We also give shot to playing this with mirror on the off-beat. This turns out to be beyond our capacity and we fail miserably several times. It seems that Attention is a key word here.
Double up the speed to 8th notes. Alternate between playing together and then one guitar switching to the mirror. We gradually move the phrase one fret up, until reaching the original position (1st finger on the 14th fret)
We repeat these chords and establish the framework. 4 repeats of chords 1& 2 = 8 bars. 16th notes. At the end we replace the 8th bar by 'chord 3' and arrive at the Intro part of the GC Theme IV.
... pause ...
Show Marcin the first 'lead' phrase that follows.
It's 1.19 am - time to go. Complete.
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I recall when this piece was passed on to a L3 2005 team by MS. It was in the ballroom of the GC House in Kiel, in the Summer ...
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Monday, 29 December 2008
29th December 2009
At 18.30 meet with Marcin at his place, preparing the space... The ECP meeting formally begins at 19 o'clock, but in fact it has already begun, the process is already in motion. We gather together at 18.55
EXTENDED CIRCLE MEETING:
There are 15 participants with Marcin as a guest.
We take time to enter the ECP space. Relax the body, let go on the out breath. Give attention to the feet and the contact with the floor and accept the support it offers. We acknowledge the Extended Circle , those who are participating tonight, and those who are not, but are part of the project. Jacek speak out their names and locations. We visualize the group as a whole, working together despite the distance limitation between us.
We pause every half an hour: 19.00, 19.30, 20.00, 20.30 & 21.00. When pausing we come back to our feet and give attention to the contact with the floor. We also acknowledge the Extended Circle.
We begin with the Practice of Doing Nothing.
19.30 pause.
Tuning. It takes time.
Before we play the first intentional note of this meeting, we give attention to certain body points and see if we can observe any unnecessary tensions and let go of them. For example the contact of the thumb/first finger with the pick, muscles of the face or our back etc. How much is necessary?
2nd Primary on the A string. Whole notes.
20.00 Pause. See if we can directly experience our feet without thinking about them, or having emotional reaction to them.
The Division of Attention exercise:
Picking one string.
Feet tap Left Right Right etc.
Count 3 bars of 4
All these in quarter notes.
We direct attention to individual parts.
Then we keep it all going and double the picking speed (8th notes) Observe if there are any changes in the body.
Picking 8th notes.
Keep going with L R R feet tap.
Now we count 3 bars of 5.
We also alternate between LRR & RLL every 3 bars of 5.
What is necessary? What indeed...
19.30 break
Left hand work. Observe what pressure is sufficient to press the string. Work on each finger individually
We play EC-AAD 28 bars (aka Tremolo) for SW.
Acknowledge the completion of the Extended Circle Project, which has ran for 3 months. Tonight was the 12th meeting.
The key words of tonight: directing the attention, observing unnecessary tensions - effortlessness, division of attention.
It was our 4th meeting with Marcin so far and the strongest one in my experience.
EXTENDED CIRCLE MEETING:
There are 15 participants with Marcin as a guest.
We take time to enter the ECP space. Relax the body, let go on the out breath. Give attention to the feet and the contact with the floor and accept the support it offers. We acknowledge the Extended Circle , those who are participating tonight, and those who are not, but are part of the project. Jacek speak out their names and locations. We visualize the group as a whole, working together despite the distance limitation between us.
We pause every half an hour: 19.00, 19.30, 20.00, 20.30 & 21.00. When pausing we come back to our feet and give attention to the contact with the floor. We also acknowledge the Extended Circle.
We begin with the Practice of Doing Nothing.
19.30 pause.
Tuning. It takes time.
Before we play the first intentional note of this meeting, we give attention to certain body points and see if we can observe any unnecessary tensions and let go of them. For example the contact of the thumb/first finger with the pick, muscles of the face or our back etc. How much is necessary?
2nd Primary on the A string. Whole notes.
20.00 Pause. See if we can directly experience our feet without thinking about them, or having emotional reaction to them.
The Division of Attention exercise:
Picking one string.
Feet tap Left Right Right etc.
Count 3 bars of 4
All these in quarter notes.
We direct attention to individual parts.
Then we keep it all going and double the picking speed (8th notes) Observe if there are any changes in the body.
Picking 8th notes.
Keep going with L R R feet tap.
Now we count 3 bars of 5.
We also alternate between LRR & RLL every 3 bars of 5.
What is necessary? What indeed...
19.30 break
Left hand work. Observe what pressure is sufficient to press the string. Work on each finger individually
We play EC-AAD 28 bars (aka Tremolo) for SW.
Acknowledge the completion of the Extended Circle Project, which has ran for 3 months. Tonight was the 12th meeting.
The key words of tonight: directing the attention, observing unnecessary tensions - effortlessness, division of attention.
It was our 4th meeting with Marcin so far and the strongest one in my experience.
Friday, 26 December 2008
26th December 2008
Tychy, Poland
Present: Marcin & Jacek
We meet in Marcin's room. Begin few minutes after 15 o'clock with the Practice of Doing Nothing.
Tuning.
PRIMARIES:
The metronome is set at 75 BPM. Right hand work:
Whole notes.
Half notes, also played with the 'up-stroke'.
Quarter notes. We play 4 'downstroke' notes on the downbeat followed by 4 'upstroke' notes on the upbeat. There are 8 notes, and 4th and 8th are eighth notes which gives 7 bars in total. We work on discharging this while counting 4 bars of 7. Then we count in 3. A challenging exercise in the Division of Attention indeed.
Half note triplets, 8th notes, 8th notes triplets & 16th notes.
We alternate playing 4 bars of this and 4 bars when leaving out the fourth note in the bar. Count of 4.
Then we leave out every 6th note, which with counting with metronome (4 bars of 3) results in another DoA exercise - 3 against 2. Some notes are added, and the challenge increases, but it also develops into something more musical.
After this we work on the preparatory Third Relation exercise for the right hand. At one point we aim to play it more gently, doing only what is necessary, and the tone/sound noticeably improves. It would be good to have the guitar instructor here to check our hands out! (i.e.release...) While this is unavailable we just have to keep going and observing. 8th notes are gradually extended to 16th notes. We add the chord and practice them together, also with the mirrors.
This is gradully approaching the introduction of the TR, but at one point there's some misunderstanding, and thinking 'kicks in'. Too much talking, something is gone, let go of it.
20 minutes break.
REPERTOIRE:
ASTURIAS
Work on the main arpeggio. Half speed, normal speed.
THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE
After playing the piece through we focus on the last 3 bars of 5 and approach it as a Quality Exercise.
28 BARS (aka TREMOLO)
We review the form, practice the piece twice with the metronome. Then we play it.
At the end there's a spontaneous call to pause & send the best wishes to those who most need it.
Completion at 18.35. A good session. We worked hard, but also had some laugh.
Present: Marcin & Jacek
We meet in Marcin's room. Begin few minutes after 15 o'clock with the Practice of Doing Nothing.
Tuning.
PRIMARIES:
The metronome is set at 75 BPM. Right hand work:
Whole notes.
Half notes, also played with the 'up-stroke'.
Quarter notes. We play 4 'downstroke' notes on the downbeat followed by 4 'upstroke' notes on the upbeat. There are 8 notes, and 4th and 8th are eighth notes which gives 7 bars in total. We work on discharging this while counting 4 bars of 7. Then we count in 3. A challenging exercise in the Division of Attention indeed.
Half note triplets, 8th notes, 8th notes triplets & 16th notes.
We alternate playing 4 bars of this and 4 bars when leaving out the fourth note in the bar. Count of 4.
Then we leave out every 6th note, which with counting with metronome (4 bars of 3) results in another DoA exercise - 3 against 2. Some notes are added, and the challenge increases, but it also develops into something more musical.
After this we work on the preparatory Third Relation exercise for the right hand. At one point we aim to play it more gently, doing only what is necessary, and the tone/sound noticeably improves. It would be good to have the guitar instructor here to check our hands out! (i.e.release...) While this is unavailable we just have to keep going and observing. 8th notes are gradually extended to 16th notes. We add the chord and practice them together, also with the mirrors.
This is gradully approaching the introduction of the TR, but at one point there's some misunderstanding, and thinking 'kicks in'. Too much talking, something is gone, let go of it.
20 minutes break.
REPERTOIRE:
ASTURIAS
Work on the main arpeggio. Half speed, normal speed.
THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE
After playing the piece through we focus on the last 3 bars of 5 and approach it as a Quality Exercise.
28 BARS (aka TREMOLO)
We review the form, practice the piece twice with the metronome. Then we play it.
At the end there's a spontaneous call to pause & send the best wishes to those who most need it.
Completion at 18.35. A good session. We worked hard, but also had some laugh.
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