Sunday, 29 March 2009
Saturday, 28 March 2009
Habits
Carry on with yesterday's work, that is observing the moment of initiating the walking. I was slightly more aware of the movement coming up, thus able to prepare to begin with the non-dominant left foot. Although returning to habitual pattern was still dominant.
As the day was passing by I noticed a gradual coming back to stillness while in movement, and thus a kernel of freedom and choice in action, instead being totally carried away by whatever impulse passes by.
I also attempted to do some activities using my non dominant hand, as recommended by Rachel, my AT Teacher in Harrogate. Once switching to the left hand, when washing dishes for example, i would become more aware of the body as the whole. I will leave shaving or chopping for another day though!
Challenging the old habit this way reminds me of extending the elastic band. There's a moment when the tension builds up and becomes too much to bear, the band snaps back - back to habitual functioning, faster then a thought.
As the day was passing by I noticed a gradual coming back to stillness while in movement, and thus a kernel of freedom and choice in action, instead being totally carried away by whatever impulse passes by.
I also attempted to do some activities using my non dominant hand, as recommended by Rachel, my AT Teacher in Harrogate. Once switching to the left hand, when washing dishes for example, i would become more aware of the body as the whole. I will leave shaving or chopping for another day though!
Challenging the old habit this way reminds me of extending the elastic band. There's a moment when the tension builds up and becomes too much to bear, the band snaps back - back to habitual functioning, faster then a thought.
Friday, 27 March 2009
Left foot
My Alexander Technique journal found a good home.
It's the place for recording any AT related experiences: commentaries, noticing, perhaps even observations.
Today I set myself to observe the moment when I begin walking, and see if I can move my non-dominant leg first (left). The answer was mostly: no. There were 2 moments when I was able to inhibit, remember, and begin with the left foot, with intention. Both times when crossing the street, waiting for the green light to come up. The other over hundred number of times I wasn't there.
In fact, it didn't surprise me. It's difficult to exagerrate the power of habit, says the Aphorism.
It's perfectly possible to go through life automatically. 'Life' is going to happen to us regardless how asleep we are.
It's possible to remember oneself.
It's the place for recording any AT related experiences: commentaries, noticing, perhaps even observations.
Today I set myself to observe the moment when I begin walking, and see if I can move my non-dominant leg first (left). The answer was mostly: no. There were 2 moments when I was able to inhibit, remember, and begin with the left foot, with intention. Both times when crossing the street, waiting for the green light to come up. The other over hundred number of times I wasn't there.
In fact, it didn't surprise me. It's difficult to exagerrate the power of habit, says the Aphorism.
It's perfectly possible to go through life automatically. 'Life' is going to happen to us regardless how asleep we are.
It's possible to remember oneself.
2 pieces in 2 hours
No practice yesterday. Today:
Hour one:
Blockhead
Review the form of the piece and consult my part with the score. Practice the piece until the chords come in.
Also focus on little excerpts and do them well, like ascending pentatonic sequence. Push up the speed, count.
Hour two:
Fratres
Learn the triplets arpeggios (violin part)
Hour one:
Blockhead
Review the form of the piece and consult my part with the score. Practice the piece until the chords come in.
Also focus on little excerpts and do them well, like ascending pentatonic sequence. Push up the speed, count.
Hour two:
Fratres
Learn the triplets arpeggios (violin part)
A missing ingredient
Spontaneity was an ingredient that was missing recently, yet i couldn't quite name what it was, until i noticed it today.
Approach diagonal reversing today, tricky and exciting.
My feet are still mostly out of time when playing triplets, but there are also more relaxed, and more confident in their action. When the feet are tapping triplets, all the body is moving with it. The back is like extension of the legs, or vice versa?
This completes the third week of the project. Weekend is off.
Approach diagonal reversing today, tricky and exciting.
My feet are still mostly out of time when playing triplets, but there are also more relaxed, and more confident in their action. When the feet are tapping triplets, all the body is moving with it. The back is like extension of the legs, or vice versa?
This completes the third week of the project. Weekend is off.
Thursday, 26 March 2009
Half an hour of work
After midnight practice with Marek.
The energy in the flat is high tonight and this work done together feels like a good use of what is available.
We are 'on' for quite long as for this type of work - 30 minutes, but it turns out naturally, we go with the flow.
Work towards 2 against 3 pattern. Gradually, beginning where we are.
We pay pay part of our attention to our grounding, connection with the floor and with the chair, to the space in front of us, space behind us and above us, to the sounds surrounding us.
Good work.
The energy in the flat is high tonight and this work done together feels like a good use of what is available.
We are 'on' for quite long as for this type of work - 30 minutes, but it turns out naturally, we go with the flow.
Work towards 2 against 3 pattern. Gradually, beginning where we are.
We pay pay part of our attention to our grounding, connection with the floor and with the chair, to the space in front of us, space behind us and above us, to the sounds surrounding us.
Good work.
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
In the evening
2 x 20 minutes:
Third Relation in high speed (for me). Getting my hands used to making such efforts for longer than customary for me.
Play.
Third Relation in high speed (for me). Getting my hands used to making such efforts for longer than customary for me.
Play.
80
Change the metronome speed today, as recommended. From 60 to 80 BPM.
The feet are having some timing issues.
At the end my hands are still and present.
I will keep this speed for the rest of this week.
The feet are having some timing issues.
At the end my hands are still and present.
I will keep this speed for the rest of this week.
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
A little distraction
The clock in my room ticks out of time, it's not in sync with metronome's 60BPM (but hey, after all it only costed 50p). It's quite loud too, but i leave it clicking away during practice, thus serving as a little useful distraction.
Notice some end-gaining about the exercise. Can i let it go?
Assimilate and apply information received recently.
Observe.
Notice some end-gaining about the exercise. Can i let it go?
Assimilate and apply information received recently.
Observe.
Third Relation and other goodies
Third Relation.
Constant release.
Substantial and cohesive hour of work.
---Division of Attention w/o guitar---
Play through various repertoire.
Confident 45 minutes.
Constant release.
Substantial and cohesive hour of work.
---Division of Attention w/o guitar---
Play through various repertoire.
Confident 45 minutes.
Monday, 23 March 2009
Evening work
One hour in the early evening:
The functionality/mechanics ... The Primaries.
Challenge.
Spontaneity.
Developing Variations.
-------
Half an hour before midnight:
GC Themes.
The functionality/mechanics ... The Primaries.
Challenge.
Spontaneity.
Developing Variations.
-------
Half an hour before midnight:
GC Themes.
Third week - begin again
Begin again today, bearing in mind some new useful suggestions.
Go through the basic (hands) forms of the exercises.
The key word today: Intention.
Go through the basic (hands) forms of the exercises.
The key word today: Intention.
Friday, 20 March 2009
So much for the second week of practice
Practice today:
4 against 3:
More work on the form where feet are on four.
Further progress in terms of effortlessness and fluency. Manage to vary more the dynamics of the foot tap.
Perhaps slowing the metronome down a bit to 55 helped.
5 against 3:
Full basic form.
While working on counting 3 aloud and holding the count of 5 I noticed one body autumatism. That is when approaching the count of 'three' (sequence of 3), internally I was on 'four' (sequence of 5) and instead of speaking out 'three' I would repeatedly speak out 'four'. As if the body didn't really have much choice and was just mechanically vocalizing what was internal - the other count.
This completes the second week of work.
4 against 3:
More work on the form where feet are on four.
Further progress in terms of effortlessness and fluency. Manage to vary more the dynamics of the foot tap.
Perhaps slowing the metronome down a bit to 55 helped.
5 against 3:
Full basic form.
While working on counting 3 aloud and holding the count of 5 I noticed one body autumatism. That is when approaching the count of 'three' (sequence of 3), internally I was on 'four' (sequence of 5) and instead of speaking out 'three' I would repeatedly speak out 'four'. As if the body didn't really have much choice and was just mechanically vocalizing what was internal - the other count.
This completes the second week of work.
Thursday, 19 March 2009
A welcomed polyrhythm
More work on 4/3 exercise.
First establish accenting of the feet on its own, then add the hands. Today keeping it going together is possible, although it's shaky, it lacks certainty.
I'll be coming to it daily, but probably it's not good to spend all practice time exclusively on this.
So i also move on, and check out '5 against 3'.
It looks that my body welcomed this polyrhythm.
First establish accenting of the feet on its own, then add the hands. Today keeping it going together is possible, although it's shaky, it lacks certainty.
I'll be coming to it daily, but probably it's not good to spend all practice time exclusively on this.
So i also move on, and check out '5 against 3'.
It looks that my body welcomed this polyrhythm.
Atonal atomic hour
A solid hour of the 1st Primary: 1324 & 4231
60 BPM. From halves to sixteenth triplets.
60 BPM. From halves to sixteenth triplets.
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
Together
Practice with Marek today.
Begin with the brief relaxation exercise, individually.
We work on the '2 against 3' exercise from the GC AAD 2005-2006 course.
Moving from the first to the second step of the exercise.
We achieve it.
A diligent work.
Begin with the brief relaxation exercise, individually.
We work on the '2 against 3' exercise from the GC AAD 2005-2006 course.
Moving from the first to the second step of the exercise.
We achieve it.
A diligent work.
2 guitars
We have 3 guitar sessions with Marek today:
Meeting I:
We prepare with an AT lie-down.
Effortlessness. We review basics:
The alignment of the hand.
The way the pick is being hold.
The Principle of Release.
The Second Primary:
Metronome is set at 60BPM. Whole notes -> eighth notes.
At the end we add the pattern in the feet (3) plus counting (4)
-------short break-------
We swap guitars.
The First Primary:
1234 permutation.
The Principle of Succession and Simultaneous Release.
We gradually extend to four inner strings and two neighbouring position.
Various speeds. Also approach alternating between 8th notes triplets and 16th notes.
Good and focused work.
75 minutes.
Session II:
Division of Attention without guitars.
Brief relaxation exercise to begin with. We do it individually, few minutes for this.
We adjust the planned exercise to where we are. Begin with the possible.
Connect with the body.
Guitar:
We circulate notes of the C major scale - on and off beats. Marek takes first, Jacek second octave, then we reverse. Then we extend to two octaves.
Then first two octaves together. Calling out the name of the C note when we play it.
Triplets. We pay attention to the pulse in the feet, maintain this connection.
45 minutes.
Session III:
Repertiore: The Eye of the Needle.
Focus on the first 2 bars of 13. M takes lead, J takes bass part, then we reverse.
More related work without guitars. The body & the pulse.
Good work, but to move this forward the personal practice will be needed.
35 minutes.
Meeting I:
We prepare with an AT lie-down.
Effortlessness. We review basics:
The alignment of the hand.
The way the pick is being hold.
The Principle of Release.
The Second Primary:
Metronome is set at 60BPM. Whole notes -> eighth notes.
At the end we add the pattern in the feet (3) plus counting (4)
-------short break-------
We swap guitars.
The First Primary:
1234 permutation.
The Principle of Succession and Simultaneous Release.
We gradually extend to four inner strings and two neighbouring position.
Various speeds. Also approach alternating between 8th notes triplets and 16th notes.
Good and focused work.
75 minutes.
Session II:
Division of Attention without guitars.
Brief relaxation exercise to begin with. We do it individually, few minutes for this.
We adjust the planned exercise to where we are. Begin with the possible.
Connect with the body.
Guitar:
We circulate notes of the C major scale - on and off beats. Marek takes first, Jacek second octave, then we reverse. Then we extend to two octaves.
Then first two octaves together. Calling out the name of the C note when we play it.
Triplets. We pay attention to the pulse in the feet, maintain this connection.
45 minutes.
Session III:
Repertiore: The Eye of the Needle.
Focus on the first 2 bars of 13. M takes lead, J takes bass part, then we reverse.
More related work without guitars. The body & the pulse.
Good work, but to move this forward the personal practice will be needed.
35 minutes.
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
95
Play. I find myself inspired today, and follow spontaneously. Notice what can set the limits to what is possible for me, i.e. the fretboard knowledge, degree of attention.
Also work on the right hand capacity - 16th notes in 95BPM is possible today.
More play.
Also work on the right hand capacity - 16th notes in 95BPM is possible today.
More play.
The middle
It's the middle of the first period of work for me.
I begin with collecting myself, being attentive to the body.
Challenging form of 4 against 3 exercise. I also work on the individual pattern of the feet (accenting) and find out that the difficulty is not only related to the challenge of dividing attention, but also to some lack of connection/voluntary control over the feet. If it makes sense.
Also come back to the basic form.
I begin with collecting myself, being attentive to the body.
Challenging form of 4 against 3 exercise. I also work on the individual pattern of the feet (accenting) and find out that the difficulty is not only related to the challenge of dividing attention, but also to some lack of connection/voluntary control over the feet. If it makes sense.
Also come back to the basic form.
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