Are you passionate about guitar? Even if you wouldn’t
describe yourself as passionate about creating music, you probably have deep
feelings attached to the experience. After all, it is the emotional aspect of
music that inspires and motivates us to listen and play – so what role could
detachment possibly play in musicianship?
describe yourself as passionate about creating music, you probably have deep
feelings attached to the experience. After all, it is the emotional aspect of
music that inspires and motivates us to listen and play – so what role could
detachment possibly play in musicianship?
Ironically, detachment may be the musician’s most valuable
tool for achieving artistic success. This does not mean that someone who
achieves mastery in detachment will produce dispassionate performances. In
fact, the opposite is likely to occur, as detachment invites a level of focus
that allows deep emotions
to emerge in a musical performance.
tool for achieving artistic success. This does not mean that someone who
achieves mastery in detachment will produce dispassionate performances. In
fact, the opposite is likely to occur, as detachment invites a level of focus
that allows deep emotions
to emerge in a musical performance.
How Will It Help?
Learning
guitar is challenging, but it shouldn’t be chronically frustrating. If you
experience impatience or anxiety about your progress, you may be wasting
valuable time and energy on judgment of yourself and your abilities, as opposed
to engaging in detached analysis and improvement of the performance. It’s no fun to feel like less of
a musician (or even more miserably, less of a person!) because of imperfections
in your playing!
guitar is challenging, but it shouldn’t be chronically frustrating. If you
experience impatience or anxiety about your progress, you may be wasting
valuable time and energy on judgment of yourself and your abilities, as opposed
to engaging in detached analysis and improvement of the performance. It’s no fun to feel like less of
a musician (or even more miserably, less of a person!) because of imperfections
in your playing!
Detachment will help you to alleviate disruptive feelings
and learn to direct your practice time and energy productively. When you learn
to stay focused and disassociated from the ego during practice, you will find
that you are only a small step away from accomplishing the same onstage. In
other words, detachment can not only help you to learn more efficiently, it can
also help you to diminish or eliminate performance anxiety!
and learn to direct your practice time and energy productively. When you learn
to stay focused and disassociated from the ego during practice, you will find
that you are only a small step away from accomplishing the same onstage. In
other words, detachment can not only help you to learn more efficiently, it can
also help you to diminish or eliminate performance anxiety!
How Do You Do It?
The first, and perhaps most important, place to implement
detachment is in the practice room, where you have a quiet and private place to
develop the ability to witness, critique and correct your work without
succumbing to frequent and debilitating emotional responses.
detachment is in the practice room, where you have a quiet and private place to
develop the ability to witness, critique and correct your work without
succumbing to frequent and debilitating emotional responses.
Begin with intention. Before you pick up your guitar, set a goal to listen deeply throughout
your practice session and to maintain objectivity in uncovering and improving
problem areas. Be relentless in your commitment to this musical
goal, which does not allow time for indulging in self-judgment and unproductive
mental distractions. Remember, every time you respond emotionally to
your practice, you have gone off task.
your practice session and to maintain objectivity in uncovering and improving
problem areas. Be relentless in your commitment to this musical
goal, which does not allow time for indulging in self-judgment and unproductive
mental distractions. Remember, every time you respond emotionally to
your practice, you have gone off task.
When you
first begin the process of practicing with detachment, you may have to do some
self-coaching: “Keep moving!” “No criticizing
allowed!” “Keep your eye on the ball!” No matter how much
coaching is required to keep moving toward your goal, just give it to yourself.
You will succeed!
first begin the process of practicing with detachment, you may have to do some
self-coaching: “Keep moving!” “No criticizing
allowed!” “Keep your eye on the ball!” No matter how much
coaching is required to keep moving toward your goal, just give it to yourself.
You will succeed!
Good Things to
Remember
Remember
You are not your
playing. No one is born a great player and each musician has a unique
timetable. It is important to honor yours!
playing. No one is born a great player and each musician has a unique
timetable. It is important to honor yours!
Your playing will
never be without “mistakes” – but you may reach a level where
those mistakes no longer matter to you or your audience and they may even go
unnoticed. The truth is, the less they matter to you, the less they will matter
to your audience – and you have control over how much they matter to you!
never be without “mistakes” – but you may reach a level where
those mistakes no longer matter to you or your audience and they may even go
unnoticed. The truth is, the less they matter to you, the less they will matter
to your audience – and you have control over how much they matter to you!
A sense of humor may
be your best ally. Of course, it’s important to continually strive for
exceptional technique, tone, melodic content, rhythm and more – but don’t
forget to have a good time!
be your best ally. Of course, it’s important to continually strive for
exceptional technique, tone, melodic content, rhythm and more – but don’t
forget to have a good time!
For optimum practice results, follow this guide.
Hello,
I have problems to understand what is "practicing with detachment". Can you explain it please ?
To practice with detachment is to have a pure experience, rather than one which is constantly interrupted by a perception of and response to the ego-self. That experience is facilitated by releasing attachment to identity and resisting any tendency toward self-judgment. In short, if you follow the suggestions in this post, you will be practicing with detachment!