Monthly Archives: April 2014

Tempo, Perception And Tension

Some months ago I wrote an article about how coordination was inextricably linked to the perception of time and rhythm. But just recently, I realized another aspect of this connection while giving an Alexander Technique lesson to a bassist.

This student could not seem to play a particular technical passage beyond a specific tempo without the entire passage falling completely apart. I began to suspect that he was thinking about the tempo in such a way as to create problems for himself as he played.

As it turned out, his self-imposed obstacle wasn’t a lack of clarity of tempo (he wasn’t dragging or slowing), nor of rhythmic conception (he demonstrated to me that he could sing the rhythms of this passage quite accurately).

Instead, it was his subjective reaction to what he defined as a “fast” tempo.

I discovered this after asking him a few things about how he was thinking:

“Why does it always seem to fall apart there?”, I asked.

“I’m not sure. It’s actually quite easy to play at a slower tempo. It just seems to get tricky when I try to play it at a fast tempo.”, he replied.

“What is a fast tempo?” I further enquired.

“When I’m practicing at home, it seems like it gets fast at about quarter note equals 138.”, he responded.

So I broke out the metronome. And sure enough, he was fine until that “breaking point” of 138. Then I had him play it at 132 and everything was fine: accurate, beautiful, lively, clear.  I asked him his perception.

“No problems. Like I said, it’s not difficult to play at slower tempos. And I thought to myself, “132 isn’t that much slower than 138.” But what I observed as he played at this slightly slower tempo helped shed light on the real problem.

The most significant thing I noticed as he played it at this “easier” tempo was how differently he was using himself as he played. His eyes looked calm, yet lively. His neck and shoulders looked more spacious and elastic. He looked more mobile and fluid, less “planted” and rigid. In Alexander Techique slang, we’d say that he was using his primary control (head/neck/back) in a more constructive, helpful way.

I had him notice how free and easy he was as he played. (Being a good Alexander student, he could notice this quite readily.)

Then we brought the tempo back up to 138. And everything changed.

His eyes became fixed, almost fierce looking as he knitted his brow. His shoulders began to narrow as his neck stiffened slightly. I asked him to notice this. (Again, being the good Alexander student that he was, he could do so readily.)

“Why do you think you change how you’re using yourself so noticeably?”, I asked.

His reply: “Because now I think I’m playing fast. And the thought of playing fast seems to tempt me to do certain things.” He just solved the mystery.

So we began to work toward getting him to react differently to the thought of playing “fast” in this particular passage.

The first thing he did was to redirect his thinking as he played in such a way as to prevent himself from physically responding in his “fast tempo” habitual way (no tense neck and shoulders; no glaring eyes and knitted brow).

In the Alexander Technique, we call this ability to consciously prevent unwanted tension  inhibition. It is a skill that is cultivated over time by studying and applying the Technique, and this particular student has developed his ability to “inhibit” quite well.

This redirected thinking made a noticeable difference in the outcome. Much less tension, better precision in execution of the passage.

But then we did something else. We started playing some games with the metronome to “trick” him about his perception of the tempo.

For example, I had him play the passage (continous sixteenth notes in 4/4 meter) as if they were eight note triplets. We started at quarter note equals 130 and gradually moved the metronome tempo upwards. The passage felt to him very easy and clear when approached as triplets. Before long he was playing the passage at quarter note equals 180 with considerable accuracy.

He didn’t have time to do the math to realize that he was actually moving the notes faster than he was able to do before.

I immediately had him go to quarter note equals 138 and play the passage as it was originally (in sixteenth notes). He was able to play easily and consistently at this tempo. Laughing, he said, “The tempo feels slow now. If feels like I have time to think.”  (He laughed because he realized that he just tricked himself in a good way).

This change in his perception of the tempo helped him to get out of his habitual thinking, and helped support his wish to keep the excess tension in check as he played.

In truth, there is no “fast” or “slow” when it comes to tempo. “Fast” is just an opinion (an adjective of judgement, if you will), as is “slow”. There is no absolute measurement for either. All there is is the objective measurement of beats per minute. There is just relativity between tempos.

So when you’re practicing or performing, don’t think, “Here comes the fast part.” All you’ll probably do is tense up unnecissarily and create unhelpful conditions in yourself to play the passage.

Think instead, “I have time.” That will help (if even a little bit) to keep you from going into tense anticipation of the music. It’s this tense anticipation that not only creates mechanical disadvantages in your body as you play, but also, puts your brain into an unclear state of a mild “panic”.

Let go of the idea of “fast” or “slow” and replace it with the more objective and measureable “clicks per minute” on the metronome (or whatever source you’re using to establish tempo).

And by all means, start using the metronome in such a way as to keep you thinking differently in how you perceive tempo and rhythm every day. Using your body well as you play and being flexible in your perception will reward you with measurable benefits.

Fitness And Exercise For Musicians: Choose Wisely

As someone who not only practices music daily, but also, engages in physical fitness activities on a regular basis, I firmly believe that your fitness has an impact upon your music making.

It’s not as if you can’t play well if you’re not physically fit (lots of very unfit virtuosi out there). It’s just that you might do better if you stay fit.

Regular exercise not only helps improve your vital bodily functions (circulation, breathing, digestion, sleep), but also, has a measurable impact on your mental faculties. Exercising regularly improves your mood, your memory, learning and processing information…your overall mental acuity.

In my experience as a teacher, I find that students who are physically fit tend to have better concentration, efficiency and endurance in their musical practice as well (again, there are exceptions to this observation).

Yet it is with a note of caution that I recommend a physical fitness regimen to musicians. Here’s why:

Exercise in of itself can be harmful or helpful. It depends on how it is prescribed and how it is carried out (much like a good practice routine on your instrument).

As both a certified fitness trainer (through the National Academy of Sports Medicine) and as an Alexander Technique teacher, I too often see musicians blindly making poor exercise and fitness choices.

(And particularly as an Alexander Technique teacher, I witness the harm that some of these musicians bring upon themselves with their choices: stiff, inflexible bodies; sore joints; chronic injury, impaired technique on their instruments, and more.)

If you exercise regularly, or are thinking about starting an exercise program, I’d like to offer a few thoughts for you to consider. Keeping these thoughts in mind can help you make better choices to improve your overall health, as well as to support your music making skills. (Well, at the very least, not to interfere with your skills.)

To begin, it is important to understand what it means to be physically fit. Though this definition can vary from individual to individual, many fitness experts would agree that being physically fit means that you have the capacity to do your work, and to engage in recreational activities with sufficient energy and enjoyment. (In essence, you can meet the demands you face daily and not feel like you’ve been run over by a truck at the end of the day.) I would also expand this definition to include maintaining a healthy body composition (muscle to fat ratio; good bone density).

For you to have the kind of fitness I’ve defined above, you need to exercise in such a way as to call upon the various components that keep you functionally fit. These are:

Balance-This is the most important component of fitness, in my opinion. Without balance, your strength and flexibility are greatly compromised. The capacity to maintain posture and move safely and efficiently is crucial to anybody’s functional fitness. (One of the main benefits from studying and applying the Alexander Technique is a significant, measurable improvement in balance.)

Flexibility-You need a healthy range of motion around your joints. In part, this means you need good pliability and extensibility of your muscular tissues. It also means you need to cultivate the kind of coordination that enables safe, yet wide ranges of motion in all your movements.

Cardiovascular endurance-You need a healthy heart, lungs and circulatory system to help you sustain effort in activity (and to quickly recover from that effort).

Muscular strength-You need the capacity to generate enough force through your limbs to be able to remain functional (to be able to easily and safely perform tasks  that demand a reasonable amount of muscular strength, like gardening, or carrying luggage, for example).

Muscular endurance-You need to be able to effectively employ repeated muscular effort  as you carry out an ongoing task (while minimizing fatigue).

Core strength and control-You need the muscles in your trunk (including your neck and pelvis) to work in an integrated, efficient way, according to how your body works with gravity (again, this is where the Alexander Technique really helps). The better your core works, the more strength you have in the rest of your body.

Agility-You need to be able to quickly change the direction or position of your body as you move. (This can also be a crucial element in functional balance.)

By addressing the above components with regular, carefully planned and thoughtfully carried out exercise, I remain fit (I’m 57 years old at the time of this writing). I do this by engaging in what I call an integrated functional fitness routine. I use free weights, body weight, medicine balls, resistance bands, and balance modalities (like a wobble board, for example) to address all of the components in every workout. (Not only is it effective, but it’s actually fun. Yes, really!)

The three biggest mistakes I see musicians making when they decide upon a fitness activity or program are:

1. Choosing exercises that are contraindicative to playing their instruments (or singing)-Whatever exercise you choose, make sure it’s something that won’t interfere with or harm your physical instrument (you!) when you’re playing music. For many years (before I became an Alexander teacher, or started studying exercise science) I did lots of cycling (competitive and recreational, 200-300 miles per week). All that pressure and gripping I was putting on my hands as I was  riding began to have a significantly negative impact on my saxophone playing.

2. Not addressing all the above mentioned components of fitness-If you simply train with weights, or spend time on a treadmill, you’re only addressing a couple of couple of the above mentioned fitness components. Try to find activities that address them all. If you vary your exercise activity to address all the components I mention above, you’ll also most likely avoid boredom or burnout.

3. Failing to get good professional help (especially from the start)-Make sure you begin any exercise program by getting a medical clearance from your physician (VERY IMPORTANT!) Then, find a good personal trainer to  listen to your fitness goals, assess your current fitness level (VERY IMPORTANT) , and then prescribe and design a good program for you. Seek out a good trainer (get somebody highly recommended from somebody you trust, if possible). There are lots (and lots!) of very bad (unsafe and/or inneffective) trainers out there.

Avoid these three mistakes, and you’re on a good path to start a safe and effective exercise program.

And speaking of professional help, always keep in mind that the quality of your movement in an exercise is proportional to the benefit of the exercise (sort of like your music practice!) Exercising with poor form is not only counterproductive, but can be downright dangerous.  Working with somebody who can help you move well (either a personal trainer, or an Alexander teacher) as you exercise would be a wise investment of both time and money.

Bear in mind too, that no single exercise can effectively address all of these fitness components.

For example, bicycling is great for cardiovascular endurance, but does virtually nothing to improve over all muscular strength or flexibility. Whereas Pilates is very effective in improving flexibility, core strength/control, and balance (to a certain degree), but it doesn’t really improve cardiovascular endurance to any measurable degree. Resistance training builds muscular strength and endurance, but does nothing for agility or flexibility. And so on. (This is one reason why cross-training and interdisciplinary exercise is so effective.)

Finally, just about all forms of exercise can be of benefit to you as a musician. Generally speaking, find things that get you to move in as many different ways as you safely can (make sure you enjoy it, too). The aim is to choose wisely. I encourage you to give it some mindful consideration. Here’s to your good health!