Perfect Poise, Perfect Life
Bring your body into balance and revolutionise your life
By Noel Kingsley
Publisher Hodder Mobius
AVAILABLE HERE
« Run with ease | Main | Get individual attention »
Changing your technique
Tiger Woods
I've been experimenting with my violin playing this morning and how my left hand supports the neck of the instrument while fingering the individual strings. Some tension had been creeping into my thumb which is really to be avoided as it affects the whole hand and ultimately the dexterity, accuracy and speed of fingers. But what's the big deal, you may ask?
Well no big deal really, except that by now supporting the neck of the violin slightly lower into the V between my thumb and hand rather than just balancing it on the ball of my thumb, I find it far more comfortable. So? But this then throws everything else out..... now I find it very unusual to finger the notes accurately as they come down onto the strings more vertically. And finger nails need to be kept as short as possible so not to touch the string, only the pad of the tip of the finger.
But what I am instantly reminded of is how our muscle memory plays a part in almost everything we do. Muscles work together in a co-ordinated way, repeating patterns or combinations of tensions that involve millions of adjustments that we're not aware of. But if we change one aspect of a movement, in my case a simple shift in hand position, muscles that had previously been 'used' to working in a particular way over thousands of hours of practice, now have to adjust to compensate. The fingers need to hit the string in exactly the same place for the notes to be in tune. But their starting point and the hinging in the knuckles is in a different and higher location. The relationships are all changed. So these changes I make will no doubt soon become familiar...hopefully. And the fingers will get used to their new actions. But it's so strange!
Why have I included a picture of Tiger Woods in this blog when I'm talking about violin playing? Because the principles I mention relate to any activity that requires a degree of skill, developed over hours of practice. And if you want to change your technique, examine, copy and emulate the best example you can find. It's essential that you don't practice your mistakes!
This experience reminds me as an Alexander Technique teacher, if I'm working with a professional musician or sports person, that I do not get them to change how they play, either the golf swing or their performance with the instrument in the course of our Alexander lessons. I will work on their overall poise, balance and co-ordination in everyday situations such as walking, standing, sitting, bending etc. But as far as incorporating changes of co-ordination into their performance with an instrument or sports action, I leave it for them to gradually take on board themselves. Because if I impose such changes in how they're doing it, I take away from them everything they have relied upon in terms of their 'familiar' method of playing. If I take that away, even if it's ultimately for the good in the end, they will not be able to play their instrument in performance. The sports person will not match their best score. You take away all their skill developed over thousands of hours.
Yes, I may ask them if they would like me to work on their balance, free neck, looseness, etc while they play or swing, as an experiment in a session. But I wouldn't impose this onto their technique. They will ultimately accommodate the changes for themselves. But, and this is the most important thing, they will do so at a rate that they can accommodate easily, little by little, without too much disruption to their performance. It will be evolution rather than revolution, not dramatic, sudden change. This they will manage far more easily and avoid stress or trauma associated with enforcing huge and sweeping changes to technique that in the short term can destroy their game or performance.
So whatever is our passion, if it involves a degree of familiarity and muscle memory to be able to perform intricate, dexterous or accurate movements over and over again, we must take care how we introduce changes, because one simple change can upset the whole applecart.
On the other hand, there is also something to be said for starting over again with the right guidance and tuition and best possible examples to copy. We can relearn something completely differently, to our benefit over time. It can be particularly important if the performer suffers from strain, caused during their activity. Musicians are renown for experiencing terrible pain and discomfort from holding or playing their instrument in an over tense way for hours and hours. This can all be changed with retraining. But depending on the circumstances of the individual, the rate of change to a new manner of 'use' or performance needs to be adjusted to suit their situation. A dramatic and speedy approach is not always the answer.
But, it also should be said, that by changing our technique, even the smallest of adjustments can make profound improvements in our performance. If we're passionate about something, it's really worth investigating all such improvements to technique. And that can be just so rewarding!
