Initially when I first started learning with the great concert pianist, Mark Wescott, he talked about almost all type of things that I had never heard before. During my coaching and in his master classes he was talking about things which no guitar instructor had ever said. He had a totally different method of approaching music, and it was incredibly good at creating emotional connection with audience. When he played, you couldn't help but listen. It really was that good. This is why I took him on as a coach. I desired to understand what it was he was speaking about. (Just to be very clear, I play guitar, he plays piano. Mainly we work on interpretation issues and phrasing.)
An old idea
One of the main tenants of his approach to music, and today mine as well, is definitely the idea of the long line. This is not a brand new concept. Musicians for hundreds of years have already been talking about this, and also pursuing it. So do not think this is my (or even his) idea in almost any fashion, shape or form. If only it was, but it is not.
The gist of what it is:
The long line is actually a goal for our playing. The long line is a particular level of engagement and also continuity throughout an entire piece of music. It can appear in a small piece of music, and a large piece of music. Even as big as Wagner's Ring Cycle. The effect of making a long line is the fact that audience are usually engaged from the first note till the very last note. There is an energetic force that propels the music forward and keeps the music vitalized plus alive. There is the same concept in writing, in movies, in storytelling of all types.
Sign me up!
Clearly, we would all like to play in such a way as to have listeners' rapt attention for each and every millisecond that were playing. It is a primary reason that we play, to share music and the experience of a particular piece of music.
The effects of simply actively playing notes:
However, it's regrettably a fact that this quality of playing is rather rare today. I cannot name all that many players who regularly convey this quality, on any instrument, but particularly guitar. And the result of this really is that listeners, musicians and also non-musician alike, will probably form thoughts and also presumptions regarding music and the guitar generally according to their substandard experiences.
I've spoken with numerous music enthusiasts who sheepishly admitted to me that they never really liked guitar music. And the reason was that they had not had any positive experiences.
Just like in any other art form, exposure creates awareness, awareness creates appreciation, and also appreciation produces demand. There's relatively very little demand for classical guitar music these days. Thus perhaps there's a connection here.
Forward and Up: searching deeper
So one definitive step to making more substantial musical experiences for listeners, is embracing and also pursuing the long line. It is not necessarily the simplest path to take, but it's considered one of the most rewarding, personally as well as for your listeners. Most of the basic presumptions and performance habits we have mastered from our teachers, plus they from theirs, actually serve to stop the long line, and also undermine the musical continuity that we're pursuing.
The Long Line:
-Takes focus
-Takes patience as well as interest
-Is possible for players in any way levels
-Builds technique and deepens musical knowledge
-Is worth the effort
An old idea
One of the main tenants of his approach to music, and today mine as well, is definitely the idea of the long line. This is not a brand new concept. Musicians for hundreds of years have already been talking about this, and also pursuing it. So do not think this is my (or even his) idea in almost any fashion, shape or form. If only it was, but it is not.
The gist of what it is:
The long line is actually a goal for our playing. The long line is a particular level of engagement and also continuity throughout an entire piece of music. It can appear in a small piece of music, and a large piece of music. Even as big as Wagner's Ring Cycle. The effect of making a long line is the fact that audience are usually engaged from the first note till the very last note. There is an energetic force that propels the music forward and keeps the music vitalized plus alive. There is the same concept in writing, in movies, in storytelling of all types.
Sign me up!
Clearly, we would all like to play in such a way as to have listeners' rapt attention for each and every millisecond that were playing. It is a primary reason that we play, to share music and the experience of a particular piece of music.
The effects of simply actively playing notes:
However, it's regrettably a fact that this quality of playing is rather rare today. I cannot name all that many players who regularly convey this quality, on any instrument, but particularly guitar. And the result of this really is that listeners, musicians and also non-musician alike, will probably form thoughts and also presumptions regarding music and the guitar generally according to their substandard experiences.
I've spoken with numerous music enthusiasts who sheepishly admitted to me that they never really liked guitar music. And the reason was that they had not had any positive experiences.
Just like in any other art form, exposure creates awareness, awareness creates appreciation, and also appreciation produces demand. There's relatively very little demand for classical guitar music these days. Thus perhaps there's a connection here.
Forward and Up: searching deeper
So one definitive step to making more substantial musical experiences for listeners, is embracing and also pursuing the long line. It is not necessarily the simplest path to take, but it's considered one of the most rewarding, personally as well as for your listeners. Most of the basic presumptions and performance habits we have mastered from our teachers, plus they from theirs, actually serve to stop the long line, and also undermine the musical continuity that we're pursuing.
The Long Line:
-Takes focus
-Takes patience as well as interest
-Is possible for players in any way levels
-Builds technique and deepens musical knowledge
-Is worth the effort
About the Author:
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