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Arts, coming together
6 January 2007 02:46 pmDuring our trip to Switzerland a year ago, my brother-in-law the early music student got a friend who teaches recorder to give me a lesson -- my first since 5th grade. I came out of it chastened with the knowledge that my technique was as sloppy as I feared. Aside from a couple tidbits about that, however, what struck me was two pieces of general advice.
First, when practicing, don't worry about others, about embarrassing oneself with mistakes. If you're too self-conscious about hitting a note wrong, you'll often blow too softly -- and holding back produces its own mistakes. Don't pay attention to any audience. Don't look down. Do it for yourself. Second, play for the phrase, not each note. Yes, you do have to get the right notes, but the music is in the passage. Pay attention to the rests, and the legatos, and the staccatos.
As I slowly limber up on the piano,* I'm struck by how these both apply to that instrument.
And, I'm slowly seeing, in other arts as well -- and not just the obvious one, writing. Pay no attention to the people beyond that screen -- write for yourself. The second especially applies to a common mistake of beginning writers, who often nitpick on sentences without looking at the scenes, the structures, the character arcs. And then there's such exhibits as over-researched historical novels and overdetailed worldbuilding. But they also, in analogous ways, apply to origami. A little while ago, I saw a quote from Robert Lang to the effect of the most common mistake of intermediate origami folders is to crease the paper too sharply. I stared at this for several moments, thinking, "I resemble that remark." A sharp crease is folding for this instruction, without regarding the overall model.**
I suspect, however, that extended them to domains such as ethics would only lead to trouble.
* I'm up to picking my way through the easiest of the Mozart and Haydn sonatas -- if I once knew them well. And can mangle Clementi with verve.
** ETA: Folds, I should probably explain, interact -- and not just when they intersect.
---L.
First, when practicing, don't worry about others, about embarrassing oneself with mistakes. If you're too self-conscious about hitting a note wrong, you'll often blow too softly -- and holding back produces its own mistakes. Don't pay attention to any audience. Don't look down. Do it for yourself. Second, play for the phrase, not each note. Yes, you do have to get the right notes, but the music is in the passage. Pay attention to the rests, and the legatos, and the staccatos.
As I slowly limber up on the piano,* I'm struck by how these both apply to that instrument.
And, I'm slowly seeing, in other arts as well -- and not just the obvious one, writing. Pay no attention to the people beyond that screen -- write for yourself. The second especially applies to a common mistake of beginning writers, who often nitpick on sentences without looking at the scenes, the structures, the character arcs. And then there's such exhibits as over-researched historical novels and overdetailed worldbuilding. But they also, in analogous ways, apply to origami. A little while ago, I saw a quote from Robert Lang to the effect of the most common mistake of intermediate origami folders is to crease the paper too sharply. I stared at this for several moments, thinking, "I resemble that remark." A sharp crease is folding for this instruction, without regarding the overall model.**
I suspect, however, that extended them to domains such as ethics would only lead to trouble.
* I'm up to picking my way through the easiest of the Mozart and Haydn sonatas -- if I once knew them well. And can mangle Clementi with verve.
** ETA: Folds, I should probably explain, interact -- and not just when they intersect.
---L.