Meditation and playing

**a22** · 03-23-2011, 07:14 PM

Well, I've been getting into meditation, mindfulness, compassion and all this good stuff for a year or two now, but it hasn't had much to do with my playing until of recently after reading Kenny Werner's wonderful book Effortless Mastery. I think everything is slowly coming together for me as I'm constantly reminding myself of these basically universal buddhist principles and just to be kind to myself and others.

I spent last year from july to the 7th of January of this year serving in the Finnish army where the trials and pressure caused me to forget a lot of this stuff, but I do believe I retained some of it and it also helped me to cope during my service. I was not a very good soldier at all, but I learned a lot and met some people I'll never forget. So now it is all in the past and I've been living a quiet peaceful life for a few months and have been rehabilitating my guitar skills as well. (Wow, sorry for the long personal story, I just felt the need to talk about it)

So what I'd like to discuss is meditation and it's effects, I want to hear your thoughts and experiences on it, not only related to playing, but life in general. Peace!

**kenbennett** · 03-23-2011, 08:04 PM

Great subject. Let's see where it leads...

**a22** · 03-23-2011, 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by kenbennett

Great subject. Let's see where it leads...

Thanks! Also meant to share this youtube channel, but forgot: YouTube - ????? ?? BuddhistSocietyWA lots of great talks about meditation and buddhism. Most of them are by a wonderful, charismatic monk called Ajahm Brahm, been listening to these talks almost every day since I found them.

**Jazzaluk** · 03-23-2011, 08:31 PM

I learned to meditate many many years ago and I benefitted immensely both emotionally and physically. It is a great way to clean the slate and open the senses.

From a music perspective, I think it can really enhance the ability to listen because it is an effective way of silencing your own self-generated noise. Music sounds best against a silence backdrop.

When i saw this Hal Galper video I immediately connected it to a "meditative state".

Hope this doesn't sound too flaky. Meditation is a very personal thing and it must be experienced - doesn't lend itself to discussion very well.

**a22** · 03-24-2011, 08:46 AM

Jazzaluk, that's great that you learned to quiet the mind! I understand what you mean about it being personal business, I've never really brought it up before either, but I think there's many people in the world that are skeptical, or just plain missing out. I'd like to get the word out a bit more. I'm very much a secular and an atheist, but I still try to live according to many buddhist principles, there's even been many scientific studies that suggest immense benefits for meditation. Oh and those Hal Galper videos are great!

**hot ford coupe** · 03-24-2011, 10:30 PM

My meditation involves the guitar itself. When I'm feeling stressed and I need to quiet the body down, I go right to the instrument. The guitar is my mistress, my psychiatrist, my bartender, my best friend, my pharmacist and whatever else I can think of later. The guitar helps to keep me sane.

**mr. beaumont** · 03-24-2011, 11:09 PM

I meditate every day...and before any performance.

**fordfanjpn** · 03-25-2011, 01:11 AM

As a huge fan of Kenny Werner's book, I would love to hear more from people who have found that meditation has had an impact on their playing, or even on their life in general. To me this seems to be a subject that is particularly apropos to musicians.

Bill

**a22** · 03-25-2011, 08:07 AM

Originally Posted by fordfanjpn

As a huge fan of Kenny Werner's book, I would love to hear more from people who have found that meditation has had an impact on their playing, or even on their life in general. To me this seems to be a subject that is particularly apropos to musicians.

Bill

I wholeheartedly agree! The book had a serious impact on how I view the instrument, although I've been able to approach the guitar like a child would do every now and again and just play with it rather than play it, but I could never apply the discipline to make 'real' playing effortless. I'm thrilled with the fact that you don't really have to learn or gain anything per se, but rather give some things up and to let go of the need to sound good!

**lindydanny** · 03-25-2011, 09:29 AM

My pastor once commented to me while I was doing some trim work for the church that work can be a form of prayer. She made the comment then got distracted to take care of something else and left me to my working. I spent the entire next few nights of sawing and finishing windows thinking about that and I noticed something: working with your hands at a skill you are good at is very much a meditative practice.

Since then, I've noticed the exact same thing in more and more areas of my life including music. Once I get over the hump of learning a tune, it becomes an exercise in meditation and prayer for me to play it. Even the songs that are not pious at all (such as Buffett's "Let's Get Drunk") become that for me.

This has really pushed my playing up a bit.

~DB

**docbop** · 03-25-2011, 09:55 AM

there are some videos of Kenny Werner giving a seminar on Effortless Mastery and demoing applying it to practice. If I can find the link I will update, but see Kenny apply it is both entertaining and informative. Also if you ever get a change to see Kenny play live do it. His effortless approach to playing seems to open up all those playing with him, plus watching Kenny just let the music come through inspiring.

Last if you never listen Kenny his harmonic sense is out there and very cool.

**cosmic gumbo** · 03-25-2011, 08:06 PM

I'm definitely into reaching the alpha state, be it meditation or medication. Just don't start playing any new age music.

**docbop** · 03-25-2011, 09:39 PM

Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo

I'm definitely into reaching the alpha state, be it meditation or medication. Just don't start playing any new age music.

LOL and agreed no New Age or Smooth Jazz

**docbop** · 03-25-2011, 09:42 PM

Kenny Werner Master Class I mentioned earlier.

Kenny Werner Class

**max chill** · 03-26-2011, 10:47 AM

I took zen archery lessons, where you shoot at the target while blindfolded. Ommmmmmm.....

**a22** · 03-27-2011, 05:15 AM

Originally Posted by docbop

Kenny Werner Master Class I mentioned earlier.

Kenny Werner Class

Thanks a lot! Just what I've been looking for

**Modalguru** · 03-28-2011, 03:01 AM

I've read Kenny's book, too. But in applying it, I did not go any further than meditation number 1, just because that one works so well, that I didn't feel the need to move on so far (I feel a little crazy about the last thing). On the rare days coming home feeling tired, uncomfortable and unmotivated, I put in Kenny's cd and do this meditation and afterwards I'm completely relaxed and even the hardest parts of the practice routine are fun.

To me practicing is just another form of meditation and meditation before practicing is a method to calm down, relax and to get focused. Which doesn't mean that you want to play smooth jazz after doing meditation, but absorbing the material and expressing yourself gets easier.

Cheers, Modalguru