Being "in the Zone" - does this happen to you?

[Simon H]

I'm at the stage, 2years in on English Concertina where I can pick up tunes reasonably quickly, in the course of an hours practice I can have the A&B parts worked out by playing along, and partly by picking up from the dots. Then over the course of a week or two practicing the new tune along with others on my learning list, the tune gets hard wired.

 

But I've noticed a new phenomenon, which is both encouraging and discouraging (see below) in equal measure. During a practice session a tune will come, unbidden, into my mind, a tune I know well, but have never tried on the concertina. It will immediately run straight through to my fingers and I will play it note perfect right through, usually with far better phrasing, emotion etc than any of the tunes I'm practicing. This happened to me with Si Bhaeg Si Mhor a couple of days ago.

 

Encouraging - as it feels like there is a better musician in me that I just need to unlock more, which raises the question, do these moments come more and more frequently until the facility to play like this becomes commonplace?

 

Discouraging because this doesn't happen often or consistently, the day after, the tune doesn't come back easily and has to be learnt by the normal methods.

 

I know and have read about being "in the zone" and recognise that this is what is going on, that whole wide-mind awareness and connectedness. What I'd like to really know is methods to promote it and depend on it, as I know - inside me is a much better musician than I am most of the time and I want to make the steps to being that all the time.

 

I'd appreciate your thoughts and experiences with this.

 

 

Simon

Edited May 18, 2009 by Simon H

[Fergus_fiddler]

Do you play any other instrument? If the answer is 'yes', might be only that you're mastering the keyboard, having into your brain the intervals of the tunes.

 

Something like that happened to me yesterday. I was playing in front of the computer, and then loaded the cd of Edel Fox & Ronan O'Flaherty. Well, once slowdowned - with Roni Amazing Slowdowner - say, a 20 %, I began to play on top of it. Mmm, must be a Bb/F concertina, then raised the pitch 1 step.

 

Well, I couldn't believe what then happened. I began to play tunes that were vaguely familiar to me, with my fingers going to the exact note, having never played them before! Funny thing is that I probably couldn't play them now without hearing the music...

 

Not to talk about hundred of tunes learned in a session at the flight past & the forgotten the day after... and not, isn't because the hangover

 

 

Edit to write: I've spent barely 1 year playing concertina, 15 playing fiddle.

 

Cheers,

 

Fer

Edited May 18, 2009 by Fergus_fiddler

[Simon H]

Do you play any other instrument? If the answer is 'yes', might be only that you're mastering the keyboard, having into your brain the intervals of the tunes.

 

I do Fergus, though since taking up concertina I've tried to keep to the one instrument, nonetheless I do have a piano in the house and sometimes find that it helps me with some tunes. Certainly as you say I probably have the intervals fairly well. I've found I play low whistle better since taking up concertina, so I think my general musical understanding is improving, nonetheless it is these sudden leaps into intuitive playing and falling back again that fascinate me.

 

Simon

[Hooves]

It sounds like your learning to make the instrument "speak" - its something Ive been told/read can be elusive for muscians, they play very well, but never learn to make the instrument say what they really want to say. They can read or write the music, they can play it note for note, but somewhere inside is a voice that never truly gets expressed.

 

I believe this was the case with Beethoven, who said it was "unfair" that he finally learned to speak after going partially deaf.

 

My personal take on this is that its one thing to play well, another to play what you can imagine. Those are two different concepts and though related the latter is harder to obtain.

 

One thing for certain, my guitar/mandolin playing and my ability to transcribe the music by ear improved vastly after taking up the concertina.

[tombilly]

Yes, I come across this too often enough. It seems that your conscious mind can and does get in the way when learning a tune - and when you let you fingers go where they will, often the tune comes out grand and then you start thinking 'what did I do there?' but of course as soon as you think about doing it again, it vanishes. So you stop thinking too much about it and it comes back again. Experience the same thing in sessions with tunes you haven't played in a while - if you just go with the flow, it can often work out but try and think 'what's the name of this tune' or what notes make up the phrase and you trip up rapidly. Who knows what's going on but sure it's all part of the game..

[Robert Booth]

My recently discovered method for getting the "zone" going and maintaining it for longer periods is probably awful, but it's been working for me, so I should argue?

I find a nature program on the TV set, turn the sound off and play. Watching pretty moving pictures without much other content seems to loosen things up just enough to let things flow more smoothly.

Lord only knows what the next little crutch may be.

To quote my Wife, "It's an opportunity for personal growth."

Cheers,

Rob

[Henrik Müller]

Welcome to your subconscious mind!

 

It's like a slippery eel: try to catch it and it goes away

 

/Henrik

[Priscilla]

I have had too these moments of grace, when something which is normally difficult, comes easily to me. But then it's gone... as suddenly as it came. It comes when least expected, and cannot be beckoned or summoned at will. To me, it's the opposite of effort...if you "try" too hard, if you even "try" to make it come, it'll run away from you, like a shy wild animal, but if you ignore it, and absorb yourself in the moment, relax and almost step out of yourself, become a vessel through which whatever you're trying to do, moves and flows... then sometimes it'll come and you're capable of the truly extraordinary, without effort. It's so fragile, you try to catch it and hold it, it'll slip away. Such moments are so precious, they come of their own whim and defy being controlled by effort. If at all such moments are to be created, then I think one must empty oneself of all agendas, all ambition, and forget oneself... then it's probably most likely. Simply play to your heart's content, forget all else, and I'll bet, such moments come perhaps more frequently.

It's happened to me on very rare occasions, and I'm so grateful for these moments, I let them come as they will, confident sooner or later they will return... but only when I'm not looking!

Priscilla

[Patrick King]

I have had too these moments of grace, when something which is normally difficult, comes easily to me. But then it's gone... as suddenly as it came. It comes when least expected, and cannot be beckoned or summoned at will. To me, it's the opposite of effort...if you "try" too hard, if you even "try" to make it come, it'll run away from you, like a shy wild animal, but if you ignore it, and absorb yourself in the moment, relax and almost step out of yourself, become a vessel through which whatever you're trying to do, moves and flows... then sometimes it'll come and you're capable of the truly extraordinary, without effort. It's so fragile, you try to catch it and hold it, it'll slip away. Such moments are so precious, they come of their own whim and defy being controlled by effort. If at all such moments are to be created, then I think one must empty oneself of all agendas, all ambition, and forget oneself... then it's probably most likely. Simply play to your heart's content, forget all else, and I'll bet, such moments come perhaps more frequently.

It's happened to me on very rare occasions, and I'm so grateful for these moments, I let them come as they will, confident sooner or later they will return... but only when I'm not looking!

Priscilla

 

I think I know what we're talking about here.

 

I have a similar thing happen to me. One day, I play ALL the tunes I know perfectly. No muddle up with the tempo, no wrong notes, no slippery fingers (I even get away with putting in ornaments and chords ) , and I often wonder if concertina players wait until a day like that to record music for their latest CD or something. The next day, I play a tune that I was having no difficulties with the day before, and it ends up being played with slippery fingers, wrong notes, AND irregular tempo.

 

Some mornings, I start to play my concertina; play any old tune, and I end up thinking about what I'm going to do today or about someone special, and sometimes I feel like I'm half asleep, and suddenly, I'm back into my world; school, washing-up tonight, home-work, replying to emails from friends who have upset me too much in the past and I don't feel like writing again (none of you, believe me.

 

Cheers,

Patrick

[drbones]

Maybe it's like a person who studders. I've read that the reason a person studders is not because they are a slow thinker, but just the opposite, they're thinking faster than their brain can communicate with their voice. When this person is relaxed they may hardly studder at all.

I've often thought an instrument may be able to be learned as speaking was learned and it will eventually come very easily. But then you still have to have some vocabulary and mine aint that good yet.

[Patrick King]

Maybe it's like a person who studders. I've read that the reason a person studders is not because they are a slow thinker, but just the opposite, they're thinking faster than their brain can communicate with their voice. When this person is relaxed they may hardly studder at all.

I've often thought an instrument may be able to be learned as speaking was learned and it will eventually come very easily. But then you still have to have some vocabulary and mine aint that good yet.

 

Too right. You still have to have a bit of vocabulary, and you know why? Because music only contains the first 7 letters of the alphabet; a,b,c,d,e,f, and g. I don't know if you could speak with/by music, but you can certainly express your feelings. My vocabulary isn't so good, either; due to natural disorders.

[Robert Booth]

"...Maybe it's like a person who stutters..."

drbones

 

Well, of course stuttering is more complex than that, but there is a useful clue there: Many stutterers find that whilst singing they do not stutter at all, because of the breath and muscular control inherent in the activity, along with the fact that they already know the words. Likewise, the smooth flow of a tune can be reinforced by the very success that one is experiencing at the beginning, leading to longer periods of fluency; encouraging yourself, like, on the subliminal level. We all know the feeling of fluffing a phrase while playing with others, then having a devil of a time trying to catch up with the others. I stutter the worst then.

 

Back when I was learning how to put together harmonica solos with blues bands, I learned to think of a solo as a reasoned arguement on a given topic (the song): First phrase is a topic statement. Next, are supporting statements, then some variations on the theme to flesh out the arguement, and finally, a concluding statement. Approaching it this way really improved the coherence of the solos, tightened them up and made them a more integral part of the songs.

 

If only I could argue that fluently with my wife.

Cheers

Rob

[Patrick King]

"...Maybe it's like a person who stutters..."

drbones

 

Well, of course stuttering is more complex than that, but there is a useful clue there: Many stutterers find that whilst singing they do not stutter at all, because of the breath and muscular control inherent in the activity, along with the fact that they already know the words. Likewise, the smooth flow of a tune can be reinforced by the very success that one is experiencing at the beginning, leading to longer periods of fluency; encouraging yourself, like, on the subliminal level. We all know the feeling of fluffing a phrase while playing with others, then having a devil of a time trying to catch up with the others. I stutter the worst then.

 

Back when I was learning how to put together harmonica solos with blues bands, I learned to think of a solo as a reasoned arguement on a given topic (the song): First phrase is a topic statement. Next, are supporting statements, then some variations on the theme to flesh out the arguement, and finally, a concluding statement. Approaching it this way really improved the coherence of the solos, tightened them up and made them a more integral part of the songs.

 

If only I could argue that fluently with my wife.

Cheers

Rob

 

That's true Rob. I used to stutter a lot and still do a little bit, but I never do while singing along with a recording of some sort. That's VERY interesting.

 

Cheers,

Patrick

 

BTW- At least it isn't rocket science.

Edited May 25, 2009 by Patrick King

[David Levine]

Being in the zone is a place that professional athletes value as highly as do musicians. It's the same place. Activity without conscious direction. Almost instinctive, as Henrik says, your subconscious mind - a place where muscle memory is the guiding principle. Though as we know, muscle memory takes place in the brain and refers to the brain controlling the muscle with seemingly little conscious awareness. So you speak of an athlete who is having a spectacular day as being unconscious.

The more experience you have of being there the easier it is to get there. Talent is the ability to focus your attention on the discipline needed to implement your desire. Which is an erudite sounding way of describing practice. Or of saying focused playing. Practice sounds too much like work....

[Patrick King]

Being in the zone is a place that professional athletes value as highly as do musicians. It's the same place. Activity without conscious direction. Almost instinctive, as Henrik says, your subconscious mind - a place where muscle memory is the guiding principle. Though as we know, muscle memory takes place in the brain and refers to the brain controlling the muscle with seemingly little conscious awareness. So you speak of an athlete who is having a spectacular day as being unconscious.

The more experience you have of being there the easier it is to get there. Talent is the ability to focus your attention on the discipline needed to implement your desire. Which is an erudite sounding way of describing practice. Or of saying focused playing. Practice sounds too much like work....

 

That's right also, David. (Even though no one needs me to tell them what's right.)

 

I didn't really see that aspect but it's still a good part of how to look at it.

 

I am wondering if that would happen at the Olympic Games? It probably would; by the way, what country won the '08 Olympic Games? My family and I usually are sus about someone who wins gold medals and at the same time, breaking the world record. We didn't watch much of the '08 Games, except rowing, bike-riding, weight-lifting, taek-kwon-do, and of course, the acrobatics. I love the acrobatics. Anyway, I'll stop the 'off-topic' business.

 

Cheers,

Patrick