Calm Part 1

Today on @yamahamusicusa #silentbass a d @laklandbasses Friday, we cover part 1 of a 2 part discussion on  "calm". Part 1 will cover physical calmness while playing,  Part 2 is preventing anxiety in a performance. Ok, Part 1. One of the most common issues I see as an educator is playing tense. "T-rex-ing", tight shoulders, white knuckles, etc.. This not only makes playing difficult, it can lead to pain and long term injury. The key is to impart stress on only those body parts being used at the moment while all the others remain calm and loose. For example, the left or fretting hand. If you are fretting a note with the first finger, fingers 2, 3 amd 4 should be pver the board, loose and ready. Fretting with 2nd finger, 1,3 amd 4 loose, etc. (Bassist and educator Gary Karr calls this the "rolling hand"). This prevents ur hand from locking up or squeezing too hard. Now, we talk overall posture. The best tool here is a mirror. Look at your reflection while playing.  Are your shoulders down and parallel to the floor? Are you sitting or standing straight? Are you clenching ur teeth? Holding the bass like someone is going to rip it away?These things, and others, can seriously affect your playing and progress. Ok, how do we fix this. Be conscious of your level of calm at all times. If you feel like ur tensing up in the shed, put the bass down. Shake out ur hands, arms and shoulders.  Maybe grab a drink of something...pet ur dog...then start playing again. Repeat every time u feel tense. You will notice the intervals between "breaks" will get farther apart. In performance, take a breath. Shake out ur arms and shoulders between  tunes.  As you become more aware, you will tighten up less. This will be an ongoing endeavor.  I work on this EVERY day. Play relaxed, and u will play better. As always, I invite your insights. #yamahamusicusa #makkewaves #pirastro #glasserny #laklandbasses #sitstrings #tsunamicables #philjonesbass #basslessons #remotelessons