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Im here at UNF, and Im trying to get all of my stuff together now... A couple of guys have told me that my swing feel is good, but doesnt feel relaxed... what can I do to fix this?

Ray


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Be aware of your breathing. Listen to Wes. Watch videos of Wes, he is smiling, looking out into the audience. Have you seen the videos from Dick and Clif? Though they make faces they are looking out in space...playing naturally...sounding naturally....be at peace.

Gregg

Ray East <ray_d_east@...> wrote:
Im here at UNF, and Im trying to get all of my stuff together now... A couple of guys have told me that my swing feel is good, but doesnt feel relaxed... what can I do to fix this?

Ray

On Oct 1, 2005, at 5:11 PM, Ray East wrote:

Im here at UNF, and Im trying to get all of my stuff together now... A couple of guys have told me that my swing feel is good, but doesnt feel relaxed... what can I do to fix this?

That's a vague criticism to level at someone. It doesn't "feel relaxed"? Says who??And how would they know, since you're the one feeling it? Unless someone can offer some more specific advice, if I were you, I'd blow them off.

There are obvious things to look for, such as your straight technique. Are your hands and body relaxed? Is there any obvious stiffness in your playing and your technique (e.g. Do you have a particularly stiff sounding vibrato?)? If not, then it sounds to me like theirs is a subjective and vague opinion that is pretty much meaningless.

Jeff

I was told the same thing when I was a freshman/ sophomore in college. I began to sing and breathe like a horn player during my solos. When I ran out of breath - I quit playing. I began to notice that there were times when I was playing in a school setting that I was holding my breath. Deplete the body of oxygen and your muscles get tighter and your time feel begins to get "un-relaxed". Singing and breathing through phrases helped me - it might help you too.

Jeff Shirkey <jcshirke@...> wrote:
but doesnt feel relaxed... what can I do to fix this?

It means you don't sound natural, you haven't made the sound your own. You'll get it in time. It's not a vague criticism. It's a very important one.

Try scatting your lines, this will help alot, you probably are great but you lack individualism in you playing. No big deal.

Joe
On Oct 1, 2005, at 5:11 PM, Ray East wrote:

Im here at UNF, and Im trying to get all of my stuff together
now... A couple of guys have told me that my swing feel is good,
but doesnt feel relaxed... what can I do to fix this?

That's a vague criticism to level at someone. It doesn't "feel
relaxed"? Says who??And how would they know, since you're the one
feeling it? Unless someone can offer some more specific advice, if I
were you, I'd blow them off.

There are obvious things to look for, such as your straight
technique. Are your hands and body relaxed? Is there any obvious
stiffness in your playing and your technique (e.g. Do you have a
particularly stiff sounding vibrato?)? If not, then it sounds to me
like theirs is a subjective and vague opinion that is pretty much
meaningless.

Jeff

It's not a vague criticism. It's a very important one.

I think it's completely vague.

you lack individualism in you playing. No big deal.

I've never understood this one either. I sound like me, no matter how hard I may try not to. How can anybody lack individualism in their playing? No matter how hard you may try to imitate someone else, you'll always sound like yourself.

Jeff

Hi
I agree with what Jeff has written in his last two posts. It is very hard to
know just how relaxed a player is. Very subjective!
Any way the point about breathing is not breathing like a horn but just being
relaxed within yourself. If your not relaxed you may lose the groove.
Yogic breathing methods may be fine I don't really know anything about them.
Relaxing mentally without hearing some inner criticism of your own solo that
causes you to sabotage yourself is much more important I believe.
The key to that is knowing the material! Werner's book quoted Bill Evan's who
when asked how much he practiced said he practiced the minimum. Meaning the
minimum amt. Of material in any one session. It is so easy to become
overwhelmed by the tunes that are out there that you do not commit many to memory for
years.

As far as exercises to assist in one being relaxed I believe Joe Diorio was
on to something when he suggested just free playing in a session with your Eyes
closed.
That is playing on the right side of the brain playing from your intuition.
Additionally not being too self critical allow yourself to make mistakes just
don''t worry about it let it happen then it's history. Most likely you won't
but your creativity will emerge.

Now for a pet peeve of mine?
Can we really phrase like a horn? We can play the same line but we cant play
long tones so how does one breathe like a horn?
We don't really! So what to do? Play Guitaristic solo's meaning play more
than one note at a time. Double stops! Practice well known solo's by adding notes
of any interval that catches your ear. This well make for an interesting
solo's rather than sounding fiddly. The solo tends to breathe better. As Wes did
for octaves it is a similar dramatic effect. Your listeners ears will pick up!
Just my suggestion!
Ciao brother and sisters,
Tony Hughes SEPA