Many of us have techniques we use to get to that place. These are some of mine. I would love to hear what YOU do to get to that place, especially when the inevitable obstacles happen!
I’ve watched this video 3-4 times in the past two weeks to try to take it in. It’s such a deep concept and honestly haven’t seen anyone else talk about on TH-cam where it’s so saturated with “3 MUST KNOW Hacks for Faster Playing” type videos. A piano/vocalist named Louise Rose once taught me to never play with my eyes closed. We never have conversations with our eyes closed and you’ll never see an actor or a comedian perform on stage without looking at the audience. Closing our eyes shuts us off from the world and you hide away from your fears. She specifically talked about the importance of looking into the eyes of the audience to musically “speak” to them, for a lack of a better term. I think she used the words “They can see your soul through your eyes. You can’t play with soul if your eyes are closed” I was 17 when I got that lesson and that was such a foreign concept to me because I’ve only thought about notes and rhythm at the time, but it has stuck to me ever since. You’re the second person ever that I’ve seen talk about playing with eyes open vs closed and I think it’s a really interesting subject that doesn’t get much love for. I seem to be saying this every time but, really: thank you for another great video/lesson. I will be watching this video many more times to let it soak in. I’ll be looking forward on listening to you speak/play again Paul! Much love ❤️
This is a great comment. Thank you! I have long held that past a small amount of musical/technical knowledge, the key to mastery is truly in your head. I hope that people will take that message with them. Thanks again for supporting my channel!!
Another beautiful video. Thank you, my brother. I (try to) practice love and gratitude to get to that place. I couldn't be more grateful to be a musician. We PLAY for a living. How cool is that?! One thing I like doing on gigs is quoting the opening phrase from Coltrane's 'Love' at some random point during the show. It serves as an audible reminder and always puts a smile on my face.
Great advice Paul. I especially love the advice to keep your eyes open. I recently heard an interview with Kevin Bacon who has a band with his brother in addition to acting. He said he took some voice lessons and his teacher asked why he was closing his eyes at certain points. He said he realized that he doesn't close his eyes when he's acting or doing other work that requires concentration. It's like as musicians we've somehow been fooled into believing this helps us focus but in fact it may be a distraction.
That's a great story. I know some people are very pro-eyes-closed, but some of us do it in a very knee-jerk way. I try and study my favorite musicians. Most of them have their eyes open--even if they're not looking at something.
shit, this is so true. again and again my experience is I play better when i stop shutting my mind inside by closing eyes. focus outward seems to enhance musicality. but I still stumble, it really feels like a muscle to be developted by itself.
The best way I've found to find the flow state is to literally practice getting there. There are a number of martial arts drills that force you into it. Filipino Kali's Hubud Lubud exercise is a great one as is Chi Sao from Wing Chun. Hubud is a bit easier to learn than Chi Sao. Once you become proficient, you've trained yourself to get to that state pretty much at will and it becomes easier to drop into the flow state even with other activities (like, say, music). It's a bit more complicated than how I've described it (obviously, it assumes a level of mastery at whatever you're doing) but the ability to reliably access that state becomes much easier. Once the virus thing is done and it's safe to workout, I'd be happy to demonstrate for you.
this sounds so goddamn interesting. if it is possible, makes me wonder how many of the great musicians do something of this nature before playing a concert?
I doubt many musicians do any of these drills before playing. One the requirements of both playing jazz and doing something like Hubud is it requires a diffused focus. You have to pay attention to everything. If you focus too intently on any one thing, you miss everything else going on around you. Lesser musicians will frequently focus too intently on what they are doing and aren’t as responsive to what the rest of the band is doing. We call that not listening which is something more advanced musicians understand as vitally important. The problem with music though is there isn’t a definitive way to train that out of people other than maybe not calling them for the next gig and they either eventually get it or they don’t. Doing something like Hubud is just like playing jazz conceptually. There is a framework you’re working in with individual elements that you can work in an almost infinite number of combinations that you will improvise. You have to do your thing while responding to your partner. The difference is if you get too focused on what you’re doing and don’t pay attention to what your partner is doing, you’re going to get punched in the nose. This tends to reinforce the concept of diffusing your focus to take everything in. It forces you to get into a flow. Once you do it for a while, it is completely natural to just drop into that state. If you guys are interested, I could do a Zoom session and demonstrate with my son who is really good at Hubud.
Really great video! Definitely been noticing myself tighten up and overplay, gonna work on feeling myself do that while I practice so I can calm it down
Hmmm... Pat Metheny has said the he likes to think about mundane tasks like ‘do i have to do the laundry after the gig tonight?’. No one’s saying Pat Metheny isn’t at the highest level of alpha jazz state, right? For some, the more useful thought may be trying to get out of your own way. Distractions can be as useful as focus. Check this out... As a jazz drummer, I studied with a legit jazz legend for over 2 years. I went to dozens of his gigs. During one lesson I asked, “how are you always in the zone? what’s your secret to getting into that mind set?” “ha, ha, ha, ha....” “what?” “maybe one in ten gigs i’ll get to that place. i’ve just been doing this for so long, that my bad nights can still fool someone as good as you.” Now that, is truth.
really aprecciate this lesson. thankyou, paul! did you read "the effortless master"? looks like you did. I readed it because I heard all jazz musician of america readed it. Lol
Kenny Werner EFFORTLESS MASTERY. Y'all playin' the same changes...😁👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽Consistently great content here. Special shout-out for mentioning the importance of BREATHING...first!!!😎✌🏾
@@pdbass Yes, have checked out Galper many times😁👍🏽...Tapping foot on 1 & 3, minimizing emotion, mentally screaming the phrase you want to play, etc....Fantastic stuff, and, yes, very practical. I found the Werner stuff to be practical as well...
Goodness! Wish I would've had some inkling of the profound effect music could've had on me and my life, while I was fighting tooth and nail against my piano teacher and her lessons when I was 10. She finally gave up and told me, "Don't come back!" Yeah, I know...wouldda, shouldda, couldda...☹
Many of us have techniques we use to get to that place. These are some of mine. I would love to hear what YOU do to get to that place, especially when the inevitable obstacles happen!
Recently discovered your channel, as an upcoming jazz player and student I cannot thank you enough for sharing your knowledge. Thank you!!!
I’ve watched this video 3-4 times in the past two weeks to try to take it in. It’s such a deep concept and honestly haven’t seen anyone else talk about on TH-cam where it’s so saturated with “3 MUST KNOW Hacks for Faster Playing” type videos.
A piano/vocalist named Louise Rose once taught me to never play with my eyes closed. We never have conversations with our eyes closed and you’ll never see an actor or a comedian perform on stage without looking at the audience. Closing our eyes shuts us off from the world and you hide away from your fears. She specifically talked about the importance of looking into the eyes of the audience to musically “speak” to them, for a lack of a better term.
I think she used the words “They can see your soul through your eyes. You can’t play with soul if your eyes are closed”
I was 17 when I got that lesson and that was such a foreign concept to me because I’ve only thought about notes and rhythm at the time, but it has stuck to me ever since. You’re the second person ever that I’ve seen talk about playing with eyes open vs closed and I think it’s a really interesting subject that doesn’t get much love for.
I seem to be saying this every time but, really: thank you for another great video/lesson. I will be watching this video many more times to let it soak in.
I’ll be looking forward on listening to you speak/play again Paul! Much love ❤️
This is a great comment. Thank you! I have long held that past a small amount of musical/technical knowledge, the key to mastery is truly in your head. I hope that people will take that message with them. Thanks again for supporting my channel!!
This was profound. Almost all of this applies to other creative pursuits too, not just music.
Yes. Ur hands are simply an extension of ur brain. Thank u, these teachings are very informative 🧠
Yes yes yes. When you"get there". Even for a moment, and if the whole groups gets there together. Woowee
Wow, this is so cool! I agree with what Paul is saying 100%!
🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
This was outstanding!!!!!
Great advices as always! Thanks so much!
This lesson is one of the beat ever ! All musicians should know this Thank You!!!!!
This was beautiful man!
Dude, you are powerful! So glad I was referred to you!
Wow, so much material to process in this video! Thanks!
Another beautiful video. Thank you, my brother. I (try to) practice love and gratitude to get to that place. I couldn't be more grateful to be a musician. We PLAY for a living. How cool is that?! One thing I like doing on gigs is quoting the opening phrase from Coltrane's 'Love' at some random point during the show. It serves as an audible reminder and always puts a smile on my face.
Yessssss!!!
Really dig your videos. Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Great advice for mastering any craft or skill. Thank you!😍
Great advice Paul. I especially love the advice to keep your eyes open. I recently heard an interview with Kevin Bacon who has a band with his brother in addition to acting. He said he took some voice lessons and his teacher asked why he was closing his eyes at certain points. He said he realized that he doesn't close his eyes when he's acting or doing other work that requires concentration. It's like as musicians we've somehow been fooled into believing this helps us focus but in fact it may be a distraction.
That's a great story. I know some people are very pro-eyes-closed, but some of us do it in a very knee-jerk way. I try and study my favorite musicians. Most of them have their eyes open--even if they're not looking at something.
shit, this is so true. again and again my experience is I play better when i stop shutting my mind inside by closing eyes. focus outward seems to enhance musicality. but I still stumble, it really feels like a muscle to be developted by itself.
Stop making me cry Paul Thompson.
Don't cry...you're gonna make me cry 😢
So touching my dude! ✊👊🙌 amazing advice I'll start today
ONE OF THE BEST VIDEO EVER SEEN
🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Love you pd..amazinly inspiring guy teacher musician
Insightful and so well done! Fantastic work PT
thanks, Joe!
The best way I've found to find the flow state is to literally practice getting there. There are a number of martial arts drills that force you into it. Filipino Kali's Hubud Lubud exercise is a great one as is Chi Sao from Wing Chun. Hubud is a bit easier to learn than Chi Sao. Once you become proficient, you've trained yourself to get to that state pretty much at will and it becomes easier to drop into the flow state even with other activities (like, say, music). It's a bit more complicated than how I've described it (obviously, it assumes a level of mastery at whatever you're doing) but the ability to reliably access that state becomes much easier. Once the virus thing is done and it's safe to workout, I'd be happy to demonstrate for you.
I want to learn more about this too.
Me three!
this sounds so goddamn interesting. if it is possible, makes me wonder how many of the great musicians do something of this nature before playing a concert?
I doubt many musicians do any of these drills before playing. One the requirements of both playing jazz and doing something like Hubud is it requires a diffused focus. You have to pay attention to everything. If you focus too intently on any one thing, you miss everything else going on around you. Lesser musicians will frequently focus too intently on what they are doing and aren’t as responsive to what the rest of the band is doing. We call that not listening which is something more advanced musicians understand as vitally important. The problem with music though is there isn’t a definitive way to train that out of people other than maybe not calling them for the next gig and they either eventually get it or they don’t. Doing something like Hubud is just like playing jazz conceptually. There is a framework you’re working in with individual elements that you can work in an almost infinite number of combinations that you will improvise. You have to do your thing while responding to your partner. The difference is if you get too focused on what you’re doing and don’t pay attention to what your partner is doing, you’re going to get punched in the nose. This tends to reinforce the concept of diffusing your focus to take everything in. It forces you to get into a flow. Once you do it for a while, it is completely natural to just drop into that state. If you guys are interested, I could do a Zoom session and demonstrate with my son who is really good at Hubud.
Really great video! Definitely been noticing myself tighten up and overplay, gonna work on feeling myself do that while I practice so I can calm it down
Love it, man! Your videos are incredible. ❤️🎶
Thank you, Jason!!!
Hmmm... Pat Metheny has said the he likes to think about mundane tasks like ‘do i have to do the laundry after the gig tonight?’.
No one’s saying Pat Metheny isn’t at the highest level of alpha jazz state, right? For some, the more useful thought may be trying to get out of your own way. Distractions can be as useful as focus.
Check this out...
As a jazz drummer, I studied with a legit jazz legend for over 2 years. I went to dozens of his gigs. During one lesson I asked, “how are you always in the zone? what’s your secret to getting into that mind set?”
“ha, ha, ha, ha....”
“what?”
“maybe one in ten gigs i’ll get to that place. i’ve just been doing this for so long, that my bad nights can still fool someone as good as you.”
Now that, is truth.
Good story! Everyone's path is individual. Just sharing my personal revelations on my journey. Thanks for watching!
I felt that answer.
What a great video.
Paul, this is just amazing!
Thanks, PT!
really aprecciate this lesson. thankyou, paul!
did you read "the effortless master"? looks like you did. I readed it because I heard all jazz musician of america readed it. Lol
Of course I did. It's a great book and a great way to look at your playing. Thank you for watching!
❤❤❤ 🙏🏼
Kenny Werner EFFORTLESS MASTERY. Y'all playin' the same changes...😁👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽Consistently great content here. Special shout-out for mentioning the importance of BREATHING...first!!!😎✌🏾
Yessir! One of my favorites. You should check out Hal Galper, too. A lot more practical than KW, but some similar brainwave-type concepts.
@@pdbass Yes, have checked out Galper many times😁👍🏽...Tapping foot on 1 & 3, minimizing emotion, mentally screaming the phrase you want to play, etc....Fantastic stuff, and, yes, very practical. I found the Werner stuff to be practical as well...
@@bassocanario I totally agree! I just think Kenny's stuff can be way more meditative/almost spiritual than classroom-like.
@@pdbass Yes, true😁✌🏾
yeaaah duude thnks
Good stuff! Thanks..;-))
Goodness! Wish I would've had some inkling of the profound effect music could've had on me and my life, while I was fighting tooth and nail against my piano teacher and her lessons when I was 10. She finally gave up and told me, "Don't come back!" Yeah, I know...wouldda, shouldda, couldda...☹
I love you my brother
Yeah PT
I get lost...in my playing and listening. Lost in a good way.