Friday, July 10, 2009

More on music


Dave Russell
08 July at 08:11----

Hey up Chris,

I'm trying hard to learn a piece of country guitar at the moment which comes off a tuitional DVD, which involves copying what the guy does note for note and I was struck by a parallel with martial arts. Naturally, I want to know what you think.

All the note for note stuff that we learn, like I'm doing currently, or like learning a solo, or intro exactly is like the choreographed floor routines that you have to learn in martial arts (I wish I could remember the proper word, but you know what I mean).

This then gives you ideas and armoury to engage in improvisation, which is like sparring, or combat.

What think?

Christopher Littlefair
08 July at 17:07 ----

Oh, Oh! Nice one! I think I'll be able to expand a blog entry I did about this once. And yours is a slightly different take on it.


I think it is very similar, if not exactly the same sort of learning process. We drill a lot on individual techniques, then build them up into sequences (especially in forms and kata) then take it further into free fighting which is, as you say, a direct parallel with music learning. Equally each of these exercises are valid in their own right. It's perfectly reasonable to perform kata on their own just as it is to free fight. On the guitar you might happily play a known song which you have to follow: that is to say a pre-determined sequence like kata, or you might want to improvise/create new songs, like free fighting creates 'new' forms of expressing oneself in combat.

Neat comparison Mr Russell!



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