What happens between the time you decide to sing or play and actually go to producing a sound? Many amateur musicians start producing sound before they are really ready to do so. This can lead to an uncertain and shaky start at best and the feeling of insecurity when commencing playing. Often these musicians will report that they feel more comfortable after they’ve played/sung a few bars. The performer is either too relaxed (too little tonus), or too tense (too much tonus) when they start and adjust their tonus while playing. I use the word “tonus” because it describes a level of muscle activity and this can be more or less suited to producing sound. The ideal is to have your tonus just right before playing.
One the ideas I’ve been investigating lately is the metaphor of a bow and arrow. I don’t claim to have invented this because I’ve seen it on other websites. Imagine drawing back the bowstring and holding it a moment before letting the arrow fly. If the sting is not drawn back enough, the arrow will fall short of its mark. If the string is too taught, it may be difficult to hold steady and affect your aim. If you draw the string back and just let the arrow fly, you miss the opportunity to sense the string’s tonus.
The same can apply to the process of starting to play/sing. When you start to play or sing, wait for a tiny moment to sense your tonus before actually producing a sound. Make a note of the tonus level and then play. What happened? Did you have more or less than the ideal tonus? Or perhaps you were right on. Where in your body did you sense the tonus? You may even find that some parts of you are too toned and others less so. By doing this, you can begin to get a finer sense of how to optimize your tonus for the beginnings of phrases. Another way is to hear the music before you play. By doing this, your brain will get your body ready to play before you’ve started, and you’ll feel much better and secure.
Now all of this may seem very obvious, but I’ve heard enough instances where this is not happening and felt it was worth mentioning. I’m sure many of you out there have other ideas a well and I’d be interested in hearing from you. I will post other ideas so that we can all profit from them.
Thanks for reading and until then, John Tarr
Be sure to check out the DMS podcasts, Feldenkrais® mini lessons for musicians and speakers.
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If you have any specific questions or comments on The Feldenkrais Method® breathing and posture, send me an e-mail and I’ll try to respond in a future blog. Until then, breathe, sit, and stand well!
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