The Alexander Technique for Musicians by Kleinman, Judith -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Half-title Title Contents List of figures Acknowledgements Foreword PART ONE Prelude

1 Why might a musician use the Alexander Technique?

Highly trained athletes Talent versus skill Modern life Comfort and discomfort ‘There is no gain without pain’ Pain as a stimulus (Peter’s story) A brief look at musical habit Practice Performance Performance anxiety Look after yourself for more than one reason Student quotes

2 How to use this book 3 F. M. Alexander’s discoveries and the development of his ideas

Summary

PART TWO The fundamentals

4 Habit in the learning process

Babies learn fast Children learn easily A definition of habit Habits feel good Free will Habit and skill Essential habits Deeper learning Emotional responses Work on one or two habits at a time Don’t be too tough on yourself Finding habits using semi-supine Using video We bring our daily Use into our playing Student quotes

5 The Primary Control

Startle pattern (fight or flight response) Indirect work What are we looking for? Posture with an open mind Forward and up Use semi-supine Don’t pull your head towards your instrument You and your instrument Allow your head to rebalance Build your relationship with your instrument, starting with Primary Control Free the jaw Experiment with less tension Can you speak? Evolution Heroes Summary Student quotes

6 Inhibition

The displacement of the head Applying inhibition Start small with inhibition Inhibition and getting out of a chair Stay tuned into your kinaesthetic sense Inhibition – a flexible state of being Presence and creativity through Inhibition A final reassurance Summary Student quotes

7 Direction

So, what we are looking for, when we consider Direction? Non-doing Playing musical instruments can be comfortable Different approaches to Direction Working with vision Spatial Direction and awareness Opposition in Direction Direct your Primary Control first Build up Directions with your instrument Create sequences and ‘key Directions’ Use key Directions for performance Direct in the context of the whole body Practice Direction in your daily life Student quotes

8 Attention and awareness

Presence The voice in your head Internal and external awareness Multi-tasking Psychophysical unity Spatial awareness Awareness and intonation Let yourself play in tune Feel your instrument Look on top of it Our emotions affect our awareness Awareness of movement Student quotes

PART THREE Tuning your instrument

9 Body Mapping

How Body Mapping was formulated Best and worst case scenarios Ask questions to improve your map Musicians move their body to make a living Poor coordination is the first sign Have you grown? Student quotes

10 Breathing

How are you breathing now? Alexander’s approach to breathing Experiment Habits of breathing The Primary Control The anatomy of breathing How the diaphragm does its job Nose versus mouth Your emotions affect your breathing Include your eyes The Whispered ‘Ah’ Playing, practice and performance How much breath for singing and playing a wind instrument? Breathing exercises Don’t hold your breath Some final thoughts on breathing A brief resume of Alexander’s approach Student quotes

11 Voice

Four interesting questions The suspension system Vocal apparatus Release your jaw Eyes play a part too The engine Resonance Spatial awareness Vocal tension Use your singing voice You are a musical instrument Brief summary of useful ideas Student quotes

12 Vision

We have visual habits How we see Free your eyes and find musical flexibility Panoramic vision How much to focus? Where should we be looking? Eyes, breathing, emotions and the senses The dominant sense Curiosity Sight-reading Practise seeing more Your eyes and your emotion Enjoy seeing Be in the present Student quotes

PART FOUR Stillness and movement

13 Semi-supine

Gravity affects you differently in semi-supine The intervertebral discs The curves in your spine How to adopt semi-supine What to think Freeing the neck Shoulders and arms Ribcage Low back Visualize your playing Semi-supine brings back your skill Coming to standing Finding neutral Semi-supine plus Prone Main points

14 Hands on the back of a chair

So how do you practise Hands on the Back of a Chair? Student quotes

15 Balance

Balance or tension Balance with the instrument Rebalancing experiment Sense your balance through your feet Without your instrument Back with the instrument It is good to move expressively Sitting in balance with movement Tension and work are necessary Out of balance – when is it necessary? Student quotes

16 Movements and energy

Monkey (Alexander called this ‘a position of mechanical advantage’) Lunge Standing up onto the toes Wall standing Wall sitting Walking Turning Turning by the wall Head on the wall Hands on the wall Hands on a chair Hands on the table Crawling Swings Arms up Rolling over Student quotes

PART FIVE Exposition

17 How to receive an Alexander lesson

Rapport with the teacher What is the nature of a lesson? Any Alexander teacher can teach a musician Safe uncertainty Open mind Faulty Sensory Awareness Being given a new experience The changing role of the student The teacher’s ‘hands on’ You may feel tired Ask questions Discuss your instrumental approach Don’t rationalize too much Table work Be interactive in your lessons Student quotes

18 Teacher–pupil relationships

‘This is what you should do’ Hearing feedback Performance anxiety in lessons Trying hard Flexibility The ‘Means-whereby’ Questions develop interactivity Demonstration Heroes Student quotes

19 Coordination

Sensory awareness and the environment Being in the Zone Balance and coordination More tension – less sensation Are you trying hard? (End-gaining) Less tension – more sensation – Direction Sense the vibrations your instrument Space in your body Expand your confidence Keep your thinking simple in performance Student quotes

20 Instrumental technique

Loss of good Use Send your head up! Connect your hands with your back Lead your arms with your hands How to turn to your instrument Depressing the keys, valves or strings Accents How the great players play Read the treatises with Alexander in mind Experiment and get it wrong Body map your instrumental technique Particular instrumental issues Violin and viola Cello Double bass Oboe, clarinet, recorder (and similar) Flute Bassoon Brass players Trumpet Trombone Horn Tuba Harp Piano Organ Guitar Singers Student quotes

21 What is good practice?

How long should we practise? How many hours? (Peter’s story) 20 minutes brilliant playing Structure your practice Are there exceptions? Keep breathing Include your eyes Mental chatter Remember to remember Inhibition Means-whereby Repetition Practise without the instrument Find a ‘Practice Partner’ Using a video camera Feel what it sounds like! Mind and body work as one Keep a practice diary Summary

PART SIX Performance

22 Performance anxiety

What are the fears involved? How do you feel in your concerts? How do you feel after your concerts? How is your Primary Control? Slow onset startle pattern Are you in balance? Are you breathing? How does your voice sound? Do you wear blinkers for concerts? What about a lie down? Do you use your imagination? How to let go of tension Can you sense what you are doing to yourself? If your lips are wobbling If you are raising your shoulders unnecessarily Are your arms and hands tense? Are you present in your concerts? Are you judgemental of other musicians? What performance are you preparing for?

23 Preparing for powerful performance

Learn the pieces Should you practice more? Run up and down stairs Be there – at the rehearsals Problem corners Be genuine Power through flexibility Your daily life style Warm-up Just before the concert Student quotes

24 Enhanced ensemble skills

Internal awareness External awareness Expanded field of attention Some practical applications Exceptional timing The three questions How to use your hearing Interactivity Student quotes

Conclusion Biographies of F. M. Alexander, F. P. Jones and Dr W. Barlow The development of the Alexander Technique at the Royal College of Music Biographies of the authors Glossary Bibliography Useful websites and contacts Copyright

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