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Re: Visualization as a tool.



>From a veteran 39 year practicer, THANK you.   

whether it's in the way you said it, the lights, I don't know what, you just opened up something for me.  I've always visualized things, but not quite in this way... Thanks for laying this one out there.

bests,  todd

On Mon, May 19, 2008 at 3:27 PM, David Hayes <stringfling@gmail.com> wrote:

I guess this is technically off topic but all that talk about viral music in your head got me thinking about something that has really helped me in my looping... the technique of visualization.

When you hear music (in your head or out) you can practice visualizing the different parts. For me, this meant starting with one part and picturing colored lights for each of the following notes or chords---each light is  above or below then the light which proceeded it, by however many "steps" I thing it sounds like, corresponding with the notes. The colors can change to represent things too, such as different instruments, specific intervals, velocity and expression.

After a while, I got good at actually SEEING the music played on a fret board, keyboard, or saxophone, with fingers and everything.

The key doesn't even have to be accurate, just the intervals, for it to be GREAT practice.

I can't keep more then 3 parts in my head, and I can't run with that very long without it getting more abstract then precise.

But the point I'm trying to share is that you can practice anywhere. Visualize everything.... your foot hitting record to start the loop, gaging the time while moving your fingers, all of it.

If you do this right, it's about as good as actual practice.... Turns out you can improve you game while your in an elevator, washing the dishes, and wherever else you can blank out for a moment.

And it's fun.

This type of thing is good for any musician (any artist), but it's especially good for loopers. Helps raise the intention-to-experimentation ratio when juggling layers of sounds.




--
Still Life with Microphone @ The Flea Theater as part of EMF Lab, with opener Jennifer Stock.

Featuring music of Michael Lowenstern, the percussion of Satoshi Takeishi, and a surprise guest, a Still LIfe regular.

7pm @ The Flea Theater, Walker Street, NY