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Re: Foot timing



Hello all

timing is incredibly dependant of the state of mind and physical posture 
you're in when you play

more than 20 years of guitar teaching and rythm practicing have definitly 
proven to me that when you let it go, relax , _not_ focus on _the_ spot 
you 
try to play/press but just play it without any concern if it will work or 
not, your timing will improve imensely

AND

calm and stop ALL your upper body moves/shakes/nervous tics untill you 
feel 
deconnected to your playing untill you feel like a spectator of your 
playing. Also try to search for any tension in your neck, shoulders, 
elbows 
etc and dissolve them

AND

correct the verticality of you spine neck system

All this can be an immense change of perception of who you thought you 
where 
while playing, and, may confuse you for a while but it is worth it if you 
feel your rythm playing is deserves it.

an excellent book by Pedro de Alcantara 
http://www.pedrodealcantara.com/index.html
Indirect Procedures: A Musician's Guide to the Alexander Technique

for those interested by a big rythm massage check my "polyrhythm for the 
fingerstyle guitar player" article on
www.claudevoit.ch

relax relax relax

Claude





> it may help to imagine that footstep as a part of the piece, like a drum 
> beat to be played
> with the foot. dancing around and incorporating that step into the 
>groove.
>
> i had an interesting expierience trying to loop on the last beat four of 
>a 
> four bar phrase.
> it was much harder to do than stepping on the big one, although that 
> particular beat four was a pause...
>
> my timing got better by stepping with verve, stomping hard down on that 
> mother.
> it was loud, so when i heard these stomps in the loop, i practiced 
> stomping rhythmically precise but soft.
>
> well, all you loopers out there will know what it means to have to 
>listen 
> to a badly closed loop
> until your piece is over...
>
>
> smooth looping to everybody!
>
> tilmann
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "samba -" <sambacomet@hotmail.com>
> To: <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 9:56 PM
> Subject: Foot timing
>
>
>>
>>  The problem of anticipation is, perhaps, the most common problem  for 
>> rhythm students. One can focus on counting the spaces as well as the 
>down 
>> beats,1e + a 2e + a etc,and practice entering on each of the 
>> subdivisions. Slower tempos are harder. In several ways it's harder to 
>> play slow than fast. Empty space can be the most difficult  element in 
>> music(and in shooting pool,maybe in life in general.)
>>  Another thing that can help is examining the actual foot technique- is 
>> it stable, Is the heel on or off the ground ,is the motion throwing the 
>> rest of the body off balance,such to throw timing? Also how long does 
>it 
>> take the pedal action to work It's necessary for the action to complete 
>> on the beat ,which may mean it has to start slightly before. This is 
>why 
>> some people play shakers or tamborines off time ,they aren't thinking 
>> about the travel time for the moving parts,another empty space issue.
>>
>> _________________________________________________________________
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>
>