This ebook, An Alexander Technique Approach to Banjo Technique, is published on this website in a PDF format. It is very detailed and practical, and it will give you the physical tools you need to take the limits off of your ability to create an extraordinarily accurate and kind banjo performance.
This ebook is also for sale on all AMAZON websites in a KINDLE format.
Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. (MOVEMENT THERAPY)
The idea for this essay grew out of a conversation with a writer. The writer talked about an idea for a book where someone who spoke a different language as a child was losing emotional contact with a frightening past, because he was not thinking or speaking the language of his childhood as an adult.
This got me to thinking, “What would happen to a banjo player who had been taught to play the banjo in one language and was now revamping his or her technique in a different language?”
So, let’s say you learned to play the banjo in German but you were now taking care of the weaknesses to your technique with an Alexander Technique teacher in English. Would this be an even more profound transformation of your banjo technique, than if you were making the changes in the same language?
Yes! It could be pretty dramatic, the change from the old to new banjo technique. Why? BECAUSE IT COULD FEEL LIKE YOU WERE TRULY A BRAND NEW BEGINNER ON THE BANJO. Why?
As a banjo player gains mastery over the instrument, the directions followed are in the language spoken, and two things happen. The first is that certain elements of the banjo player’s technique are so integrated into playing the banjo, that the banjo player stops verbalizing what is going on as he or she plays. So, even though the banjo player is playing from conditioned habits, the underlying framework is still the original language spoken.
The second thing that usually happens is the banjo player may still be correcting his or her technique in the language that the banjo player learned to play in, even years later, as a way to strive for improvement (perfection).
Given these two verbal and nonverbal possibilities occurring as the banjo player plays, and the banjo player having problems in his or her playing, would it make technique and postural changes easier and quicker in a different language?
Here is a reason it might not. As an Alexander Technique teacher, when I’ve taught musicians whose first language isn’t English, and they’re not in command of the subtleties of the English language, I’ve had communication problems. This means I’ve had to find a way to verbalize a new concept to make a change to a performer’s technique in more than one way, to clearly communicate the depth of the technique change. I’ve been able to, but I’ve had to be very patient and ask the right questions to make sure the performer understands exactly what I want.
Now, let’s assume the banjo player has a very subtle command of English as his or her second language, and I begin to teach the banjo player how to play with beautiful posture and effortless technique, this can be an amazing experience for the banjo player. Why? BECAUSE I’M GOING TO NOT ONLY SHOW THE BANJO PLAYER HOW TO PLAY WITH GREAT POSTURE AND GREAT TECHNIQUE, I’M GOING TO ALSO TEACH THE BANJO PLAYER HOW TO MAKE TECHNIQUE AND POSTURAL CHANGES NON-CRITICALLY.
My experience as an Alexander Technique teacher has been that many fine banjo players who come to me have gotten good at the instrument by being tough on themselves, really pushing themselves with criticism to excel.
So, now the banjo player who learned to play in German is now going to use English to make changes to his or her banjo playing.
We’re making two huge changes to the banjo player’s approach to the banjo – PLAYING THE BANJO WITHOUT CRITICISM AND USING A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE TO MAKE POSTURAL AND TECHNIQUE CHANGES TO THE BANJO PLAYER’S PLAYING.
There is a huge potential in this unique circumstance to truly shift away from having used negative reinforcement to become a fine banjo player, to FULLY using positive kind discernment to become an amazing banjo player.
When a banjo player works with me who had used negative reinforcement, it is a radical change to work with an Alexander Technique teacher. Why? I’m able to teach the banjo player how to play the banjo with the whole body and never pay a physical price again. To do so in a different language, can make it easier for the banjo player to not talk to him or herself harshly, as the banjo player learns to do something new on the banjo.
I’m not advocating going out and finding an Alexander Technique teacher to teach you in a different language, but I thought it would be really interesting to look at a huge element of what had shaped your banjo playing – how you talked to yourself as you learned the instrument and the language you spoke as a beginner, and what it could mean to your relationship to the banjo to change both.
