Synchronicity

I see correspondences in everything and in my teaching; I use analogies from all facets of life, sometimes from the most unlikely of places. In fact, I see a “unified theory of everything” where everything can be reduced to a few basic truths. It is almost as if there is complete synchronicity in the world and everything is related to everything else.

Take for instance, the question of practicing the guitar and technical breakthroughs. I have just finished reading Chance and Chaos (published by Princeton University Press) by the eminent scientist, David Ruelle. In his book, Mr. Ruelle claims that despite all the knowledge we have of the natural world, there is still no scientific theory which can explain why water freezes at 0° C or boils at 100° C. According to what we know about matter and its behaviour, water should become “more and more viscous” if its temperature is lowered and gradually become solid at 0° C. As we all know, this is not the case. At 1° C, water is still liquid (and a very cold liquid at that) but if its temperature is lowered 1° more, it suddenly solidifies into ice.

Now, this is an extremely good analogy for how technical breakthroughs happen in guitar practice. I have never believed in the methodical and slow progressive approach to practicing because real life is never so neat and tidy. All my breakthroughs have happened suddenly and without warning, and usually after long periods of seemingly fruitless practice.

Those long periods of practice however were crucial to the breakthroughs. It’s analogous to lowering the temperature of water and if you keep on lowering it long enough, you will eventually get to 0° C, and the breakthrough will happen. In my opinion, too many students expect instant results from their practice, and when they do not see it on a day to day basis or even week to week basis, they give up.

So persistence is the key. Do not give up too easily because you may be just that 1° away from that big breakthrough.