Beware the Violinist’s ‘Autopilot’

You have done it, I have certainly done it, virtually all of us have done it at one time or another.

You know what I am talking about. Picking up the fiddle and playing through something with no conscious thought whatsoever. The fingers and bow moving as if by magic; muscle memory at the helm.

Well, let me tell you something. I had some rude awakenings trying to rely on that process in the past, and now I practice and perform with the ‘autopilot’ off.

Just to drive the point home, let me tell you a little story at my own expense.

I was about 11 years old, at the time, and I had come out to play the Bach ‘A Minor Concerto’ at one of my teacher’s recitals. I put the violin up to my chin, and then, I just stood there, frozen. I could not for the life of me think of the first note.

I laugh now, but I can tell you I was not laughing then. Especially as I walked to the piano, my face as red as the embers in a Boy Scout camp fire.

You see, I had played that piece by rote – brain off – so many times in the no pressure environment of my bedroom that when a little pressure was put on me, and I stopped to think, I came up with nada, zip.

Now, maybe nothing that extreme has happened to you. I certainly hope not.

The point is, really, that if you are not conscious of, and feeling each note, shift, bow stroke, musical gesture, etc., then you are leaving something on the table when it comes to being creative.

You are also missing a good deal of fun.

How you attain the highest level of body/mind consciousness when you practice and perform is an art and a science. The things you need to know to do this may be found in a new, groundbreaking course.

You will be delighted at how quickly you can adopt new habits that keep your head ‘in the game’ for the whole game.

All the best,
Clayton Haslop

P.S. In case you think what I have said today might help with ‘stage fright’, you’re right. But just to make sure, my next newsletter will tell you how to deal with that annoyance once and for all. Meanwhile, get over to ”Kreutzer for Violin Mastery, Vol. 1” and switch your autopilot off, permanently.