Francis Beacon on Playing Classical Guitar Naturally

Tuesday Quotes are short explorations of music, life, and the daily endeavor of practicing classical guitar. Find more here. Enjoy!

“Nature, in order to be commanded, must be obeyed.”

Francis Bacon

In his Kitharologous, Ricardo Iznaola offers this quote by Francis Bacon. But as true as it sounds, what does it actually mean?

When we talk about learning and practicing classical guitar, what is “Nature”?

So much in music is thought to be “in the ear of the beholder”. But Bacon suggests that there are deeper truths that govern our art. He implies that it’s only through mastery of these core elements that we create “natural” art and music.

So what are they?

Perhaps we can reference the building blocks of music in general:

time (rhythm)
pitch (notes)
volume (loud vs. soft)
and timbre (in guitar, tone quality).

For any piece of music, these are indeed a great place to start. And improving any of these will bring our music to higher levels.

But to create any of the above, we have to use our human bodies. And this brings in more “nature”.

If we use our bodies wrong, we can cause pain and injury. Or at the least, we can limit our abilities to execute the four musical building blocks above.

So “nature” now includes our positioning and form, and how we move our hands. It could also include how well we listen and pay attention.

Looking at music in this light, we can perhaps do best by putting complex patterns and pieces aside, and focus for a while instead on beefing up the basics.

We can slow down and release the need to reach a goal or finish line. Now, we just may find joy and meaning in the small incremental improvements that come with focused practice.

When we focus on the fundamentals, we set ourselves up to one day “command nature”.

Hi, I’m Allen Mathews.

I started as a folk guitarist, then fell in love with classical guitar in my 20’s. Despite a lot of practice and schooling, I still couldn’t get my music to flow well. I struggled with excess tension. My music sounded forced. And my hands and body were often sore. I got frustrated, and couldn’t see the way forward. Then, over the next decade, I studied with two other stellar teachers – one focused on the technical movements, and one on the musical (he was a concert pianist). In time, I came to discover a new set of formulas and movements. These brought new life and vitality to my practice. Now I help guitarists find more comfort and flow in their music, so they play more beautifully.
Click here for a sample formula.

Allen I have looked for the right online teacher for classical guitar for 8 months. Spent some money in the process. Never got anywhere. Then I found your site. Excellent! I now believe I will reach my goals in playing some beautiful music in the future.

Thank you,

Chuck

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Life is good, still enjoying [The Woodshed Program], the progress is life altering, I love it. The physical challenges of my situation have rained havoc for over half my life. In spite of those little pests this 40$ Yamaha classical who needed a new home and your course has given me the "part the clouds for the sun to shine through" outlook. You see, even when I am unable to play I know she patiently waits for my return as I do. A giant void in my journey was filled with light.

~ Ken Montz

-Ken Montz