I don’t know that James Wing Woo has ever strummed a guitar or tapped a drum. But I do know that the legendary Kenpo Karate Master (who just turned 88 years old two days ago) has often spoken words that can prove valuable to all of us, in both musical and non-musical areas of our lives. Let’s begin by meditating on this simple, yet powerful, gem:
“Not speed, control. Not power, accuracy.”
Stop and really think about that for a second. What does mean to you?
Not speed . . .
Admit it, we all want to be able to perform with at least some level of speed. Perhaps some more than others- but who doesn’t think it would be great to bust out a flourish of flashy notes when the right moment calls for it? But how do we achieve sheer speed? In my years of practicing and teaching, I’ve learned that it’s certainly not attained by simply trying to play as fast as you’d like to play.
A) That isn’t usually possible in the first place; and
B) Just simply going “flat-out balls-to-the-walls” inevitably creates tension. Tension in the fingers, hands, wrists, arms, neck, shoulders . . . all working against, rather than for, us. The result is quite opposite our desired outcome. We tighten up, our notes gradually become slower and slower, and we ultimately do our bodies physical harm.
Perfect practice makes perfect. And makes you fast! Slow, repetitive practice over an extended period of time brings about muscle memory. Once a motion (be it the major scale or a paradiddle-diddle) has fully “set-in,” it becomes so deeply ingrained, that very little conscious thought is involved in starting or continuing it. When you reach the point that you can stop thinking about it, you’ll be playing with all the speed you’ll ever need/want! But, rob yourself of that opportunity by practicing with ill-focus, poor technique and tension, and you undermine your own growth and goals. It’s your call. What’s it gonna be?
. . . control
Does the lesson learned here apply to our non-musical lives? Most definitely. We’ve all heard the idiom, “haste makes waste.” Why? Because it’s true. While I’m a huge proponent of the Ready, Fire, Aim approach to life, it’s also necessary to breathe, retain control, avoid being spastic, and make intelligent decisions that with help us, not hurt us.
We live in a society that’s constantly changing and moving at the speed of light. Media outlets and advertisers begging for our time, attention and money everywhere we turn. Instant gratification is king- we want what we want, and we want it NOW.
Stop for a moment before saying yes to that big purchase; before adding yet another lame, time-sucking appointment to your calendar; before taking on that project just because it’ll make you look like Mr. Big Shot to your co-workers. Think about what you really want. Think short term. Think long term. What are your goals? You most likely want to “get ahead.” Are the decisions you’re making getting you ahead? Or are they just keeping you busy . . . and actually slowing you down? Remember, “busy” does NOT necessarily mean “productive.” Control, Daniel-san. Control.
Not power . . .
As a percussionist, there is no method of getting a huge, punchy sound out of my drums that can trump very precisely striking at one specific location on the instrument. That location might vary from drum to drum, but there is always a “magic spot” that allows me to create maximum sound (and tone) with minimal effort. Not unlike our “speed” discussion above, slowly and intently focusing on targeting that spot with pinpoint accuracy begets all the power I’d need for any reasonable gig. Anything louder than that, and somebody’d better have some mics on-hand! I’ve also heard string players and pianists talk of this same concept. I would imagine it applies to nearly every instrument.
. . . accuracy
Again, a non-musical application? Maybe you’ve already thought of one.
A word that jumps to mind for me is clarity. I believe that, in order for our words (and the ideas we present to others) to be powerful and carry weight and influence, it is absolutely imperative that they are conveyed with accuracy and clarity. If you’ve ever sat through a keynote address given by someone who seemed unrehearsed, insecure or unclear how his/her ideas fit the conference objectives, you know exactly what I’m talking about. I don’t care what he was presenting, his ideas probably didn’t sink in too well.
I was reminded of this earlier this month, when I had to stand and give my Best Man speech at a friend’s wedding reception. I was nervous, but really wanted to say something touching, something funny, something powerful. In order to do that, it was essential for me to be accurate. That meant bouncing ideas around in my head well in advance of the date, carefully crafting the content and flow, writing an outline on notecards, and rehearsing it over-and-over the day of the event.
Have more thoughts on how to incorporate “Not speed, control . . . not power, accuracy” into our musical and non-musical lives? Steve and I would love to hear ‘em.
Comment below and share with the rest of us!
(Many thanks to Steve for inviting me to guest post!)
I know I mentioned it at the end of the post, but thanks again for allowing me to contribute to your site, Steve! Here's hopin' we get to make some music together one day . . .
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