Chapter 4 Chapter 3 From white belt to black belt—only practice

We should be lucky if we are qualified to be experts at something in our lives.Professional ability is hard-won, some people often don't get it for nothing, and many people lack the willpower and belief required to develop expertise. The purpose of this dojo is to provide a resting place for those who have willpower and faith and want to learn Zen guitar. The Japanese call this kind of practice Shuye, which literally means to control one's own behavior.As long as you follow the Tao of Zen Guitar, you are practicing. Even if you reach a black belt or higher stage, you will not reach a conclusion at the end of the practice. The Tao of Zen Guitar will never end.

However, don't let the length of the journey put you off, all you need to do is focus and stay focused on what you're doing.Continue to stay on this road and step out step by step.In this way, you will have joy in the process of struggling. Once you pick up your guitar, tune it before you start playing.You need to establish a practice mode first, but how to do it is up to you. You can develop your own practice methods, or follow the courses designed by other teachers. If you want to learn a particular style of playing, you You can find a teacher or find a book to teach you. If your ear is very good, you can listen to the songs and learn by yourself, imitate a certain riff in your favorite record, and these songs have everything you want. express feelings.You might as well think of them as a way to find your own musical voice.Many different formulas are useful, so there is no real formula that can be applied. The important thing is to use your own abilities and methods as much as possible, and learn from the people and things around you. As for how to learn?When to learn?It doesn't matter, as long as you are really studying.

I divided this intermediate stage from white belt to black belt into two major teaching themes. 1. Twelve points of concentration. Second, the twelve common mistakes. In the initial training stage, you should pay special attention to the twelve points of concentration. Human beings are creatures of habit. It is of course best to establish a proper practice method as soon as possible.Because habits can make us feel at ease, and habits make us familiar. In this dojo, you must have good habits to cultivate peace of mind.You don't have to get rid of all your flaws, you just start a new habit of doing things right the first time.The next time you encounter a similar situation, expect the same from yourself. If you do this, bad habits will naturally be corrected one by one, bringing each point into your practice and your lifestyle. think.Practice playing according to these points, which will help you on the right path of Zen guitar practice.

The twelve common mistakes every musician must try to avoid at critical moments of learning.When practicing Zen guitar, we must be alert to ourselves all the time. The loss of a small detail will make us deviate from the right path.If we don't reflect from time to time, as time goes by, our deviations will make us farther and farther away from the right path. Those who drink alcohol most often say, I'll just take another sip.Many Yunshui monks think they are on the right path after getting lost, and for some, that small sip may be an excuse to skip a practice.After a year, the guitar was covered in dust and cobwebs.Selfishness, ego, laziness, just a little action can take you a long way.You must always reflect on whether you have deviated from the right path, and make corrections as you go.If you don't notice these shortcomings, you will drift away from the right path.

As long as you always keep in mind the twelve points of concentration and the twelve common mistakes to avoid, you can do whatever you want.Follow these principles throughout your life, and your efforts will surely pay off. Spirit Rhythm Skill Feel Perfect make a mistake phases and stagnation discipline limit implement taste teamwork Playing the guitar is a physical activity that requires regular practice.In this respect, playing the guitar is no different than throwing the discus, or hurdling a race like swimming a butterfly.The limbs themselves must also possess intelligence, and the muscles have to undergo new and disciplined training methods to learn certain physical movements.

Physical challenges force the mind to overcome obstacles: pain, fatigue, lack of self-confidence.You won't progress if you don't develop mental strength, so use the training here to develop mental strength. While the body is trying out new movements, it forces the mind to focus and gain focus, direction and determination.Conversely, if your body tires of an activity, your mind must demand the discipline and patience of your muscles to complete it.For example, people who are new to the guitar often complain that fingertips hurt when they press the strings.But soon, the mind commands our hands to endure the discomfort until calluses grow on the fingertips.Anyone who jogs knows that when the body wants to give up, the mind steps in and says: No.

We experience frustration when our bodies resist carrying out our mind's commands, or when our minds get confused about what our body is asking.But the conflict between mind and body is part of an inner discipline that can make us confront our motivations and limitations: Why do we spend so much time practicing?Why do we crave what we want?Are we willing to make sacrifices for progress?Are we asking our body to do something it cannot do?The answers to these questions determine the progress of our Zen guitar practice. Restraint is part of determination, as the samurai used to say "tie your heart tight." When you first came, you were like a little wild horse, wandering, unfocused, unfocused, and after training you learned to restrain your raw energy , can be controlled freely like a racehorse.Some beginners got on a tired horse when they first came here. After training, they learned to gradually accumulate energy by strengthening their muscles.

Below I borrow three maxims from the spirit of the Japanese bushido. When training, you must always keep these three points in mind: 1. Don’t ask, just practice. Some questions can only be answered after you experience it yourself.With proper practice, one day, the answers will emerge.Only through your own personal experience can you know the Tao. 2. The more frustrated you become, the more courageous you will be. If you're underperforming, take it easy.Those most discouraging thoughts: I can't learn this, my hands aren't strong enough, I'll never be able to do this well...don't say it out loud, burn these thoughts inside your head before you say it.

It is said that when martial arts star Bruce Lee had negative thoughts in his mind, he would write down the words that came to his mind on a piece of paper, and then burn the paper. You may wish to apply this method to your practice. 3. You are your own worst enemy. On the path of Zen guitar, what matters is not the obstacles we face, but our attitude when we respond to them.You must be able to master reactions to unexpected and unfortunate situations before you can master Zen guitar. Once you focus on the path, any physical labor, no matter how small, becomes a training of the mind.Make good use of every opportunity, such as washing dishes, making beds, mowing the lawn, and so on.Keep your mind away from laziness and doubts, and focus on the work in front of you. This spirit will guide everything you do. This is the necessary spirit for us to understand Zen guitar.

I often hear people say that they have no natural sense of rhythm, which is a misconception.A person with a heartbeat has a sense of rhythm; as long as you can inhale and exhale, you have a sense of rhythm; as long as you can walk, you have a sense of rhythm.The point is that you have to feel life, and then put your discoveries into your music. In Japanese, the rhythm is called beat, which is literally a child clapping hands. You must feel this rhythm, it is as natural as a child clapping hands. Zen Guitar does not require you to play rhythms other than those that come from you.But you have to be able to coordinate the rhythm of yourself and others, you have to feel their rhythm, we are all born with this ability.At the end of the concert, watch how the audience applauds loudly when they ask for an encore.At the beginning, each audience applauded with their own rhythm, but then the whole concert hall clapped their hands neatly as if locked to the same rhythm, which is a group-level rhythm.

Everything has its rhythm, like the change of seasons, the waxing and waning of the moon, the waxing and waning of the sun and the moon, the movement of the tides, the ebb and flow of the tide, in the tide, between the waves, every time it lands and is pushed back into the sea in the waves.Even unnatural things have rhythms, like man-made, crackling car windshield wipers, telephone dials, or the dehydrator of a washing machine.Abstract things also have a rhythm, such as beauty, space, way of life and ideas.There are also rhythms in human relationships, like the resonant interaction between people.The communities we live in also have rhythms, like neighborhood streets, townships, and city-to-city communal emotions. You must learn to feel the rhythm that overlaps with every aspect of your life, and then put it into your playing.Basketball players often say that there must be rhythm in shooting.Rhythm here refers to the flow of the game.In other words, they want their movements to flow naturally, which is rhythm. You also learn to feel the rhythm of numbers, and students familiar with mathematics should feel familiar with the sequence of music.Music is also full of mathematics. Scales, beats, time and the frequency of sound waves all contain elements of mathematics.If you understand the subdivision of numbers, you also understand the rhythms in numbers.Most importantly, always feel the beat, whether it comes from the rhythm itself or from the bottom of your soul. Remember, you can't just feel the rhythm with your mind.You have to experience it with your body.When your body repeatedly experiences a rhythmic pattern, over time, no matter how basic or complex that rhythm is, that rhythm becomes deeply embedded in your soul. If your mind is wide enough, you can even get a feel for the beat with something that might be out of rhythm.All things have a fundamental pulsation, and their source is the same. On the path of Zen guitar practice, there is nothing more profound than this. Some teachers offer a whole set of courses just for guitar skills, including the skills of picking strings, sliding strings, and playing on the fingerboard with both hands at the same time.Knowing the technique is necessary, there is no doubt about it, especially if you want to talk about a certain style.But you can't learn Zen guitar by looking for technique alone. From a Zen guitar perspective, learning technique is not the way to become a musician.No matter what technique you use, the sound itself is the point.If you want to spend a lot of time practicing your skills, do it.Because we all have to invest time in it.However, the more complex the technique, the more mindfulness practice you will have to put into it.Our goal in this dojo is to train musicians to play without being aware of technique.The focus of the musician should be to play the music with the proper spirit. Technique allows us to express quickly and clearly, but only if we have an idea to express through the instrument.Sometimes a musician with rough technique has more emotion to say than a player with impeccable technique. At this time, who has a higher level of music? You just learn the skills you need and that's it.This is the way of Zen guitar. Many beginners believe that in order to play music, you must first learn to read the score, but in this dojo, it is more important to feel. Learning Japanese can deepen a person's understanding of Japan. Similarly, learning notation and notation can undoubtedly deepen one's understanding of music.By understanding the written language of music, composers can communicate with musicians through time and record their music without using their voices. However, learning to read and write music does not take advantage of the practice of Zen guitar.We say that a person can play Mozart, no more than we say that an actor can read Shakespeare.What matters is not the ability to read, but how the musician brings soul and emotion into the work.Two actors who can memorize the same script may only have one who can create a more vivid and real character.It's the same with music, more important than reading notation and hitting the right notes is that the sound must have an atmosphere, a personal pulse that resonates with all the sounds. Grasping the right feeling is not something that can be done by skill alone.It's like someone said that in the theater world, if you notice how good someone's acting is, it's not good acting, it's about aura, it's a resonance of spiritual life. The way of Zen guitar is to be understood by ears and heart, not by rational mind.So a successful self-taught blues player from rural Mississippi can understand Zen guitar in a way that a Juilliard graduate might not.The Tao exists in the spirit and depth of the performance, not in the complexity of the technique.Don't let learning intervene and interfere with the naturalness that music demands.It's always easy to think too much, you just play it, if it feels right, it's right. The whole point of training is trying to do your best.Just like golfers try to hit the ball perfectly every time they swing.Likewise, guitarists want to hit every note perfectly.Perfection means that it is difficult to achieve, people are not sages, and there is nothing wrong with them.But mistakes cannot be easily accepted.If every member of a quintet said: I only made one mistake on that recording.So, there are five mistakes in this recording.Everyone has to go back to the beginning.So please have the determination to perform perfectly every time. Many mistakes are caused by excessive self-awareness and too much attention to body movements.Mistakes in throwing, catching or catching a ball, or shooting a field goal, are often due to players paying too much attention to the ball.The same goes for Zen guitar.When you pay too much attention to what your hands are doing, you put the music aside.Overcome self-consciousness through practice.Practice will make our muscles generate wisdom, and achieve the state of synchronous reflection of thinking and action.In this way our technique will also become natural.This is a bit like what Zen masters told us: normal mind. To achieve this natural state is no different from learning how to drive or type.When we first started to learn to drive, we were very unconfident. We always checked the rear-view mirror nervously, always turned at too large angles, and often braked suddenly.It's the same when we first learn to type, our fingers move carefully across the keyboard, each movement is deliberate. But after practice, our muscles gradually no longer rely on thinking. We use our hands to control the steering wheel, our feet start to move naturally between the gas pedal and the brake pedal, and our fingers quickly find the correct letter on the keyboard without thinking.After a long period of practice, these movements will become as common as walking. But practice alone won't achieve perfection.As a well-known baseball coach said: Perfect practice makes perfect.This is the attitude you need to know about Zen guitar. Sometimes in life a mistake can lead to death, such as running a red light.But in other areas of the game, mistakes can bring about a kind of regeneration. The spirit of Zen Guitar is to learn while making mistakes.The process of salvaging mistakes and turning them into art.Try the following the next time you make a mistake: Accidentally play a note wrong, and talk about the mistake again.It's like you're sure you want this note.A guitar player friend of mine said: Learn to laugh at awkward situations.You have to be careful not to make mistakes, but when they do, learn from them.Use mistakes as springboards to help you enter another new world.Accident is the key to innovation. When things go wrong, sublimate it into art and bring this spirit into every area of ​​your life. The practice of Zen guitar is like climbing an invisible wall.Think of the process of spiritual practice as rock climbing.Sometimes, if you want to climb higher, you must first develop to the side. Sometimes, you may have to stop and rest, regroup, or even go down a level before continuing to start.When we climbed the stairs, although we had one foot behind, we were still going forward.You want to take these actions as part of the overall spiritual progress.Sometimes you have to be aggressive, and other times you have to go with the flow.The spirit is the same, only the strategy is slightly different. In such a long journey, the whole process of practice includes many stages and stagnations.Serious beginners will make rapid progress at first, and the rate of progress will gradually slow down after a while.And we may try harder and harder and still not make any progress.But suddenly, our abilities have entered a new stage.It's like coming to a plain reclaimed from the forest, suddenly enlightened. As you go farther, be aware that your stagnation will also be longer.At this point, you feel like you're just following a routine.The solution is to focus on mental training, which means paying attention to what you are doing.Don't think about what you want to achieve in the future.And don't look back: I just got here.As long as you really put in the effort, you will break through to the next level. Long-term progress will not happen step by step according to your timetable. When you step into a new phase, don't think that your difficulties will disappear.The objectives of each stage present a new set of puzzles, which you should know beforehand. Whatever you do, do it only at your natural pace.Don't let irrelevant things bother you.There is no last train on the road of Zen guitar practice. This road has no destination and no time limit.If someone is chasing you, let them go, they don't go the way we do, you're moving fast enough as long as your spirit keeps going. The key to autonomy is discipline. Discipline governs how, when, and what we train. However, many people remain confused about what discipline really means. I once heard a sports coach talk about discipline: do what you are supposed to do, in the time it takes, do it as best as you can, and do it every time.For Zen guitar, this is the best definition of discipline, let's break it down: There are many things in life that we want to do and things we know we should do, which are often in conflict.We'd rather spend than save, we'd rather watch TV than read, we'd want snacks rather than diet, and discipline can force us to follow our higher nature. Once we can discipline ourselves, we feel better about ourselves for it.Discipline is different from self-denial. Some people deny what they want to do in the name of discipline. This behavior is actually out of stubbornness, distress and fear.Self-denying people don't feel better even if they do what they should do.In the practice of Zen guitar, doing the right thing with the wrong spirit will lead to other problems. If you still have to ask what is the right thing to do, don't ask anything, just practice. The time for completion is now. If you think in your heart: I want to find a way to fix that thing, then take out the tools and fix it. When you hear yourself say, I've always wanted to write that letter, sit down and start writing. If you feel like you have a lot to do but don't know where to start, just pick something and start doing it.No matter how trivial, get it done before moving on to the next one.Like Bushido said: Attack the corners.Tackle the little things first, then work your way up to the big ones. There is a famous koan that describes the attitude required for this discipline: A monk said to the Zen master Monk Zhaozhou, I have just converted to Buddhism, please teach me. Monk Zhaozhou said: Have you eaten porridge? The monk replied: I have eaten it. Then you'd better wash the dishes now, Monk Zhaozhou said. I saw a similar example at a karate dojo.The teacher came out of the office, called a student to turn on the light, and then began the class.When the lights were turned on, one of the bulbs flickered and burned out.The master continued to teach.After about an hour and a half, when the class was over, the master went straight into the office and came out with a new light bulb.Does this person know when to do things? If you're going to do something, do it carefully.It's of no use if you don't practice it carefully.Legend has it that Zen master Fanshan learned this when he overheard a conversation between a butcher and a customer in his youth. Give me the best meat you have here, said the guest. Everything in my shop is the best, replied the butcher.There is no cut of meat here that is not the best.The butcher knew he had done his job the best he could. To really understand this aspect of discipline, you need to understand what was mentioned earlier: getting it done when it's due.We often don't set aside enough time to get work done properly.We also often procrastinate or underestimate how long it will take to get things done.If you're getting ready to do something, give yourself plenty of time.You can't do something high-quality in a hurry. Whether you have discipline alone depends on whether he has consistently applied the above principles.Surely the aforementioned monk could find something else to do besides washing dishes.The butcher may also be too tired to ensure that every piece of meat under the knife is the best.So how do they maintain discipline? The key here is to stop thinking about doing things right every time, which seems too biased.You just have to do one thing right at a time, this time, in the present moment.That's all you should care about. Do what you gotta do, when you gotta do it, do it the best you can, and do it every time.Follow this principle and you will definitely understand Zen guitar. As the saying goes, no matter how tall a tree is, it will never grow to the sky.People are the same, each of us has physical limitations.No matter how much training you have, there are certain things that are too heavy for you to lift, certain heights that you simply cannot climb, and certain spaces that are simply too small for you to squeeze in.Even if we keep trying with the spirit of practicing stunts, some things are still beyond our ability. People who follow Zen guitar will eventually face their personal limits.What we need to do is test our limits, stretch our limits, and then understand them and accept them. You should know our limits so we can live with them.Limits often lead us to create opportunities and discover abilities that we hadn't discovered before.For example, I knew a female Japanese pianist who couldn't play certain classical pieces because her hands were too small to extend much.So he turned to composing and became a respected composer. We discover our limits by accepting challenges.If you think the homework given by the teacher is too easy, then do more than the teacher assigns.It's not out of ego, it's not about showing how good you are, or you want to be rewarded, it's about genuinely wanting to improve.Pace your pace, but push yourself to find your limits.If your teacher tells you that your homework is too difficult, remember to do your best to complete it.Because the teacher may know your personal limit better than you. There are limits we just can't overcome, and when we encounter them, know that they can cause us pain and shatter our dreams and aspirations.However, Zen Guitar requires you to admit the facts and accept the truth.We can't rely on unreachable dreams, some things just don't intersect with our destiny.When we set out to explore the world, each of us was given a seed.No one knows what the seed will grow into.But we're going to nurture it, help him grow, and accept him for who he is.If the seed grows into a lemon tree, then we should learn to make lemon juice from it.We'll add the old saying: make it the best you can, and do it with joy. If you are satisfied with your own talent, you don't have to envy others.Some people have a whole body of talents, but they are not happy at all, while some people with mediocre talents can live a mediocre and contented life.Who do you think will be the first of these two people on the road of Zen guitar? I don't want you to become complacent in your Zen practice, no one can discover all the limits.Those who often say: I don't need to learn music theory, or I don't want to learn diminished chords, are actually putting themselves outside the door of learning.Often a new perspective or a new chord can open up a new world for you. In addition to knowing what is best for you, it is more important that you remain natural and always be curious. Remember, trees don't grow all the way to the sky, but they keep growing.Now that I've told you the essentials of knowing Zen guitar, you don't need to look elsewhere or seek refuge elsewhere.You just keep digging down where you are. The path of Zen guitar has no end, but as long as you are careful to stay on the path of meditation, short-term goals can focus your mind.No matter what goal you set.Give a zero-flaw recital, attend a jazz recital, record an album, don't think of these goals as the end, think of them as a waypoint on the journey.Follow through in everything you do, and the path will go on endlessly. There is a Chinese proverb: Whoever travels a hundred miles, half ninety.If you don't follow through on your goals well, then all your previous efforts will be in vain.We can see this everywhere in our life experience.Victory on the battlefield may become meaningless because of a flaw in the region and the treaty.On the golf course, a three-hundred-yard tee shot is worthless because of a wrong final three-foot swing.A figure skater stumbles on the last jump, and the entire performance is ruined.The perfect recording you just made in the studio can be for naught if there is a slight mishap while mastering in the factory. People like to see the end, the completion of a goal.But because of this, we can easily deviate from the current path and the work in front of us.Like a 100-meter sprinter, he rushed to the finish line energetically.Instead of focusing on the goal, focus on the process.If you find yourself dreaming, remember that things don't count until they happen. Even if it's an individual piece of homework, hitting a tennis ball, shooting a basketball, strumming a chord, keep your mind in the present moment.Failure to follow through on goals cuts off your spirit.Zen masters call this "gap", that is, "stagnant mind". You must keep your mind flowing at all times without obstacles. I once heard a Japanese flutist say that while he was practicing his teacher would go to the next room to do something else.After I came back, the teacher said, "When I don't pay much attention to you, I think you play well, but when I really pay attention to listening, I think it's not good."What the teacher noticed was the gap between the students.When the student is doing it fluently, the teacher is on task.But when the students show reservations, the teacher will not be able to think fluently, so he will pay attention to listening to the music. In the true spirit of Yunshui, if your thoughts float like clouds and flow like water, you can avoid gaps.Both clouds and water are in motion.As you practice, carry out the spirit of follow through in each direction before moving on to follow through. No matter how well you play, no matter how great your spirit is, no matter how authentic your music is, some people just won't be moved by your music, your music won't suit their taste. Everyone in the world has their own tastes, and life is therefore mixed.Some people like it salty, some people like it spicy, some people like it sweet, and some people like it sour.The same is true for music. Person A feels that the angelic harmonious movement may sound too sweet to Person B.Listeners sitting in the eighth row found the chord variations to be very deep, but those in the ninth row might find them too ostentatious. Some musicians change their tastes based on commercial considerations in order to cater to a wider audience.But they still have to face the risk of being rejected.If the musicians and the audience don't like the music in the end, then what is the purpose of the music? Don't get me wrong, I also believe in taste.I think a guitar player must have those qualities, but my standards will not be the same as yours. On the way of learning Zen guitar, develop your taste according to your listening preferences, and learn from the musicians you admire.Then trust your own taste, like a chef knows how spicy he likes it.If someone can't accept it, then you have to accept the fact.At least I satisfied myself.Remember, though, that tastes change.Some music we have to learn to appreciate, some music will accumulate over time and slowly take root in our hearts, and some music will not attract our attention for a long time, but when we drive on the highway one time When, at the right moment, it caught us. Bring out your true emotions, and when the audience is ready, they will find this authenticity. In this dojo, we each go our own way, but we often discover the way of Zen guitar when we cooperate. Those who practice here have to learn to work with others.To join a group, you have to rely on others and let others rely on you.Self is to be suppressed for the good of the group.These courses are also applicable to interpersonal communication in society. A jazz musician said: real musicians can get along, and ordinary people will be out of tune.Try to find the way of harmony, and you can always stay on the way of Zen guitar. Through teamwork we learn to harmonize our rhythms—our innate rhythms—with the rhythms of everything.Thus, we also develop a habit.When you start working with someone, keep these things in mind: partner, vision and chemistry. Get in touch with people who are passionate about their work, look for people who are professionally capable, have perfect goals, and are passionate about their work, and work with them.You can learn from them, and your work can benefit from it. Be careful of those who harm others and benefit themselves, and those ordinary people who follow others and take your interests for their own protection.Both types value status in life more than work. When you surround yourself with unprofessional, incompetent, or ordinary people, you suffer a lot. If your partner has a great vision for the future and you don't, follow the other person's vision.If you have a great vision for the future and your partner doesn't, seek their cooperation and help them understand your vision. If neither party has a great vision for the future, cultivate a consensus first.Or, at least find a shared vision until it's over.A plan that lacks a vision produces mediocre results at best—and usually a waste of everyone's time. If both visions are strong and conflicting, try to find a vision that aligns. Find out whether the conflict between the two parties is due to different artistic viewpoints or based on self-consciousness.If you presuppose cooperation, you sacrifice yourself for the good of the whole.But remember, don't weaken the power of the final resolution.I've paraphrased a proverb: Too many producers spoil their mixes in the studio. We are not limited by most groups in our lives, only a few groups do limit us.In those rare opportunities, learn what a band is and how to be a real band. An orchestra is not just a combination of individuals.In essence, he focuses on the performance of the whole rather than the sum of the performances of the individual members.Whether it's for music, sports, business, marriage or sex, when the right people come together, there is a spiritual fusion.This kind of fusion cannot be bought with money, nor can it be forced or deliberately produced. It is simply a chemical reaction from nature. In most groups, there is no chemistry between members.Like a random combination of molecules, their combination inspired nothing in particular.Their talents are comparable, and the supergroups and all-star orchestras in the music industry cannot make exciting music. Two water molecules make one oxygen molecule, and the result of the mixture has properties far beyond its base element.The same goes for us, a great band depends on the chemistry between the members. Human chemistry is not a science, and no one knows how the magic works.But we can feel the extraordinary when both sides happen.Those involved will feel it too.When you find great band chemistry, remember to treasure her because you're about to start making something amazing. self doubt immediate gratification self absent-minded overzealous speed compete Paranoid harsh criticism reverse error lose focus think too much On the long road of cultivation, it is inevitable that you will encounter times of self-doubt. When you hear the wonderful music played by others, you may doubt whether you can do it too. Don’t worry, you can definitely do it.但是，你一定要保持恰当的角度，禅吉他是要你弹奏你想表达的，但是，你想表达的未必是你想要弹的。有时候这两者会相互重叠，而有时候他们并不相同。你必须弄清楚这两者的差别，否则，在修禅的路上，你不会有什么进步的。 在这里你唯一能做的，就是做你自己，弹奏你的歌曲。或许你会问，我有好到可以在卡内基音乐厅，先锋村，或是东京的武道馆演奏吗？如果你关心的是这个问题，那表示你对求道已经变得盲目。因为，鸟儿并不会问“我唱的歌好听吗？”他们只管发出一连串悦耳的声音罢了。 一个可以登上世界级舞台的人，可能在精神上还是无所依归的。光有才华天分，并不能为你带来内在的平静。如果你找到了内在平静，就不会再怀疑自己的音乐，怀疑自己的能力。 产生自我怀疑的感觉表示你失去了初心，你必须要找回刚开始弹琴时的感觉。相信纯真自然的音乐家本质，你会发现你想要表达的。 就像字面上所暗示的，浑然天成的音乐家特质，是天真，不自我中心，没有自我意识的。他没有规则可循，除了自身之外不寻求认同。这让我想起一句非洲的谚语：如果你会说话，你就会唱歌，如果你会走路，就会跳舞。 只管弹出你的耳朵听觉得好听的音乐，别去担心到底有谁会喜欢。学习像孩子般发出天真无邪的旋律。最原始的音乐不过是用丰沛的感情来弹奏，但他们却可以非常深远，只要动机是纯真的，弹出来的音乐就会跟着纯真，好的音乐不用太多条件，三个和弦就能做得到。 有的人能用冰箱里的残羹剩饭做出一桌好菜，还有幼儿会把废物改造成新的玩具，利用你手边所有可以运用的东西，这就是纯真的创意法。 抱着初学者的心态你就可以卸下负担，让开放的心态带领你到新的境界。用心研究你的耳朵告诉你的事，然后从你听到的东西中学习。如果犯了错，就把它记下来。你往往能藉由这个方式用崭新的心态来倾听，而你将会有意外的发现。把意外当做创意的钥匙，不要先学习方法才去尝试，试着先放手去做，再从中学习。从新发现初学时的快乐，你的疑虑自然会消失。 千万记得，禅吉他就在你心里，你必须找到钥匙来打开它。 在学习禅吉他的过程中，有的人不管进步多少都不会满意。他们相信，如果他们努力训练两倍，可以只花原来所需时间的一半就去到黑带。这个想法好像认为“如果我清醒的时间比原来多一倍，我就可以只花六个月过完一年”。修习禅吉他，进步不会按固定的速率进行，而是自然而然。你就是要花一年的时间来过完一年。 我们大多数人都想要得到立即的满足，有的学校就针对这种风潮来开课，我看过有的课程广告的保证“24小时学会弹吉他”。我们都希望不又要费劲就能获得立即的回报，我们希望某些概念是为我们量身定制的，我们想立刻了解某些事。还有，我们都不想被打扰。这种生活态度都太低估那些成为真正的大师，所要花费的努力了。 只有在子宫里的胎儿，他们的需求可以得到立即的满足。有太多的人得了这种幼稚病。所谓的成熟就是你能了解辛苦奋斗的价值。不要以为你可以不花费力气就在这做道场学到东西，那些想轻易学到禅吉他的人，绝对求不到。禅吉他没有办法用钱买到，他不能模仿，也无法剽窃，要存着从种子慢慢长成大树的心态，来认识禅吉他。要经历时间的累积。你才刚种下种子，等着它发芽长大吧！ 你必须有足够的自我，才能拥有强大的自我意识，但是太多的自我会带你偏离正道。现在的世界大多数的人的自我意识都不够平和，不够健康。你常常可以看到人们言不及义，自吹自擂，贬低别人的努力。吉他乐手也不例外。 吉他乐界受到一种硬汉态度的影响，乐手们一个个像卖弄的枪手，炫耀他们的技巧。这种态度就像黑带选手炫耀自己的黑带，好用来恐吓对手。这些行为是出自自觉渺小的自卑心态，他们需要靠膨胀自己来引起大家的注意。 比赛时利用这点来玩心理战术可能会有用，但是音乐课不是比赛。在这所学校里，想要炫耀自己的黑带的人，在训练的过程中可有很长的路要走。 自我意义的另一种形式是错误的谦虚。由于过度的膨胀自我，这种谦虚给人感觉并不诚恳。乐手的信心来自自己，因为他相信自己的能力，所以不需要自我膨胀，也不需要贬低自我或是戳破别人的自尊。他们知道自己是谁，他们能做什么，这就够了。 当人们把名誉当做是最终目的时，这种自我会将我们带离正道，音乐变成奉承他人或是追求金钱地位的工具。对这种人来说，只要音乐能赚钱，能引人注意就好，音乐本身是什么并不重要。 然而在这所道场我们把音乐的本质放在首位，你得先求声音具备了野生鸟儿鸣叫的纯净——那就是禅吉他之道。 那些野心勃勃想要获得名声财富的人，可能要很辛苦才能得到他们想要的地位和物质。但这个世界上有才有名，可是内心空虚不已的人比比皆是。禅吉他的修行是透过心灵达到富足，而不只是只有物质上的。到了最后，和道相比，权力和金钱就像是海滩上的足迹，只存在一时半刻就会被冲刷掉。自以为是宇宙中心的人，看不见这个事实，那是因为他们将宇宙藏进家中，而不是随着世界运转。 最后我要提醒你，不管你修习得多辛苦，你在修道上的定位为何，都别低估自我意识让人偏离正道的潜力。急着要学会新的技巧，伴随成功而来的阿谀奉承，这些都会让人过度自我膨胀。太多的赞美和过度的批评一样，都会对人造成伤害。要用看待批评的态度来看待恭维。如果你自己认为已经达到了某种境界，那么你就离那个境界更远了。 在禅修的路上，脚步不需要蹒跚，每一步都要全心投入你所有的精神。 在生活中，我们做许多事的时候，都不够用心。课堂上，工作上，餐桌上，我们的人都在那儿了，但心却未必在那里。如果你发现自己的脚步拖延，检查一下你所走的路，也许你走错路了。 在禅吉他的修习之路，你必须全神投入训练中。要做到这点，唯一的方法就是喜欢他。如果禅吉他对你来说并不有趣，那么这里头会有很严重的问题。你付出的所有努力应该只用于增加你的喜悦。 要检验那些看似无心于此的学生，我会叫他们到黑板前来。以前在学校，老师的处罚学生，会要他们在黑板上一直重复写同一个句子“我不在上课时讲话”至于如此类。在禅吉他的道场，要学生到黑板前不是为了处罚，而是为了训练。 在你内心深处有些话被你抛弃在某个角落里蒙尘，你却不自知。那句话会说“这就是我，我就是这么相信的”。那句话可能很简单，可能是“我在这里”，或是一句很有哲思的话，“唯一的敌人在你心里”。不管是什么，你都必须探索你的内心把他找出来，然后在黑板上写个一万遍，你必须用你全部的心力认真的做到这点。 你说的话将把你领回正确的路上。 心不在焉的反面就是过度热衷，你必须认真地追求禅吉他，但是不要认真过头。 有的吉他手就是太过急切，所以不知足。就像过度追求浪漫关系的人，他们急着把自己推向听众，却没有留下空间给听众来贴近乐手自己。即使对这些乐手建立了不错的第一印象，很快的，我们便不再崇敬他们。 也有的吉他乐手容易热情过剩，而表现过头。就像即将要开始进行热身练习的人，他们会因此受伤。因为他们不知道怎么调整自己的节奏，他们的心情就像倒得太快的啤酒，泡沫一下就满出杯口，难以控制。这些人要学习怎么把酒刚好倒到表面张力。 过度热衷有个特点，就是弹的太大声。无疑的，有的音乐要弹得大声才好听。但是有的乐手误以为音量和感情力度一样。这就像有人跟外国人说话时会抬高音量，以为声音大也有助于对方理解。 大声弹奏指的是你控制整个房间的气氛，如同骑士驾驭他的赛马。就像一匹新马被没有经验的骑师带领会表现狂野。在一个新手的手里，他的大声弹奏会让吉他声音会回啸得更厉害。日积月累后，我们会和经验老到的骑师善于控制马的缰绳一样，学会如何操纵一把大鸣大放的吉他。虽然我们感觉得到那股力量，但是我们心里自有分寸，不会滥用。 要认真学习，但是要保持轻松，你绝对不想要感到有压力。相反的，你会想知道我有权力的感觉是什么？如果你的动机太强烈，你必须先学会控制自己，掌控的尺度不在你表现了什么，而在于你保留了多少。自我约束才是关键。 把这个想法运用在你的演奏和生活中，道是透过自我约束来表现的。 有太多的乐手，特别是年轻人，喜欢飙吉他，认为速度是衡量程度的标准。他们相信指法越快这个乐手就越棒，这显示它们并不成熟。 音乐不是比赛，你不会因为比别人多出更多的音符而得到更高的分数。速度只是技巧的副产品，他不是追求的最终目标，一个音乐家更重要的是要了解速度、时机、反应和拍子。把焦点集中在这些元素上，你就会开始认识节奏，自然韵律的感觉。 每首歌都有她一定的行进速度，就像路上的车子一样。弹得太快，歌曲的感觉会很赶，就像车子油门踩得太重。弹的太慢，曲调会摇摆不定，仿佛车轮快从车轴上掉下来似的。一首曲子如果速度对的话，就像配备良好的车子，在司机的完全掌控下，流畅的转弯前进。先找出你音乐里的这种感觉，你就会了解它的速度。 所谓拍子，是你怎么跟随乐曲的速度演奏。慢速的歌曲，让某个乐手来弹，可能听起来太快，若是快速的歌，用相同的速度弹的话听起来可能又太慢。试着像棒球投手一样思考，看他如何靠改变球速来三振对手。在一连串的慢速球之后，一个快速直球会感觉上比实际速度更快，你要学会什么时候加速，什么时候减速，这些是拍子的基本元素。 时机是对片刻的意思，在刚好的时间点上弹奏的感觉。一个笑话里的一句关键对话，讲得太快或讲的太慢，都会毁了这个笑话的效果。乐曲里的音符也一样，时机是对是错，其差距可能只有像宝宝眨眼那么短暂的瞬间。了解了这一点，你就会了解时机的重要。 在禅吉他中，如果有什么比速度更重要，那就是反应。反应是把对速度的想法付诸行动，这有赖于控制。反应快不表示弹奏带有急促的感觉。我们讲话时，常常会一不小心就在每句话前面冒出口头禅：“我要说的是……”弹吉他的时候也是一样，当我们反应很快的时候，思考和动作也会同步发生。如果你照着乐曲的要求来弹，你就不必担心你的速度问题。 一切都会自然发生。 有许多人喜欢在活动中融入竞赛的成分，好激励自己。即使是个别训练的俱乐部，比方说，爬梯健步器，固定的脚踏车，踏车，都内建了比赛的功能，让使用者可以和机器比赛。很多人把这个概念带进音乐里。从乐团大竞技到爵士乐界的踢馆比赛，这些活动都是为了表现高人一等的技巧，以求在被管弦乐团占领的百老汇中占得一席之地。音乐界就像世界的缩影，充斥着竞争。 如果心态是健康的，竞争会成为有用的目的，爵士乐手信奉一条金科玉律“竞争可以制造意外”经由彼此较量，我们更认识自己，了解我们的能耐能到哪里，我们面对压力的反应为何，以及自己哪里还要改进。 可惜在音乐界，竞争的态度常常带来不和谐。竞争非但没有被用在建设性的事情上，反而引发了乐手的不安全感，有许多乐手不是利用竞争来测试自己，而是用来肯定自己。如果你也有这种需要，检视一下你的自我，看看你到底想证明什么，又为什么要证明它。 禅吉他不是竞赛，在这里受训的人应该先量量自己的标准和能耐，我们每个人心中都有一首歌，等着被弹奏出来。拿这些歌和别人的来比赛，就像拿自家孩子的涂鸦画和法国印象派的作品来比较。每个人都只需要在自己的价值上来受评判。 我并不漠视的天分，有的人天生就有音乐天分，而有的人要用功用功再用功才能达到目标。但是，不管我们做了多少，总是有人在某个方面天分特别高，而有人在某个方面就是差了一些。我们必须以虚心和感恩，学习接受自己，而不要妒忌或骄傲。看到真正的天才，可以激励我们去寻找自己的路，而不是因为我们的路和别人不同而感到挫折。 高尔夫球员常说，他们不是在和别人竞赛，他们是在和球场对抗。禅吉他就像这样。如果你必须在你的修习中加入竞赛，那么就跟自己比赛，在禅吉他的修习路上，有决心的人不会被超越，唯一的敌人在你心里。 有的学校叫你要思考，呼吸，生活，然后一天24小时都和吉他在一起，这是种偏执。在我们这里，你必须思考，呼吸，生活，然后弹吉他。 日文"以一知万"这句话的意思是：从特定的事推论宇宙万事，从单一的行动发现普遍的真理，仅仅将树视为障碍，将沙坑当做陷阱，把水池看作一个障碍区，这种高尔夫球员或许是一个有经验的专业球员，但是永远无法达到大师的境界。 如果除了和吉他有关的事情，其他的事你都不知道，那么你的弹奏会很贫乏。你要尽可能让你的吉他演奏和全世界发生关系，反之亦然。研究春天花时短暂的樱花，听听春风将樱花吹落在地上的声音，想想为什么每片花瓣时候到了就会掉落，你可以从中领悟到禅吉他的禅机。 你在弹奏中放入多少，那就是你这个人的全部。 有关批评这件事，修习禅吉他的学生只需要知道这两点：如何批评别人，和如何接受别人的批评。 如果你一定要批评别人，那么就基于建设性的原则，而不是破坏的态度。破坏很容易，但是禅吉他的精神是有建设性的。要做到这点，并非很困难的。当别人批评你时，就根据那些具有建设性的意见学习改进，不要在意试图破坏的人。千万不要让人割裂了你盔甲。批评可以帮你很快找到错误的地方，但是你要先放空。 不管你做什么，不管你多么受人尊敬，你都无法取悦每个人。你要学会分清楚不同形态的批评： 利用这里的训练成为自己最佳的评论者。接下来，别人就不能告诉你什么你不知道的事。关于自我批评，我最后建议：不要打击自己，即使你知道自己的缺点，也不必广为宣传，大部分的人都不会注意到。 世上许多事情是随机发生的。表演到了一半，吉他的弦断了，放大器的保险丝烧断了，办一场露天音乐会遇到下雨天。想想我们在日常生活中掌控变数的方法，事情一件接一件发生，这迫使我们作出调整来改变环境。遭遇变数时，你要学着想：杯子里还有半杯水，而不是：只剩下半杯水。要想办法尽量扭转形势。 日文的“危机”指的是危险的处境。当我们把危机这个词拆开来看，其实可以看做危镜中的机会。危机就是转机，当机会向你招手时要抓住机会。面对意外的应变态度，透露了你的真实精神。在这所道场，要学习像猫一样坠落——用你的双脚落地。 我目睹某个乐团的音效系统在演奏到最大声时突然爆掉，吉他和主唱顿时失声，现场只有鼓继续发声。但这个乐团没有停下来，而是带领观众团体大清唱，唱完剩下的乐曲。之后，音效系统修复了，那使那首歌成为那场表演令人难忘的段落。演出因事故变调，但这个乐团却创造了艺术。 有时候我们很幸运，有时候则不然，我要重申，运气是好是坏，全看你抱着什么态度？ 日本有一句俗话说“你不能同时追两只兔子”。它提醒我们要避免分心，坚持到最后一刻。我们经常失去焦点，一下追这只兔子，一下追那只兔子。犹豫不决，而不是瞄准目标只追其中一只。我们所以会失去焦点，原因经常不外乎是不够专心，或是缺乏自制力。 在这个喧闹、利益冲突、媒体炒作的世界，要持续复杂的思考或者工作越来越困难了。而禅吉他的修习正是要对抗无法长时间维持注意力的毛病。禅学大师们用来培养专心的一个练习，是要学生静静地坐着，然后在心里慢慢的从一数到十。如果有外力打断了他们的数数，例如没自信，分神，察觉有噪音，甚至是听到自己的呼吸声，他们都必须从头开始数。 下次当你失去专注力时，试试这个练习，如果你能数到超过一，那就表示你能够专心，如果你能够数到十，你就能了解禅吉他。 专心的问题常常起源于缺乏自制力。今天，我们看到许多人在工作上和人际关系方面无法稳定下来。计划常常起了头，却从来没有执行下去。这是因为她们不能自我约束，他们的态度犹豫不定，只想找一条更轻松的路，而不是想磨练自己。 当我们想拥有和别人一样的东西，我们想走别人走的路时，我们便会看不清真正重要的事：我们已经拥有的，和我们要走的路。 没错，通往山顶的路，不止一条。但只有你自己的路才能到达那里。不用羡慕别人走的路，一路上你的注意力要全部集中于你的焦点上。在自己的路上走得越远，你就越能了解其他的路，最终这些路都汇聚于同一点。 不要打破沙盆问到底，有时候，最好的策略是“预备，发射，瞄准”。先动手做了，然后再调整，答案就在行动之中，不是在空话里。