Robert Louis Stevenson on planting seeds for the future

G. K. Chesterton (The Man Who Knew Too Much, creator of the “Father Brown” character) said of Stevenson that he “seemed to pick the right word up on the point of his pen, like a man playing spillikins.”

But he just seemed that way. In truth, you don’t write classics like Treasure Island or Jekyll & Hyde without filling volumes with words that never see the light of day. Some days, things work. Other days they don’t.

Even the best of the best keep working. That’s why they’re the best. They focus more on the current challenge than on the “harvest”. They focus on the process, and let the results take care of themselves. Games are won one point at a time.

As guitarists, we have to do the same. Massage this chord. Finesse this melody. Try to relax through this tricky spot. It all happens in the moment. It’s always one note connecting to the next.

All we can do is show up and plant seeds. Every moment of attention and intention is a seed we plant. No matter if we’ve been playing for 30 years or 30 seconds. Our harvests are born of patient awareness and focus.

Of course we want to play the big piece. We want to ace the beautiful melody. We want the harvest. But all we can do is this: Put all that aside and focus first on one note, then another. Note by note, seed by seed.

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”

Robert Louis Stevenson

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 work with teachers, 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 sore after playing. I was frequently frustrated, and couldn’t see the way forward. Then I studied with two stellar teachers – one focused on the technical, and one on the musical. In time, I came to discover a fundamental set of formulas and movements. These unlocked my playing, and brought new life and enjoyment to my practice. Now I help other guitarists find more comfort and flow in their music, so they play more beautifully.

I also want to thank you for including more video lessons on the Bridges Guitar Series. I have learned to play Calatayud's Waltz. The most exciting thing about having done this is that I sight read the entire piece as I was learning it. Six months ago looking at a sheet of music was like looking at Egyptian hieroglyphics. Learning to read notation is empowering and I appreciate the sensible way you are teaching us to learn to read music.

-Steve Simpler

I practised your system for three days, and it solved the I-M alternation problem I had been struggling with since I undertook classical guitar three years ago. Many thanks!

-Johnny Geudel