Einstein on Staying with Problems Longer

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

“It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer”.

Albert Einstein

In our journey with each piece of music, we come to certain predictable landmarks.

And each of these landmarks marks a completion of some aspect of our learning.

For instance, when we finally get all the notes in hand, we (rightly) pause and pat ourselves on the back.

But if we stop here and move to the next new piece, we never rise above “just playing notes”.

Getting the notes, while no small feat, is only the first step in playing a piece of music.

Once we have the notes in hand, we can work on the balance of melody versus bass and accompaniment. We can mold the sinews that tie one phrase to the next. We can craft little details that give listeners psychological insights into the character of the music.

In our explorations of a piece, we may discover a musical opportunity that is beyond our current technical ability (such as playing the bass notes short and separated while the melody is flowing and connected). So here we find something new to practice.

Einstein would ponder problems for years. He taught himself to be comfortable with open-ended questions. He accepted that some things just take time to come together.

We can bring this patience and dedication to our music. We can go beyond hacking out notes. We may not always know exactly what to do next. But if we stay with it, we’ll grow as musicians. We’ll enjoy deeper relationships with our music. We’ll discover more meaning and fulfillment than simple notes can offer.

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.

Hi Allen, I am thoroughly enjoying your website and I find it is just what I need in my renewed passion for classical guitar. I have rediscovered a great love for this instrument and the music I can learn and play and it has changed my life for the better dramatically! Thank you facilitating this process.

-George Rogers

This is the ideal starting position for me. As a relative beginner with no teacher this is helping me enormously in developing good technique and not falling into bad habits. I no longer feel (A) That it's a struggle to learn a new piece and (B) That I am alone in my endeavors. My advice is to try The Woodshed program. It is fantastic and will not only bring up your playing but his explanations of musical concepts as you go along put things into perspective.

-John Andersson

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