Arthur Ashe, Jr. on Appropriate Tension and Control

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

“Never hit a ball harder than it needs to be hit”
Arthur Ashe

John Mcphee is a renowned writer of narrative non-fiction. He wrote an entire book, Levels of the Game, about one tennis match.

This match was between Clark Graebner and Arthur Ashe, Jr. in 1968.

Now a tennis legend, Arthur Ashe, Jr. was a student of the art of appropriate tension.

He was a fierce competitor, with immense power, speed, and agility.

But unlike many of his contemporaries, he kept calm, cool, and collected.

He was not one to throw racquets or shout at the line judge. He practiced restraint and self-control. He was sensitive and observant.

And he was also confident and secure in himself. He knew his strengths and skills, both on the court and off. But this was not simple bravado. This was born of training and critical reflection.

He was supremely organized in all areas of his life, but also kept a messy room. He relished the balance and thrived in the dualism.

From a young age, he trained himself to not react to injustice or unfairness. He learned not to throw tantrums. He mastered the craft of controlling himself and staying present in the crucial moment.

He controlled what he could control, and accepted the rest.

And likewise, McPhee is a master of clean, appropriate tension. No gratuitous flamboyance when simplicity will do.

And the impact made by both these great men is all the more for the honesty and clarity of their movements.

Both Ashe and McPhee developed the instinct to know how hard to “hit the ball.” In training, they tested the boundaries. This meant they knew those boundaries in the important moments.

They learned to walk to the fine line between too much and not enough. They learned to read each situation and react.

And over time, they continued to refine and hone these skills. In their different ways, each made a fine art of tension and release.

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.

I have to say, two practices later [after a video review] with the new position - the difference it's made in my playing is... unbelievable, really. It's like many months of improvement overnight.

Everything is so much more secure, left-hand stretches are easier, I feel like I'm getting way more volume for the same effort, the tone is noticeably better all along the neck, and the list goes on.

Thank you!

~ Alexander Mosolov

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Hi Allen,
Greetings from the UK. I would like to thank you for providing such an excellent resource. The effort and skill which has gone into creating this program is very evident. I started classical guitar a year or so ago with a teacher but was unable to commit to same time regular slots each week.

The Woodshed Program was exactly what I was looking for. I have found the site very intuitive and well structured and have taken your advice and started from the very beginning of the program whilst still practising some of the pieces I was already working on. It is clear that I will benefit greatly from these early technical studies. There were clearly weaknesses and gaps in my knowledge even though I am still at an early stage. Once again many thanks for the program and very best wishes.

~ Rodger Paylor

-Rodger Paylor