Max Pauer on Expressive Freedom and Technical Mastery

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

“The whole idea of technic then is to achieve a position through conscious effort, where one may dispense with conscious effort. Not until this can be accomplished can we hope for real self-expression in playing.” 

Max Pauer (pianist)

Music is commonly compared to language. And indeed, it does have the ability to speak to us. Leo Tolstoy called music, “the shorthand of emotion.”

Like language, music only works if we can “speak” it. Sure, we can gesture and pantomime. We can communicate basic ideas if we’re pressed. But nuanced communication is only possible to the extent that we know the words and can speak freely.

When we first begin to play guitar, our hands have not yet mastered themselves. We may be able to play loud and soft but are not able to play a gradient between these extremes. Especially at a quick pace.

Guitar technique practice is where we train our hands to do what we tell them to do. We build and hone the ability to issue subtle commands and execute them in real time.

And not only the black/white issue of playing a note vs. not playing it. Also included is the ability to accent notes at will, balance the voices, and structure the volume dynamics.

In language, this means knowing the vocabulary needed to speak on-topic. It means being able to speak with conviction and weight. It means using the voice to successfully transfer complex ideas and emotions to another person. And it’s the same in music.

On guitar, as in speech, this takes ongoing time and attention.

The payoff of this musical training is the ability to “speak.” We are more able to play fluidly and expressively.

To have good guitar technique means that our hands do what we ask of them.

The second half of communication is knowing what to say and how to say it. Many players take this for granted. They assume that if the notes are clean, the music will play itself. This confidence is admirable, if naive.

There is a difference between poetry and prose. A good poet brings language to new heights, crafting elegant ideas that transcend the words.

And the same is true with music. Not all expression is created equal. And we can strive to improve this side of our playing as well.

Here we have the two sides of the musical coin – the technique and the expression. Together, they form the craft of playing. Ideally, each serves the other. Each builds the other. And each gets quality time in the practice room.