A Preface to Guitar Craft

The musician acquires craft in order to operate in the world. It is the patterning of information, function and feeling which brings together the world of music and sound, and enables the musician to perform to an audience. These patterns can be expressed in a series of instructions, manuals, techniques and principles of working.

This is the visible side of craft, and prepares the musician for performance. It is generally referred to as technique. The greater the technique, the less it is apparent.

When the invisible side of music craft presents itself, the apprentice sees directly for themself what is actually involved within the act of music, and their concern for technique per se is placed in perspective.

The invisible side of craftsmanship is how we conduct ourselves within the process of acquiring craft, and how we act on behalf of the creative impulse expressing itself through music. In time, this becomes a personal discipline. With discipline, we are able to make choices and act upon them. That is, we become effectual in music.

Performance, for most musicians, implies playing in front of an audience in public. Beyond a certain level of performance, money changes hands. At this point the musician has entered the commercial life. So, one's life in music craft looks two ways: into the world of commerce and into the communion of silence.

In the world of commerce we make things happen. Our concerns are fashion, advertising, taste, habit, technological inventions, prices, expectations, changes in the distribution of incomes and the quality and quantity of the money supply. This is a world of fixity and habit, where manipulation of reliable prejudices, likes and dislikes, and predictable forms of behavior may generate a large and unremitting flow of cash. If we become enmeshed in commerce then greed and acquisition, narcissism, delusion, envy, accident, waste, subjective perceptions, ambition and reaction are the currency. Although we may visit this world, perhaps for extended periods, we do not have to live in it. But, most of us will have to come to terms with this strange place. The aspiring apprentice, applying effort and intelligence, may turn their visits into educational incursions. The rule is, when necessary, work in the market place but not be governed by the rules of the market place.

The communion of silence is easier, just a lot more difficult. All that is required is for us to give up everything that we want for ourselves: our own greed, narcissism, envy, ambition and reaction, reliable prejudices, likes and dislikes. We move from a concern for the appearance of things to the essence of things, from hot licks to the placement of sound within a field of silence.

The life of craft is contradictory. The expression of silence in sound is an act of certainty, embracing ambiguity. This inevitable contradiction we accept, reconciling the contradiction by the quality of our application.

The acquisition of craft implies that the musician has craft. It is truer to say that the craft has the musician. When this is true, we have a choice. We may continue to use the craft to further one's personal aims, and remain successfully within the world of commerce. Or, we place oneself at the direction of the craft, and respond to the promptings and necessities of the musical impulse.

The expression of this impulse takes various forms, and will vary between musicians. Some will remain within the world of commerce, but not governed by the rules of commerce. Perhaps they will pacify a disturbed public, bring hope to the chaotic existences of people within modern culture, or act as role models of the professional musician to younger players. Others will remove themselves from the public gaze and discharge various duties necessary within the musical craft. These duties include the preparation of a new generation of performers, and research into various aspects of music, such as music's healing power. Some musicians will abandon their life of sounding music and adopt the contemplative life, recognising that the source of music is beyond silence, and that music emerges from within silence. Of these musicians some return, and bring the richness of silence within audible range.

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A characteristic of craft is effortlessness. The quality of our application is measured by how little effort we need to discharge any particular piece of work. In the world of commerce a great amount of effort is put into doing very little. In guitar playing this includes wild facial and bodily contortions while hitting an open E. A leap across the stage may be an act of craft, gracefully expressed. If so, it will be recognisable by the effortlessness of the leap.

How well we do-what-we-do is measured by how little is needed by us to do-what-we-do. Can we do nothing for half an hour? If not, it's unlikely that we can do something for half an hour. Can we sit and intentionally do nothing for thirty minutes? If we can't ask our body to do this, probably we can't ask our it to sit for an hour, or two or four, while we practice guitar. Doing nothing is hard work. The craft approach to doing nothing will take very little.

A characteristic of craft is its timelessness. In the presence of craft we are close to an eternal moment; in commerce, we rush from one moment to the next. Sometimes in craft the requirement is to move rapidly, but this rapid motion will never be rushed. The right speed is never in a hurry. It is the speed that it is, whatever the external measurement of its progress through time might be.A characteristic of craft is its lack of regard for effect. Craft has nowhere to go. It is already where it's going. Craft demands nothing for itself: craft is it's own necessity.

At the Guitar Craft course held near Santa Cruz in January 1989 I put a question to the students, and asked them to write responses to it on the board. The question was: how may we recognise the presence of craft? Here are some of the responses:

effortlessness
cleanness of line
flexibility
satisfaction
definition
nourishment
rightness
richness
freedom of response
Clarity Unity Coherence

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If the musician is drawn to the life of craft, craft may be experienced as a gift given readily and freely. What is required of us is that we accept it. This requirement is a demand only to the extent that we make a demand of ourselves.

In commerce, the musician makes music.In craft, the music makes the musician.

The musician of craft acts on principle, amd moves from intention. Our playing is not accidental. In this way, nothing is wasted. A principle is an instruction in qualitative endeavour, and is true for all of us.

These are ten important principles for the practice of craft:

Act from principle.
Begin where you are.
Define your aim simply, clearly, briefly.
Establish the possible and move gradually towards the impossible.
Exercise commitment, and all the rules change.
Honor necessity.Honor sufficiency.
Offer no violence.
Suffer cheerfully.
Take our work seriously, but not solemnly.

June 19, 1989

Part II