Wednesday, August 28, 2024
It’s in the recovery that you actualize effort. The science behind muscle strengthening is often misunderstood. It’s not in the work that you put in at the gym that builds muscle, it’s in the diet, rest, and recovery that muscles rebuild themselves. The work you do tears down muscle.
When I learn a monumental organ piece by Bach or some other great legend, it takes months of grueling dissection. I have to rip the piece to shreds, tear it down to digestible bits, and allow it to rebuild in my subconscious. I have to reduce, which is easier than you think. I can play just about any piece perfectly if it’s slow enough, even at sight. Never play any faster than you can play perfectly. Tempo comes last.
You might be trying too hard, or working too fast. You might be applying more effort than is needed. Too much effort tears yourself down. Like an overworked muscle, you begin to atrophy and shrink. The secret to real power is focusing on ease, and then rest and recovery.
Sometimes when you’re stuck, stopping does the trick. Most of the time, doing nothing eludes us as an answer to prayer. It’s all being done and your part is minimal. No-one ever suggests doing less, do they? No-one thinks of working fewer hours. Why? We feel guilty. But athletes do not feel guilty about taking a hot bath or sitting in the sauna. They don’t feel guilty for resting and recovery because they know it’s essential for the rebuilding process. Step away. Recovery periods could be quite long. Reality is a rebuilding of what you focus on. Don’t keep pounding away. Slow down. The notes are learned while you sleep. And the best of your life is being done while you recover. Your part is minimal. Step back, and let the rebuilding occur naturally.