Why exactly is it, that sometimes when I pick up a guitar after not playing at all for a while (in this case, several weeks at least), I can play far more fluidly than usual? Especially if not playing that close attention, e.g. while watching a movie at the same time. It's as if my fingers do better if my mind is not watching them. The moment I start paying closer attention -- or even more, if I try to consciously shape what I'm doing -- the fluidity starts to drop away. What, in fact, is going on there?
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3 comments:
I have a friend from Montreal who speaks English well, but with a strong French accent. When he's tired, his accent disappears. It's uncanny. When your body is fluent in something, sometimes the best thing you can do is to let it do its thing.
It's a good lesson for organizations, too.
For your research I suggest that you read the book titled "Bounce" by Matthew Syed. Whilst this book is generally set in the world of sport, the concept applies to all physical skills, and even to professional areas like the law and accountancy.
The basic idea is that practise allows the body to operate on the basis of unconscious competance and the required movements become instinctive. Actively thinking about what to do and how to do it uses a different part of the brain and this then gets in the way. The best example is the golfer who gets the "yips" standing over a short putt on the Back 9 on Sunday afternoon with the opportunity to win the tournament - trying too hard instead of letting "it" come naturally often leads to a missed putt. Fans and Commentators often refer to it (unfairly) as "choking".
Similar, but different ;)
http://www.keilman.org/nightwalking.htm
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