Taiji (Tai Chi)

[yudingbon]

Hello, once again I would like to say "HI" to everyone out there.

I always find that people tend not to know how to relax when playing an instrument. Their elbows are lifted up to their shoulders and their shoulders choking their necks.

I tend not to have this problem though, and my teacher says it is due to my studies in taiji. I think music is not only for the mind, but for the body as well.

Perhaps people should teach/learn taiji alongside music to better perform in their art.

Any thoughts?


P.S. Taiji is the martial art that focusses on relaxing while defending/attacking.

[paulv]

Yudingbon,
That's a really good point. I studied Tai Chi Chuan several years ago and I do apply some of it to my practicing -- especially the relaxing and expansion/contraction aspects which I have found to complement my playing.

Regards,
paul...

[kittyglitter]

Would you gentlemen care to elaborate? Relaxation is still a hindrance in my erhu playing. I start to concentrate on the music so hard that before I know it my shoulders are tight and elbow is too high.

[yudingbon]

Relazation in tai chi is quite difficult to achieve. The fist thing to focus on when, or even before relaxing, to to have proper posture. IF one were to not have posture and try to relax, they would fall apart like a tower of crooked blocks. However, if all the blocks were to be perfectly aligned, no matter how much pressure is put down onto them, they will not fall.

The next step is then to relax. You must have you body feel like if it is being push down by some force, or even being dragged down by your own mass. And even though you want this feeling, you don't want to force yourself down by tensing up.

I suggest first trying it sitting down, and then standing up.
Best of luck with your erhu playing.