I’m a systems person – both by training and profession but mostly by nature. It’s hard to see individual parts when the gestalt is leading the charge. But sometimes it’s time to focus tight, see just one thing, and pay attention solely to that.

I can’t tell you how hard that was for me to say!

When we’re working on a tune – brand new or an old faithful, we can be tempted to dial out and try to work on everything all at once. Because most of the time we do need to take the global view, to watch the entirety.

But sometimes, this approach does not work. When you have a niggling problem, a challenge that is hiding (so you can’t figure out what’s going on), or you just can’t seem to remember the next note (or phrase or part!) the wide open system approach won’t work. And continuing that way will only be frustrating – and counterproductive! When the harder you try to work on everything and get nowhere, the only option is to take a new tack. This new direction is to work on one thing at a time.

Yes, that’s what I said. If you need to break out the layer you’ve been combining. Focus on one thin. That one thing might be:

Notes?

Fingers?

Rhythm?

Phrasing?

Repeats (returns/dismounts)?

Accompaniment?

Something else? (the list can be quite long!)

When you break out the elements of the whole, you can bring all your brainpower to that one thing, concentrate on it, highlight the challenges, and iron it out. Once it’s worked, it can be gently reintroduced to the whole. Gently! So that you don’t break your new answer or break something else!

So this week, select something you’re working on just now that isn’t coming together and try this for at least three days (you do have to give it time). Use focus to break the problem into bite sized pieces and see if that doesn’t help. See if your new option holds together when you gently release it into the whole – and let me know how it goes. What did you learn? What would you do differently the next time (because of course there will be a next time!).