Eyes left!

[djembeweaver]

I've been aware for some years now that when I solo I tend to look down and to the left.

Actually it's not only when I solo but also whenever I enter that mediative kind of state I need to access to play well. Soloing properly seems to take up all of my brain so although I look down and to the left I'm not really 'looking' at all (a bit like looking up when pondering a particularly tricky problem)

I've tried looking forward in practice but my playing suffers. There's no doubt about it: my technique is better when I'm looking to the left.

Quite apart from the obvious issues this has for playing live I can't help wonder what's going on here. I've known one or two other people who do this (James - RIP - ex-soloist with Tanante always played like this) and been told of a few africans that do the same thing.

Does anyone else do this when soloing? Does anyone have any theories as to why this should make a difference (I wonder if it's related to handedness)

[djembefeeling]

When I am focused and concentrating really hard, I do the same, but I think sometimes I also look down and to the right. So I am not sure about your assumed relation to handedness. I think I just try to mask vision and direct one ear into the direction that is most important to me, usually the sangban or konkoni.

[Michel]

Some masters have been trained to look into the audience, smiling, but when you look into their eyes they are somewhere between Mars and Jupiter. I think everybody has the same more or less. A nice example is Ibrahima Sarr, when he gives a roll in the solo he looks to the left. I tend to pull my head the same way, but the most important, as Jurgen says, is to hear the konkoni/sangban.
Doing a solo and being relaxed at the same time is a goal for me, but that's a long way! Wow, then I really would play great solo's. Like when I'm relaxed, in the car drumming on my steering wheel, then the best solo's are coming...

[djembeweaver]

I think I just try to mask vision and direct one ear into the direction that is most important to me, usually the sangban or konkoni

Hmmn...but I wonder if you have a preference all other things being equal.

When playing ensemble I don't always look to my left, but that's where I end up looking if I just 'zone out' and go into solo-land.

I do a lot of practice on my own and that's how I first noticed it.

[djembefeeling]

in the car drumming on my steering wheel, then the best solo's are coming...

I am looking forward listening to you giving a concert in your car on your way to Hamburg

[djembefeeling]

Hmmn...but I wonder if you have a preference all other things being equal.

Probably. Perhaps you are right about handedness. I also prefer having someone else walking next to me on my right side. So by looking down and left I am offering the right side of my face.

[djembeweaver]

when he gives a roll in the solo he looks to the left. I tend to pull my head the same way

And are you both right-handed (just checking my theory)

Doing a solo and being relaxed at the same time is a goal for me

Me too. After 8 years of performing live I've had 2 gigs in the last year where I've actually soloed well. Trying to recreate the focus I acheive in practice in front of an audience seems to be extraordinarily difficult for me.

[Michel]

I know what you're talking about. Btw I'm right-handed, so far the theory goes right... Ibrahima Sarr I don't know. For me a new era came when I started to analyze rhythms by listening to the konkoni and the solophrases some djembemasters play which really fit very well with it. Being relaxed has everything to do with understanding what you're doing. For me rhythms like ngri, maraka, are easier to solo for because I understand, at least I think I do, how the rhythm is supposed to sound. Old djembemasters for me are the teachers who can explain those things by playing. Their solophrases are not all the same, but listening to them gives a good idea of 'variations on a theme'. And when you're capable of doing that you are much more relaxed. For me it works best to try to find the 'theme' in the rhythm. I hope you understand what I'm trying to explain. I sometimes discover my english is a little bit too poor. But when you look at my youtube movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOaofNoT ... re=g-all-c
You can see what I mean. This man is playing variations on a theme. As in the other video where he plays ngri.

[djembefeeling]

But when you look at my youtube movie

nice one, Michiel! This is much easier to understand than the N'gri by the same guy. I watched another Wolosodon video that I was lead to by your post:


This guy seems to have a tendency to look down and to the right. But he changes the position of his head frequently, and, interestingly, I cannot figure out his handedness, because he changes that a lot in his playing, too.

[djembeweaver]

Hi Michel.

I know exactly what you mean. I feel comfortable soloing for Soko, Soli, Mendiani, Kassa and Yankadi. I feel like I've really got the feel of these rhythms plus I've learned lots of phrases for them over the years and now they tend to come out in my improvisations.

With other rhythms I try to listen to the dunduns (often the sangbang but it depends) and play with them in my solo. Sometimes all that goes out the window when I perform though!

[djembeweaver]

But when you look at my youtube movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOaofNoT ... re=g-all-c

Ooohh - that's lovely playing. An absolute delight. Thanks for the link.

Regarding the other Wassolodon clip - I'm pretty sure he's left-handed because every time he goes into an echauffement (except for the short one near the end) he leads with his left. All of the hand switching seems to come in particular phrases played ballet-style to switch hands every round. The last little echauf follows a crazy set of rolls so I reckon he just found himself on the right and went with it.

Reckon my theory is holding up so far

[bkidd]

Most of my soloing opportunities come in dance classes. When soloing, I've noticed that I look in three places most often: 1) directly at the dancers, 2) down to my right, and 3) up. My gaze is all about attention, focus, and minimizing distraction. The case of gazing directly at dancers is obvious in that I'm trying to play something that adds to or is inspired by their movement. In the case of looking down to my right, I'm trying to tune in and focus on the dununs, which in dance classes are either to my right or behind me. The looking up gaze must be about minimizing information into my visual and is coupled to a body expression to lean back slightly and open up.

Best,
-Brian

p.s. I'm right handed so I'm not sure how much you want to hold onto your theory.

[James]

This is very interesting. I caught myself doing a big eyes up and right before a solo the other day and mean't to post about this very thing.

I was going to suggest that looking up and right will help you come up with something more creative since this is what we do when we access the right brain, and this sort of thing is usually a 2 way street....

[djembeweaver]

I was going to suggest that looking up and right will help you come up with something more creative since this is what we do when we access the right brain, and this sort of thing is usually a 2 way street....

That's an NLP theory isn't it? Never been too sure about that but there does seem to be some link between looking up or off to one side and thinking.

The looking up gaze must be about minimizing information into my visual

I think it has a lot to do with that but for me I have a preference to the left.

p.s. I'm right handed so I'm not sure how much you want to hold onto your theory

Always happy to let go of a theory in the light of new evidence! I still wouldn't be surprised if there were a link though. 1 month old babies develop a head preference for looking one way when they are lying on their backs and this is one theory for handedness development.

[EvanP]

Dunno. I just watched some video of me an it looks like I channel my inner Ray Charles when I solo--not a great look for a large-ish white guy!