I would like to recommend a book.....

A

Anthony Amodeo

Guest
I recently read a book called The Inner Game Of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey .

it was recommended by Benny Greb at a small clinic I attended a while ago.
the name of the book was always on my mind after that clinic ..... I bought it over a year ago but being so busy I rarely have time to read a book.....well I finally read it and it blew my mind .

when Benny recommended it he said....when you read the word "tennis" think "drumming" and when you read the word "racket" think "drum stick"

seriously unbelievable what I got out of this book

I recommend it to the student learning to play ....all the way to the veteran who has been playing for 40 years........each will be equally satisfied with what the information they gather

and I don't only recommend this to drummers.....I recommend it to all musicians, teachers, athletes, lawyers, restauranteurs ....whatever....anyone with a passion for anything

it deals with what Gallwey calls the "inner game" and our critical "self 1" and instinctual "self 2" and what we are capable of if we learn to understand and control these "selves " and trust our instincts.

it is quite amazing the things you can find out about yourself ....things you thought you knew....but didn't fully understand

so I highly recommend this book....and would love to hear from those of you who have indeed read this piece

"man is a thinking reed, but his great works are done when he is not calculating or thinking "
"uncluttered with words or instructions a still mind makes for the best performance "
DT Suzuki

here is a small sample of its content in a youtube clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUdTxXkecr8
 
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Anthony, you recommended this book to me a while ago. It's sounds like something right up my alley. I will grab a copy since you feel so strongly about it, thanks. Agreed the chattering of the conscious mind is an obstacle to flow.
 
Anthony,
Have you read the Inner Game of Music by the same author?
I am going to check this one out.
Casper
 
Anthony,
Have you read the Inner Game of Music by the same author?
I am going to check this one out.
Casper

I have read that one....but it is actually written by Barry Green with the assistance of Timothy Gallwey

to me it read like a Cliffs notes version of Gallweys work .....a bit of an imitation I guess I would say

I personally got much more out of The Inner Game Of Tennis .... definitely check it out


@ Larry - I love that quote ..."the chattering of the conscious mind is an obstacle to flow "

thats gorgeous !
 
Yea, it's a bigger skill than drumming alone. Not pretending that I know what the book is about, but from the YT teaser you posted, I'm guessing it's about developing the ability to let go, surrender, and step up to that higher plane of awareness, to allow the ideas to flow out unimpeded. Not completely unfamiliar with that, not many books deal with that higher ability.... that really is the ticket to everything you want from yourself. Can't wait to read it, thanks for that.

From my own experiences, I can't look directly at people, they distract me by stimulating my conscious mind. Conscious mind has to take a break. (although my ego is not immune from glancing every once in a while to see if certain people are watching) I try to reach a state of higher listening, because if I can hear everything, I can kind of guess where things are going, which has always served me well. So I kind of separate from everything around me, and go to that place that feels so good where there's nothing but the aural stimulation of the song.

The guitarist in my trio...it's scary because sometimes him and I are hearing the exact same thing. Like out of the blue, because something he just played suggested it, during a louder part, we would both drop down in volume at the exact same spot, as if it was planned, which it was not. No cues either. That's one of the great joys of playing, right there, when 2 or more people are as one. I never had a rehearsal with that band. Him and the bass player have to, but he just lays new songs, sometimes announced, sometimes not, on me at gigs. I remember the day he just whipped out "Ray Charles' "What I'd Say" right at a really hopping time on the dance floor. I'm glad I knew the song or it could have been disastrous. But I love that tune and had no clue he knew it. It went over great. The guitarist/leader plays on such a high level, and he knows the songs so completely, he is so easy to play behind. He makes it possible for me to really shine as an accompanist. He actually practices to a metronome and is the most musical player I ever personally heard, he can play perfectly fine without a drummer, so playing with him is the best thing in my life. I may post something soon that shows him off. He is on Billy Joel's first album and there's YT's of him touring with Eric Burdon. He's got a gold record on his wall for Billy Joels "My Life" and has worked with Stephen Stills, Tommy Tutone, engineered for Toad the Wet Sprocket, played Madison Square Garden with Billy, and has also played with Jeff Porcaro in the 70's or 80's (said he didn't like his time lol) so I can't believe I get to play with him. He's like 66 YO. Sorry for the sidetrack. Will download the Ebook to the Kindle.
 
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Yea, it's a bigger skill than drumming alone. Not pretending that I know what the book is about, but from the YT teaser you posted, I'm guessing it's about developing the ability to let go, surrender, and step up to that higher plane of awareness, to allow the ideas to flow out unimpeded. Not completely unfamiliar with that, but not many books deal with that higher ability that really is the ticket to everything you want from yourself. Can't wait to read it.

From my own experiences, I can't look directly at people, they distract me by stimulating my conscious mind. (although my ego is not immune from glancing every once in a while to see if certain people are watching) I try to reach a state of higher listening, because if I can hear everything, I can kind of guess where things are going, which has always served me well. So I kind of separate from everything around me, and go to that place that feels so good where there's nothing but the aural stimulation of the song.

The guitarist in my trio...it's scary because sometimes him and I are hearing the exact same thing. Like out of the blue, because something he just played suggested it, during a louder part, we would both drop down in volume at the exact same spot, as if it was planned, which it was not. No cues either. That's one of the great joys of playing, right there, when 2 or more people are as one. I never had a rehearsal with that band. Him and the bass player have to, but he just lays new songs, sometimes announced, sometimes not, on me at gigs. I remember the day he just whipped out "Ray Charles' "What I'd Say" right at a really hooping time on the dance floor. I'm glad I've heard that song before or it could have been disastrous. But I love that tune and had no clue he knew it. The guitarist plays on such a high level, and he knows the songs so completely, he is so easy to play behind. He makes it possible for me to really shine as an accompanist. He actually practices to a metronome and is the most musical player I ever personally heard, he can play perfectly fine without a drummer, so playing with him is the best thing in my life. I may post something soon that shows him off.

you have a beautiful way of describing things uncle Lar

and it is an absolute beautiful thing when we find that

to me it's like love.....you feel so comfortable and complete that you can give your whole self to it and trust that it will always be a forward moving current.
the perfect wave.
that little nook on this planet that was made specially for you to fit into .

a euphoric feeling really
 
I will order it within the next couple weeks to read upon your recommendation.

Thanks Anthony!
 
I have read that one....but it is actually written by Barry Green with the assistance of Timothy Gallwey

to me it read like a Cliffs notes version of Gallweys work .....a bit of an imitation I guess I would say

I personally got much more out of The Inner Game Of Tennis .... definitely check it out

Thanks for the "heads up" on this Anthony--I also read the Green book and was underwhelmed. I'll have to give this one a go.
 
Time to buy it that one-- I don't know why I don't own it. A few other things I like, along similar lines:

Zen and the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel
The Discipline of DE, from Exterminator!, by William S. Burroughs
The Tao of Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee

did you read Effortless Mastery Todd?

if so ...did you enjoy it ?
 
Just FYI, I downloaded the book and started reading it last night. This stuff applies to more than tennis, more than drums. Thanks Ant.
 
Yes, Effortless Mastery is great. Especially the part where he kind of concludes "you just have to practice a lot." It's easy to disappear down the rabbit hole with these things, and I've seen people go on a big purification kick, purging all of their inherited technique and cliché licks, emptying out their playing to the point that there's nothing left. I treat these things more like pilates: trying to do them = doing them. Like, Werner seemed to regret not mastering that "one note" exercise, but somehow I doubt many of that woman's other students did, either. But I'm sure he got a lot out of just making a serious effort at it.

Oh, and another one is the Book of the SubGenius-- “genuine wisdom in the guise of utter bull___”, as the blurb says. Nothing to do with performance, but good for a general artist's worldview.
 
I only have The Inner Game Of Music, so should I really read the Tennis one as well?


in my opinion the inner game of music is a cheap impression of the Gallwey book

Green really just attempts to rewrite the Gallwey book and gear it toward music.........and he really didn't do a great job

just my opinion though

The Inner Game Of Tennis is a better book
 
I just ordered it after reading your post. Thanks Anthony! I also added Zen In The Art Of Archery which I had seen recommended in a few different places. Thanks for the suggestion.

Daniel

in my opinion the inner game of music is a cheap impression of the Gallwey book

Green really just attempts to rewrite the Gallwey book and gear it toward music.........and he really didn't do a great job

just my opinion though

The Inner Game Of Tennis is a better book
 
That is a great book.

It acts as a zen type primer for the westerner. After all, his idea of emptying the mind is really just another way of stating the goal of zen, which is to achieve the Buddha state of satori.

In fact, most of these excellent self help authors, including Gallway, Millman, and Ralston all base their philosophies upon zen.

I'm rereading it now and it makes perfect sense still all these years later.

Thanks for reminding me.
 
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