Guitar Craft Levels 1 & 2 - Convento di S. Maria della Pace, Sassoferrato, Italy

Posted by Robert Fripp
29 Jan 2002
Tuesday, January 29, 2002

11.13

At breakfast I asked how I might help the various teams. A Level One student suggested I helped them with their attention. What to say of attention?

Attention is a property of the will. What is will? Will doesn’t exist but acts on & through what does exist. Perhaps this is more easily understood as an urge, or impulse. So, we experience an urge to live & do through the body, an urge to be through the feelings, and an urge to know through the head. This is simplistic, but conveys a sense of what is involved: doing in rightness, conscience and truth.

So, will acts through these three instruments: the hands, the head & the heart. These are the instruments through which “will” acts in the world.

But the difficulty here is to speak of will as if our “will” were singular; or that we “have” a will. Clearly, we are a bundle of contrary & contradictory urges.

If we assume that we have, or might have, a singular and/or individual will, then we experience this “singular will” as impressively fractured. For example, we have different and contrary urges. Were this will singular, surely this would not be the case. Were this will singular, or in some way unified, then our urges / impulses would somehow be complementary, rather than constantly acting to undermine and compromise each other.

So, will & function. What brings these together? “Being”, or the degree & intensity to which we are who we are, a unified creature, whose functions accurately, reliably & efficiently discharge the “instructions” of the will, is sometimes the word applied to this. In this sense, being is a measure of our integrity, the degree to which we hang together as an individual creature. The musical language is helpful here: being is a measure of the degree to which our functions are harmonized: in tune, in tone & in time.

So, we have these three terms: function, being & will.

The connection of the will to the functional instruments is damaged by drug use, in some cases severely. This has the practical effect that the three instruments, the hands the head & the heart, are unable to work together. Alternatively expressed, the will is unable to act in a unified fashion through the instruments that nature has provided in the fully co-ordinated and harmonic fashion that is proper to our construction.

This is existentially & essentially terrifying.

Fortunately, there are exercises available to strengthen and unify our relationship to “will”. In Guitar Craft a taste of this is available through the category of exercises referred to as Division of Attention exercises. For more experienced students, the Job of the Day is exceptionally important.

Very, very simply & simplistically, it’s something like this:

Function is what we do;
Being is the integrity with which (how “well”) we do it, and:
Will is whether we are going to do it, or not.

 Level One would like to see how the Level Two does circulations. This is a good idea – for each group to witness the circulating work of the other.

Group meetings with guitars all morning: Kitchen Team at 09.00, Level Two at 09.30, Level One at 10.00.

The Kitchen Team & Level Two continued with circulations, which went better with the Kitchen Team than Level Two. Passing notes played 3, 5, maybe 9 times. Sometimes, moving over or through chairs, sometimes chair by chair.

Level One: something changed. We moved to vamping & challenging lines with fast runs; there is not the technique to play them. Rather than wait until a basic technique is in place & then present the challenge, here the challenge is for the technique to match what is required.

12.24  A personal meeting with a Level Two: real questions - forgiveness, how to be a father, how to be a creative musician.

13.46  Silence visited lunch and rather than sit in & with it, we engaged. Good comments form the Level One on their work this morning, plus the one regular commentator who witters on at length. A challenge was presented: for each group to recognize their group names.

The dog did not bark last night, that I heard. Now it’s on full ahead barking mode. It’s in the house opposite, hidden behind a screen of large conifers, the kind that are used as screens to hide ugliness.

16.10  The Level One meeting: irritation was rife, as not everyone was able to engage the mental faculties required to hold the pattern of 5 bars in 5 on visual display in front of them, and to remember which of those beats were their responsibility. Cascades in C minor, then A minor. Very musical. A challenge: turn these exercises into music and present it to the Level Two at 21.00. 

Level Two: have fun! And a challenge – turn their work into music & present it to the Level One at 21.00 – as if it were true that music is a powerful & benevolent presence.

Personal meetings continue at 16.30.

 18.00 Hello right foot & the last batch of personal meetings are at an end.

Hooray!

This is the part I fear – the Parade of Hands. Left, right – what matter? They are both awful, in this Parade. Also, several mouths locked in holding back conversation as the playing continues. What is this mouth trying to say, and to whom? I wonder. The hands carry the weight of the eyes, lifting them around the fingerboard on top of the fingers. What a burden. 

One interesting meeting: Fred who is now 26 and was on his first course at 17 (an exception – we ask for 18) is the son of a Crafty from the very first GC course in March 1985. Today, I adjusted Fred’s right hand in exactly the same fashion as I had adjusted his father’s hand on the same guitar, in a dormitory at the Claymont mansion, in 1987.

20.13  Several performances at dinner.

Today is the 25th. birthday of  MG, one of the Level One. He asked the Kitchen Team to prepare a cake for him. The deal was if he bought the cake, they’d serve it. So MG paid for two cakes especially prepared in town & the Kitchen Team served it with performance – Happy Birthday Up Your Ass, With Love. This a performance imbued with the spirit of Mr. U, an Argentinian Crafty whose performance group on courses is Horn Up Your Ass. (Although Mr. U disputes this as an accurate translation, it is the name of the group). Lights went out, HBUYAWL was played in the dark, then the cakes came in with one candle burning which MG blew out to cheers & applause. Urged to make a speech, MG simply said: “Thank you for coming”. Lotsa good light cream.

Now the Level One are preparing to present their work to Level Two, who are possibly preparing to present their work to Level One.

22.12  A fun presentation by Level One. Two of their number entered as they were ending their piece. This is a first in almost 17 years of Guitar Craft – two of the performers arriving at the end of the performance. Some never turn up, but two not two appearing until it’s over is a first. Then the Level Two  presented their work to the Level One & the house. Both honourable.

Then, whoever wished were invited to bring their instrument to the ballroom: over 50 guitars, a cello & viola arrived. Circulating in blocks of 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 & 20 notes; then vamping; then circulating in blocks again. This was spoiled by one character who played carelessly, out of tune. This mirrors what he is in all other facets of his appearance on this course: he is out of tune, both with and without his instrument. He imposes himself on the situation & this has the effect of drawing attention to himself. Does he know how this colours his life & interaction with the world? Here, there is an acceptance & tolerance which is rare indeed. But still, something sacred is spoilt and this is readily forgivable, although not easily.

Before the presentations, I called Vivien Elliot in England to check in on how she & Pierre are doing. Vivien tells me she is off to Egypt soon with her daughter, and hoping to visit Iran with her sons David & Jason, and grandchildren. Jason’s book on Afghanistan is already a classic of travel writing, and his next planned book will be Iran.



Popular Posts

A Tale of Two Concerts
David Singleton
19 May 2025
Apologia Pro Vita Sua
Robert Fripp
8 Nov 2024
What Is A Question?
Robert Fripp
23 Mar 2025
Hotel Professionally Acceptable, San Francisco.
Robert Fripp
23 Feb 2024
Motel Modesto, San Luis Obispo.
Robert Fripp
28 Feb 2024

Related Posts
Hotel Acceptable With Great View, La Spezia.
Robert Fripp
11 Feb 2021
Maison Minxie, Chiswick.
Robert Fripp
14 Jul 2010
Hotel If-All-Our-Hotels-Were-Like-This, Tokyo.
Robert Fripp
1 Dec 2018
#507, Sofitel, Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles.
Robert Fripp
12 Dec 2004
Bredonborough.
Robert Fripp
29 Jun 2020
Just For You
ARTICLES

Gibson Stereo guitar.

With the DGM releases of The Cheerful Insanity of Giles Gile...

MORE

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

Toyah & Robert's latest Upbeat Moments & a vintage Sunday Lu...

MORE

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

MORE

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

Toyah & Robert's latest Upbeat Moments & a brand new Sunday...

MORE

Going Mobile:

When the League of Crafty Guitarist’s sound engineer abruptl...

MORE

Guitar Craft Course with RF

An Introduction To Guitar Craft & The Guitar Circle, directe...

MORE

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

MORE

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

MORE

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

Toyah & Robert's latest Upbeat Moments & vintage Sunday Lunc...

MORE

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

MORE

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

MORE

Giles, Giles & Fripp New Editions.

The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp (The Songs),...

MORE

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

MORE

Happy Birthday Robert!

King Crimson's guitarist turns 79 today. To mark the occasio...

MORE

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

MORE

Toyah and Robert's Weekend.

Catch up with Toyah and Robert's latest weekend on YouTube.

MORE

Toyah & Robert's Easter Weekend

Toyah & Robert's Easter Weekend

MORE

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

Toyah & Robert's Weekend

MORE

Creating the Larks print.

Here’s a look behind the scenes at the making of the Larks’...

MORE

Queen Elizabeth Hall Soundscapes

It’s been a 29 year wait but finally we can now hear the res...

MORE
DIARIES

Satch Bus.

09.23

Satch Bus.

We arrived at Hotel Adeq...

MORE

Satch Bus.

10.53

Route 66 gives a route of 1535 mil...

MORE

Cabin 6020, Silja Ferry >Stockholm.

16.21

Cabin 6020, Silja Ferry >Stockholm.

...

MORE

Satch Bus.

10.29

Bags at 09.30, lobby 10.00, set off for Got...

MORE

Satch Bus, outside venue, Copenhagen.

24.47

An experientially long overnight drive, inc...

MORE

Hotel Pricey And The Staff Are Superb, Amsterdam.

10.47

Breakfast this morning with Joe alone. He w...

MORE

Hotel It-Is-Almost Posh, Amsterdam.

09.10

Into the breakfast room at 06.30 for a quie...

MORE

The Basement, Chateau Belew.

10.28

The Basement, Chateau Belew.

The su...

MORE

The Basement, Chateau Belew.

05.30

One proper response to being alive is joy....

MORE

The Basement, Chateau Belewbeloid.

16.41

The event of the day: Martha Belew is 31 to...

MORE

Los Molinos.

07.23

Rising at 05.52, or 04.52 UK & body tim...

MORE

Crimson Tourbus, Outside Hotel Acceptable, Phoenix.

01.00

Crimson Tourbus, Outside Hotel Acceptable,...

MORE

#504, Hotel Quite Acceptable, Vancouver.

00.15

A supportive & generous audience and wh...

MORE

Hotel Quite Acceptable, Vancouver.

11.03

The weather is changeable, a blue sky rapid...

MORE

Hotel Quite Acceptable, Vancouver.

23.57

We arrived at Denver International Airport,...

MORE

Hotel Quite Acceptable, Denver.

10.42

The sun is shining, the sky is mostly blue,...

MORE

Hotel Quite Acceptable, Denver.

20.04

Snowbound in Denver. Rising at 08.30, a not...

MORE

Room Most Acceptable, Hotel Quite Acceptable.

11.00

Driving snow is blowing past on the other s...

MORE

Hotel Quite Acceptable, Denver.

23.15

And with free Ethernet access, too. A call...

MORE

Mobile HQ, Crimbus.

12.47

We left our hotel punctually at noon and ar...

MORE
DOWNLOADS

Walker Arts Center

Robert Fripp
Walker Arts Center
22 Jun 1979

MORE

Music For Quiet Moments 28 -Time Stands Still (Udine 24 Jun 2006)

Robert Fripp
DGMHQ Soundworld 1
6 Nov 2020

MORE

Sunset Collage 1

Robert Fripp
Tower Records
23 Jan 1995

MORE

Music For Quiet Moments 15

Robert Fripp
DGMHQ Soundworld 1
7 Aug 2020

MORE

Cafe Campus

Robert Fripp
Cafe Campus
16 Aug 1979

MORE

Music For Quiet Moments 10

Robert Fripp
DGMHQ Soundworld 1
3 Jul 2020

MORE

World Financial Centre1st Performance

Robert Fripp
World Financial Centre 1st Performance
3 Dec 2010

MORE

Music For Quiet Moments 33 - A Move Inside II (Asheville 28 Feb 2006)

Robert Fripp
DGMHQ Soundworld 1
11 Dec 2020

MORE

Eliisabeti kirik Estonia

Robert Fripp
Eliisabeti kirik
23 Aug 2006

MORE

The Painted Bride

Robert Fripp
The Painted Bride
22 Nov 1998

MORE

Cafe Campus

Robert Fripp
Cafe Campus
16 Aug 1979

MORE

Music For Quiet Moments 23 - Elegy Pt2 (Rome 20 Jun 2006)

Robert Fripp
DGMHQ Soundworld 1
2 Oct 2020

MORE

RF Guitar

ProjeKct Two
Ventura Theatre
18 Mar 1998

MORE

I Advance Masked

Summers & Fripp
Arny's Shack
1 Jun 1982

MORE

Music For Quiet Moments 22

Robert Fripp
DGMHQ Soundworld 1
25 Sep 2020

MORE

Washington Square Church

Robert Fripp
Washington Square Church
8 Sep 1995

MORE

Teatro Académico Gil Vicente

Robert Fripp
Teatro Académico Gil Vicente
20 Apr 2007

MORE

Skyline

Summers & Fripp
Arny's Shack
1 Jun 1982

MORE

A Scarcity Of Miracles

Jakszyk Fripp Collins
Silesia Sound, Bourne Place, and Stanley House
30 May 2011

MORE

A Blessing of Tears

Robert Fripp
Various
1 Jun 1995

MORE
ARTISTS

Robert Fripp

MORE
PHOTO GALLERY