What my guitar is teaching me about tuning in
A contemplation of how to rediscover resounding harmony
Something about the autumn makes me feel like writing songs. I start craving the earthy acoustic sounds of a guitar alongside my voice.
So, I’ve been composing a couple of songs in the tiny pockets of my day: while waiting for the water to boil, while the baby scampers off to explore a newfound bottle, while in the shower.
Guitars are sensitive, I’ve been realizing. Temperamental. Before I can even start in on a melody, I need to check in with it first.
“How are you feeling?” I ask with my preliminary strum.
I listen for the guitar’s response, and the answer falls a little flat. The cluster of six notes sounds muddled and wrong.
“Ah, in need of a little boost. I hear you.”
I get to work tuning each string, making micro-adjustments that shift the pitch ever so slightly until it eventually settles into the right note.
Guitars can get knocked out of tune for many reasons: weather changes, long practice sessions, traveling etc. And when even just one string is out of tune, it can throw off a whole song.
When I tune my guitar, I’m training my ears, heightening my sense of perception as I listen for subtle sonic shifts. I want to be able to do this for my own being. I want to get better at sensing when I’m out of tune, when I’m feeling off and not resonating at my highest vibration.
Remember that perception is a skill that can be cultivated. When we turn our awareness towards these subtle cues, we open the door for a deeper sense of self knowing to enter.
So, I’ve been sitting with a few questions as I make music:
How do I know I’m out of tune?
The first signs that I’m out of tune tend to be that I become noticeably impatient and snippy. Then, I start daydreaming about being somewhere far away from wherever I’m at, somewhere quiet where I can be alone with my own thoughts.
What kind of conditions knock me out of tune?
When I go a long stretch of days without any solo time, or I get less than 6 hours of sleep or I’m experiencing emotional friction with a loved one or feeling unseen/unheard/unacknowledged, I tend to get knocked out of tune.
What kind of adjustments help me get back in tune?
When I enjoy solo time, nourishing conversations with other women, prayer, breath work, pauses to listen to soothing ASMR videos, I can often get back in tune.
As you dive back into your day, I invite you to consider your responses to the following questions: How do you know you’re out of tune? What kind of conditions knock you out of tune? What kind of adjustments help you get back in tune?
If you feel so called, please share your ponderings in the comments.
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Rest well this weekend.
In All Honesty,
Maris
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