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Practicing PK with different weights
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Practicing PK with different weights on Thu Mar 02, 2006 12:16 am

### Aire

Joined: 28 Feb 2006
Posts: 3

Hi all,
I decided to try applying some of the techniques I use for practicing my saxophone to PK - and the basic concepts translated fairly well, I think. Here's what I came up with:
If you are having difficulty,
1) Make things easier than normal.
While playing music, if you cannot perform a technical passage, you should practice it at a slower tempo.
The most obvious way to translate this to PK is to try moving a lighter object. Although in the case of the psiwheel, it's pretty hard to get lighter than a piece of paper, it is possible. Try a small portion of a candy bar wrapper. It's more difficult to balance on the pin, but much easier to move.
Although I'm not going to try to ascribe my limitations to anyone else, I found it best to stay at this stage until I could move the training-psiwheel in either direction at will.
Remember, the point of this exercise isn't how many times you can make it spin, or to build power. This exercise lets you focus on control, so you can begin using the power you already have.
Once you have passed this stage, you can begin to
2) Make things more difficult than normal.
While playing the saxohpone, if I want to get better response on a jump or series of jumps and falls, I'll put on a reed that I know is bad and practice with it for awhile. When I switch back to a good reed, I can typically play the passage so effortlessly that I scarcely believe it.
This translates to PK in that the heaviest object you can move is one that you cannot move. I enjoyed trying to move a psiwheel that is made out of cardboard. Alternately, I would sit and lightly tug at a pencil. I couldn't move it, but the effort is what counts here, not the results. After attempting this for just one or two sessions, I found it much easier to move a psiwheel. This method is not unlike running with weights on: it's powerful, but don't do it for as long as you would ordinarily practice.
Be careful not to overstrain yourself - don't try too hard! Remember: the point isn't to move the pen or whatever object you use. The point is to use an object that's heavy enough that you can build your power without worrying about having to control it just yet.
Finally, if your performance is beginning to degrade,
3) Take some time off!
I find I do my best playing after I've taken a week or two off. Don't get me wrong, I still practice more often than I don't, but breaks are absolutely essential - knowing when and how long to take breaks is, in my opinion, the most powerful practice method available.
When you take a break, it gives your mind and body some time to regroup, analyze and assimilate the information they gained from your last practice period. I last practiced PK back in December. Two months later, I started it up again, and within twenty minutes I was better than I had ever been before. Breaks are a good thing!
If anyone decides to try these, let me know how it works out for you.

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hmm... on Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:49 pm

### johnnyblaze

Joined: 25 Jan 2006
Posts: 14

Some interesting things in there! I'll have to try doing this more often, although I do what you were explaining once in a while. I'm sure a lot of people will find this helpful.

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Posted on Tue Mar 07, 2006 2:07 am

### Mad_Hatter

Joined: 19 Feb 2006
Posts: 393

Those sound like some good tips to try, and thats what I will do. Maybe I can even apply some of them to my trumpet practice routine...although I do most of them already, but I prefer small chunks and reduced tempo, that doesn't transfer to TK that well though!
PS About your sig, that comic rocks.

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Posted on Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:55 am

### somefatguy

Joined: 17 Jan 2006
Posts: 1187

It's basically like weight lifting. You get really good with a small weight then you go up to a bigger weight and try your best.

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