14:
Overview by Jamey Faulkner based on work of Ken Wilber. Note: This is version .05 of the Integral Guitar Model (Integral Music Model).
The Integral Guitar Model is using the Integral Model developed by Ken Wilber, to teach, learn, understand, and play music (in this case, guitar).
(The Integral Guitar Model can also be called the Integral Music Model – you can substitute each instrument’s specific techniques, traditions, mental approaches, etc., but the core is the same. For this overview, we will use them interchangeably).
As mentioned in the Integral Model overview, music is a line in the integral framework. It is considered an auxiliary module or practice to the core modules (mind, body, spirit, shadow) in Integral Life Practice.
When using the map for the guitar, we can call the practice, Integral Guitar Practice, and for any type of music, Integral Music Practice. The Integral Music Model (for guitar) uses the Integral Map to learn and experience music.
As a line, music can also use the framework of the map. In a sense, this is the map within the map. The line music, which is a module of the Integral Life Practice, is using the Integral Map to create a system of learning, much like the cognitive line using the map to explore different perspectives of awareness.
The Integral Guitar Map utilizes the same 5 dimensions of awareness of the Integral Model: Quadrants, Lines, Levels, States, & Types.
AQAL (short for all quadrants, all levels) is the inclusion of all of them.
By understanding each moment from these 5 touch-views, and how we can use these 5 to enact our experiences – looking at our practice through the map (I, We, and It – The Big Three) – we have an opportunity to grow in exceedingly progressive ways and shrink timelines.
Quadrants
The Quadrants provide the structure for the perspectives (I, We, It, Its). For the Integral Guitar Model, on a very general level, we’ll substitute mind, body, mutual resonance, jamming with others (we’ll refine this more later).
For simplicity, these will shake down to the The Big Three (I, We, It), yet we will use a modified version of the graphic above:
For the perspectives (quadrants), Upper Left (UL) is our inside experience (thoughts, feelings, mental constructs), Upper Right (UR) is our technical abilities, and the Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR) are our understanding and interactions with others. LL is our cultural understanding with others, LR is our social system.
It is important to keep in mind how we are using the Integral Model. One, for every instance, all 4 perspectives are present (from). Two, we can organize our efforts (through) by exploring each of the perspectives (even though when we do so, all four are still present).
Lines
For our Integral Music/Guitar Model, lines are the specific and multiple areas of development. Lines are present in each quadrant. Version .05 of this model, has divided the discipline of music into the following areas.
Upper Left
Upper Right (Techniques for Guitar)
Lower Left and Lower Right as One (We – You & I + Its)
Levels
Levels are the altitude in each of the lines. As we work to expand and increase our altitude across all of the lines, we see how each can strengthen the other. Of course, no one is at the highest level in all lines.
States
States for the Integral Music Model describe the types of altered states musicians get into while they/we play. The most description is the ‘being in the zone’, as if the music was being played through the player. Also known as ‘flow’.
Types
For version .05 of the Integral Guitar Model, types are still personality types, plus male/female, and cultural, but we will add styles. Styles include Eastern and Western, traditional, modern, postmodern styles.
AQAL
AQAL, short for ‘all quadrants, all levels’ refers to including all dimensions of awareness (quadrants, levels, lines, states, and types) as we learn to play and interact with others.
Any one of these points could be expanded Ad infinitum.
13:
Overview by jamey Faulkner based on work of Ken Wilber.
The Integral Model can also be referred to as the Integral Map, Integral Theory, AQAL Integral Framework, or just AQAL (pronounced aw-qwal), short for ‘all-quadrants, all-levels’.
The Model is a map which provides a framework for any discipline or area of study, including music, art, science, medicine, among many others. We will see how music fits into the Integral Map, and how the map can be applied to music. First, the model.
The Integral Model consists of 5 dimensions of awareness: Quadrants, Lines, Levels, States, and Types.
The 4 Quadrants and Perspectives
Quadrants provide the structure, and each of the four is a perspective for any moment. They aren’t a ‘place’ that we put something, but a unified way to view any moment, occasion, or event. The Quadrants provide the structure for the perspectives.
The Perspectives:
| I |
 |
1st person perspective (Interior Individual) |
| We |
|
2nd person perspective (You & I – Interior Collective) |
| It |
|
3rd person perspective (Exterior Individual) |
| Its |
|
3rd person plural perspective (Exterior Collective) |
The Quadrants are the ‘interior and exterior of the individual and the collective’.
These 4 ’shake’ down into what Wilber calls “The Big Three”. Since Its is a plural It, It and Its can combine to just It.
The Big Three
| I |
|
Art, the Beautiful |
| We |
|
Morals, the Good |
| It |
|
Science, the True |
Lines
Lines are particular intelligences, such as cognitive, moral, emotional, needs, interpersonal, values, musical. Music is a line within the Integral Model. It also would be considered an auxiliary module. (The core modules in Integral Life Practice are Mind, Body, Spirit, and Shadow).
Lines are present in all quadrants, yet one of the most important lines is ‘located’ in the upper left (UL) quadrant, the cognitive line. The cognitive line is important because it is ‘what we are aware of,’ or the ability to take perspectives. We’ll ‘place’ the cognitive line within the UL quadrant along with others (moral, affective, musical, etc) in a graph called the Integral Psychograph.
The idea is that all of us have these areas of development. Some of the areas are more evolved or developed than others. For instance, a person may be at a very high level of cognitive achievement, a relatively high level of moral and affective development, and a somewhat low level of musical development.
We all have a psychograph particular to us, and we are the best determiners of where we are strongest and where we can use some work.
Levels
Levels (Stages) provide a developmental scale; not exactly a ladder, but a sequence that each of us move through as we grow. The very basic stages are body, mind, and spirit (preconventional, conventional, postconventional).
Levels are waves of consciousness. Another term for levels is altitude. Each developmental line has a level. In music, common terms for early, middle, and later development is beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
States
States relate to either natural states, such as waking, dreaming, or deep sleep, or meditative, altered, and peak. States are ‘temporary and changing but powerful forms of awareness.’
Types
Types are different forms on a horizontal level, such as male/female, personality types (such as the Enneagram or Myers-Briggs), or cultural differences.
AQAL
AQAL stands for ‘all-quadrants, all-levels.’ As we experience an occasion, we can touch in on all the perspectives (quadrants), and relate to our experience at all levels (body, mind, and spirit).
AQAL is really short for ‘all-quadrants, all-levels, all-lines, all-states, all-types.’ AQAL is an inclusive model of reality.
12:
This is geared towards beginners & parents.
So you are going to get a guitar (acoustic or electric), and finally learn how to play the thing. Which type will you buy? How many types are there? Should you start on an acoustic, and then move to electric?
Or, is your child asking for a guitar and you aren’t quite sure which type to buy to get them going?
The ideal situation is to get both (an acoustic and an electric) within the first year, or few months. Make your choice for the starter, and then acquire the other type after the student has demonstrated some ’stick-with-it-ness’.
Big Point: typically an electric is a bit easier to press the strings down. It isn’t necessary to build up strength on an acoustic, and then move to electric. Learning on an electric first, is perfectly fine. Strength can be built on either. The important point is that you &/or your child are comfortable and stay fired up.
It makes sense for many parents to start on acoustic (whether half or three-quarter size), then get an electric after their child has learned a few chords, melodies, and songs. [Note: half and three quarter size classicals typically play better and stay in tune better than mini-steel strings].
Sticking with guitar is related to the level of excitement about playing which often translates into playing the electric guitar (especially for kids).
When considering whether to buy an acoustic or electric first, always consider what sparked the interest to begin with? Was it a Dave Matthews or AC/DC video? This conceptual and emotional link to a favorite player or type of music can a great indicator.
The blanket idea that you should start on an acoustic, then get an electric is outdated and inaccurate. Situations often call for the opposite.
The guitar (whether acoustic or electric) is great for many reasons. It’s diversity in use is astounding. It can be used to play melody, harmony, and both at the same time, much like a piano.
It is also a percussive instrument. It is catalogued as a chordophone (instruments with strings), yet it is also an idiophone (instruments with are scraped or hit – without a skin membrane). The guitar is a chordophonic idiophone, or a idiophonic chordophone.
Another point of greatness is that it is portable (acoustic or electric). It can be carried to gigs, like a keyboard, yet unlike a piano. An acoustic can be played anywhere – in a park, the woods, or a friend’s living room – without the need for electricity. The electric has the need for some type of amplifier. Portable, yet multiple hands or loads necessary.
Another reason the guitar is great is that is extremely popular. Dare we say the most popular instrument on earth? It is standard equipment in many households across the globe. Yet, some cultures ban the thing.
Two Types of ‘Acoustics’
The term acoustic in the broadest sense means ‘non-electric’, or ‘doesn’t have to be plugged in’. In its more specific common usage, the term means steel string guitar. The other type of ‘acoustic’ is a nylon string (plastic) guitar, also known as a ‘classical’ or ‘classic’ guitar.
Both acoustic and classic guitars can be plugged in if they have been modified or built with a pickup. The term acoustic-electric applies to an acoustic guitar which can be amplified via a built in pick-up, or applied to the guitar (soundhole or stuck onto the sound board typically with putty).
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Adult Beginners
Which type of guitar should an adult beginner purchase (acoustic or electric)? This relates directly to what type of music they are intending to play. Acoustic versions exist of many rock songs, so the acoustic in this way, can ‘do it all’.
If a student just needs to get going, either type of guitar, including classical, works fine. When you start to venture into styles, the type of guitar will dictate your success in emulating a particular sound. Generally, if you know now what will keep you interested, get the guitar that matches that style and tone.
Some adults really only need an acoustic. They are great at parties, church, or gatherings. They are extremely versatile, without the need to carry an amp and to find a power socket. They are also more universally ’social’.
If you intend to gig eventually with an acoustic, you will need an acoustic-electric (internal pick-up), or a soundhole pick-up. An internal pick-up is ultimately the way to go. Many acoustics now come with electronics from the factory. Electronics can also be installed later.
If you plan to rock out, you know you need an electric. If you plan to play AC/DC songs, the way they sound on a record, you definitely should invest in a good amp as well as an electric.
When you amplify, the amp is half of the equation. First, is you and how you play, then there’s the guitar, and finally the amp. They all carry important dimensions of tone.
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Children Beginners
It is very common to hear parents say, “first, my child needs to learn on the acoustic, then they can get an electric.” This does work in some situations quite well. Yet, it doesn’t work in every situation.
Sometimes, depending on the age, size and attitude of a student, an electric is a better first purchase.
For the very young (2-4), a ukulele is recommended, rather than a ‘toy’ guitar with questionable craftsmanship. Many of the small ‘toy’ guitars have sharp parts and edges and should be avoided. Toy guitars in general, beyond the plastic button type, should be avoided. Once we move into actual strings, these ‘toys’ are dangerous.
The best first choice for kids ages 5-12 is the three-quarter size classical (plastic strings). Generally the craftsmanship on these are far superior than a steel string three quarter size. [A good small classical should cost around $120.]
Small steel strings are harder to play and are difficult to stay in tune, often creating a bad playing experience.
Electrics are fine for this age, yet this should be based on how a child approaches a guitar. [An electric guitar and amp package should cost between $150-250.]
Ask: will my child treat it like a toy, or are they careful and aware of how to treat it? If they seem to ‘just know’ how it all works, by all means, get them what they are asking for, watch the process, and trust it. Some kids just know to keep the volume low and to keep the cables in order.
For teens, it is whatever is ‘coolest’. Acoustics and electrics carry a lot of cool. It is recommended to go with the flow on this. Buying an acoustic when a child is asking for an electric can backfire.
The goal is enjoyment and building happy memories. A little perspective in this regard can go a long way. The acoustic, in many regards, has become just as ‘cool’ in American culture.
If there are cultural issues (such as religion or family history) involved with guitar, an acoustic is often less likely to create tension within a given context. The electric carries a lot of stigma, whether rightfully suited to it or not.
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Criteria for buying a guitar
When buying a guitar, the 3 basic criteria for any type of guitar are always:
- Price
- Feel
- Tone
First, you shop within your price range. If your price range is 200-400 dollars, know this going into the store. Find the guitars in that range, play as many as you can. Be aware of what you are drawn too.
Second, does the guitar feel good? Is it playable? Does it feel comfortable? Easy to press? Fit your body?
Third, does it sound good?
When these 3 things align, and you have tried a number of models, possibly at a few stores, make your purchase.
Music, as a life-long activity, is a great way to grow as a person. The guitar being diverse, portable, and popular, has a rich history of delivering the experience of music with tremendous rates of return, when your investment is patient and smart. Stay smart.
Which will you buy first? Acoustic or electric?
11:
During a learning session, a student, said, “that works every time.” What she was referring to was me saying: “and here comes your favorite note.” I said this because a few weeks earlier she said, “oh, that’s my favorite note”. A student’s words & associations have power.
As teachers, we share & use what carries power. It empowers students. It lets them know, that you know, what they think is important.
Teaching, very simply explained, is timing & content: what is said or gestured, & when. Words & gestures can offer relief & guidance at just the right time, or impede what may have needed not a word or movement. Getting this right every time is difficult; cultivating a space where language & motion allow creative process, easier.
Every session offers subtle clues as to the views a student takes for any given topic. Working with those clues first means being aware of them. Getting to know our students offers us the opportunity to fine tune our teaching to specific needs. This, in turn, expands our coaching abilities. Our back pocket is full of applications, which could only be filled from years of hypertuning our methods.
09:
Modal playing is a common way for musicians to jam together. However, this term, modal playing doesn’t always mean the same thing to all musicians. So, let’s explore the term and its contexts.
From the start, it is important to look at the way people use this term, modal playing. To determine what it means, we often, in part, have to consider who is saying it, and what they want to accomplish.
Not that there are perfect delineated definitions for the who’s and the content of what they say. Meanings do blend – a cloud of modal meaning (back to that in a moment).
One of the simplest answers: you hear…’hey, let’s modal jam in D Dorian.’ — translation, let’s use all the musical sounds of C Major, but make D minor the ‘tonic’ (or i) chord. Dorian is always the 2nd mode in any Major key.
So, rather than the chords being I ii iii IV V vi viio (C Dm Em F G Am Bdim), we would have this modal playing scenario (where Dm is the ‘one’ chord, rather than C Major): i ii III IV v viio VII (Dm Em F G Am Bdim C). Again, this is calling the ‘two’ chord the ‘one’ chord or tonic chord for this moment.
Now, the set up: A mode in its simplest definition is a scale.
A scale is a series of tones played alphabetically, ascending/descending with a particular pattern of whole, half, and/or one-and-a-half steps (ie. a major scale – Ionian mode – has a pattern of wholes and halfs – wwh-wwwh).
A popular mode is D Dorian (D to D on the white notes of the piano). D Dorian is really the tones of C Major, yet we are focusing our energies – defining the moment – on the root of D, rather than C.
A mode (or scale) can also be thought of a division of an octave (tonal division of the 12 half steps – which tones do you choose along the path, and what intervals are created?).
And, a mode or a scale can also be thought of as a group or collection or family or selection of tones. No matter how we define (derive) the set (the mode), ultimately, it creates a certain sound, a flavor. Played in order or out of order, the tones we are using are a particular set.
Modes do mean creating melodic and harmonic flavor. As we choose a group of tones and create tasty melodic lines, we are using modes whether we say so or not. So, in this sense modal playing is using modes or flavorful families of tones to be melodic and musical.
If a rock player says he/she’s modal playing, they are typically lining up particular modes over chords with similar Roots, 3, 5, and 7’s.
The modes change with the chords (the chords are determining how the tonal flavors blend – and even what they are called – more below). (Jazz players are very similar – yet sometimes ‘more complex’ - Fusion is a blend).
If an open tuning player is talking modal playing, they are typically saying that they are mixing modes from a drone.
So, if they are playing in DADGAD, they could use (extract, flavorize) D Major and/or D minor, and any mode that mingles with the 1, 4, and 5 (D, G, A) tones of ‘the D type thing.’.
You have lots of modal options with this kind of tuning (DADGAD). Perfect use of modal playing terminology.
If a jam band, says let’s play in D Dorian, this is modal playing (like the simplest answer above). Rather than using form (like a chord progression, or the 12 bar blues), we use a set of tones to create the jam. The mode is the container.
Something to keep in mind with modal playing: you are allowed and encouraged to mix up the modes. All modes are available at every moment in time, if they apply colorfully to the situation. Each may have an origin, but they can travel to other realms, which creates interest, style, and expression.
All modes produce chords.
Final note: if harmony is present (chords are being played), the tones sounding in the chord determine what any single note means (how it is heard).
Example, I’m playing an E minor chord (EGB), and someone plays an F# single tone, well that’s a 2 or a 9, so now we have E G B F# (Emadd9). Now if I’m playing a G Major chord, and that same someone plays that same beautiful F#, now we have G B D F# (G Major 7).
The melody tone is being added to build a larger block of harmony.
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