Day 272

Working on "Have Yourself" and its sounding nice.

Day 271

Started reworking on "Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas."

That detour led to a familiar place.....

Since my goal is to play on the fly from fakebooks, I'm going to concentrate just on voicing songs the Sudnow way, with a little stride thrown in every once in awhile. I'm going back to the Sudnow approach because I think it minimizes memorization. And since I hate memorization, bu realize that some of it is necessary, I'll go back to a Method that minimizes such.

But here's how I'll differ from my last venture into Sudnowville:
1. No writing down stuff. Just learn as doing, since this is the skill I hope to be good at.
2. Slow is OK, but I won't move on to another song until the previous song is able to be played on time. I'll allow myself to look at the lead sheet as I play, since again, that's the skill I want to be good at.
3. Then ditch the song. Won't memorize it. Can always go back to it. If I have to figure out the voicings again, tough! That's what I'll be doing reading on the fly anyway!
4. Use some of my memory startegies if helpful.

In a nutshell, using Sudnow ideas:
1) Its most fun and rewarding for me at the piano when I learn and hear the clusters and how those clusters combine in songs.
2) What's not fun and rewarding to me is memorizing.
3) Soooooo, I'll voice one song at a time, realizing it may be a struggle as the song gets more and more measures, but I think by doing it this way I am minimizing memorization but maximizing learning (the Sudnow way of learning in the context of my goal [playing from a fakebook]). And I'm minimizing more the frustration I feel in memorizing by not forcing myself to have X number of songs memorized.

Day 270

(Should have posted this yesterday).
Just did some work withe the Swain book.

Day 269

On same pages of Swain and the Method Book.

Here's a little experimenting:
http://www.box.net/shared/y9ymdyjz6y

And another version:
http://www.box.net/shared/guvce606s2

Day 268

I've been playing, but not really a lot. Back more in the swing of things today with the same pages of the Swain book and the Method Book. Getting bored again with the Method Book....might replace that with something that might be more fun .... like "Improvising Blues Piano" perhaps?

Day 267

Still working on the same pages of the Swain book and the Method Book.

Day 266

OK.....a plan for now.....

Will use Alan Swain's material as well as the Method Book.

On p.5 of the Swain book and p. 10 of the Method Book.

d e t o u r

Here’s the scoop. I’ve decided to stop using the Sudnow Method, at least for now. I’ve learned a lot with the Method, but I’ve decided to try out some of Alan Swain’s material at this time. I believe with Alan’s Method, there may be more of a utilization of what may be limited memorized open voicings for chords, rather than the learning of a number of clusters which seems to be emphasized with the Sudnow method. Of course, I may be wrong in my description of these methods, so don’t take my impressions as being exact goals of either approach. However, I think it may be more beneficial for me in my learning to try the Swain ideas….

Realizing that there is no one method that is the “Single Best Way” is something of a theme that has run through this blog. But I think the Swain stuff is worthy of a good try at this point in my learning…

Tonight I played a little fakebook Beatles stuff, and played some Sundow stuff....

Who knows, this detour may take me right back to the Sudnow Method.

To be continued….

Day 265

(Should have posted this yesterday).
Short practice of scales, Over the Rainbow and Misty.

Memorization gets daunting.

Day 264

Played repertoire and working on "Have a Very Merry."

In the recent spirit of adding other stuff to this blog, here's a picture of my son, my main man.

Today is a big day for father and son: As I type this, he's listening to the Beatles "Because" on vinyl ! ! ! !

Like father...........like son!

Day 263

Practiced scales, repertoire, and making progress on "Have a Merry..."

Things today went smoother than yesterday.

I'm also in a rock and roll band, and we actually have a name as of today: Opaque. I am the guitar player. Some passing thoughts were, why not give up piano and focus on just the guitar in the band? Naa..... ! It would be naive to think that the piano and me will always have a wonderful relationship with each other. It is a complex instrument, and it just is not easy. It would be foolish to think that I'll just breeze through it. Although yesterday was rough, today was easier. I got a piano, a great Method, a great piano buddy, and the desire to continue. I just can't see stopping. I also can't see switching methods. I learned my lesson there....

Oh and by the way, here's a picture of my two beautiful daughters!

Day 262

It seems like repeated listenings to David Sudnow's Course offers newer gems....

In today's listening, I realize how I need to spend more time on his quality practice rules....

Again, no need to rush. Focus on quality and not hasty sloppy practice.

A challenging day for practice. Practiced scales. Practiced repertoire, but clusters getting confused.... Working on "Have a Very Merry," but progress on it is slowing down.

Day 261

AM
Practiced scales, repertoire, and "Have a Very Merry"

PM
Practiced "Have a Very Merry."

Enjoying the Sudnow Method; cool how the song takes shape with great sounds as clusters are added as I practice.

Day 260

AM
Practiced scales and Repertoire.

PM
Worked on "Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas."

Note to Self: Stop trying to find shortcuts.

Day 259

AM
Practiced Scales and "My Romance."

Day 258

AM
Practiced scales and repertoire.

PM
Tried playing on the fly from a fakebook. I got a ways to go until I can do that!
Worked on "Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas."

Day 257

Played repertoire and scales.

Also, began and finished voicing "Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas."

Started working on memorizing "Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas."

Day 256

Practiced scales, played "Misty," "Over the Rainbow," and.......drum roll please.......finished "My Romance." Added "My Romance" to my repertoire. Here's how "My Romance" sounds at this time: http://www.box.net/shared/2uto4h8mbm

Day 255

(Should have posted this yesterday).
Continued to work on scales, repertoire, and "My Romance."
Getting ready to begin voicing "Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas."

Day 254

AM
Practiced Scales, Repertoire, "My Romance."

PM
Practiced "My Romance." I don't see spending too much more time on this tune until I move on to song #4. Not sure what song #4 will be yet...