New Year's Eve, 2010

Looking at some other possible piano stuff to learn in addition to the Sudnow Method. A book on stride? A book on Improvising Blues Piano? An internet course?

Either way, here's a ragged work in progress of Norwegian Wood:

Copy and paste:
http://www.box.net/shared/p8bfc2bxqh

New Year's Eve's Eve, 2010

Practiced repertoire. Tried out a new song. Didn't "grab" me. Then a cool thing happened. I pulled out "Norwegian Wood" that my piano buddy shared with me some time ago. It's quite cool, with jazzy chords. Fun stuff! Messed around with "improvising" during it....fun! I didn't finish it yet... Perhaps may get an Internet course....may get a book on how to play stride....my left hand play is dangerously weak!

December 29, 2010

Here's how "Someone to Watch Over Me" sounded today:

Copy and paste:
http://www.box.net/shared/e5t80n7874

Addendum
1) Practiced repertoire
2) Perhaps will order a piano learning course.

Addendum II:

Here's a little fun:
Copy and paste:
http://www.box.net/shared/u2kls8x7kk

December 28, 2010

Played repertoire. Working on new song, and incorporating some stride into the break part. Got the Thelonious Monk bio in the mail today! Enjoying The Piano Lesson Book. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WONDERFUL !!!

December 27, 2010

Practiced repertoire and the new song. Interesting comparing my voicing of the new tune to Sudnow's.

December 26, 2010

Worked on repertoire, and working hard on the new Gershwin song. Cool.

Christmas Day, 2010

Worked on repertoire and "Someone to Watch Over Me.". May get a book on stride, too. Santa brought me a cool book...the Music Lesson, as well as a CD of Harold Arlen (the writer of "Over the Rainbow") songs.

Christmas Eve, 2010

Played repertoire. Started work on the new song: "Someone to Watch Over Me." I tried it some time ago.

A safe and Happy Christmas and/or Holidays to everyone reading this, and let's make 2011 a great year.

Christmas Eve's Eve, 2010

Practiced repertoire. I wonder what the next song will be.....
Hmmmm......

December 21, 2010

Practiced repertoire...

Frustration...

Listened to "Crush" today....wasn't impressed.....
To work on switching off the internal critic.

"I've Got a Crush on You"

Here it is, as recorded today....
...you may need to copy and paste:
http://www.box.net/shared/7u7qxqja55

Addendum: Also worked on repertoire....will pick another song to voice! Will it he a Christmas song? That's tempting, but by the time I learn it, Christmas will be over, and I'm not sure I'll feel like practicing a Christmas song when it's not the season!

A Challenging Day

Worked hard on "Crush on You.". It's coming along well. Thought it was possibly ready to record, but I was mistaken! Needs more work, but that's OK. This learning stuff is a process and not a race.

Thanks go out there in cyberspace to my piano buddy who corrected my last post: As a fellow Sudnow Method user, my piano buddy reminded me that I have get those clusters ingrained in my "fingers" as opposed to my "brain!"

A Hard Working Day at the Piano

Worked on Rainbow and Winding Road. Went ok, but had a bit of trouble remembering them! Maybe what I'll do is just start considering review of songs learned as an ***important part of practice that is just as essential as song learning.*** I used to mostly just go from song to song, and mostly not see review as a critical part of practice. But a shift of perspective might be in order here. All songs learned, I think, need to be seen as not just learned forever, but as continued works in progress.

Also worked on Crush on You. It's too easy to just see practice as the process of learning a new song, because of the novelty factor of newness that the new song brings. But, again, seeing the old songs as "works in progress" can help not only with making the songs sound smoother, but in the learning process of getting my brain more and more used to voiced clusters.

December 16, 2010

Worked more on "I've Got a Crush on You." Incorporated a new color tone for minor chords. Fun stuff, this is. Been listening to George Sheering, and really like his impressionistic, dreamy ballad stuff.

December 14, 2010

Just worked on smoothing out (and writing out) some rough parts of Winding Road and Rainbow. Worked on Crush on You also.

Working Part II !

Working hard on "Crush." Slow down! Played repertoie a bit too. Things getting somewhat jumbled, so will SLOW DOWN! Downloaded a bunch of Sudnow material to have as a hard copy.
S L O W
D O W N !

Working !

Working hard on "Crush." Sometimes just walking away from the piano when hitting a plateau. Did some repertoire stuff too.

Color Tones

Practiced "I've Got a Crush on You" utilizing some great color tones. It was great using some stuff I don't usually use....at least not lately. Also taking my time. Played some repertoire stuff also. The Sudnow Method Rules.

The Long and Winding Road

Here it is with mistakes (may need to copy and paste):

http://www.box.net/shared/ftrrssg9t2

Although its not perfect, I like it. I'll continue to polish it. Worked on Rainbow, and "I Got a Crush on You."

I Got a Crush Over the Long and Winding Rainbow

Practiced "Over the Rainbow" and "The Long and Winding Road."
I think the next song will be "I Got a Crush on You.". Been listening to Ella Fitzgerald singing ballads, and I'm getting into those old standards. She sure has a beautiful voice....getting some other similar songs sung by others soon on CDs.