Music

Practiced some Christmas music today with the band. Sounding pretty good! 

I like practicing pian ONCE I STARY. The problem is getting myself to just SIT DOWN AND START. To all those people who have communicated: “Best to practice a little each day, rather than marathon practice sessions, they are correct (to me). 

Practiced a little bit of scales scales (playing backwards remains challenging to me). Continue to work on songs.

P I a n o

Managed to get some practice time in today. Again, it was somewhat difficult to get started, but once I did, things went well. 

Music

Went through songs, scales, an arpeggio that used the 9th, and an song ending technique. Continue to work on “Misty,” but I’m adding in an arpeggio and the ending technique. Fully immersed in the piano now, going from one thing to another….. 

Will be playing guitar with the band at a fundraiser for the Church. We’ll be playing Christmas music. It’s a five piece band. When the band takes a break, I’ll be joining a subset of the five piece band, and we’ll focus on Christmas music played in a jazz style. So I’ll be picking up the guitar again. But I won’t let it interfere with my piano work!

Been thinking about my Stratocaster….

Practice practice practice

Did I say “practice?” It was a good piano day. Playing my songs (none played perfectly) and worked on “Misty.” So far my (not perfectly played by a long shot) repertoire 😁 is:

Misty

Embraceable You

All My Loving

Fly Me to the Moon

Try to Remember

More

Lovin’ You

Friday Nite

A good practice today. Relaxed. Things came together in a good way: songs, scales, a new ending device. Felt good to play this evening even though I almost did not practice.

Interesting

Again … didn’t feel like practicing piano…. negativity shows it’s ugly head …. but then I practiced and felt good about it. Challenging!!

A book I’ve had for awhile. Read some of it in the past, I think it will help with the negativity associated with my piano frustrations:

Keep swimming

Went to practice tonight and it started off with frustration. Got better. Worked on “Embraceable You’ as I keep forgetting certain parts of it. Worked on a technique to finish the song with a surprise ending. 

More piano

Practiced some song stuff today as well as a couple scales. Feels to be too much working on a bunch of things!

Music Day

Practiced a lot of piano today. Songs, a scale, and chords that use four fingers. Then tonight the band and I (on guitar) played a kind of rock and roll show for older folks. Here was the set list;

Caught myself

In practicing piano yesterday I caught myself just playing through a song and not sounding very good; it’s better to learn a little at a time.

Piano Fight

Practice did not go too smoothly today, but I persevered and was able to see it through. Practiced just songs today. Did not go completely through my repertoire, but it was ok. Frustrating when I forget how to play what I thought I had down better. 

Eagles Piano

Watched the season opener of the Philadelphia Eagles. We won, but, let’s just say it wasn’t our best game.

Got a lot of songs to work on piano. Did some of some of them today. Fighting with the major scales in some keys. 

Very good practice

Very good piano practice today. Major scales forward and back, chord drill, and working on the first three lines or so in a number of songs.

A Little Night Practice

Thought I might not practice tonight, but I managed to get some in. Trying to learn and/or get in my fingers some songs. Did a little bit of that tonight. It would be great to practice longer! I still kind of don’t want to practice, but once I start doing so, I’m liking it.

Practicing with the band tomorrow for a gig we’ll be playing soon at a place for older folks. I’ll be playing guitar, and singing at least two songs tomorrow: Be-Bop-A-Lula and Johnny B. Goode.

As a kid I used to go to Wildwood, NJ for summer vacations. Here’s a picture that reminds me of what Wildwood looked like many years ago. I hate(d) rides, but I used to go on “The Pirate Ship” and “The Golden Nugget” as seen in the picture below. As a kid, I really liked going on the boardwalk.

Selling myself short

Thought I was going to be overwhelmed and not successful in practicing this time. But surprised myself in that it went really well. Interesting how songs once learned can come back after working on them a bit. Would like to be building something of a repertoire. It’s not memorizing but training the self to get the fingers into the groove. Teacher suggested that I go back and keep songs after learning them rather than just letting them go until learning another. Worked on that today with “Fly Me to the Moon” as well as “All My Loving.” Went well!

Piano Lesson

Got a lot to work on. Four finger chords. Keeping songs in my fingers. Perhaps new songs. I’m up for it. 

Piano Lesson Tomorrow

Piano lesson is tomorrow. Still not grasping how to finger some of the  the major scales going backwards. 

Practice

Practice playing things SLOWLY.

A good day of practice today. Felt good at the piano. For this week’s homework, I can play “All My Loving,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Tru to To Remember.” Doing those dang scales still. Oh yea, “Try to Remember” is the one I’m using some theory with, as well some ear stuff. 

Saw the movie “Oppenheimer” today for the second time. Really intriguing. I have the book, but have not gotten to far in it yet. Complex story and it’s just so interesting to see this brilliant man, who is working to help the USA win the war, finds himself on the defensive as the USA goes back attacking him. Can just imagine the anguish he may have felt building such a weapon.