Ok, so I'm going in a different direction yet again.
Sent away for a home course that teaches to play by ear using big chords.
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
December 10, 2011
Been all over the wilderness trying to learn the piano. Decided to use 2012 to learn Allan Swain's Methods. He has two books that teach chords; open positions.
It seems like most of this blog has been devoted to me using the Sudnow Method. For me, I want to learn how to learn songs from fakebooks that take somewhat quicker for me to learn than using the Sudnow Method. And I don't want to play songs constantly in order to remember them, and that has been my experience with the Method. For me, anyway, I just don't remember songs easily using the Sudnow Method. If I don't play them often, I lose them. Other folks might have better luck than me. That whole paragraph is just my opinion of my own frustration with the Method, and again, others may have great experiences with the Method because their goals differ from mine. My goal is to be able to play a lot of songs quicker without the constant repitition that I seem to need utilizing the Method. I have learned a lot from the Method, may go back to it, or at the very least continue to utilize things I've learned feom the Method in my play.
I'm sure you have heard tge saying, "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man how to fish and he eats for a lifetime." For me, in my humble opinion, the Sudnow Method gave me fish (taught me songs). But perhaps using and committing to the Swain method might teach me HOW to fish.
So while reserving my right to change my mind yet again, I'm going to try to commit 2012 to learning the Swain methods.
It seems like most of this blog has been devoted to me using the Sudnow Method. For me, I want to learn how to learn songs from fakebooks that take somewhat quicker for me to learn than using the Sudnow Method. And I don't want to play songs constantly in order to remember them, and that has been my experience with the Method. For me, anyway, I just don't remember songs easily using the Sudnow Method. If I don't play them often, I lose them. Other folks might have better luck than me. That whole paragraph is just my opinion of my own frustration with the Method, and again, others may have great experiences with the Method because their goals differ from mine. My goal is to be able to play a lot of songs quicker without the constant repitition that I seem to need utilizing the Method. I have learned a lot from the Method, may go back to it, or at the very least continue to utilize things I've learned feom the Method in my play.
I'm sure you have heard tge saying, "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man how to fish and he eats for a lifetime." For me, in my humble opinion, the Sudnow Method gave me fish (taught me songs). But perhaps using and committing to the Swain method might teach me HOW to fish.
So while reserving my right to change my mind yet again, I'm going to try to commit 2012 to learning the Swain methods.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
July 24, 2011
Very pleasant surprise experienced in that ATTYA wasn't really that difficult to get back to after spending so much time on Autumn Leaves. Looks like next song will be Over the Rainbow.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
July 23, 2011
Finished Autumn Leaves and submitted it to the Sudnow Forum. Finally ordered the Stride book.
Goal:
Keep Working on: Autum Leaves and ATTYA until next tune.
Goal:
Keep Working on: Autum Leaves and ATTYA until next tune.
Friday, July 22, 2011
July 22, 2011
A great morning practice. Felt good. Actually finished learning Autumn Leaves. Interesting how:
1) pretty quickly this song was learned
2) frustration during one practice session sometimes leads to smoothness the next
3) related to #1 and #2 above interesting how things get learned despite the struggle experienced learning certain parts of songs the first times
Will work more on this tune, submit it to the Forum, and then spend time focusing on polishing the two songs: ATTYA and Autumn Leaves.
Ordering the stride book today.
1) pretty quickly this song was learned
2) frustration during one practice session sometimes leads to smoothness the next
3) related to #1 and #2 above interesting how things get learned despite the struggle experienced learning certain parts of songs the first times
Will work more on this tune, submit it to the Forum, and then spend time focusing on polishing the two songs: ATTYA and Autumn Leaves.
Ordering the stride book today.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
July 21, 2011
Was tempted recently to quit piano and focus on guitar. So easy to listen to the internal critic in all his sneaky ways!
Worked today on "Autum Leaves." Added some more measues. Will order a stride piano book tomorrow.
Slow is good. Progress isn't always linear. Ok for progess to level off for awhile (plateau).
Worked today on "Autum Leaves." Added some more measues. Will order a stride piano book tomorrow.
Slow is good. Progress isn't always linear. Ok for progess to level off for awhile (plateau).
Sunday, July 17, 2011
July 17, 2012
Started work, I think it was pretty recently, on Autumn Leaves (AL). I've really been playing ATTYA a lot, and its sounding really nice. So nice, in fact, that I am concerned that I might forget it or at least play it more jumbled as I add new songs to the repertoire.
I think the answer to this dilemma, again, is found in the mantra: Slow Dow.
No race to the finish line. Whether it be an internal race to 'get the song learned quickly' or even an internal race to 'get as many songs learned as possible quickly' I think the race aspect may have caused me trouble in the past.
So I think what I have to do, which might slow me down in the short run though yield good results, is continue to perfect the songs I know as part of each practice session.
"The joy of the moment can be experienced at any stage of learning. We need only to recognize when we are guided away from ourselves by standards of performance based on comparison with others, or by the need of approval and recognition for accomplishment."
-Mildred Portney Chase, in: Just Being at the Piano
So, the lesson is to experience joy in each little part learned In The MOMENT (whether it be even one added cluster on a Sudnow song, or even one measure, or even in perfecting/remembering/going over a previously learned song) rather than in some imagined global end point.
I think the answer to this dilemma, again, is found in the mantra: Slow Dow.
No race to the finish line. Whether it be an internal race to 'get the song learned quickly' or even an internal race to 'get as many songs learned as possible quickly' I think the race aspect may have caused me trouble in the past.
So I think what I have to do, which might slow me down in the short run though yield good results, is continue to perfect the songs I know as part of each practice session.
"The joy of the moment can be experienced at any stage of learning. We need only to recognize when we are guided away from ourselves by standards of performance based on comparison with others, or by the need of approval and recognition for accomplishment."
-Mildred Portney Chase, in: Just Being at the Piano
So, the lesson is to experience joy in each little part learned In The MOMENT (whether it be even one added cluster on a Sudnow song, or even one measure, or even in perfecting/remembering/going over a previously learned song) rather than in some imagined global end point.
Monday, July 11, 2011
July 11, 2011
Here's ATTYA today (may need to copy and paste):
http://www.box.net/shared/hvttceuudf1qsegid3yc
http://www.box.net/shared/hvttceuudf1qsegid3yc
Sunday, July 10, 2011
July 10, 2011
Hard working good day at the piano.
Here's how ATTYA sounded (may need to copy and paste):
http://www.box.net/shared/shiyr91jkvzov5z61hp7
Made better progress than I thought today, in that I finished it. That's good, but I sure want to stay with this song for awhile until I polish it better. The above recording quality leaves a lot to be desired in that, to make a long story short, its copied from GarageBand for Ipad.
Now what I might take from this song's practice so far:
1) Write out those fractions!
2) Don't forget to make goals before sitting at the piano.
3) Try not to pay attention to the negative internal chatter
For fun, I still want to get that book on Stride Piano Tricks.
Here's how ATTYA sounded (may need to copy and paste):
http://www.box.net/shared/shiyr91jkvzov5z61hp7
Made better progress than I thought today, in that I finished it. That's good, but I sure want to stay with this song for awhile until I polish it better. The above recording quality leaves a lot to be desired in that, to make a long story short, its copied from GarageBand for Ipad.
Now what I might take from this song's practice so far:
1) Write out those fractions!
2) Don't forget to make goals before sitting at the piano.
3) Try not to pay attention to the negative internal chatter
For fun, I still want to get that book on Stride Piano Tricks.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
July 9, 2011
Working on ATTYA and.....wow......
Sounding really, really nice, if I say so myself. Reading a cool book "The Inner Game of Music" that seems to focus on helping turn off the negative inner chatter that gets in the way of enjoying music.
Sounding really, really nice, if I say so myself. Reading a cool book "The Inner Game of Music" that seems to focus on helping turn off the negative inner chatter that gets in the way of enjoying music.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Some goals
Here's what I posted recently on the Sudnow Forum:
NEW LONG TERM GOAL:
Have a number of songs that I can play that could last a few hours in a performance, say, in a restaurant gig!
SHORT TERM GOALS THAT CAN ULTIMATELY LEAD TO ACCOMPLISHING THE LONG TERM GOAL:
Well, my old goal was learning to play on the fly from fakebooks. But I'm changing the goal. Success now would be defined NOT in terms of how many songs I have MEMORIZED (always frustrating to me), nor will it be defined as the ability of playing requests ON THE FLY from fakebooks...
Rather.....if I can bring a binder of prelearned leadsheets of songs to a gig, and can play them while peeking at the sheets, and they sound reasonably on time and perfect, well, thats success for me.
So my short term (more managable) goal is to simply amass a number of lead sheets (including fractions) of well voiced songs that I can play well.
STRATEGIES:
1) Learn one song at a time REALLY WELL. Will allow myself to peek at lead sheet.
2) Using my own voicings, but...
3) ...also using Suds's voicings in his Dot Books. I'm currently working on his arrangement of "All the Things You Are," and figuring out his fractions that I'm copying to a lead sheet. Listening to him talk about his working of the songs is also cool.
4) Continuing to get those scales pounded in my brain and fingers. I got them down mostly OK, but I continue to struggle with seeing scales degrees quickly.
5) Keep reviewing songs that I'm adding to my binder.
Recently added today:
6) Minimize the use of arpeggios that in the past I utilized to cover up my shortcomings
An important one:
7) Approach each practice session with a goal for that particular session.
NEW LONG TERM GOAL:
Have a number of songs that I can play that could last a few hours in a performance, say, in a restaurant gig!
SHORT TERM GOALS THAT CAN ULTIMATELY LEAD TO ACCOMPLISHING THE LONG TERM GOAL:
Well, my old goal was learning to play on the fly from fakebooks. But I'm changing the goal. Success now would be defined NOT in terms of how many songs I have MEMORIZED (always frustrating to me), nor will it be defined as the ability of playing requests ON THE FLY from fakebooks...
Rather.....if I can bring a binder of prelearned leadsheets of songs to a gig, and can play them while peeking at the sheets, and they sound reasonably on time and perfect, well, thats success for me.
So my short term (more managable) goal is to simply amass a number of lead sheets (including fractions) of well voiced songs that I can play well.
STRATEGIES:
1) Learn one song at a time REALLY WELL. Will allow myself to peek at lead sheet.
2) Using my own voicings, but...
3) ...also using Suds's voicings in his Dot Books. I'm currently working on his arrangement of "All the Things You Are," and figuring out his fractions that I'm copying to a lead sheet. Listening to him talk about his working of the songs is also cool.
4) Continuing to get those scales pounded in my brain and fingers. I got them down mostly OK, but I continue to struggle with seeing scales degrees quickly.
5) Keep reviewing songs that I'm adding to my binder.
Recently added today:
6) Minimize the use of arpeggios that in the past I utilized to cover up my shortcomings
An important one:
7) Approach each practice session with a goal for that particular session.
July 5, 2011
Continue to work on ATTYA.
What might continue to be helpful is approaching each practice session with a goal for that particular session.
What might continue to be helpful is approaching each practice session with a goal for that particular session.
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