I'm writing an artist's bio for something big that I won't share just right now because I'm afraid I might get jinxed. I'm seriously debating whether I should or not write "She's afraid of performing solo," and "She shakes, gets the jitters and messes up the pieces on stage." Then I'll follow it up with "She greatly enjoys making and playing music with other people, though" to counterbalance the first.
I'm also thinking if I should add "She loves to watch the faces of each of her audience members - catch the brilliance in their eyes and store in her memory the wonder etched on their mouths."
Those faces, I don't quite know how to explain them. When I'm on stage I feel like I'm watching the greatest show on Earth: the majesty of a face distorted by the discovery of something beautiful. They're so mystical and they fill my heart with purpose.
This is why I perform. It's all for them.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
Making Progress: Right Hand Sixteenths
At last, I'm making good progress on this song I've been trying to learn since forever. When I wrote that blog post, I was stuck with the sixteenths. My right hand (P I M) just can't keep up with the movement and speed. Now I'm very proud to say that that part is done! I'm anchoring my ring finger on the sounding board though; I don't know if that's right by classical playing standards (I don't think it is, but it's working for me). I'm hoping that this exercise will help me when I get to tremolo (in 10 years, maybe). I'm moving on to practicing making a smoother transition between the left hand positions. The transitions from 1st to 2nd position, and from 2nd to 3rd position are the most difficult.
But after the sixteenths, everything else seems so much easier to execute. I am anticipating another plateau once I get past left hand transitions and on to the second movement of the song, the part where everything else is played one octave higher. I'm not very good past the 12th fret; I'm having difficulty pressing and sustaining a note. But I'm so glad I'm using a classical guitar now. I would have given up a long time ago if I was still using an acoustic.
As for the other parts, I'm doing fine. Still need more practicing though. With the rhythm, I'm trying to slow down for better expressivo. As for the melody, I'm trying to memorize the notes. My hammer-ons suck, sooo I have a long way to go with Tarrega's Adelita. I'm still using the 2-guitar version, but maybe I'll try melding the two, like in the video. Try searching for Comptine d'un autre ete lapres midi on YouTube and you'll find that almost no 2 guitarist play this song the same way. Not that that helps, but at least it's saying anyone can tab this song. With enough patience, anyway. I remember a period when I did have patience and transcribed this song, both melody and rhythm, based on the 2-guitar version I linked above. But I can't remember if I did write the notes down before my patience finally ran out. Oh well.
Regarding my progress on classical pieces... well, I haven't really made much since I've finished Adelita. I promised I would do Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, but I can't seem to convince myself to write the sheet music down on my notebook.
Gaah! I really hate reading sheet music. But I must if I want to learn this. Just gimme a few more days to sulk then I'll carry my a**, thank you very much.
March 13, 2013. Uploaded video. Trying to play the sixteenths without resting my ring finger on the sounding board. But I just had to in this video. And still sulking through sheet music.
But after the sixteenths, everything else seems so much easier to execute. I am anticipating another plateau once I get past left hand transitions and on to the second movement of the song, the part where everything else is played one octave higher. I'm not very good past the 12th fret; I'm having difficulty pressing and sustaining a note. But I'm so glad I'm using a classical guitar now. I would have given up a long time ago if I was still using an acoustic.
As for the other parts, I'm doing fine. Still need more practicing though. With the rhythm, I'm trying to slow down for better expressivo. As for the melody, I'm trying to memorize the notes. My hammer-ons suck, sooo I have a long way to go with Tarrega's Adelita. I'm still using the 2-guitar version, but maybe I'll try melding the two, like in the video. Try searching for Comptine d'un autre ete lapres midi on YouTube and you'll find that almost no 2 guitarist play this song the same way. Not that that helps, but at least it's saying anyone can tab this song. With enough patience, anyway. I remember a period when I did have patience and transcribed this song, both melody and rhythm, based on the 2-guitar version I linked above. But I can't remember if I did write the notes down before my patience finally ran out. Oh well.
Regarding my progress on classical pieces... well, I haven't really made much since I've finished Adelita. I promised I would do Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, but I can't seem to convince myself to write the sheet music down on my notebook.
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| Homework (credit to) |
Gaah! I really hate reading sheet music. But I must if I want to learn this. Just gimme a few more days to sulk then I'll carry my a**, thank you very much.
March 13, 2013. Uploaded video. Trying to play the sixteenths without resting my ring finger on the sounding board. But I just had to in this video. And still sulking through sheet music.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Nail Fail
 |
| taken from Passion for Polish |
I flattened out the rounded edge to see if square works better for me. I played with this shape a few months ago. But since correcting my right hand position, I realized I haven't really put the square to the test. Now that that's over and done with I wanna move on and never look back.
Ok, maybe I do like to keep the shape on the thumb at least. But I really am moving on!
... But I do like how the square looks.
I won't be playing my best for a while, at least until I grow out my nails again.
Post-dinner update: I trimmed down my fingernails. And I feel much better playing now. I'm practicing how to stop buzzing the strings and right hand position, the right way. I just zoomed through my repertoire; the sound is a lot softer, but it sounds great and I feel great! (think: headbanging to Carulli)
*If you're wondering why nails are such a big deal, read this.
*Tips on how to shape your nails here!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Coffee Break
This exercise isn't exactly what I'd call a coffee break. It's tedious, frustrating, and difficult to master. But once I did... waaaah I couldn't stop playing it! The melody is very chill, relaxed. Perfect for practice and leisure time.
Ok, ok. I know it's corny. Even I could only take so much cheesiness in song lyrics (don't even get me started with this song's official music video! ugh!). But the tabs are crazy! Tabs for Landon Pigg's Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop can be found here.
The most difficult part about the tabs to this song is the heavy bass line. It's like a metronome, so the melody is played together with the bass. If you can switch your thumb to on during the whole song that would super help. The PIMA can be practiced too, so try to stick with it. Use number 4 (pinkie, left hand) to reach the 4th and 5th frets to practice stretching.
Ok, tips:
1. Break it down. Play the melody (the 4th-6th string notes) as is first, put it to heart. Afterwards, play the bass notes (1st string notes) and get the timing right.
2. Slow down!
3. Listen to the song and pay close attention to the timing, especially the bass notes. It's easy to get lost in all the confusion (misplaced thumb, uncooperative fingers!).
4. Don't mind the lyrics. Seriously, sing after mastering the chords.
Right now I'm having difficulty playing the refrain
because of the bass line switch from the 1st string to the 2nd string. I dunno. I think it's just my thumb. I tend to hit the other strings when I make the switch. Wild thumb playing.
Chords:
PS: This! I couldn't find the tabs for melody during the chorus (for now). I dislike playing the power chords. It ruins the mood, haha!
Ok, ok. I know it's corny. Even I could only take so much cheesiness in song lyrics (don't even get me started with this song's official music video! ugh!). But the tabs are crazy! Tabs for Landon Pigg's Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop can be found here.
The most difficult part about the tabs to this song is the heavy bass line. It's like a metronome, so the melody is played together with the bass. If you can switch your thumb to on during the whole song that would super help. The PIMA can be practiced too, so try to stick with it. Use number 4 (pinkie, left hand) to reach the 4th and 5th frets to practice stretching.
Ok, tips:
1. Break it down. Play the melody (the 4th-6th string notes) as is first, put it to heart. Afterwards, play the bass notes (1st string notes) and get the timing right.
2. Slow down!
3. Listen to the song and pay close attention to the timing, especially the bass notes. It's easy to get lost in all the confusion (misplaced thumb, uncooperative fingers!).
4. Don't mind the lyrics. Seriously, sing after mastering the chords.
Right now I'm having difficulty playing the refrain
|-------------------------4-----------4----------------------------------------------------------| |-2-----------2-----------------------------------4-----------4-----------5-----------5----------| |-------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----------2----| |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |-0--0-----0--0--0-----0--0--0-----0--0--0-----0--0--0-----0--0--0-----0--0--0-----0--0--0-----0-| |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
because of the bass line switch from the 1st string to the 2nd string. I dunno. I think it's just my thumb. I tend to hit the other strings when I make the switch. Wild thumb playing.
Chords:
If you like this song, but find that you just can't master this notation right now, here's some sort of good news: I've set up a very easy tab over at Ultimate Guitar. I assure you, it's better than the rest of the versions available in the site. Enjoy!
Monday, February 11, 2013
The Big G
The first classical guitar piece I learned was Minuet in G by Johann Sebastian Bach.
The sheet I used covered the basic melody of the piece, sans the bass notes (rhythm). I worked from the 5th fret onward. Very easy to memorize and great for practice: the notes span up to 5 frets, so the pinkie and all the left fingers are stretched. All six strings are also covered, so the PIMA right hand can be practiced.
Minuet in G is my stretching slash warm-up piece. I play it every day, every time I pick up my guitar. I like speeding it up for better flexibility and accuracy. I used to play it non-stop, and until now I haven't tired of listening to it.
I moved on to the more complicated melody + rhythm version about a month after burning the first version. I immediately fell in love with the sound of the bass notes along with the melody. This version takes up til the 9th fret, so I can practice moving through the fingerboard. The addition of the bass notes complicates the left hand positions, but they're manageable. The sheet I linked does not have a notation for 1234 and PAMI (except the 0s there), but I use all of them... figure it out :)
My crux is always on the 19th bar. My index finger tends to look sooo out of place and awkwardly apart, and the rest of my fingers (2 and 4 especially) go crazy when I press the strings. I tend to slow down at this portion. I can swing it when I position my left hand closer to the fingerboard, but that index just shoots up sometimes I couldn't control it! Oh well, time and practice.
This piece was also my (re)introduction to sheet reading. The two sheets don't have tabs, so I was really forced to read notes. Both versions are very basic though.
I eat Big G for breakfast, lunch, merienda and dinner. Lemme know how this piece figures in your repertoire. If you use other warm-up pieces, feel free to share.
Mar 11, 2013. Just uploaded this video. Sorry for the poor audio -- I didn't use a mic when I recorded. Didn't have one. Anyway, my messy fingering clearly says this rendition sucks. As usual, I had a difficult time through the crux. My left hand fingers are also still awkwardly apart. Wild vibrato action there too. Hmmm, when in doubt record your practice sessions. Any specific pointers on improvement?
The sheet I used covered the basic melody of the piece, sans the bass notes (rhythm). I worked from the 5th fret onward. Very easy to memorize and great for practice: the notes span up to 5 frets, so the pinkie and all the left fingers are stretched. All six strings are also covered, so the PIMA right hand can be practiced.
Minuet in G is my stretching slash warm-up piece. I play it every day, every time I pick up my guitar. I like speeding it up for better flexibility and accuracy. I used to play it non-stop, and until now I haven't tired of listening to it.
I moved on to the more complicated melody + rhythm version about a month after burning the first version. I immediately fell in love with the sound of the bass notes along with the melody. This version takes up til the 9th fret, so I can practice moving through the fingerboard. The addition of the bass notes complicates the left hand positions, but they're manageable. The sheet I linked does not have a notation for 1234 and PAMI (except the 0s there), but I use all of them... figure it out :)
My crux is always on the 19th bar. My index finger tends to look sooo out of place and awkwardly apart, and the rest of my fingers (2 and 4 especially) go crazy when I press the strings. I tend to slow down at this portion. I can swing it when I position my left hand closer to the fingerboard, but that index just shoots up sometimes I couldn't control it! Oh well, time and practice.
This piece was also my (re)introduction to sheet reading. The two sheets don't have tabs, so I was really forced to read notes. Both versions are very basic though.
I eat Big G for breakfast, lunch, merienda and dinner. Lemme know how this piece figures in your repertoire. If you use other warm-up pieces, feel free to share.
Mar 11, 2013. Just uploaded this video. Sorry for the poor audio -- I didn't use a mic when I recorded. Didn't have one. Anyway, my messy fingering clearly says this rendition sucks. As usual, I had a difficult time through the crux. My left hand fingers are also still awkwardly apart. Wild vibrato action there too. Hmmm, when in doubt record your practice sessions. Any specific pointers on improvement?
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Misplaced Notes, Missing Lyrics
Have you ever experienced pausing midway of a song and trying to grab on to nothing?
I often find myself suspended in that limbo. No matter how many times I play back a song, no matter how many times I practice, I forget the words or where to place my fingers. This is why I don't trust myself to perform solos. No way. Or at least not now.
I read somewhere that such forgetfulness is borne out of distraction. But in my case, no. I do not think of anything else when I play. Well... I do not think of anything at all. Not even the piece. I don't run pieces in my head when I play, like watching a dummy board when talking in front of cameras. I tend to rely on hard wired muscle memory, using the succession of notes to cue me in on the words.
I tried playing with a dummy board in my mind, but found myself more prone to mistakes. I tried reading words and sheets while playing. I paused more often than necessary. With memorization, I play (relatively) smoothly and more tranquilly. I hate dependence on the sheets and papers.
But there's a point where a song just stops. It doesn't want to work with me. And I'm clasping empty air, missed notes and lyrics. I rehash the song from the beginning and find myself pausing at the same moments, losing more as I trudge along. Falling on quicksand. Another song has moved beyond me, not wanting to cooperate.
In due time, my head and hands finally get it. But it's never the same magic.
I often find myself suspended in that limbo. No matter how many times I play back a song, no matter how many times I practice, I forget the words or where to place my fingers. This is why I don't trust myself to perform solos. No way. Or at least not now.
I read somewhere that such forgetfulness is borne out of distraction. But in my case, no. I do not think of anything else when I play. Well... I do not think of anything at all. Not even the piece. I don't run pieces in my head when I play, like watching a dummy board when talking in front of cameras. I tend to rely on hard wired muscle memory, using the succession of notes to cue me in on the words.
I tried playing with a dummy board in my mind, but found myself more prone to mistakes. I tried reading words and sheets while playing. I paused more often than necessary. With memorization, I play (relatively) smoothly and more tranquilly. I hate dependence on the sheets and papers.
But there's a point where a song just stops. It doesn't want to work with me. And I'm clasping empty air, missed notes and lyrics. I rehash the song from the beginning and find myself pausing at the same moments, losing more as I trudge along. Falling on quicksand. Another song has moved beyond me, not wanting to cooperate.
In due time, my head and hands finally get it. But it's never the same magic.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Plucking Hand Position
I just realized this week that my plucking hand (right) position may be wrong. May be because although classical teaching has set rules for proper playing positions (body, feet, arms and hands) I also understand that guitarists can wield their guitars freely. Music playing is free!
But the consequences of wrong positions will deter effective and safe playing. Quality also dies.
This is why I want to share a video that can help you position your plucking hand.
Again, it is not crucial to follow every bit of detail. Guitarists, musicians in general, should play in whatever way they want.
Right now, I'm struggling with right hand positioning over left hand positioning. The first time I picked up classical I played with a splayed right hand:
Okaaaay, my fingers don't look that... evil in the splayed position :) But the idea is that the fingers are separate and open. With the splayed position, I played solely with my fingertips. I was able to reach the last 3 strings (G-B-E, or the 4th, 5th, and 6th) easily. The sound was, well... metallic (yes, it's possible to produce a metallic sound with nylon strings) and stringy. But I found it was adequate at the beginning. Now, I tried playing with a closed fist like so:
and Yes! Try difference is superb! I was skeptic about fingernail playing at first. But the closed fist position made me believe that it is possible to produce a better sound. With a closed fist, both fingertips and nails hit the strings, producing a warmer sound. The closed fist made it harder to reach the 4th-6th strings, but I think I'll get it with practice.
Now I practice in front of the mirror. My plucking hand still reverts to splayed position, but I'm doing my best to keep my fingers close together. Just like a demure little girl.
* I invented the terms splayed position and closed fist position for clarification purposes. They're not technical terms, but you're welcome to use them :)
** HAHA the drawings! I couldn't find an image that quite captured the look of the splayed position, so I drew one :) And then I went ahead and drew the closed fist just cause I felt like a winner!
But the consequences of wrong positions will deter effective and safe playing. Quality also dies.
This is why I want to share a video that can help you position your plucking hand.
Again, it is not crucial to follow every bit of detail. Guitarists, musicians in general, should play in whatever way they want.
Right now, I'm struggling with right hand positioning over left hand positioning. The first time I picked up classical I played with a splayed right hand:
Now I practice in front of the mirror. My plucking hand still reverts to splayed position, but I'm doing my best to keep my fingers close together. Just like a demure little girl.
* I invented the terms splayed position and closed fist position for clarification purposes. They're not technical terms, but you're welcome to use them :)
** HAHA the drawings! I couldn't find an image that quite captured the look of the splayed position, so I drew one :) And then I went ahead and drew the closed fist just cause I felt like a winner!
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Happy Decade!
According to my Virtual Library, I have been playing the guitar for approximately 10 years today.
10 years, my gah!
And what have I to show for it?
Shaky fingers, stringy sounds, long gaps, cringe-inducing phrasing and furrowed brows. Still.
But! I have moved on from pop songs to classical pieces. I started last year. I was amazed to find out how tremendously tenacious Grade 7 music class could be. Every Good Boy Does Fine. E-G-B-D-F corresponding to the lines on the staff. F-A-C-E to the spaces. #hashtags for sharps. A particularly snobbish "b" for the flats. Thanks, Ms. Apilado (Yes, I remember her name. As well as the length of her hair and the way she twirled the loose strands, one hand reaching way across her back while with the other conducted the class on a number of church hymns). These four basic tenets got me through reading the sheet music for Bach's Minuet in G.
And all I thought then was just to get passing marks on tests and how unfair it was that I had to sit through class while some classmates merely played the piano and sang under direct tutelage in their separate music sessions.
Oh well.
Five months after the life-changing switch to classical and I'm still playing Minuet. I've been playing this piece so much my brother can cue in the rougher parts and Mama can point out my recurring mistakes. Heck, even if I drop playing it now I think it'll stick well.
Anyway, Happy 10 Years my lovely calloused fingers! My pumped up veins and tired wrist! I'm still having trouble with bars and hammers, but my left pinkie is happily robust and growing more confident every day!
10 years, my gah!
And what have I to show for it?
Shaky fingers, stringy sounds, long gaps, cringe-inducing phrasing and furrowed brows. Still.
But! I have moved on from pop songs to classical pieces. I started last year. I was amazed to find out how tremendously tenacious Grade 7 music class could be. Every Good Boy Does Fine. E-G-B-D-F corresponding to the lines on the staff. F-A-C-E to the spaces. #hashtags for sharps. A particularly snobbish "b" for the flats. Thanks, Ms. Apilado (Yes, I remember her name. As well as the length of her hair and the way she twirled the loose strands, one hand reaching way across her back while with the other conducted the class on a number of church hymns). These four basic tenets got me through reading the sheet music for Bach's Minuet in G.
And all I thought then was just to get passing marks on tests and how unfair it was that I had to sit through class while some classmates merely played the piano and sang under direct tutelage in their separate music sessions.
Oh well.
Five months after the life-changing switch to classical and I'm still playing Minuet. I've been playing this piece so much my brother can cue in the rougher parts and Mama can point out my recurring mistakes. Heck, even if I drop playing it now I think it'll stick well.
Anyway, Happy 10 Years my lovely calloused fingers! My pumped up veins and tired wrist! I'm still having trouble with bars and hammers, but my left pinkie is happily robust and growing more confident every day!
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