Practice: 3/25/11

Still... no new music... so today let's talk about Cheesecake....

Like with Chameleon, I'm having some tempo issues. I don't feel like I'm locking with the rest of the band, but there's not actual reading this time... so I figure that'll come with time. So technique wise, this one doesn't feel as intimidating as Chameleon... so today I think I went through it. Instead of recapping the technical trials and tribulations, I'll go over my stylistic practice. So, from the outset, we have swing. So It's swing.

Dexter Gordon's original Cheesecake has far more "class" than this big band arrangement. That's not necessarily a good thing though. It's slower... This Big Band version feels far more... Showy? As though you could have it on broadway as opposed to having it in a club. Of course so in today's case it just means I have to figure out where I swing and where I bring in and out the dynamic level because every instrument needs their time to shine. Measures 11-21 are pretty important to bring out, whereas the fist eight are primarily there to help the trumpets. That's just my interpretation. So I'll just keep going from there...

Practice: 3/19/11

Well... Festival's over, and I haven't gotten new musics, so aside from the occasional Jazz work, I don't really feel too motivated to go out and find some ridiculously complex piece to play... or doing things by ear (I've got Rocky Balboa down...). So, in these times, I hopefully await for the next class in which we may possibly get some piece, be it good or bad. I'm not really sure.

So, for today's 1/2 an hour~ish I decided it's time to pull out the ol' Rubank book and work on some scales... as exciting as that is.

Obviously, I work my way through all the flat scales-adding flats as I go Bb-Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-and so forth... until you have seven flats. I've also discovered that when playing scales, any note I play in first tends to be sharp or flat (more on the flat side as of today), so I try to avoid using first for the sake of tuning. It's an interesting result, as in doing so, I realize the over-reliance on muscle memory for scales--which is not good? I'm not really sure

After going through all the flat-major scales (I'm not feeling too sharp today). I also took a look at my minor scales. I just played melodic scales because that's what I'm used to. Tone's still flat. Also, I realized I need to work on lip-slurs more. they're a pretty good warm-up.

Practice: 3/9/11

Did I ever mention that I think Chameleon's are cool?

***

Well, the way things are, I'm not making it to Band Festival. So, I will opt to practice the other mucic I have (and will likely never master): Jazz. Well, Jazz and things associated with Jazz Band. So, today's focus is of course Chameleon.

So, today's focus is the first page because you have to finish the first to get to the second. At first I had an issue grasping the tempo (because when you see sixteenth notes, usually the word "fast" is associated w/ it) but, it's not terribly fast once you get a grip on it. So the main difference between 1st and second part is that the first part gets to play at the beginning section of the song. This means I have to not mess up. Parts like measure 12, or that recurring phrase at measure 19 tend to mess me up since... well, I don't usually play the sixteenths in strings of more than 2 (and even then usually it's just repeating). But 12 is pretty easy once the tongue-work in down.

19 was the first issue of today, but once you remember that you're playing that w/ the rest of the band, it's not AS bad. The issue it that there's no rest or break, so I have to take it all straight, and while fairly scalar as far as the movement goes ( in a "U" shape pretty much), it's a tad harder for me than I thought. But after doing it... over and over... I got it... sorta. (can't miss that staccato)

The Last thing is that section that starts at measure 34. where I just feel like I'm playing a bass line (and pretty much am). Here's where I start to feel some FUNK. It actually looks a lot harder than it is, but I have an issue in that... well I need to avoid going into Auto-pilot... because well, that's not good, since it just repeats... that means I have to make it consistent...

But as for today, page one: 48% done (basics)

Practice: 3/4/11

(Insert Clever/Distracting Picture here)

***

Well, break was last week, so I'm assuming I didn't have to post a blog for that.

Anyways, with that off chance that I might go to band festival, I figure that I might as well continue from where I last left off. Scales, Scales and Scales. That and working on ~137 on Prairies Songs. There's a lot going on there.

So, that particular section has a few issues: Rhythm, phrasing.... intonation... everything. But before I worry about that stuff specifically, I have to worry about actually being able to play the darn thing. Which as of today (by working through it slowly... very.... slowly) I have effectively completely accomplished. That's good... good....

NOW, it is time to worry about all the musical parts (i.e. the important parts), I think I'll start with phrasing because you need an idea of where you're going first. If I'm not mistaken, everything in my part is to build to measure 137, were the main motif likes to rear its head and shine through (well~kinda).

As for the March... his honor demands dynamics. everything else is set. Same thing with Chant Rituals. Dynamics are key... that and style.

Quick Practice- It's pretty barebones.

I took a tad different of a approach today. "Let's open on the Mouth Piece" I thought. Well it certainly helps. (Though it didn't aid in warming up the instrument any faster)
And So I still had to play scales. I'm in a C minor mood this week.

As this week time seemed to be in short supply, I decided it would be best to focus on two things:

1) Prairie Songs (Because I'm abhorrent at it)
2)Something I really enjoyed playing (for the last bit)

The main point of contingency surrounding Prairie Songs is that blasted third page. Granted, the part in itself is not extremely difficult, but it is still easier said that done. For the most part I focused on that period/bit/phrase(s) at 137. Gotta' Work on those rhythms, although they seem more irregular than they actually are. I resorted to humming it out to help with the timing. But the rhythm aside, it's just a matter or range. Not even necessarily hitting the note, but hitting the note and not having it sound like a dying animal. So Tone Quality. That's something that ought to come with time, but for now I'll still have to work.

As for what I enjoyed playing it was something totally irrelevant so I'm not going to delve into any details here.

Yeah, I could use some

Time is an irrelavent thing when it comes to practice. I would assume my family will just have to deal. As far as practice goes:

Opened up on the Crusaders out of the Chorales book- I find that book entertaining. I don't know why.

His Honor, or rather the march is... actually rather easy, the main issue here is the timing when put together as well as the dynamic contrast. As a result I've taken it upon myself to focus primarily on the second strain. Confidence in playing it by myself builds up to Confidence in the actual execution I suppose. The other (big) issue would have to be the dynamics. Even an easy song can be messed up with bad dynamics.

Prairie songs song a big weak spot: the entire third pages. I need to work on dynamic contrast for the section on 37~100 as well, but the third page seems to be an overall issue here.

Chant Rituals: Overall, it's meh~ not one particular area is downright terrible, but it could use lots of work overall. Think of a rough diamond. A Very, very, very, very rough diamond. That has terrible Dynamics. But there isn't one overall difficult

Overall: Tone and Range still need more work.

Practicing: 2/2/11

Today's main focus is Solo and Ensemble (as opposed to Band Music) because that's coming up and I could use a lot of work. So in this case, my esteemed parter and I are playing the Second Praeludium & Fuga (in C minor) by J.S. Bach.

For the most part, the song individually is not so difficult, aside from the tempo and key. I tend to think that it is in E major, which is why the accidentals tend to throw me for a run. In particular I'm working on the tonging work work, as the piece consists almost entirely of sixteenth notes, which means it is very important to articulate. Resultantly, to stop this rather uniform piece (aside from some dynamic shifts) from sounding too muddy, It's overall more important to work few things that are different within the piece then to get stuck up on small portions.

On a side note, because music ought to be fun overall, I decided to take a look at the Jazz Band piece, Chameleon, which has two issues: the rhythms and the range. Being in a moderate funk tempo, I'm not really sure what to expect... and the irregular rhythms of anything vaguely jazzy tend to confuse me until i slowly go over them.

FOCUS: Measures 11-34, 53-69.

Overall, I think the range can be taken care of, but the rhythms will require more effort on my own part.