Well, my sensei has finally returned from a successful concert tour in Japan. I have been without lessons for three weeks and thus have not posted my weekly blog during this time. I did add several lessons to the Lessons Page on the blog for those studying along with me.
It was great to have a lesson again and I didn't do too bad. The last song we were practicing (before the three-week absence) went okay, but my timing was completely off. I knew the notes (I had been practicing it one hour a day for the last three weeks!) but this is where my lack of general musical training shows.
The timing was 2/2 time, but moderately. Unfortunately I was not sure what "moderately" meant in musical terms. Thus, I practiced it more quickly than it should have been. In one sense, this might not have been such a bad thing. When the sensei and I played it together, it was much easier done the "slow" way than the way I had been practicing it. But it was still frustrating since it appeared I had no clue as to how quickly or slowly the notes should have been played.
This week's lesson was chock full of new material. It included two new notes, one new position (but not played), and two new techniques. The new notes and techniques are as follows:
Position 6 on the San no ito using the second finger
Position 6 on the Ichi no ito using the second finger
Position 7 on the Ni no ito (not actually played)
Koki (sliding your index finger nail along the string to the next position)
Playing two strings at the same time (similar to a chord)
Position 6 on the san no ito is done with the second finger--the first introduced note on the sangen that uses a finger other than the index finger. The second finger is moved into a position slightly down from the Number 5 position on the san no ito while still holding the Number 5 position with the index finger. You thus have two fingers on the string--on Number 5 with the index finger and Number 6 with the second finger.
Position 6 on the ichi no ito is done with the second finger as well. While the index finger is in Position 5 on the ni no ito (the second string from the top), you reach over this string with your second finger and place it on the ichi no ito, just slightly down from where your index finger is currently placed.
"Koki" is where you slide on the string with your finger nail into the position indicated, then slide again to the next note that will be played. The position you slide your finger to is NOT played. The sliding of the finger itself becomes like a note in the musical composition.
The difficulty of the above technique is knowing where to slide your finger. The sensei explained that it is a complicated rule based on Japanese musical theory. The instructor did not want to go into a detailed explanation of why you slide your finger to a certain position with one note, while it is a completely different position with another note.
For now, if the note played is Position 4 on the san no ito, and the koki symbol immediately follows (it looks like a "C" on the tablature), after playing Position 4 on the san no ito, you slide your index finger to Position 5 on the san no ito (as if the sliding constitutes a note), then slide your finger nail to the next note in the measure. However, for Position 5 on the ni no ito, you would think you would then slide your nail along the string to Position 6 if the koki symbol follows that note, then slide back to the next note. NOT!
For koki following Position 5 on the ni no ito, you slide your nail along the string to Position 7 on the ni no ito, then slide it back to the next note that will be played in the measure. Again, the sensei said that it will be explained in the future. For now, just use memorization to accomplish it.
By the way, Position 7 is approximately 2 3/4 inches below Position 5. I say approximately because sangen sao length varies depending upon the instrument, and thus the different finger positions vary with one or two exceptions.
Finally, the first "chord" if you will was introduced. In this case, it is expressed in Japanese tablature as two notes occupying the same position in the measure. The introduced note or chord was Position 5 on the san no ito along with the Open position on the ni no ito. They are both struck (strummed) at the same time using the bachi in the flattest angle possible so that the notes sound "together."
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