We continue the same material as we did in Week 20. We go over the latest practice piece along with the song Sakura. I am doing passably well, but nothing to write home Momma about. After we go through Sakura a few times with the sangen, the sensei pulls out the koto. A real treat as the instructor is a master of the koto as well.
We do a duet of Sakura. I butcher it in a few places, but the added sound of the koto makes the piece come alive. It is these moments, when I can "hear" the music, that keeps me going.
Next week is the fifth Saturday of the month and also Labor Day weekend. The master normally gives everyone a break when a month has a fifth Saturday, so we both take the following week off. As has been done since I started this blog, the 22nd week will be "counted" but the next blog entry will have Week 23 as the title.
I have some space here to do a little rant on the vagaries of practice. This past week is a typical week of practice. I warm up a bit doing the major positions on all strings (open, 2, 5, 7), kokis, and then some other string transitions. After a bit, I practice the current material (in this case, Lesson 15 as contained in the Lessons tab of this blog), along with the song Sakura.
The practice goes well. I hit around 90 percent of the positions and the tempo is mostly maintained. After an hour, I put the sangen away, satisfied with the session.
The very next day, same hour of day for practice, same place in my home, no difference in my temperament, weather, whatever, and the hour-long practice is a disaster. I can't buy a Position 5 and 7 is no where to be found. My transitions on the other notes are horrific. I can't get comfortable with the bachi and even the sangen does not seem to want to rest in its normal position.
What gives? I'm a former teacher and the research shows that you should study (practice) the same time of day in the same place every day to get the most out of your efforts. Yet here it is, everything replicated, nothing more than the next day, and the practice session is crapola.
I'm sure I am not the first one to experience this, whether it is someone playing the sangen, guitar, drums, or practicing football or tennis. But although I acknowledge that this is not a new phenomena, it is frustrating nonetheless that a perfectly good practice session is followed up with one that bombed.
It would be fun to see if any research has been done in this area of why one practice differs from another so dramatically when the conditions are as near to identical as possible.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Shamisen Week 20 Lesson
I continue to practice Lesson 15 as contained in the Lessons tab of this blog. The transitions are brutal and my fingers are misplaced 90 percent of the time. An added problem is that I have now removed the white markers that denoted the number 5, 7, and Octave 1 positions on the sangen.
When I acquired my current sangen, those marks were on the instrument from the previous owner. They are initially used to ease the learning of the instrument. Sangens, as you recall, do not have frets and there are no markers, signs, or other distinguishing marks to indicate the specific note positions of the sao. Thus, the notes played on the sangen must be memorized using muscle memory and tones. Learning to play the guitar, even though it has more strings, is a walk in the park compared to learning jiuta sangen. Why? Frets!!!
My teacher has allowed me to continue to use the marks as a learning tool (crutch) for the past 20 weeks. No more. I removed the marks as instructed by my sensei. Easy to do; hard now to remember exactly where those base positions are without my constant peripheral eyeball check on the white marks. Thus, it is two steps forward, one step back--or maybe even two back--with Lesson 15.
I struggle with it in the previous week's practice. I continue to struggle the entire current lesson with the instructor until we rest a bit. I wonder why we are stopping since I have clearly butchered the practice material and need tons more work. Then the sensei pulls out a new song. It is Sakura, a famous and oft played song for the sangen in Japan. The title translates to Cherry Blossom. The song, however, has a new twist.
Instead of the usual jiuta tablature learned so far, it is in a new format. Individual notes (or combination of notes) are placed in single boxes. There are four boxes per measure and four measures per line (4/4 time). New markings are there as well indicating when to repeat notes or complete sections of the song. There is also new nomenclature showing which finger to use to play the note (first, second, third finger).
My instructor tells me that this tablature is equally as common as the tablature we have been learning these past five months. The instructor wants me to learn both tablatures so that if I wish to play a particular song, I will not have to hunt down a specific tablature form in case I come across the song in the other format.
The song, as mentioned, is in 4/4 time with a slow-medium tempo. No difficult notes or transitions to learn, but learning the new nomenclatures is enough.
I have included the song under the Songs tab in the blog. Since it is a recognized song, I have not also included it in the Lessons material.
When I acquired my current sangen, those marks were on the instrument from the previous owner. They are initially used to ease the learning of the instrument. Sangens, as you recall, do not have frets and there are no markers, signs, or other distinguishing marks to indicate the specific note positions of the sao. Thus, the notes played on the sangen must be memorized using muscle memory and tones. Learning to play the guitar, even though it has more strings, is a walk in the park compared to learning jiuta sangen. Why? Frets!!!
My teacher has allowed me to continue to use the marks as a learning tool (crutch) for the past 20 weeks. No more. I removed the marks as instructed by my sensei. Easy to do; hard now to remember exactly where those base positions are without my constant peripheral eyeball check on the white marks. Thus, it is two steps forward, one step back--or maybe even two back--with Lesson 15.
I struggle with it in the previous week's practice. I continue to struggle the entire current lesson with the instructor until we rest a bit. I wonder why we are stopping since I have clearly butchered the practice material and need tons more work. Then the sensei pulls out a new song. It is Sakura, a famous and oft played song for the sangen in Japan. The title translates to Cherry Blossom. The song, however, has a new twist.
Instead of the usual jiuta tablature learned so far, it is in a new format. Individual notes (or combination of notes) are placed in single boxes. There are four boxes per measure and four measures per line (4/4 time). New markings are there as well indicating when to repeat notes or complete sections of the song. There is also new nomenclature showing which finger to use to play the note (first, second, third finger).
My instructor tells me that this tablature is equally as common as the tablature we have been learning these past five months. The instructor wants me to learn both tablatures so that if I wish to play a particular song, I will not have to hunt down a specific tablature form in case I come across the song in the other format.
The song, as mentioned, is in 4/4 time with a slow-medium tempo. No difficult notes or transitions to learn, but learning the new nomenclatures is enough.
I have included the song under the Songs tab in the blog. Since it is a recognized song, I have not also included it in the Lessons material.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Shamisen Week 19 Lesson
The previous lesson and practice hours were difficult. Again, my instructor felt I had mastered it enough within one week that we move on to new material. I am a bit surprised but enjoy pushing on even though I don't have it perfect. Remember what Coach Sabin of the Alabama Crimson Tide says: "Perfect prevents you from getting good."
In this week's lesson, many new notes are once again introduced along with the first piece that is in 3/4 time:
Position 3, San
Octave 2, San
Position 10, Ni
Position 9, Ni
Position 8, Ni
Position 7, Ichi
My head is swirling with all the new notes and combination of notes that are contained in the last two lessons. I gulp and push on.
In this week's lesson, many new notes are once again introduced along with the first piece that is in 3/4 time:
Position 3, San
Octave 2, San
Position 10, Ni
Position 9, Ni
Position 8, Ni
Position 7, Ichi
My head is swirling with all the new notes and combination of notes that are contained in the last two lessons. I gulp and push on.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Shamisen Week 18 Lesson
When it rains, it pours.
For the past three weeks I have been practicing Lesson 12 (in the Lesson tab of this blog). Simple piece, 4/4 time, about 60 beats per minute tempo. As noted in previous posts, I have struggled with the playing of notes that go beyond one beat and those that are shortened to a half-beat to maintain the four beats per measure. If each note only has one beat, I can usually maintain the correct tempo for the piece. Not so much when you introduce longer and shorter notes. That messes me up often. It sounds silly and probably is way too easy for those of the musically inclined to replicate, but for me (the musically challenged), it continues to need work.
Although I have not mastered my above tempo issues, my instructor decides it is good enough to move on to new material. However, since I am not ready for the more challenging pieces in the current music book, we are changing books.
The music instruction book I began with on this journey was in the honchoshi tuning. This is the base tuning of the jiuta sangen. It is D-G-D. The first string is tuned to D; the second string to G; the third string to D. The new music book has the ni agari tuning. That tuning is D-A-D. In addition, the two new lessons my instructor introduces has six new notes with two new kokis:
Ichi, second position
Ichi, fifth position, koki
Ni, fourth position
Ni, sixth position
Ni, fourth position, koki
San, seventh position
San, eighth position
San, first position, one octave higher
As noted in previous posts, it is difficult to tell you exactly where the above notes are located on the sao. Different lengths of sao give you slightly different distance reference points. However, for the san, seventh position, if you place your index finger on the san fifth position, then stretch out your third finger about as far as you can go without pain, that will be position seven on the third string. Eight position is a little beyond that.
As for the one octave higher note for the san (which is signified by a small dot immediately to the right of the standard nomenclature for this note--the numeral 1) it is beyond position 10 (designated by "X" in Japanese tablature). In other words, it's way down there on the sao!
The practice material is much more difficult with the introduction of so many new notes and the new koki. Plus, sometimes you play Position seven on the san with the index finger; other times you play it with your third or ring finger. Finding the one octave higher san position 1 note is really hard to do.
With the new tuning on the second string, the sound coming from the sangen has a lighter, less melancholic flavor than with the honchoshi tuning.
For the past three weeks I have been practicing Lesson 12 (in the Lesson tab of this blog). Simple piece, 4/4 time, about 60 beats per minute tempo. As noted in previous posts, I have struggled with the playing of notes that go beyond one beat and those that are shortened to a half-beat to maintain the four beats per measure. If each note only has one beat, I can usually maintain the correct tempo for the piece. Not so much when you introduce longer and shorter notes. That messes me up often. It sounds silly and probably is way too easy for those of the musically inclined to replicate, but for me (the musically challenged), it continues to need work.
Although I have not mastered my above tempo issues, my instructor decides it is good enough to move on to new material. However, since I am not ready for the more challenging pieces in the current music book, we are changing books.
The music instruction book I began with on this journey was in the honchoshi tuning. This is the base tuning of the jiuta sangen. It is D-G-D. The first string is tuned to D; the second string to G; the third string to D. The new music book has the ni agari tuning. That tuning is D-A-D. In addition, the two new lessons my instructor introduces has six new notes with two new kokis:
Ichi, second position
Ichi, fifth position, koki
Ni, fourth position
Ni, sixth position
Ni, fourth position, koki
San, seventh position
San, eighth position
San, first position, one octave higher
As noted in previous posts, it is difficult to tell you exactly where the above notes are located on the sao. Different lengths of sao give you slightly different distance reference points. However, for the san, seventh position, if you place your index finger on the san fifth position, then stretch out your third finger about as far as you can go without pain, that will be position seven on the third string. Eight position is a little beyond that.
As for the one octave higher note for the san (which is signified by a small dot immediately to the right of the standard nomenclature for this note--the numeral 1) it is beyond position 10 (designated by "X" in Japanese tablature). In other words, it's way down there on the sao!
The practice material is much more difficult with the introduction of so many new notes and the new koki. Plus, sometimes you play Position seven on the san with the index finger; other times you play it with your third or ring finger. Finding the one octave higher san position 1 note is really hard to do.
With the new tuning on the second string, the sound coming from the sangen has a lighter, less melancholic flavor than with the honchoshi tuning.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Shamisen Week 17 Lesson
Nothing new this week because I am still struggling with the music piece that is Lesson 12 under Lessons in this blog. My counting the beats is still slightly off. My instructor always wants you to master the material before forging ahead to new stuff. So, I'm still plugging away on that piece.
Nothing else happening. We may move onto new material next week. We'll see.
Nothing else happening. We may move onto new material next week. We'll see.
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