Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Shamisen Week 30 Lesson

Yes, still on the ole Wakamizu. Love that song (really). Just wish I could master it.

Still working on the position of Octave 1 San no ito, followed by Octaves 3, 4, 7, transitioning back through those, then finding Octave 2 and for an added bonus challenge, Octave 1 with the index finger and with the second finger.

You would think that once Octave 1 is found with the index finger that finding it with the second finger would not present a problem. Well, if you are me (and obviously you are not!), it is like a whole nother country.

What did they used to say in the days when the carnival challenge called High Striker (Strongman game) was popular? You hit the metal plate as hard as you could with a huge hammer to send a small metal puck up to a bell at the top. If you rang the bell, you won. If you did not, the carny guy would say "Close, but no cigar." Well, it's close but no cigar on the Octaves.

The master insists that without mastering this song, the following songs we will learn will be more troublesome. Master Wakamizu, and it will not be hard.

I have to trust the sensei.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Shamisen Week 29 Lesson

Wakamizu Redux.

That's it. Nothing new to report. This is sounding like a broken record (of course, most people alive today don't know what a record is, let alone a broken one, or why it is apropos for my comment. Such is life!).

In any case, the master insists we continue with Wakamizu until I master all of its parts--particularly Octave 1 and its transitions, getting Position 7 san no ito EVERYTIME, and understanding the timing of the piece.

I am getting better at finding Ocatave 1 and the timing. Trust me...

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Shamisen Week 28 Lesson

Wakamizu is not going away any time soon. My sensei says that we must continue playing this until I get it right because it will help me in the next song that we will undertake. Unfortunately, I don't believe that we will move on to that song, whatever it is, anytime soon.

I love Wakamizu, thank goodness. Otherwise, I would have gone crazy by now. Three weeks plus on this song, an hour every day, can grate if it is something you dislike.

I am doing better in finding Octave 1, but it's still hit or miss, with a lot of misses vs. hits. Same goes for Position 7 which I had hoped I would have mastered by now. Position 5 is finally a lock. I find it every time. But Position 7 is not always as easy because that position floats a bit more as the san no ito gets out of tune.

I do believe there is such a thing as over practice. After a while, I'm not sure I'm getting the full benefit of my practice sessions going over the same material time and time again. With another musical piece to mix it up, I would think that when I went back to it (Wakamizu) I might improve. This is just my subjective opinion.

On the equipment front, I received my ivory itomaki from Japan and they are now installed. I did not notice more itomaki slippage with the ivory as compared to the kokutan wood as some sangen players have observed. The ivory itomaki originally came with this sangen when it was made in the '50s. Thus, they have had many years to "mate" the surfaces involved compared to the newer kokutan pieces. The ivory itomaki have a nice, yellowed aged look to them and although some experts dispute this, I believe I do hear a tonal quality difference between the ivory and the kokutan itomaki. It's probably just a placebo effect, but...

In addition, I purchased a bekko bachi from Japan and it also came at the same time as the itomaki. Bekko is SO much better than plastic! Flexibility on the blade of the bachi makes a big difference in control and sound. One thing I noticed right away is that the scrapping sound I sometimes made on the strings with the plastic bachi has disappeared completely.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Shamisen Week 27 Lesson

Been practicing Wakamizu all the past week thinking we would move on like we have done so many times before. Not this time. I guess because this piece is one that I will have to master, the master wants me to master it now before moving on. It may be a long time!

The Octave notes are the problem. Replicating them consistently is a challenge. However, Position 7 on the san no ito is also problematic because of the constant stretching of this thin string. As soon as I can consistently hit Position 7, the string stretches a bit and I have to re-tune. That takes time and is a pain, but nothing can be done. It is part of the nature of the instrument.

So, I practice and practice Wakamizu. Sometimes it's okay; most times not so much. If I can ever nail down Octave 1, I might have a chance at Octaves 2, 3, 4, and 7. I get IT once in a while, but if I miss Octave 1, of course, everything else that follow is also off.

On the good side, I am not getting so frustrated as I have in the past. Why? It has finally dawned on my puny brain that this is not a sprint but a marathon. I am not going to "get it" tomorrow, the next week, or even next month. If I keep practicing, I hope to get better--over the long haul. So, it's not a 100 meter dash, but a long-distance event when considering learning the sangen. It has taken me a while to realize this. And once realized, the frustration and pressure has lessened measurably.

My ivory itomaki have arrived and I should be using them by next week. Some other sangen players have said that the slippage of ivory itomaki is much worse than kokutan itomaki, so I should not get too excited. It's more for looks than practicality. We shall test that theory shortly. In addition, after looking diligently for over six months, I have found a bekko jiuta bachi to purchase. That should be arriving from Japan in the next few weeks.