Music Lessons - New Term

Friday September 17th 2010
I´m pleased to note that today my music lessons have started again after a long summer break. It was wonderful to be able to share how much I had been able to do this summer - it is usually a fallow period with little motivation. Having created this blog has been one of the reasons I have achieved more! My dear friend who follows my progress is quick to remind me that I haven´t posted a new entry!!!
I now have some more precise targets for the next two weeks:
The main themes are to do with breathing and transposition skills.
Breathing  We began be reviewing posture when playing the guitar. An interesting observation was that when breathing as a singer or instrumentalist, the instrument breathes too. I don´t need to be too worried therefore. Although I have been brought up to believe that whole lines and phrases should be sung in one breath, this sometimes results in tension and discomfort as one struggles to sing the last notes. In the genre of music that I am studying, the most important factor is to be comfortable. An audience can quickly tell if the performer is tense or in discomfort.

•  I need to identify those moments in a song which are habitually difficult because of lack of breath.
•  Then I need to look for useful places where a smaller breath can be taken to support the voice.

Transposition When trying to learn new songs with the guitar, I habitually choose the Cmajor key because these are the chords I am most familiar with. This is not always the best key for my voice as the pitch can sometimes fall between two voice placement areas. Both songs I sang today revealed this tendency. This discovery  has opened up a new opportunity to revise earlier work on transposition and to apply it to guitar chords.

•  I need to remember that when raising or lowering a key by any given interval, there may be consequences on the key signature, so caution! 
• Another important knock on effect as far as the guitar is concerned, is that I will need to increase my chord repertoire! 

Degrees Whilst discussing the above, we returned to the topic of ´Degrees´.

•  I need to revise and be very sure on the tone/half tone patterns so that new keys can be discussed and identified quickly. 

So after a great lesson, with much laughter and encouragement, I have lots to do in the next two weeks......

September 4th 2010

Having had a fraught week, little has been done since I last wrote. Today, however was productive., and fingers are sore once more!!!!

• I am beginning to understand the way barre chords work, and can now name the chords using the E shape.
• I can name the notes on all the frets on the low E and B strings - in English and using the French Solfège - still not quite sure about reading them on the music stave, but I guess that will come.
• Am beginning to discover different tonal qualities on the guitar depending where I actually play - so I have begun trying to interpret a classical piece in a more musical way.
• Managed to re-chord 'My Grandfathers' Clock' in a better key for my voice. Wow!!!!

Vocal work hasn't had much of a look in for a while, but I will try and remedy that during the coming week. Let's hope I achieve a more regular and consistent  for work-out!