Poseur to Composer

There's a nicely written post from Ruminations I'd like to share, specifically a passage about learning music:

I'm always trying to learn something new, guitar at the moment, because I find it critical in slowing down time (subjectively); otherwise days, weeks, and months just shoot past. Learning or doing something new anchors periods of time to something particular, something difficult, and keeps your brain squishy. I apply this thinking to music too, so because I don't want to get stuck for the rest of my life with my current taste in music, I'm often listening to new music.

How I relate! Time is going by terrifyingly fast. Weeks blow past me like road signs on the freeway. Meanwhile, my mind's computational speed is decelerating. It's why I'm undergoing this year-long project: to keep the brain squishy. Maybe it'll slow down time too.

Makes me wonder why I didn't learn music theory earlier. Already it's opened up so many new possibilities. Classical music sound fresh to me, more accessible. Today I downloaded the sheet music for the seminal jazz tune So What by Miles Davis and deciphered the notes. A week ago I couldn't do that. Now I can, sort of.

And when I played that familiar first chord, then the second, a big smile broke out on my face.

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Gymnopédie No.1 may be too much for my uncoordinated left hand. I'm still nowhere with it. I stumble on the second bar when my left hand goes from D to A + Db + F#.

If I don't know what I'm talking about, please tell me.

Maybe my fingers are too fat (they feel squeezed between the black keys). Or maybe I just need to practice another thousand times? I wonder if my time is better spent with Bach's Prelude No. 1.

Some related topics of interest I hope to investigate further (when time permits):

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Yesterday evening I heard the heartrending Gymnopédie No.1 by French composer Erik Satie and decided right then and there I would learn to play it. Bach's Prelude No. 1 can wait.

So I'm following this YouTube tutorial by Joe Raciti. His left hand jumps around a lot in this piece but Joe makes it look smoove. I watch how his fingers glide to the upper half of the keys for the B + D + F# chord. This way he doesn't have to stretch his fingers more than he has to. I follow his lead. After about 45 minutes of finger-fumbling it is far from memorized.

My elbows ache, despite two extra strength ibuprofens and the arm braces I'm wearing. Once I get the feel of the proper finger formation and memorize the finger numbers, I should be able to visualize playing the piece and take the stress off my hands and arms.

Joe Raciti has a website where you can learn more songs from him, but no email address to contact him with pre-sale questions. Joe, in the unlikely event you're reading this post, kindly email me and let me know if you provide your subscribers with finger numbers on the music sheets.

This reminds me of a young man in his early 20's I met at my workplace a few weeks ago. He just finished teaching a piano lesson and stopped off to buy a few things before going home. I excitedly told him I just started learning piano using books and YouTube videos. He congratulated me cheerfully, then left without leaving his business card or even his name.

There has been several times since our meeting that, in my impatience, I would have paid him to get past some sticking points. Unfortunately, I don't have a clue who he is and haven't seen him since.

Please, if you're a freelance music instructor, offer your business card to anyone you meet who expresses interest in learning piano and/or music theory. Tell them you are available for hire. Not only does this makes good business sense, as they are a potential customer, it's a gesture of support and the polite thing to do.

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My hands were sore this morning due to piano practice, and even more so after tonight's practice. I'm not worried though. As my hands get stronger the pain and soreness should subside.

I am worried about my arms though. Even after wearing my elbow braces, they ache and burn. My tendinitis is aggravated and I don't want it to get so bad it will be too difficult to focus and too painful to practice. I need to learn how to sight-read and play piano with the least amount of actual playing as possible.

Sounds ridiculous in a way, like wanting something at the store but being unwilling to pay the fair price. However, that's not the case. I want to be healthy enough to practice at all. Managing my symptoms is key.

The first adaptive strategy that comes to mind is mental practice (or inner piano as I call it). Find the right mentalization technique, then blend that in with physical practice. Fundamentals of Piano Practice mentioned mental practice, but I didn't get to that part yet.

It's next on my todo list.

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Tonight I practiced the first two bars of Bach's Prelude No.1 in C major for about 45 minutes. My right hand and right elbow throb. I wonder how my arm will feel tomorrow.

As I play the keys again and again, I begin to feel connected to the song and the songwriter. What is he trying to say in this melancholy melody? This is the man who walked 250 miles just to see some dude play the organ. Yet I know so little about Bach or his music, or about Classical music in general. I barely understand the title of the song. Prelude No.1? Did Bach write other preludes? And my understanding of playing in major or minor chords is fuzzy at best.

I'll find out the answers to all these questions and get back to you.

A prelude, according to Google, is an action or event serving as an introduction to something more important. Prelude No.1 is my introduction to a better understanding of music.

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Today I played notes from sheet music. Excruciatingly slow mind you, but I'm reading notes and playing them. If I told you it was from the first bar of Bach's Prelude No.1 you might be impressed, but don't be. It's a simple piece and I play it like a baby rides a tricycle, unsteady and halting, with no momentum whatsoever.

The book I'm learning from is How to Play the Piano. I've mentioned it several times before and will probably continue doing so until I can play the piece in its entirety.

This morning I partially skimmed Fundamentals of Piano Practice by Chuan Chang (you can download the book here). Helpful advice gleaned from it includes:

  • When practicing one segment, always include the beginning of the following segment
  • Start by practicing the most difficult sections first
  • Non-musical playing is an absolute no-no at all times

The last tip is surprising. Does non-musical playing include practicing scales? My finger coordination has improved dramatically in the short time doing them. Perhaps I should focus solely on playing Prelude?

It's getting late and it's time to call it a day. Since starting this project, I've been sleeping at least one hour less a night.

Time to ride the rainbow to dreamland.

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I've been listening to Polish Composer Frederic Chopin today, and it's evident he composed music from the piano exclusively for the piano. His intricate, decorative pieces both inspire and humble me. I'm getting a whole new appreciation for Classical music. Selah.

I asked a few accomplished musician friends for advice, specifically what is the one thing I should focus on as a complete beginner? The answer has been unanimous: learn to sight-read music. As one friend and accomplished pianist put it: be able to translate musical notation with your fingers as quickly as possible.

I'm running with this advice, snatching a pattern here, a hack there. I'm like a doctor's patient seeking a second and third opinion. If I don't immediately glom on to a particular concept, I'll try a different technique from some other course or book. There's a superabundance of educational material out there, each with a unique twist on the same subject.

Still, I may be looking for a magical solution that doesn't exist to avoid hard physical and mental work. Selah.

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Today I figured out the finger positioning and played the major scales on piano, something I learned from Mantius Cazaubon's Piano Lessons For Absolute Beginners. It's a free course on Udemy. I'm also practicing four chords: C, A minor, F and G, as part of the Pianoforall course, also on Udemy, but not free.

My fingers are adjusting to the awkward configurations required to play the chords, but not without soreness afterwards.

I also revisited James Rhodes' book How to Play the Piano. I've been nibbling on this one, but this morning as I studied the diagrams for a few minutes, I experienced a thunderclap 'aha' moment. The fragments of music theory I'm learning here and there are beginning to snap together. Things are starting to make sense.

Regarding yesterday's post: The ending is a train wreck. I simply ran out of hours in the day and ended the post abruptly. I'll fix that when I can. I also made the incendiary remark “there’s enough music in the world already” and need to clarify further. Maybe in a separate post.

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On Saturday I saw an old co-worker while on the job. First we shook hands but then we hugged. It was good to see him. We were both employees at a factory in Ontario.

He still looks nearly the same as twenty years ago: young-ish dark skin, broad shoulders, wispy goatee, except this time with a few grey hairs. He still has a big smile and even bigger laugh.

We quickly got up to speed and traded contact information. Then I got back to work.

During those factory years he was into positive thinking and law of attraction, although this was before the time of The Secret. He was always scheming up some way to get rich. Now he is rich, thanks to a truck that ran him over and the resulting lawsuit.

He also wanted to be a recording artist. On the factory floor, over the din of machinery and hydraulics, you could occasionally hear him belt out a song he wrote or maybe just made up on the spot. Now he is a recording artist, listed in Spotify and other media-streaming platforms for one single he did not play a note of.

How is that possible? He hired a studio musician to play and record all the instruments. He just sang his lyrics. Well, he also hummed the melody of the song to the musician, who then interpreted it into musical notation. From consultation to final product, the order took less than a week to complete.

I heard the single. The recording sounds professional but the song isn't to my taste.

What's interesting is that his approach to making music was similar to mine when I was a nu metal poseur. Like him, I skipped the training and technique. I grabbed a bass guitar and just started jamming. Never during my five year stint as bass player did I deliberately learn chords or notes. I just kind of manifested the music through sheer willpower. I'm both amazed and embarrassed at this younger headstrong self.

My approach today is different. Making music isn’t my primary goal. Apparently there’s a super-abundance of music anyway, and millions of songs have never been listened to. Shouldn't we finish what's on our plate first?

This project is more about self-improvement. Creating a less ignorant, more creative and clear-thinking iteration of myself. And unlike my former co-worker's professionally-produced single, there won’t be a final product. Learning is never finished.

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I left today's entry too late, but time was well spent plinking on the keys.

As decided yesterday, I need to apply the music theory I'm learning and create a direct feedback loop. Today I started practicing chords and even played a horribly incompetent rendition of the hymn How Great Thou Art using Mantius Cazaubon's video tutorial. Angels in heaven must have wept.

Playing piano scales seems like the logical next step for me. I'm using Mantius Cazaubon's book for instruction on that, and signed up for his free beginner piano course on Udemy. As you can tell, I'm a fan of his teaching style.

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