Why envy skilled, derivative piano player
master of bebop clichés? Because I cannot do that.
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
FAR TOO DISTRACTIBLE
Far too distractible to follow the form of a sonata
even my own thoughts!
especially when picking up poems by Creeley at the same time
unexpected beauty, from dependable sources
then this poem pops in my head:
"Far too distractible..."
even my own thoughts!
especially when picking up poems by Creeley at the same time
unexpected beauty, from dependable sources
then this poem pops in my head:
"Far too distractible..."
Heresy of Paraphrase
I think the New Critical "heresy of paraphrase" doctrine is an extension of symbolist poetics of ineffability. Now it is not just experience (of a certain type) that is ineffable (inexpressible in language) but that even the meaning of a poem cannot be expressed in language, other than the original language of the poem itself. Symbolist poetry emulates the ineffability of music, its indefineteness of reference.
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Imagine
Imagine we had to use an abstruse set of technical terms to describe the colors of a painting. We could say, yellow, or dark blue.
And then, instead of a more or less adequate reproduction of the painting in our art history book, we were referred to a chart written in a system of technical notation that we couldn't use to visualize the painting unless we has been specially trained in the notation system.
***
My idea is that people easily understand everything in music except for two things:
Harmony.
Large-scale structure.
***
I am listening in my car to all my music. I started with songs that started by BA and now I am on BE. I came to the song Bemsha Swing and heard four versions of it (two by Monk himself) and then my own recording of it came up. I did not hate what I heard. I play it slow and with a sweetness to it that is different. Of course I am not a pro, so I wouldn't compare it for a second with other versions. But it was mine and so I wasn't displeased.
And then, instead of a more or less adequate reproduction of the painting in our art history book, we were referred to a chart written in a system of technical notation that we couldn't use to visualize the painting unless we has been specially trained in the notation system.
***
My idea is that people easily understand everything in music except for two things:
Harmony.
Large-scale structure.
***
I am listening in my car to all my music. I started with songs that started by BA and now I am on BE. I came to the song Bemsha Swing and heard four versions of it (two by Monk himself) and then my own recording of it came up. I did not hate what I heard. I play it slow and with a sweetness to it that is different. Of course I am not a pro, so I wouldn't compare it for a second with other versions. But it was mine and so I wasn't displeased.
Monday, February 24, 2020
My productivity method...
... is to write down what I do. I have three categories: work, life, and music. The music spills a bit into the work category, etc... What this shows me is what I am and am not doing with some clarity.
Feb. 17.
Worked on Chapter 2: up to page 13 [good progress]!
Read some of Charles Rosen book Critical Entertainments
Emails re BA program
other misc. emails re X’s promotion, etc…
Wrote 2 blog posts
Ran dishwasher
Noon meditation at zen center
Rolling prairie pick up / told them I wasn’t continuing
Worked on Autumn Leaves / Mozart
Feb. 18
Wrote 3 blog posts
Returned to Introduction to add material
Read more of “Brain on Music” book
Professional emails: thanked XXX for raise!
Noon meditation at Zen center
Called Apt complex re: lease and repair of light switch
Worked on Mozart / Autumn Leaves / Body and Soul
Listened to own music starting with the “As” in artists.
Feb. 19
Revised intro! Looking good
Worked on Chapter 2
Class visit for BA program
Laundry
Listened to Morton Feldman Piano and String Quartet
Worked on Body and Soul / Mozart
Listened to recording of Mozart several times
Feb. 20
Worked polishing intro! Good progress
Class visits for BA program
Looked for AirbnB / booked one!
Listened to Shostakovich prelude and fugue in C major, A minor, G Major, E minor
Worked on Mozart / Autumn leaves
Read some of Mompou biography
Feb. 21
Class visit for BA program
Wrote bog post
Emailed Mari re BA program
Listened to Poulenc “L’enfant cherchait sa voix…”
Signed Lease!
Bought stocks
Listened to rest of Disk 1 of Shostakovich
Worked on Mozart / Autumn leaves / Mompou main gauche
Piano lesson
Sunday, February 23, 2020
Autumn Leaves
I came up with this little thing yesterday where I play the arpeggiated pattern of Bach's Prelude in C from the well-tempered clavier with the chords of Autumn Leaves. I don't know where that is leading. ! Oscar Peterson's Jazz exercise #8 is cool, with a baroque flavor to it.
I have this other thing where I play the first four chords of One-Note Samba very slowly and improvise over them very fast in the right hand. The idea is to get as much going with each chord as possible. I can play slow and meaningful melodic ideas, or I can play fast, but often if I overextend then it sounds too random (i.e. not meaningful), and sloppy. So the idea to catch myself when I am playing too much outside the changes for it to be meaningful, and rein myself in. At the same time, the random fast playing is not all bad, because it might lead to other ideas. I CAN improvise. The question is being able to do it meaningfully enough. I can play fast, but if isn't "clean fast" it isn't good.
I have this other thing where I play the first four chords of One-Note Samba very slowly and improvise over them very fast in the right hand. The idea is to get as much going with each chord as possible. I can play slow and meaningful melodic ideas, or I can play fast, but often if I overextend then it sounds too random (i.e. not meaningful), and sloppy. So the idea to catch myself when I am playing too much outside the changes for it to be meaningful, and rein myself in. At the same time, the random fast playing is not all bad, because it might lead to other ideas. I CAN improvise. The question is being able to do it meaningfully enough. I can play fast, but if isn't "clean fast" it isn't good.
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