Okay. Let's first start off with the Goals for the time.
Short Term: Keep working in locking in time. Abit of prac will do.
Medium Term: For the Year, It'll probably getting my 2 Exam pieces done. The Patitha by Bach Done. Plus, the Sonata by Haydn.
Now we'll jump to the Performance
Performance: Singapore Polytechnic Open House 2009
Venue: Foyer of the School of Business. Block 19, Ground Floor.
Date: 8 and 9th of January 2008.
This is one of our last performances of the year, this time our group wanted to end this with a bang. This one is graded and assessed accordingly, to performance standards. My Group Members this time were Bo Cheng, Dhanish, Prue and Celester. Here is an overview of the actual line-up:
Bo Cheng - Vocals
Prue - Electric Bass
Myself - Keys, Backup Vocals
Celester - Electric Guitar
Dhanish - Drums.
We encountered quite an amount of problems before this whilst practicing over the couple of months. We sometimes have problems locking with Celester. We are trying many means to help Celester keep in time. We normally advice him to keep his Electric Guitar simple. Overtime, although a problem, he has made a huge improvement. Although he has been getting abit more complicated in terms of rhythm, but has been able to cope.
The Actual concert on Thursday is better than on Friday. Dhanish told me that he cannot hear himself playing, Fortunately enough, he was able to lock by hearing the Keys. Friday wasn't as good, but we do have positive critics that we still lock in. I assume this time it was the mixing fault. Dhanish cannot hear me this time.
Well, this teaches me one thing, in order to lock in time with your team members, you need to listen closely to your fellow members. Add some life to your performance with some gestures, movements, all that sort of thing. If you can't hear one, hear the other. All in all, I was generally well-chuffed with our performance for those 2 days.
Happy dayz.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Piano Structural Practice Routine.
We've been asked to show our structured practice routine. So I might as well post about my habits about practicing before presenting how I do it during the actual assessment itself.
FIRST INSTRUMENT: Piano
The first Instrument I will make reference to is the Piano.
ISSUES I FACED
But, keep your fingers curved. You don't play with flat hands. Most players will find this an issue when they first start learning.
Caution: Whenever it hurts anywhere, STOP!
SCALES AND APPEGGIOS
Throughout my entire course as a musician, scales were part of the examinations in ABRSM although I didn't need to be tested in the Trinity Guildhall Exams on LTCL and FTCL. The thing about scales and appeggios that in some scenarios, it really helps when there are fast passages involving both of them. In classical and romantic music, especially, there ARE PLENTY of these passages! Once you get the hang of all the notes and the relatively comfortable fingering, you can handle these without too much trouble.
OK! How do you go about Scales and Appeggios:
The Most Obvious thing is to recognize the notes in that scale or appeggio, memorizing it inside your head and keep it in check. Go through each one a couple of times on getting the notes then you can attempt to play it. Some ABRSM Books will come in handy, depending on your grade.
For a start, after recognizing the notes, you should run through the scale or appeggio slowly with separate hands while keeping time with the metronome. Have the metronome on with you, preferbly electronic one. At the same time, find a suitable Fingering which is comfortable for you where you will not slip. Refer to the scales and appeggio ABRSM books. They have a standard, set fingering you need to follow, especially when taking exams.
General Fingering:
Black Key Scales except G-Flat/F-Sharp you'll start on a 3rd Finger on LH, 2 on Right. Land on 1 on the first white keys in that scale.
Whites except B you'll start on your end fingers(Pinky for LH, Thumb for RH).
Choromatics:
As the saying goes: 3 on black, 1 on white, 1 and 2 on adjacent whites. Nothing too hard about it.
Test and experiment with the fingering SLOWLY with seperate Hands. Once you have a fingering that's comfy and easy to use, you can slowly speed it up while still keeping the beat.
When you are comfy enough with seperate hands, go ahead, try and see whether you can coordinate with both hands on the keyboard. Not easy right? If you cannot handle it, slow down, slow down, slow down. Get it used to, then speed up once you are satisfied with it.
If you wanna modify these, you can Go up/down the scales in different keys, same as appeggios, change the tempo, etc.
You should make a habit to practice the scales at least 3 times a week. More is definitely much better. You just need only about 20 minutes to half an hour each time. As examinations draw near however, it makes more obvious sense to increase the frequency of practices.
Here are several types of Scales you can always try apart from your Normal Major and Minor scales:
Jazz Minor (All 12 Keys for you to try!)
Blues Scale (all 12 Keys for you to try!)
Whole Tone (all 12 keys for you to try!)
Scales on thirds on C (Standard in Grade 7 and 8)
Church Modes (all if you can!)
Contrary Motion Scales* - (Standard in most intermediate and higher grades)
Contrary Motion Scales basically start from the middle note. While your Right Hand goes up, your left goes down. This is one of the standard scale types on Grade 8. Not just Diatonically, there's even Chromatics on Contrary Motions. If you play contemperary music involving playing solos on top, you can utilise them.
Appeggios:
Dominant 7ths Appeggios (Standard Scales and Appeggios Syllabus)
Diminish Sevenths Appeggios (Standard Scales and Appeggios Syllabus)
Contrary Appeggios in 2 octaves(try all 12 keys!)
STUDIES
To be able to play standard repetiore, you need some particular pieces and other resources you can use as a base for your exercise. Say you are some advanced player. You can always try on some studies to practice articulation. Like me, Chopin's Etudes (Another name for Study) like Black Key Study ior "Ocean" s one that you can use for practice which for this purpose, will be Demo-ed for the class. Some Short but manageable pieces for your level.
Beginners can use these booklet exercise like Czerny, J Hanon, Burgmuller, etc. Likewise, pick songs and tunes that are short but manageable but also helps you to practice Timing, Articulation, Accuracy and where possible.
How to get through when playing these pieces for the first time???? Well, read on the Standard Repetiore.
STANDARD REPETIORE
Your graded exams will definitely have set pieces you can pick. But this practice method I'm going to share not just apply to them, it also applies to songs that you really want to learn.
Scan through the score and look through for all the various Patterns, Repetitions, scales and appeggio passages that you can find. There's bound to be some similarity in some parts of the song. This part's like sight reading, so for sight reading, this also applies here.
If you are learning the piece for the first time, after scanning through, Sight read (analysing Patterns, and how you should interpret the piece) , say, the first 8 bars or so. Bar by bar, run through with that bar with the right hand followed by the left hand SLOWLY(cannot emphasize enough) then after that both hands. Once you learn 8 Bars, Try to piece it up first with 2 bars, then 4 then 8. Then do the next 8 bars and do the same thing. After piecing the next 8 bars, start from the top and see whether you can make the piece flow smoothly. Do the same for the rest. If you find any scales and appeggios, apply the notes and fingering to use. That is why you've practiced your scales and appeggios, no?
Take the time you need to practice section by section then piece it up till you're ready to tackle the entire score.
Once you play through the entire piece the first or second time, identify where are the places you can handle, and places you feel it needs work. For the sections that need work, go to that section and practice that, couple bars at the time for a multiple number of times, expanding more as you get the hang of it, then piece it up again.
Once you know that one section is consistently fine and the other's not, reserve more time of practice for the weaker section than the former. Polish slowly then increase speed as you get more confident.
Updated as at 1st February 2009.
FIRST INSTRUMENT: Piano
The first Instrument I will make reference to is the Piano.
ISSUES I FACED
Being a Solo, Full-Fledged Classical Music, I do come across some issues even as a professional. Where Pieces are meant to be in strict time, I sometimes have the tendency to throw off my timing accidentally. Everytime I come for Performance class, What I do is to Tap my foot along while playing with the metronome. As I progress further, that tapping is gradually less used as I can play in time.
In the past, I also faced problems on Postures. Which I'll discuss it later.
FINGER EXERCISE AND POSTURES
Before starting warm ups on a real piano, Get a Flat Surface like a Table Or Desk in your room something like that. The first thing to do or your fingers will get stiff and tired is to stretch 'em. To play good, your posture also needs to good, comfortable for you to play.
But, keep your fingers curved. You don't play with flat hands. Most players will find this an issue when they first start learning.
Caution: Whenever it hurts anywhere, STOP!
SCALES AND APPEGGIOS
Throughout my entire course as a musician, scales were part of the examinations in ABRSM although I didn't need to be tested in the Trinity Guildhall Exams on LTCL and FTCL. The thing about scales and appeggios that in some scenarios, it really helps when there are fast passages involving both of them. In classical and romantic music, especially, there ARE PLENTY of these passages! Once you get the hang of all the notes and the relatively comfortable fingering, you can handle these without too much trouble.
OK! How do you go about Scales and Appeggios:
The Most Obvious thing is to recognize the notes in that scale or appeggio, memorizing it inside your head and keep it in check. Go through each one a couple of times on getting the notes then you can attempt to play it. Some ABRSM Books will come in handy, depending on your grade.
For a start, after recognizing the notes, you should run through the scale or appeggio slowly with separate hands while keeping time with the metronome. Have the metronome on with you, preferbly electronic one. At the same time, find a suitable Fingering which is comfortable for you where you will not slip. Refer to the scales and appeggio ABRSM books. They have a standard, set fingering you need to follow, especially when taking exams.
General Fingering:
Black Key Scales except G-Flat/F-Sharp you'll start on a 3rd Finger on LH, 2 on Right. Land on 1 on the first white keys in that scale.
Whites except B you'll start on your end fingers(Pinky for LH, Thumb for RH).
Choromatics:
As the saying goes: 3 on black, 1 on white, 1 and 2 on adjacent whites. Nothing too hard about it.
Test and experiment with the fingering SLOWLY with seperate Hands. Once you have a fingering that's comfy and easy to use, you can slowly speed it up while still keeping the beat.
When you are comfy enough with seperate hands, go ahead, try and see whether you can coordinate with both hands on the keyboard. Not easy right? If you cannot handle it, slow down, slow down, slow down. Get it used to, then speed up once you are satisfied with it.
If you wanna modify these, you can Go up/down the scales in different keys, same as appeggios, change the tempo, etc.
You should make a habit to practice the scales at least 3 times a week. More is definitely much better. You just need only about 20 minutes to half an hour each time. As examinations draw near however, it makes more obvious sense to increase the frequency of practices.
Here are several types of Scales you can always try apart from your Normal Major and Minor scales:
Jazz Minor (All 12 Keys for you to try!)
Blues Scale (all 12 Keys for you to try!)
Whole Tone (all 12 keys for you to try!)
Scales on thirds on C (Standard in Grade 7 and 8)
Church Modes (all if you can!)
Contrary Motion Scales* - (Standard in most intermediate and higher grades)
Contrary Motion Scales basically start from the middle note. While your Right Hand goes up, your left goes down. This is one of the standard scale types on Grade 8. Not just Diatonically, there's even Chromatics on Contrary Motions. If you play contemperary music involving playing solos on top, you can utilise them.
Appeggios:
Dominant 7ths Appeggios (Standard Scales and Appeggios Syllabus)
Diminish Sevenths Appeggios (Standard Scales and Appeggios Syllabus)
Contrary Appeggios in 2 octaves(try all 12 keys!)
STUDIES
To be able to play standard repetiore, you need some particular pieces and other resources you can use as a base for your exercise. Say you are some advanced player. You can always try on some studies to practice articulation. Like me, Chopin's Etudes (Another name for Study) like Black Key Study ior "Ocean" s one that you can use for practice which for this purpose, will be Demo-ed for the class. Some Short but manageable pieces for your level.
Beginners can use these booklet exercise like Czerny, J Hanon, Burgmuller, etc. Likewise, pick songs and tunes that are short but manageable but also helps you to practice Timing, Articulation, Accuracy and where possible.
How to get through when playing these pieces for the first time???? Well, read on the Standard Repetiore.
STANDARD REPETIORE
Your graded exams will definitely have set pieces you can pick. But this practice method I'm going to share not just apply to them, it also applies to songs that you really want to learn.
Scan through the score and look through for all the various Patterns, Repetitions, scales and appeggio passages that you can find. There's bound to be some similarity in some parts of the song. This part's like sight reading, so for sight reading, this also applies here.
If you are learning the piece for the first time, after scanning through, Sight read (analysing Patterns, and how you should interpret the piece) , say, the first 8 bars or so. Bar by bar, run through with that bar with the right hand followed by the left hand SLOWLY(cannot emphasize enough) then after that both hands. Once you learn 8 Bars, Try to piece it up first with 2 bars, then 4 then 8. Then do the next 8 bars and do the same thing. After piecing the next 8 bars, start from the top and see whether you can make the piece flow smoothly. Do the same for the rest. If you find any scales and appeggios, apply the notes and fingering to use. That is why you've practiced your scales and appeggios, no?
Take the time you need to practice section by section then piece it up till you're ready to tackle the entire score.
Once you play through the entire piece the first or second time, identify where are the places you can handle, and places you feel it needs work. For the sections that need work, go to that section and practice that, couple bars at the time for a multiple number of times, expanding more as you get the hang of it, then piece it up again.
Once you know that one section is consistently fine and the other's not, reserve more time of practice for the weaker section than the former. Polish slowly then increase speed as you get more confident.
Updated as at 1st February 2009.
Performance 3: Esplanade Theater
Date: 20th July 2008
Venue: Library@Esplanade
For this post I'm going to share with you about the performance this time round. This time was one of the better performances here. My members this time round were the more Comfy Ting Si Hao, Henry Hoe and Shayne Ng Shunyi.
I went to Si Hao's Place early that morning to practice. I noticed earlier especially within our group, we really didnt' get the chance to practice in the studios and classrooms for this din from other groups. So it was very very difficult, close to near impossible to practice during performance class. I think, practice should give priority to those who need it most, and those who hardly have chances to practice.
After practicing for more than an hour and a half, Shun wanted to stop for fear of overpractising: I think it's him, ya. So then we first went to Plaza Singapura to buy a case for Si Hao's Keytar, then proceeded to the Esplanade for the performance.
We fared better in rehearsels than the actual thing. Henry and Si Hao sang the wrong chorus. I really knew it instantly, giving me the confused look abit but it wasn't so noticeable. This time round, we only had 2 microphones where we required 4. So Me and Shun took without Mikes. I much preferred to do with all 4 of us with mikes since all of us are harmonizing, well not really all. Well, all in all, we did okay. I'm pretty well chuffed with the result.
Gotta go. Next post will be about Structural Practise Routine.
Venue: Library@Esplanade
For this post I'm going to share with you about the performance this time round. This time was one of the better performances here. My members this time round were the more Comfy Ting Si Hao, Henry Hoe and Shayne Ng Shunyi.
I went to Si Hao's Place early that morning to practice. I noticed earlier especially within our group, we really didnt' get the chance to practice in the studios and classrooms for this din from other groups. So it was very very difficult, close to near impossible to practice during performance class. I think, practice should give priority to those who need it most, and those who hardly have chances to practice.
After practicing for more than an hour and a half, Shun wanted to stop for fear of overpractising: I think it's him, ya. So then we first went to Plaza Singapura to buy a case for Si Hao's Keytar, then proceeded to the Esplanade for the performance.
We fared better in rehearsels than the actual thing. Henry and Si Hao sang the wrong chorus. I really knew it instantly, giving me the confused look abit but it wasn't so noticeable. This time round, we only had 2 microphones where we required 4. So Me and Shun took without Mikes. I much preferred to do with all 4 of us with mikes since all of us are harmonizing, well not really all. Well, all in all, we did okay. I'm pretty well chuffed with the result.
Gotta go. Next post will be about Structural Practise Routine.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Goals as at 2nd June 2008
Okay. Goals for the week.... Time to set this up.
After reviewing the previous 2 Performances, probably the most important thing is to polish on Quantization, since most of us including me, are still trying to keep time... Gotta polish it that up.
Short Term:
None at the Moment
Long Term:
Just hope I can be a professional Performer in the future... We'll see.
After reviewing the previous 2 Performances, probably the most important thing is to polish on Quantization, since most of us including me, are still trying to keep time... Gotta polish it that up.
Short Term:
None at the Moment
Long Term:
Just hope I can be a professional Performer in the future... We'll see.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Performance 2: Graduation Day 2008
Wednesday
28th May 2008
An extremely tiring and taxing perfomance. Since I hadn't rested enough after long hours of practice for 3 days straight, so suffered huge counts of exhaustion all over my body a few days before. The gap between both performance occassions is extremely close since we had only 2 weeks of practice, My opinion, Way Too Close.
The morning show where I played the song from the Official Opening of Moberly was better this time round. What's more we've got a bass player!!! Needn't slam that much now. Vocals still slightly screwed though. But Patrina's drumming improved.
I had to manage the afternoon show as a stage manager myself. The day before, I did alot of switching between groups from my afternoon slot and the slot at the Lunchtime at Moberly. So I got the groups with Azlan, James and Evan dragged in. During the actual day, I had to make a decision fast whether I could shift Ollie's group in to perform first since He couldn't make it later. Some groups could rest up abit as most didn't perform for the afternoon show. For me, I was the very few who stayed behind and oversee the performance and sound checks, and also look after all the belongings when the owners ain't around. I talked with Mandric and his gang and agreed on the switch.
I needed to get some sleep after managing the afternoon graduation segment. So ragged and tired I was, that I knocked out for half an hour with Bo Cheng on the table of the shelters before starting my performance. At least though, The entire operation went smoothly. Not bad for managing a performance by myself for the first time.
Evening Performance, time to get the show running. I was playing as a drummer in Jon Bonjovi's It's my life. It so happened for whatever reason that caused me to drop the stick on the right hand. Overall, as a first timer on a Drum Kit, it was pretty good(much to Geoffrey Low's positive feedback). But the ironic thing is that I cannot hear what I was playing on the Monitor speakers. But others say, it was adequately loud. So was it me, or my ears are starting to act up again? Thanks to Ollie for the sticks. Unlike the song by Norah Jones, This one was with my usual gang(Bo Cheng, Wira, Si Hao and Henry) so we were quite ready for it. 2 of us are playing different instruments instead of our primary ones. Apart from me, Si Hao was playing bass guitar and could handle it quite well.
Back to the Keyboard for the next 2 Duets. It was Stevie Wonder's Isn't she lovely and X-Japan's Endless Rain. Actually that wasn't a good pick since this was a slow and a instrumental version for the real thing. For the latter I had the notebook placed on the keyboard for refering to the Interlude which I was to recite. And I recited some of the words wrong.... darn. Moreover, I could get more time to memorise all the parts which I hard to harmonize. After practising on Monday, at least it was not as bad as I expected it would be.
It could had been better if We're given a day off to rest up. In my opinion, I want to feedback that would be a Much more fitting than going to school, worned out(much to my annoyance), the next day. I'm, more or less, more exhausted than anyone else performing that day(Other than the PA Guys).
28th May 2008
An extremely tiring and taxing perfomance. Since I hadn't rested enough after long hours of practice for 3 days straight, so suffered huge counts of exhaustion all over my body a few days before. The gap between both performance occassions is extremely close since we had only 2 weeks of practice, My opinion, Way Too Close.
The morning show where I played the song from the Official Opening of Moberly was better this time round. What's more we've got a bass player!!! Needn't slam that much now. Vocals still slightly screwed though. But Patrina's drumming improved.
I had to manage the afternoon show as a stage manager myself. The day before, I did alot of switching between groups from my afternoon slot and the slot at the Lunchtime at Moberly. So I got the groups with Azlan, James and Evan dragged in. During the actual day, I had to make a decision fast whether I could shift Ollie's group in to perform first since He couldn't make it later. Some groups could rest up abit as most didn't perform for the afternoon show. For me, I was the very few who stayed behind and oversee the performance and sound checks, and also look after all the belongings when the owners ain't around. I talked with Mandric and his gang and agreed on the switch.
I needed to get some sleep after managing the afternoon graduation segment. So ragged and tired I was, that I knocked out for half an hour with Bo Cheng on the table of the shelters before starting my performance. At least though, The entire operation went smoothly. Not bad for managing a performance by myself for the first time.
Evening Performance, time to get the show running. I was playing as a drummer in Jon Bonjovi's It's my life. It so happened for whatever reason that caused me to drop the stick on the right hand. Overall, as a first timer on a Drum Kit, it was pretty good(much to Geoffrey Low's positive feedback). But the ironic thing is that I cannot hear what I was playing on the Monitor speakers. But others say, it was adequately loud. So was it me, or my ears are starting to act up again? Thanks to Ollie for the sticks. Unlike the song by Norah Jones, This one was with my usual gang(Bo Cheng, Wira, Si Hao and Henry) so we were quite ready for it. 2 of us are playing different instruments instead of our primary ones. Apart from me, Si Hao was playing bass guitar and could handle it quite well.
Back to the Keyboard for the next 2 Duets. It was Stevie Wonder's Isn't she lovely and X-Japan's Endless Rain. Actually that wasn't a good pick since this was a slow and a instrumental version for the real thing. For the latter I had the notebook placed on the keyboard for refering to the Interlude which I was to recite. And I recited some of the words wrong.... darn. Moreover, I could get more time to memorise all the parts which I hard to harmonize. After practising on Monday, at least it was not as bad as I expected it would be.
It could had been better if We're given a day off to rest up. In my opinion, I want to feedback that would be a Much more fitting than going to school, worned out(much to my annoyance), the next day. I'm, more or less, more exhausted than anyone else performing that day(Other than the PA Guys).
Performance 1: Official Opening of Moberly Complex
May 9th 2008
Venue: Theater at the Moberly
This was the first time I played this song by Norah Jones: Thinking about you. For this song and with a couple of reasons, I didn't feel comfy playing songs which I have not even heard of. With the inexperience of playing with members Lenus, Patrina, Joanne and Hui Zhuang(all girls), practically the first few times playing with them. That, I'm not used to unlike playing with my old buddies who I feel more easy. We had quite a number of practices here but the song just doesn't suit the style that all of us are familiar with.
It was a difficult performance to do. I could lighten up with my touch on the keyboard even though it is weighted since I was much of a classical piano player which I always ram the keys repeatedly. The vocals is screwed, but understandable as Lenus has a phobia of Stages or you could say, stage fright. Because of her, though I had been giving alot of cues when to come in, she affected our performance pretty badly. There wasn't any bass player so I had to handle the bassline as well.
I was quite washed up at the end of the day, fatigued. But not as fatigued as the next performance I had on the 28th May by more than significant extent. I would scream out loud and annoy everyone around me if I were to do this song again. I would swear that I wouldn't perform this type of songs with this type of people I was gonna get to play for it.
After that performace, we were told of another one in a couple of weeks. It occured to me that we were to play the very same song for the Graduation day. It freaked me out abit. No choice, though I really damn hate to do this song again.
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