2013/10/27
1930-2235
In attendance: Victor, Scott, Dev, Brad, Chris, RM
The room is tidied and the team is seated by 2000. Opening circulation leads way to improv. RM leads calisthenics with work on the 1st primary in semiquavers up and down the neck in true ascending and true descending patterns. Tempos range from 76 to 92. For the second half of calisthenics the team does a syncopation exercise with semiquaver picking and introducing a single semiquaver rest that moves around in 2-bar patterns.
Dev then asks for EOTN. After a few go throughs the comment is made "It needs a bit more work in places." Another noticing is that while we need to play it "at the drop of a hat" with musicality, we aren't doing this. A suggestion for marching is met with indifference so a bit of section work for the benefit of the basses is addressed. In this, Victor sees a few points with the leads that need addressing and they run through a few section with the basses listening. Comments are made that there is vast improvement. The full team get's back at it with counting added for the basses in the Dm section.
Work then on VOAC with half the team playing, half listening. Then the other half gives it a go. Tempo is addressed and adopted as 90 being the target. A comment is made that it isn't sounding very musical and the suggestion is give: "play it as though your life depended upon it." A few more go 'rounds with attention on musicality and the team notices that there is slight improvement.
As Flying Home is called Chris announces that he is on a tight curfew and has to leave at 2100 and since it was 2100, he leaves. The 5 piece team begins work on Flying Home and after playing though twice Dev fills Victor in on the Flying Home work that was done and the noticings at the previous meeting.
Victor calls for the basses to play and has some comments and suggestions for them centering around how to play more together. Then the leads-only play through the Dm section as RM tries to project while Victor runs the harmony and back again. RM comments that he noticed an additional fingering correction at the last meeting and that his practice on this has been helping, but still a good way to go yet. Though, it does seem to be getting a bit easier to play. Victor then pushes the tempo up and the team plays the piece through. Comments include "old habits creep back in" and "so hard."
A closing circulation turned improv and the meeting is adjourned at 2235.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Mid-week at RM's
2013/10/23
2100-2300
In attendance: Chris, Dev, Brad, RM
Chris arrives at 2100 and after some casual chatting he and RM get to work on sections of Flying Home. Dev and Brad arrive at 2145 and once tuned join in, forgoing calisthenics. Flying Home is worked section by section as a team and in various pairs. Points that the group note:
It is noted that the chief reason for this seems to be in the understanding of where the top of the beat is and the apparent desire to push, in some cases. There is some noticing while playing in pairs that one's part feels very different when going from playing with one person to another.
Playing suggestions are repeated from a previous meeting and there is a question of whether those suggestion might have been targeted at addressing a specific problem and possibly not to be taken as a general rule therefore, not necessarily applicable at this meeting. Flying Home work is wrapped up with several tries at a faster tempo with the instruction given "hold on best you can."
A closing circulation turned improv and the meeting is adjourned at 2300.
2100-2300
In attendance: Chris, Dev, Brad, RM
Chris arrives at 2100 and after some casual chatting he and RM get to work on sections of Flying Home. Dev and Brad arrive at 2145 and once tuned join in, forgoing calisthenics. Flying Home is worked section by section as a team and in various pairs. Points that the group note:
- Dev and Brad have a different approach to playing the bass line
- When they put some attention on this they seem to play more "together"
- Chris and RM have a different approach to playing the lead line
- When they put some attention on this they seem to play more "together"
It is noted that the chief reason for this seems to be in the understanding of where the top of the beat is and the apparent desire to push, in some cases. There is some noticing while playing in pairs that one's part feels very different when going from playing with one person to another.
Playing suggestions are repeated from a previous meeting and there is a question of whether those suggestion might have been targeted at addressing a specific problem and possibly not to be taken as a general rule therefore, not necessarily applicable at this meeting. Flying Home work is wrapped up with several tries at a faster tempo with the instruction given "hold on best you can."
A closing circulation turned improv and the meeting is adjourned at 2300.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Thacher Gym, 10-20-2013
Minutes: Scott
Brad led calisthenics this day. He started us off with the 16 bar exercise. Once we had finished, he had us repeat this with the addition of counting the bars out loud. Then the same thing, only counting 3/4 over the 16 bar exercise. This concluded calisthenics for the evening.
After calisthenics, Dev had us go through 'Eye of the Needle', but only playing the first and the last note of the piece to a metronome. This was to see if we would all end in the same place. After this, we played through all of 'Eye of the Needle' a few times. Then we moved on to 'Flying Home'. Each section worked on playing precisely on the beat. At this point, we had an audience of two earwigs scurrying around our feet, so we played 'Voices of Ancient Children' for them. We played it twice without a metronome and once with the metronome at the suggested tempo.
After calisthenics, Dev had us go through 'Eye of the Needle', but only playing the first and the last note of the piece to a metronome. This was to see if we would all end in the same place. After this, we played through all of 'Eye of the Needle' a few times. Then we moved on to 'Flying Home'. Each section worked on playing precisely on the beat. At this point, we had an audience of two earwigs scurrying around our feet, so we played 'Voices of Ancient Children' for them. We played it twice without a metronome and once with the metronome at the suggested tempo.
Catching up: 9-29-2013
Minutes: Scott
Victor led calisthenics. He started by taking us through the first primary, focusing on the amount of pressure we put on the strings. He then introduced an exercise to work on our familiarity with the fretboard. He would call out a finger, string and fret number; everyone would have to locate the fret on the correct string with the finger indicated without looking.
Then we worked on repertoire. Eye of the Needle was the first song worked on. After playing through the song as a whole group a couple times, Dev suggested just the basses play to the metronome. When this was done, we took a break.
During the break we discussed if it would be appropriate to perform in the near future.
Voices of Ancient Children was the next song we worked on. The rhythm sections worked on counting and keeping track of each change in the song, while the lead section discussed alternate ways of playing their section.
We concluded the night by playing Flying Home a few times.
Victor led calisthenics. He started by taking us through the first primary, focusing on the amount of pressure we put on the strings. He then introduced an exercise to work on our familiarity with the fretboard. He would call out a finger, string and fret number; everyone would have to locate the fret on the correct string with the finger indicated without looking.
Then we worked on repertoire. Eye of the Needle was the first song worked on. After playing through the song as a whole group a couple times, Dev suggested just the basses play to the metronome. When this was done, we took a break.
During the break we discussed if it would be appropriate to perform in the near future.
Voices of Ancient Children was the next song we worked on. The rhythm sections worked on counting and keeping track of each change in the song, while the lead section discussed alternate ways of playing their section.
We concluded the night by playing Flying Home a few times.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Victor's House, 10-13-2013
Attending: Victor, Chris, Brad
Illness claiming half the circle tonight.
Brad arrives at Victor's a little early than 7:30, and helps a bit with cleaning and preparing the space. Sending Victor's youngest to bed is of necessity, so she gets a duo version of Third Relation as a lullaby.
Once she's put to bed, Victor and Brad eschew calisthenics and move straight into Flying Home, working on the bass part. The F Phrygian section gets a hard look, and we carve it up a bit into its two elements of bass and tenor, especially focusing on the rhythm of the thumpy bass. Chris arrives as we're working on this.
Some more carving and dissecting and attention to staccato-ness, and the lead part gets a close look. Then combining the parts and running it as such.
A break. Victor's family returns home just as we're wrapping the first part of the meeting, and Chris and Brad talk a bit about bands and jazz guitar.
Voices is up next. The big work with this seems to be helping Victor with really learning the counting (and deciding exactly how to count) of the lead-bass. Besides a bit of incongruity, some musical playing.
A long discussion that stems from a question to Chris about perfection, and Victor's work on music as a manifestation of three different workings of the brain. Brilliant stuff, from a subjectively objective viewpoint.
Eye of the Needle, once, sans bass.
Wrapping up around 11 pm.
Illness claiming half the circle tonight.
Brad arrives at Victor's a little early than 7:30, and helps a bit with cleaning and preparing the space. Sending Victor's youngest to bed is of necessity, so she gets a duo version of Third Relation as a lullaby.
Once she's put to bed, Victor and Brad eschew calisthenics and move straight into Flying Home, working on the bass part. The F Phrygian section gets a hard look, and we carve it up a bit into its two elements of bass and tenor, especially focusing on the rhythm of the thumpy bass. Chris arrives as we're working on this.
Some more carving and dissecting and attention to staccato-ness, and the lead part gets a close look. Then combining the parts and running it as such.
A break. Victor's family returns home just as we're wrapping the first part of the meeting, and Chris and Brad talk a bit about bands and jazz guitar.
Voices is up next. The big work with this seems to be helping Victor with really learning the counting (and deciding exactly how to count) of the lead-bass. Besides a bit of incongruity, some musical playing.
A long discussion that stems from a question to Chris about perfection, and Victor's work on music as a manifestation of three different workings of the brain. Brilliant stuff, from a subjectively objective viewpoint.
Eye of the Needle, once, sans bass.
Wrapping up around 11 pm.
Rick's House, 10-9-2013
Chris's minutes:
In attendance: Brad, Chris, Rick, Dev
We arrive and are seated c. 9:15. Chris is asked to lead the opening calisthenics exercise; he returns to the First Primary Extension (playing First Primary figures v. continuous cross-picking permutations) for further exploration with the group. The theme is alternating between two figures: first, in one position, moving up and down strings; then, ascending and descending the entire neck, at about 50 BPM (eighth notes). Observations are offered regarding vacillation in time feel and loss of a sense of the pulse during execution (we wind up playing the '1' on the backbeat).
The main work of the night is Flying Home. Dev selects a tempo for reference at the beginning of the first take, but does not say what it is, nor does he leave the click on during the playthrough. Overall, the piece is more relaxed and confident than it was three nights ago--and at 84 BPM. The ease is lost on subsequent takes, however. Section work follows, including some extended looping, but the playing does not generally improve. Dev later suggests that this is due to our habits taking hold as we begin to work a little harder, and that we can be mindful of this influence in our practice and playing.
The meeting concludes with a little repertoire/future performance discussion.
In attendance: Brad, Chris, Rick, Dev
We arrive and are seated c. 9:15. Chris is asked to lead the opening calisthenics exercise; he returns to the First Primary Extension (playing First Primary figures v. continuous cross-picking permutations) for further exploration with the group. The theme is alternating between two figures: first, in one position, moving up and down strings; then, ascending and descending the entire neck, at about 50 BPM (eighth notes). Observations are offered regarding vacillation in time feel and loss of a sense of the pulse during execution (we wind up playing the '1' on the backbeat).
The main work of the night is Flying Home. Dev selects a tempo for reference at the beginning of the first take, but does not say what it is, nor does he leave the click on during the playthrough. Overall, the piece is more relaxed and confident than it was three nights ago--and at 84 BPM. The ease is lost on subsequent takes, however. Section work follows, including some extended looping, but the playing does not generally improve. Dev later suggests that this is due to our habits taking hold as we begin to work a little harder, and that we can be mindful of this influence in our practice and playing.
The meeting concludes with a little repertoire/future performance discussion.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Thacher Music Room, 10-06-2013
Chris's minutes:
In attendance: Brad, Chris, Dev, Rick, Victor.
The meeting begins sans Victor around 8:00. Dev runs the warm-up exercise: tonight, clapping parts of the beat in a circulation around a click-track--whole notes, half notes, quarters, eighths, eighth note triplets and sixteenth notes (and even attempted sixteenth note triplets) are all passed around the circle in sequence. We come back to the eighth note triplet pattern and spend some extended time practicing and discussing strategies for approaching this more complex rhythm.
In attendance: Brad, Chris, Dev, Rick, Victor.
The meeting begins sans Victor around 8:00. Dev runs the warm-up exercise: tonight, clapping parts of the beat in a circulation around a click-track--whole notes, half notes, quarters, eighths, eighth note triplets and sixteenth notes (and even attempted sixteenth note triplets) are all passed around the circle in sequence. We come back to the eighth note triplet pattern and spend some extended time practicing and discussing strategies for approaching this more complex rhythm.
A short exercise to warm up fingers on the guitar, then straight to Flying Home to begin repertoire work. Even at a slow tempo (and perhaps also because of it), the piece is muddy and labored. Each player then takes a turn at rehearsing the group, focuing on an aspect or drill that stands out for them. About this time Victor returns, and is able to offer quick one-on-one technical advice to each seat.
Further repertoire work with Voices of Ancient Children and Eye of the Needle, with Victor now joining on guitar. A small tweak is made to the former piece, which is almost ready for performance and ready to be rotated out of the docket for close focus work. The meeting ends with a circulation and rough-and-ready improv, closing with a short circulation reprise.
Further repertoire work with Voices of Ancient Children and Eye of the Needle, with Victor now joining on guitar. A small tweak is made to the former piece, which is almost ready for performance and ready to be rotated out of the docket for close focus work. The meeting ends with a circulation and rough-and-ready improv, closing with a short circulation reprise.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Dev's Apartment, 09-26-2013
Minutes: Dev
Scott led calisthenics with variation of the First Primary at slower tempos. After this, there was a circulation that turned into an improv. Then we spent some time teaching Scott the bass part to Eye of the Needle. Specific attention and direction were given to lengths of notes, tone and feel. We ran sections and worked on details, eventually playing along to a recording. We then took a break.
After the break we worked on Voices of Ancient Children. For this we worked on counting specifically, and strategies for "what to do when you are lost". A few parts were clarified. At 9:05pm, we ended.
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