Dev and Brad arrive a little late, due to a bit of a late start (the previous day's weather wreaked havoc on poor Dev's schedule, the day before), at about 10 a.m. The gym/hall is already set, with risers set up and Victor sound-checking Alex and Chris. A few minutes later, Dev and Brad are getting levels set, with Glenn walking in then. Some circulation work for checking levels, as well as getting ourselves warmed up.
We run a couple of bits to get used to the sound of the room; it's very live, like most gyms are, and it's a little washy. This will change once the kids arrive.
At 10:40, we head off to the "green room". At 10:50, we're on.
Setlist:
Growing Circle
3rd Relation
Victor talks, and into Batrachomyomachy (the audience loves the Toady Gerbil joke)
Opening
Where is the Nurse?
Love is Green (not played)
Thrak
When ready, please begin ==> Asturias
Prelude Circulation (moved from earlier in the set)
The kids are eating it up, but they are also squirming all over the place; with the excitement of having a show put on for them, as well as the unnecessary snow day on Wednesday, they're going nuts. With respect to a progressively rowdier audience, Victor chooses to skip the Prelude after Batrachomyomachy and go straight into Thrak, with a note to let the kids know that it's alright to cover their ears, if it gets too loud. A couple of them do, but for the most part, the audience rocks out. To the scribe's ears, this might be the tightest we've played this.
Thrak ends, and Victor attempts to calm the kids so that we can move on. This doesn't really happen, so Victor gives us the instruction, "When ready, please begin," and jumps straight in, which does a much better job of getting the kids to focus. Dmin establishes itself fairly quickly, and it turns out to be one of the better improvs we've played--a very good springboard for Victor to begin play Asturias, which has all the shape it needed the other night.
Asturias ends to applause, and we decide to play one more piece for them, the Prelude. And with that, the show is over--we stand, unplug, and walk off. A good performance.
Back in the green room, a moment of collection. Then, a few minutes later, we head back into the gym, for a question and answer session that is markedly less formal. Some good questions all around ("How much do you practice?" "What kind of guitar is that?" "What's your favorite music?" "What kind of music do you play?"*). At twelve, we bid them adieu, and free dispersal. There is a short photo session afterwards (necessary), and then teardown and restoration. Some discussion afterwards of when the next meeting is, and we all take our leave, with the exception of Victor, who has a class to teach.
Photos coming soon!
*This might seem like a silly question, but even the long-time guys have a hard time answering this one.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
GCNE Meeting, 02-07-2010, 'The Loft'
In attendance: a full house, with Victor McSurely, Rick McCarthy, Chris Paquette, Brad Hogg, Glenn Hughes, Alex Lahoski, and Dev Ray.
Victor and Dev have just arrived from the Guitar Craft "Professionals" course (quite literally, as they drove straight from the location in New Jersey to Boston and the loft, not even stopping at home) to find Brad waiting at the door. Everyone else arrives at roughly the same time, 10 minutes later, and the circle is assumed.
A gift is presented to the circle, from RF: fresh picks! A small, kind, and mutually appreciated gesture. Very good.
The theme of the night is the coming Thursday, and as such, there is little warming up, save for a short circulation. When Victor asks the key that we were playing in, the answer of Dmaj (with a borrowed chord from Dmin) is provided--a glance back at last week's work. From here, we jump straight into repertoire, mostly playing straight through the pieces.
Growing Circle, once through, followed by Eye of the Needle. Eye comes out sounding a touch flat, but only needs a little bit of personal attention to dynamics. 3rd Relation is next, and the same thing comes up; timing isn't as much of a problem as it has been before.
Moving on to Asturias, some basic arranging is worked out (who plays what twinkle, who's going to bring it in). We play it once, and the general consensus is that the twinkle section sounds pretty shapeless. A couple of questions about small details (shaping the twinkles dynamically, a difference from recordings), and we move to Thrak. No "Lark's" section tonight, but it sounds good and tight. Where's the Nurse is next. Very good playthrough--Victor's reaction of, ". . . Well, moving right along. . ." is a good summation.
Before moving into work on Batrachomyomachy, there's a bit of mention about the fact that we'll be playing for kids, which brings up a couple of recollections about the last time the circle played at this school ("This weekend, I got a chocolate egg!" "How many strings are on your guitar?"), and plenty of laughter. The basses (which are two, and the other two that aren't leads) move into the hall, while the leads remain plugged in. In the hall, Chris and Rick work their parts, while Alex and Brad look on and offer critique when asked. After about 10 minutes, they rejoin the leads, and some spot work is assumed, mostly from the middle and onward.
Philip Glass' "Opening" is next. A bit of work is attempted on this, but after a few minutes, it's pretty apparent that we need a break. So we do, though the basses--Rick, Brad, and Alex--take to the hall to run their parts (which aren't technically demanding, but the triplets-against-duplets feel can be very challenging, especially when conflicting parts sit next to each other).
Back in the circle proper, we jump back in with Batracho, with some more extensive work on this piece. Dev has been working the lead, and is still learning a bit of the part--admirable work. At least one full playthrough, and we move on to the trio version of Love is Green. Once through.
Next is the Prelude Circulation. Twice through this, with some spot work--the rhythmic work on this is still challenging, though it's more appropriate to say that consistency is the challenge. On to Opening, again. Playing straight through the form (48 bars, twice through), there's points where it locks in, and points where it doesn't. We make it to the end, and silence pays a visit, for a time.
With some words about technicalities for the gig, we end the meeting at roughly 10:30 p.m.
Victor and Dev have just arrived from the Guitar Craft "Professionals" course (quite literally, as they drove straight from the location in New Jersey to Boston and the loft, not even stopping at home) to find Brad waiting at the door. Everyone else arrives at roughly the same time, 10 minutes later, and the circle is assumed.
A gift is presented to the circle, from RF: fresh picks! A small, kind, and mutually appreciated gesture. Very good.
The theme of the night is the coming Thursday, and as such, there is little warming up, save for a short circulation. When Victor asks the key that we were playing in, the answer of Dmaj (with a borrowed chord from Dmin) is provided--a glance back at last week's work. From here, we jump straight into repertoire, mostly playing straight through the pieces.
Growing Circle, once through, followed by Eye of the Needle. Eye comes out sounding a touch flat, but only needs a little bit of personal attention to dynamics. 3rd Relation is next, and the same thing comes up; timing isn't as much of a problem as it has been before.
Moving on to Asturias, some basic arranging is worked out (who plays what twinkle, who's going to bring it in). We play it once, and the general consensus is that the twinkle section sounds pretty shapeless. A couple of questions about small details (shaping the twinkles dynamically, a difference from recordings), and we move to Thrak. No "Lark's" section tonight, but it sounds good and tight. Where's the Nurse is next. Very good playthrough--Victor's reaction of, ". . . Well, moving right along. . ." is a good summation.
Before moving into work on Batrachomyomachy, there's a bit of mention about the fact that we'll be playing for kids, which brings up a couple of recollections about the last time the circle played at this school ("This weekend, I got a chocolate egg!" "How many strings are on your guitar?"), and plenty of laughter. The basses (which are two, and the other two that aren't leads) move into the hall, while the leads remain plugged in. In the hall, Chris and Rick work their parts, while Alex and Brad look on and offer critique when asked. After about 10 minutes, they rejoin the leads, and some spot work is assumed, mostly from the middle and onward.
Philip Glass' "Opening" is next. A bit of work is attempted on this, but after a few minutes, it's pretty apparent that we need a break. So we do, though the basses--Rick, Brad, and Alex--take to the hall to run their parts (which aren't technically demanding, but the triplets-against-duplets feel can be very challenging, especially when conflicting parts sit next to each other).
Back in the circle proper, we jump back in with Batracho, with some more extensive work on this piece. Dev has been working the lead, and is still learning a bit of the part--admirable work. At least one full playthrough, and we move on to the trio version of Love is Green. Once through.
Next is the Prelude Circulation. Twice through this, with some spot work--the rhythmic work on this is still challenging, though it's more appropriate to say that consistency is the challenge. On to Opening, again. Playing straight through the form (48 bars, twice through), there's points where it locks in, and points where it doesn't. We make it to the end, and silence pays a visit, for a time.
With some words about technicalities for the gig, we end the meeting at roughly 10:30 p.m.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
GCNE Meeting, 01-31-2010, 'The Loft'
In attendance: Victor McSurely, Rick McCarthy, Chris Paquette, Brad Hogg, Alex Lahoski, Dev Ray.
No Glenn, tonight: he's having a sudden case of the not-feeling-wells.
Beginning at roughly 7:40, with the 28 Bar Exercise. After the first time through, Victor advises that, if we are unable to play it consistently as 32nd notes (current speed at about 50 bpm), to drop down to playing as sixteenth notes, without the tremolo on top. It's okay to play and drop in and out, if necessary, for now. Second time through, there's a bit of confusion--the speed went up slightly, and most tried it as sixteenths, but this was aborted in favor of a slower speed and 32nd notes.
Circulation. Victor begins several times, pausing after each circuit, which has something of an effect of setting a tempo, and then continues. After about 3 or 4 minutes, he stops the circulation, and asks the circle what key we are playing in. The responses seem to be Cmaj, Dmin, or Gmaj. Victor calls for each person to choose a note in Cmaj, and then directs the playing of the chord. He then does the same in Dmin and Gmaj, but none of them seem to match up with what we were just playing. Calling for C7, most people jump for the Bflat, which is interesting in and of itself. This does seem to be the closer match for the key that we'd been playing in.
The general direction that this discussion is heading is something to note: how aware one is of the improvisation. One may have a concept of playing a consecutive series of chromatic notes within the circulation, in relation to everyone else, but the "validity" of the concept won't be known until immediately before one plays--this might be literally the space of a 1/100th of a second. Being sensitive to what the group is doing playing is invaluable.
The further implications of this are extremely important, in the case of a performance. As performers, the ability to set the mood and atmosphere through music can be very powerful, but comes with a great deal of responsibility. Used recklessly, it can be damaging for both audience and performer. But we're not in that business!
Moving into repertoire. Nurse is up, and we play through it once. Some notes about cleaning things up are offered--it's not quite as clean as the week before. The leads get some good work out of observing the very last note in the bar (the 3 of the second 3, or "123-12-12-123") and emphasing that to really nail the "one" of the bar. This work translates over into the basses. One more run at a slightly faster pace.
Growing Circle is next. After the first play through, Victor notices that we played the middle section's dynamics in reverse from what we intended--making the adjustment makes an enormous difference. Some spot work on a couple of sections, and one more playthrough from the bass entrance, and we move on to Calliope. 4 basses and 2 leads, and one of the leads plays the bass part on the entrance, so it's a fairly unbalanced mix. A couple of notes about intonation and letting notes get a little crazy (not always a bad thing), and we break.
After a few minutes, back to the circle. We're working with Thrak, now--a first attempt at playing straight through goes down pretty quickly, and we buckle down to work each section with the metronome. The 1-4s, the 1-3s, and the 5s of the rock'n'roll section each get some quality time, along with the polyrhythm section. As usual, playing to the click track proves useful, and we play it once more through, without the metronome.
Prelude Circulation. Without Glenn, we enlist Alex to learn the Glenn notes of the last four bars. Playing one bar is proving to be a struggle--we get through, but not as easily as we should be able to. We move on to Eye of the Needle--Victor asks the basses to be more assertive, especially in the Dmin section, which really brings it together.
Last piece of the night--Asturias. A couple of arrangment notes (who takes the lead in the twinkle section, who takes it out, who keeps twinkling), and played once. Having a simple piece like this can be helpful, as it leaves everything on a good note, for the end of the rehearsal. With that, some notes on logistics for the gig, and who will be where, this next week. The meeting ends in silence at roughly 10:20.
No Glenn, tonight: he's having a sudden case of the not-feeling-wells.
Beginning at roughly 7:40, with the 28 Bar Exercise. After the first time through, Victor advises that, if we are unable to play it consistently as 32nd notes (current speed at about 50 bpm), to drop down to playing as sixteenth notes, without the tremolo on top. It's okay to play and drop in and out, if necessary, for now. Second time through, there's a bit of confusion--the speed went up slightly, and most tried it as sixteenths, but this was aborted in favor of a slower speed and 32nd notes.
Circulation. Victor begins several times, pausing after each circuit, which has something of an effect of setting a tempo, and then continues. After about 3 or 4 minutes, he stops the circulation, and asks the circle what key we are playing in. The responses seem to be Cmaj, Dmin, or Gmaj. Victor calls for each person to choose a note in Cmaj, and then directs the playing of the chord. He then does the same in Dmin and Gmaj, but none of them seem to match up with what we were just playing. Calling for C7, most people jump for the Bflat, which is interesting in and of itself. This does seem to be the closer match for the key that we'd been playing in.
The general direction that this discussion is heading is something to note: how aware one is of the improvisation. One may have a concept of playing a consecutive series of chromatic notes within the circulation, in relation to everyone else, but the "validity" of the concept won't be known until immediately before one plays--this might be literally the space of a 1/100th of a second. Being sensitive to what the group is doing playing is invaluable.
The further implications of this are extremely important, in the case of a performance. As performers, the ability to set the mood and atmosphere through music can be very powerful, but comes with a great deal of responsibility. Used recklessly, it can be damaging for both audience and performer. But we're not in that business!
Moving into repertoire. Nurse is up, and we play through it once. Some notes about cleaning things up are offered--it's not quite as clean as the week before. The leads get some good work out of observing the very last note in the bar (the 3 of the second 3, or "123-12-12-123") and emphasing that to really nail the "one" of the bar. This work translates over into the basses. One more run at a slightly faster pace.
Growing Circle is next. After the first play through, Victor notices that we played the middle section's dynamics in reverse from what we intended--making the adjustment makes an enormous difference. Some spot work on a couple of sections, and one more playthrough from the bass entrance, and we move on to Calliope. 4 basses and 2 leads, and one of the leads plays the bass part on the entrance, so it's a fairly unbalanced mix. A couple of notes about intonation and letting notes get a little crazy (not always a bad thing), and we break.
After a few minutes, back to the circle. We're working with Thrak, now--a first attempt at playing straight through goes down pretty quickly, and we buckle down to work each section with the metronome. The 1-4s, the 1-3s, and the 5s of the rock'n'roll section each get some quality time, along with the polyrhythm section. As usual, playing to the click track proves useful, and we play it once more through, without the metronome.
Prelude Circulation. Without Glenn, we enlist Alex to learn the Glenn notes of the last four bars. Playing one bar is proving to be a struggle--we get through, but not as easily as we should be able to. We move on to Eye of the Needle--Victor asks the basses to be more assertive, especially in the Dmin section, which really brings it together.
Last piece of the night--Asturias. A couple of arrangment notes (who takes the lead in the twinkle section, who takes it out, who keeps twinkling), and played once. Having a simple piece like this can be helpful, as it leaves everything on a good note, for the end of the rehearsal. With that, some notes on logistics for the gig, and who will be where, this next week. The meeting ends in silence at roughly 10:20.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
GCNE Meeting, 01-24-2010, 'The Loft'
In attendance: Victor McSurely, Chris Paquette, Brad Hogg, Glenn Hughes, Alex Lahoski. Rick McCarthy and Dev Ray unable to make it, due to family matters.
Beginning the meeting at roughly 7:40 in silence. After a moment, Victor asks to warm up with the same rhythmic expansion exercise, but with an added dimension, based on the overtone series:
1: Open C
2: 5th Fret C
3: 5th Fret G
4: 3rd Fret C
5: 7th Fret E
6: 10th Fret G
7: 13th Fret Bflat, pushed flat (in the overtone series, this note is slightly less than a minor 3rd above the previous overtone)
8: 8th Fret C
And back down again. Additionally, we begin one after another, in a round fashion (displaced by 4 beats each). Especially in this format, the 5s and 7s are still soupy--several reasons are put forward why this might be, with the general consensus that how the 7 is played and counted is still kind of fuzzy.
This leads to a discussion of logistics, both for the Montessori gig in February, as well as some new prospects for regular gigs (once a week, ideally). There are some options that we have, and we'll be pursuing most of them, it seems:
-A regular gig at PA's Lounge, with the idea to turn it into a shared gig
-Some different spots in the Central/Inman Square area
-A couple of spots in Jamaica Plain
-Some venues both to the west of Boston, as well as further south in Connecticut, though these would more likely be occasional gigs (the idea being to keep it accessible and available in the city)
Moving on to repertoire, we visit Growing Circle. This is on the setlist, so we work it a little harder than normal: twice through, with some fairly particular attention to dynamics. As short and to-the-point as this piece is, small nuances are extremely important, so we really work on properly defining the dynamic movement of the piece. One more run of part of the piece, to solidify a point, and on to Love is Green (from Jeff Beck's album 'Wired'). This is a trio, with Victor, Chris, and Glenn--apparently, this arrangement is very effective, and breathes quite a bit more than an ensemble piece. So, it will remain a trio arrangement. On that note, a break is called, and a break is delivered.
Back in the circle, we work on Opening, from Philip Glass' Glassworks. With Rick and Dev gone, Brad is the only person present who has played the bass part, so Alex is asked to read the part as well. This actually goes very well, and bumps the piece from the 'hopeful' list to the 'part of the setlist' list. This will be a fun piece to play in full.
Nurse is next. We play it once through, and Victor calls for section work. Alex and Brad head to the hall, and work on bass, while the leads remain in the loft. After about ten minutes, the basses head back in and sit down. Once through Nurse in full, at a sprightly pace, and it is very good.
After this, we hit several pieces in quick succession: Third Relation, Calliope, and Flying Home. This brings us up to ten o'clock, which means that Alex, and thus Chris as well, must head home. The meeting ends in silence at about 10:05 p.m.
Beginning the meeting at roughly 7:40 in silence. After a moment, Victor asks to warm up with the same rhythmic expansion exercise, but with an added dimension, based on the overtone series:
1: Open C
2: 5th Fret C
3: 5th Fret G
4: 3rd Fret C
5: 7th Fret E
6: 10th Fret G
7: 13th Fret Bflat, pushed flat (in the overtone series, this note is slightly less than a minor 3rd above the previous overtone)
8: 8th Fret C
And back down again. Additionally, we begin one after another, in a round fashion (displaced by 4 beats each). Especially in this format, the 5s and 7s are still soupy--several reasons are put forward why this might be, with the general consensus that how the 7 is played and counted is still kind of fuzzy.
This leads to a discussion of logistics, both for the Montessori gig in February, as well as some new prospects for regular gigs (once a week, ideally). There are some options that we have, and we'll be pursuing most of them, it seems:
-A regular gig at PA's Lounge, with the idea to turn it into a shared gig
-Some different spots in the Central/Inman Square area
-A couple of spots in Jamaica Plain
-Some venues both to the west of Boston, as well as further south in Connecticut, though these would more likely be occasional gigs (the idea being to keep it accessible and available in the city)
Moving on to repertoire, we visit Growing Circle. This is on the setlist, so we work it a little harder than normal: twice through, with some fairly particular attention to dynamics. As short and to-the-point as this piece is, small nuances are extremely important, so we really work on properly defining the dynamic movement of the piece. One more run of part of the piece, to solidify a point, and on to Love is Green (from Jeff Beck's album 'Wired'). This is a trio, with Victor, Chris, and Glenn--apparently, this arrangement is very effective, and breathes quite a bit more than an ensemble piece. So, it will remain a trio arrangement. On that note, a break is called, and a break is delivered.
Back in the circle, we work on Opening, from Philip Glass' Glassworks. With Rick and Dev gone, Brad is the only person present who has played the bass part, so Alex is asked to read the part as well. This actually goes very well, and bumps the piece from the 'hopeful' list to the 'part of the setlist' list. This will be a fun piece to play in full.
Nurse is next. We play it once through, and Victor calls for section work. Alex and Brad head to the hall, and work on bass, while the leads remain in the loft. After about ten minutes, the basses head back in and sit down. Once through Nurse in full, at a sprightly pace, and it is very good.
After this, we hit several pieces in quick succession: Third Relation, Calliope, and Flying Home. This brings us up to ten o'clock, which means that Alex, and thus Chris as well, must head home. The meeting ends in silence at about 10:05 p.m.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
GCNE Meeting, 01-17-2010
In attendance: Victor McSurely, Rick McCarthy, Chris Paquette, Brad Hogg, Dev Ray.
The meeting commences at roughly 7:40 p.m., with Victor, Rick, Chris, and Brad running the subdivision exercise (1 to 8 and back again). Dev arrives a few minutes later and joins in, once he's sitting in the circle. There is still a tendency for the 7s in the progression to sound like soup. Victor stops it for a moment and brings everyone's attention to the picking action, which should be immediate and fast, no matter what speed the tempo or subdivision is. This firms everything up a little bit. Victor pauses again and asks everyone to begin on an upstroke. The difference is night and day, to these ears: it is considerably tighter and more focused.
Moving on to bringing the left hand into play: the primary C Melody section of Calliope, looped. First attempt at counting is 6 bars of 4, which is abandoned for 4 bars of 3, to focus. We then move to 3 bars of 4. This is difficult for most people, especially if it is on something that they haven't previously divided attention with. After working this for a bit, Victor tells us to leave the counting and just play it. Dev stops playing, while we continue to go on. When we finally come to a halt, Dev explains that he had begun to experience quite a bit of tension in his left hand while trying to count, and that it was still there when we left the counting, so he had stopped, to bring his hand back into a less tense state.
Victor looks at him for a moment, and then says, "When ready, begin."
Then, "Circulation."
After the circulation ends, Victor asks the circle what they are passing. Brad: "Intention." Dev: "A quality." Rick: "Tension. It's been a rough week." This leads into a discussion of What We Play, and What Informs Our Playing, and what role our outside life has in what we play. Some interesting things are said.
Calliope in full. The first attempt to play becomes a case of "runaway tempo", and is stopped quickly. The second time is a full runthrough, and sounds much better.
A break for a few minutes.
Back in the circle, Flying Home. Dev points out to Brad some notes that are being played a touch too long (in this case, a touch is definitively too long), which is worked out a bit. This piece also brings up something from Victor: FH is a particular piece, in that there is essentially one rhythm that is played throughout the entire length. In fact, even with the very clear key changes, the subtlety of the section changes is what really make the song work. The circle is still treating each change as "a section", though, as opposed to moving into the next section and letting it speak for itself [my paraphrasing, and as concise as I can make it].
Third Relation, twice. The first time is not so good, and some sections are dropped by players. A second time is better.
At the request of one of the younger members, Askesis. This falls apart somewhere in the middle, and after some clarification on parts, is run again, from beginning to end.
What follows is a somewhat long (but somewhat necessarily so) discussion of Guitar Craft Face, or the necessity of both controlling what registers on one's face while performing and being able to have an intent to one's expression. The fact that we will be playing for children in a bit less than a month is very important to remember: they don't care about what our hands are doing, and will mostly care about the music, but it's our faces that they'll be looking at, which will color the entire experience for them.
Calliope played once more. Much tighter than at the beginning of the meeting.
Silence, and the end of the meeting. We draw up a setlist (order to be determined), discuss some logistics for musical decisions (how certain pieces will be played, in terms of who plays what), and what will be coming up in the next rehearsals. There is also mention of possible studio time coming up, but that is a discussion to be saved for the future. Adjournment at roughly 11:00 p.m.
The meeting commences at roughly 7:40 p.m., with Victor, Rick, Chris, and Brad running the subdivision exercise (1 to 8 and back again). Dev arrives a few minutes later and joins in, once he's sitting in the circle. There is still a tendency for the 7s in the progression to sound like soup. Victor stops it for a moment and brings everyone's attention to the picking action, which should be immediate and fast, no matter what speed the tempo or subdivision is. This firms everything up a little bit. Victor pauses again and asks everyone to begin on an upstroke. The difference is night and day, to these ears: it is considerably tighter and more focused.
Moving on to bringing the left hand into play: the primary C Melody section of Calliope, looped. First attempt at counting is 6 bars of 4, which is abandoned for 4 bars of 3, to focus. We then move to 3 bars of 4. This is difficult for most people, especially if it is on something that they haven't previously divided attention with. After working this for a bit, Victor tells us to leave the counting and just play it. Dev stops playing, while we continue to go on. When we finally come to a halt, Dev explains that he had begun to experience quite a bit of tension in his left hand while trying to count, and that it was still there when we left the counting, so he had stopped, to bring his hand back into a less tense state.
Victor looks at him for a moment, and then says, "When ready, begin."
Then, "Circulation."
After the circulation ends, Victor asks the circle what they are passing. Brad: "Intention." Dev: "A quality." Rick: "Tension. It's been a rough week." This leads into a discussion of What We Play, and What Informs Our Playing, and what role our outside life has in what we play. Some interesting things are said.
Calliope in full. The first attempt to play becomes a case of "runaway tempo", and is stopped quickly. The second time is a full runthrough, and sounds much better.
A break for a few minutes.
Back in the circle, Flying Home. Dev points out to Brad some notes that are being played a touch too long (in this case, a touch is definitively too long), which is worked out a bit. This piece also brings up something from Victor: FH is a particular piece, in that there is essentially one rhythm that is played throughout the entire length. In fact, even with the very clear key changes, the subtlety of the section changes is what really make the song work. The circle is still treating each change as "a section", though, as opposed to moving into the next section and letting it speak for itself [my paraphrasing, and as concise as I can make it].
Third Relation, twice. The first time is not so good, and some sections are dropped by players. A second time is better.
At the request of one of the younger members, Askesis. This falls apart somewhere in the middle, and after some clarification on parts, is run again, from beginning to end.
What follows is a somewhat long (but somewhat necessarily so) discussion of Guitar Craft Face, or the necessity of both controlling what registers on one's face while performing and being able to have an intent to one's expression. The fact that we will be playing for children in a bit less than a month is very important to remember: they don't care about what our hands are doing, and will mostly care about the music, but it's our faces that they'll be looking at, which will color the entire experience for them.
Calliope played once more. Much tighter than at the beginning of the meeting.
Silence, and the end of the meeting. We draw up a setlist (order to be determined), discuss some logistics for musical decisions (how certain pieces will be played, in terms of who plays what), and what will be coming up in the next rehearsals. There is also mention of possible studio time coming up, but that is a discussion to be saved for the future. Adjournment at roughly 11:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
GCNE Meeting 01-10-2010
In attendance: Victor McSurely, Rick McCarthy, Chris Paquette, Brad Hogg, Glenn Hughes, Alex Lahoski.
First in the building tonight are Victor, Brad, and Rick. After turning on the lights and PA, Victor starts the metronome at roughly 48 bpm, and begins the subdivision exercise (one note per beat, then two, then three, up to eight, and back again). Rick and Brad sit down separately and join in; eventually, Chris, Alex, and Glenn all arrive and join in as they sit. Roughly 10 minutes of this, all together.
Moving on to 3rd Rel. We begin by playing the F#m descending section, counting out loud as 8 bars of 4. We then move to attempting the count as 12 bars of 3--we're forced to abandon playing the entire section and instead play just the F#m chords (playing as two bars of 4 while counting in 3 out loud). This has a more solid sense to it, and we play the whole piece several times, addressing different issues as they arise.
Up next is Prelude--we haven't worked this one for a while, so it takes a moment for everyone to remember their way through the piece. The end of the prelude gives us some trouble, as well, so we run the last 4 bars several times, in order to solidify the unusual phrasing. Running the whole piece again, the time begins to really assert itself as an issue, leading Victor to ask everyone how they are marking time. There are several methods being used, from sensing the pulse in the core, to marking time with the foot, to simply allowing the music to speak and take command. The real difficulty is in being able to move fluidly between marking time as 8ths, as 16ths, and in the larger context of the music. Alex, who is not currently playing on this, remarks that there are several moments where it's clear that the circulation is moving as a phrase through the group. We run the piece once or twice more, and then take a short break.
During the break, gear talk ensues, and a consensus is reached: we need to know what nutrient baths are being used to grow $20 tortoiseshell picks. If any readers have some information as to the growth process, your help will be greatly appreciated.
Back in the circle, we revisit Nurse, and play once through, after which Rick moves to bass. Further work ensues--the leads take a moment to run the end, in order to get everyone's hands agreeing on phrasing and timing. Basses back in, and we run twice more, with noticeable improvement.
Flying Home is next: 3 basses and 3 leads. Once through, with one comment from Victor: "That one's going to be fun."
Calliope, next. Played once (?), with some spot work.
Bicycling, after this. This is really starting to sound good, and there were a few moments that sounded splendid, throughout this.
After this is played, Alex stands up, noting this to be the end of the meeting for him (it is 10 p.m., and he still has to drive home and be at work in the morning). This also marks the end of the meeting for Chris, and for everyone. There is some talk about practicalities, such as working on division of attention exercises using repertoire as source material, and we all take our leave for the week.
First in the building tonight are Victor, Brad, and Rick. After turning on the lights and PA, Victor starts the metronome at roughly 48 bpm, and begins the subdivision exercise (one note per beat, then two, then three, up to eight, and back again). Rick and Brad sit down separately and join in; eventually, Chris, Alex, and Glenn all arrive and join in as they sit. Roughly 10 minutes of this, all together.
Moving on to 3rd Rel. We begin by playing the F#m descending section, counting out loud as 8 bars of 4. We then move to attempting the count as 12 bars of 3--we're forced to abandon playing the entire section and instead play just the F#m chords (playing as two bars of 4 while counting in 3 out loud). This has a more solid sense to it, and we play the whole piece several times, addressing different issues as they arise.
Up next is Prelude--we haven't worked this one for a while, so it takes a moment for everyone to remember their way through the piece. The end of the prelude gives us some trouble, as well, so we run the last 4 bars several times, in order to solidify the unusual phrasing. Running the whole piece again, the time begins to really assert itself as an issue, leading Victor to ask everyone how they are marking time. There are several methods being used, from sensing the pulse in the core, to marking time with the foot, to simply allowing the music to speak and take command. The real difficulty is in being able to move fluidly between marking time as 8ths, as 16ths, and in the larger context of the music. Alex, who is not currently playing on this, remarks that there are several moments where it's clear that the circulation is moving as a phrase through the group. We run the piece once or twice more, and then take a short break.
During the break, gear talk ensues, and a consensus is reached: we need to know what nutrient baths are being used to grow $20 tortoiseshell picks. If any readers have some information as to the growth process, your help will be greatly appreciated.
Back in the circle, we revisit Nurse, and play once through, after which Rick moves to bass. Further work ensues--the leads take a moment to run the end, in order to get everyone's hands agreeing on phrasing and timing. Basses back in, and we run twice more, with noticeable improvement.
Flying Home is next: 3 basses and 3 leads. Once through, with one comment from Victor: "That one's going to be fun."
Calliope, next. Played once (?), with some spot work.
Bicycling, after this. This is really starting to sound good, and there were a few moments that sounded splendid, throughout this.
After this is played, Alex stands up, noting this to be the end of the meeting for him (it is 10 p.m., and he still has to drive home and be at work in the morning). This also marks the end of the meeting for Chris, and for everyone. There is some talk about practicalities, such as working on division of attention exercises using repertoire as source material, and we all take our leave for the week.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
GCNE Meeting, 01-03-2010
In attendance: Victor McSurely, Chris Paquette, Brad Hogg, Glenn Hughes, and Dev Ray. Alex Lahoski and Rick McCarthy are unable to attend, due to weather concerns.
Beginning the meeting at roughly 7:40, Victor starts things off with the metronome at about 48 bpm: "Four beats each, with first one note, then two, then three per beat, up to eight notes (or sixteenths). And, instead of starting over at one note, go back to seven, then six, and so on." With one false start, and Dev still pulling his guitar out of his case, we work with this for roughly 10 minutes or so. What is interesting is straining to hear the click, while fighting the urge to gradually speed up into the next set (i.e. beginning the 7 as a 6, and then speeding up to stuff in the last couple notes, just in time to play the 8), but then feeling the time stretch as we shift down to 7, to 6, to 5, and struggling to stretch out the spaces enough.
Moving on to the left hand, and the first primary. Pattern: 2-4-1-3. Three times up and down the neck.
Free circulation, with Victor stopping the first pass, and beginning it again.
Flying Home, with work on the introductory 2 bars and 4 bars of the D section. We count this as what it is: 6 bars of 7 beats. Counting it out loud proves to be very difficult for most in the room; we all know how the music "goes", and can drop into the right slot after dropping out, but the act of vocalization (and vocalizing a specific thought or "coordinate", to boot) provides a formidable challenge. Glenn is successful in regularly getting a sound to come out of his mouth. Victor points this out, and Glenn notes that continuity of the pulse is something that is fairly easy for him to hold on to, but that there is a big disconnect when trying to actually use language to mark where he is--talking and saying a specific word seems to be antithetical to what his hands are doing [my paraphrasing]. Victor agrees, and mentions that it gets easier, once one is able to do this on a couple different pieces of music. Also, for the time being, he chooses to not go into 7 bars of 6 beats (!). This said, once through Flying home in full, and then we break.
After the break, we work with Nurse, for the first time in about three weeks. There's a couple of roughish spots from not having been played, along with a couple of tricky timing bits, but the dynamics seem to jump out quite nicely.
During one run of Nurse, there is a moment where we all collectively pull back: first the leads, and then the basses trip up. Recovering quickly, the circle finishes the piece, and Victor declares that this is the first time in a long time that everyone is so courteous that, when making a mistake, we each acknowledge that "that might have been me!" This leads him to refer vaguely to an incident at his first Level III course--the pregnant silence then invites the story of the first performance of the League of Crafty Guitarists where RF was not present in the performance ("I always thought that it'd be Tony!").
IBE next. Victor and Brad on lead, and Dev, Glenn, and Chris on bass. A couple of spots where Brad drops for a moment, but nothing that personal practice won't address. Played twice.
Third Relation. Within a bar, instant rushing in the basses, which gets worse as we get into the first D section, after the intro. Victor stops it quickly, and attempts to run it again. Same problem, so we work with the metronome, and loop the midtro and first D section, while being asked to count 4 bars of 4 concurrently. This will take some personal practice. We run the piece once through, and the rushing does diminish noticeably.
To finish the night, we play Thrak twice--first with the Lark's section, and then straight in. It is fast, tight, and right on the edge of being over the top. In other words, very good.
Silence, with a few words of practicalities coming up (a presentational gig at Victor's school, for instance), and we end at roughly 10:30 p.m.
Beginning the meeting at roughly 7:40, Victor starts things off with the metronome at about 48 bpm: "Four beats each, with first one note, then two, then three per beat, up to eight notes (or sixteenths). And, instead of starting over at one note, go back to seven, then six, and so on." With one false start, and Dev still pulling his guitar out of his case, we work with this for roughly 10 minutes or so. What is interesting is straining to hear the click, while fighting the urge to gradually speed up into the next set (i.e. beginning the 7 as a 6, and then speeding up to stuff in the last couple notes, just in time to play the 8), but then feeling the time stretch as we shift down to 7, to 6, to 5, and struggling to stretch out the spaces enough.
Moving on to the left hand, and the first primary. Pattern: 2-4-1-3. Three times up and down the neck.
Free circulation, with Victor stopping the first pass, and beginning it again.
Flying Home, with work on the introductory 2 bars and 4 bars of the D section. We count this as what it is: 6 bars of 7 beats. Counting it out loud proves to be very difficult for most in the room; we all know how the music "goes", and can drop into the right slot after dropping out, but the act of vocalization (and vocalizing a specific thought or "coordinate", to boot) provides a formidable challenge. Glenn is successful in regularly getting a sound to come out of his mouth. Victor points this out, and Glenn notes that continuity of the pulse is something that is fairly easy for him to hold on to, but that there is a big disconnect when trying to actually use language to mark where he is--talking and saying a specific word seems to be antithetical to what his hands are doing [my paraphrasing]. Victor agrees, and mentions that it gets easier, once one is able to do this on a couple different pieces of music. Also, for the time being, he chooses to not go into 7 bars of 6 beats (!). This said, once through Flying home in full, and then we break.
After the break, we work with Nurse, for the first time in about three weeks. There's a couple of roughish spots from not having been played, along with a couple of tricky timing bits, but the dynamics seem to jump out quite nicely.
During one run of Nurse, there is a moment where we all collectively pull back: first the leads, and then the basses trip up. Recovering quickly, the circle finishes the piece, and Victor declares that this is the first time in a long time that everyone is so courteous that, when making a mistake, we each acknowledge that "that might have been me!" This leads him to refer vaguely to an incident at his first Level III course--the pregnant silence then invites the story of the first performance of the League of Crafty Guitarists where RF was not present in the performance ("I always thought that it'd be Tony!").
IBE next. Victor and Brad on lead, and Dev, Glenn, and Chris on bass. A couple of spots where Brad drops for a moment, but nothing that personal practice won't address. Played twice.
Third Relation. Within a bar, instant rushing in the basses, which gets worse as we get into the first D section, after the intro. Victor stops it quickly, and attempts to run it again. Same problem, so we work with the metronome, and loop the midtro and first D section, while being asked to count 4 bars of 4 concurrently. This will take some personal practice. We run the piece once through, and the rushing does diminish noticeably.
To finish the night, we play Thrak twice--first with the Lark's section, and then straight in. It is fast, tight, and right on the edge of being over the top. In other words, very good.
Silence, with a few words of practicalities coming up (a presentational gig at Victor's school, for instance), and we end at roughly 10:30 p.m.
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