Darhyl Lyons Benefit

A very enjoyable event with much love expressed for Darhyl and by him. I am privledged to have been included.

I opened this diverse evening with a 30 minute solo set. Felt good playing, part of the crowd was listening, part merrymaking. Expected at a gathering such as this. Saw some old friends and met some new ones.

The set:

Dandelion Wish
August Born
Matka Boska
Scattered Hearts
Livin' the Dream
Gathered Hearts
Dancin' Free

Today was a day of spending time with family and a couple short naps. I picked up my guitar this evening with the notion to explore Frame # 4. I altered my tuning using my new spider capo and began playing notes slowly. A slow introspective motion seems to be present in these experiments & examinations I am calling Frames. I taped this one 3 times to listen and then continue the piece a bit further. Currently weighing in at 2 minutes.

Nice to have a refreshing pause such as this. Just play with my guitar, explore what the muse might have me find, let go of polishing pieces. Learn, love, & let go ...

Frames #3

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rob_adams/ / CC BY 2.0

Thanksgiving Day - a day to pause, reflect, and nourish our seeds of gratitude. Certainly I am blessed with abundance. Family, love, music, and good friends provide me with a life that is so worth living. I spent most of the day with family and loved ones. There was much laughter and harmony.

I found 45 minutes in the afternoon in which I was intending to practice the set for Saturday night. However I began warming up with an improvisation and heard what I needed to hear. The time was spent playing with an idea that appears to fit into what I am calling Frames. This is the third one of which generally will be very short solo guitar pieces that provide a Frame, a window looking in or out. A catalyst for introspection perhaps.

After dinner preparation and a short trip to join family I returned home happy and tired. I did not feel like practicing, but I invoked my two times to practice rule and carried on. My work was not the most spirited but I did what was needed to keep the set list alive in my hands, heart, and head. A small effort, one in a long series of efforts, for which I am grateful to have the time and ability. May the muse whisper to us all today and always.

One Small Part

In Guitar Craft I have learned how changing one small part changes everything. This is subtle, something I have experienced in my guitar practice many times before, and I continue to be amazed when I experience this again. Tonight I decided to focus on one section of Dandelion Wish that I play poorly. Has to do with moving from playing lots of arpeggios into playing an artificial harmonic, getting my right hand back to more arpeggios and then playing two artificial harmonics in the 15th position, and then right back to arpeggios.

Since I am opening with this piece at the benefit for Darhyl Lyons on Saturday I need this piece to take off. To do so I need these harmonics to be crisp and in time. I slowed the metronome down to 60 bpm to facilitate seeing what I am and am not doing. After about 12 minutes I could play this reliably. I took a quick look at August Born and then returned to this part again. After a couple minutes I increased to 62 bpm. Played at this tempo for 5 minutes then played through Scattered Hearts. Back to the part at 62, nailed it and incresed to 64.  After getting it reliable at 68 I took a break.

Returning from the break I played it at performance tempo and was able to nail it. Happy I returned to 68 and slowly increased to 76bpm. Once I was satisfied at this tempo I played through the piece with the metronome. I played the artificial harmonics with confidence botht times this section appears. I then moved on to run the set. This was when I saw how this quality of care and attention had spread. The set was well played for 6 pieces. I stumbled a bit in the final piece, part of this was fatigue in my hands, part getting tired overall. A good nights work. What small part shall I focus on tomorrow?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/na0905/ / CC BY 2.0

Designing a Set List

I am playing at a benefit this coming Saturday in Takoma Park, MD for Darhyl Lyons a musician who has been active for the community in a variety of ways. Stream Ohrstrom & the Blue Dragon will also be performing music. There will also be a dance performance, martial arts display, a fashion show, food,  and other events. If your in the area this is sure to be an inspiring event.

I wrote a set list this past Sunday consisting of seven pieces, two new pieces and one that I needed to relearn. Playing through this last night I was unhappy with the flow of the set. Tonight I played the first four pieces where the energy seemed to get stuck and listened to her feedback. I now have a modified seven piece set list that is stronger. Need to brush up on two older pieces now, August Born & Scattered Hearts. I dropped one of the new pieces Kinnara, but will retain Dancin' Free.

I am not sure why I was hesitant to include Scattered Hearts in this set. I have always enjoyed performing this piece and has an energy that is different from most of my pieces. I have not always utilized it wisely in my placement in a set and am my own emotional response can be strong with this piece. But for now she sits in the middle of the set. Amen.

Listening II

Today I need to practice listening. Every day actually but some days this is more apparent to me than others.

I need to listen skillfully. Listen without assigning guilt, without judgement. I need to listen while allowing my emotional response(s) to play at pianissimio. To listen to myself listening . To listen with my heart in this improvisation of life while knowing that my melodic and harmonic choices will affect others playing, others responses, and the future of the ensemble.

For now I will sit quietly and prepare myself to listen.

Etude

In the early part of my guitar practice tonight I was working with  the Allegro in A minor Etude by Matteo Carcassi as transcribed for New Standard Tuning by Bert Lams. Decided to use this to broaden my fingerstyle technique. A bit distracted at first then I began settling into playing. I thought this is the best part of my day when I sit down with my guitar. But then I said wait I minute I love seeing Joann when I come home from work.

And I love embracing the day upon awakening, and Qi Gong in the morning, and my sitting. Generally I really enjoy seeing most of my collegues at work. And my family. And ... suddenly I realized most of my day and days are truly blessed. I have love, family music, health, and a way of life that sustains me.

So while I was working with the Etude to broaden my guitar technique it rapidly broadened my perspective. Life is very good.

Sounds of Life

6:30 pm

Sitting quietly in my living room when suddenly the wind invites a crashing chord on the wind chime. The wind, the chimes, and myself return to silence.

Then the bass sound of a car door closing as the furnace crescendoes into a pulsing drone, the clatter of little feet playing an accelerando on the pavement. Key change as my grandaughter bursts through the door reciting text from a book on tape she had been listening to. Laughter, shrieks, and racket ensues in a post modern Ode to Joy.

8:30 pm
Happy to pick up my guitar as she lays down to rest. Life is very good. Began with ear training and work on Dandelion Wish. Break over. Time to play through and examine Why?

Photo by Ted Andes all rights reserved