Metronome Slow-Play/Forte Practice Completed

This was a grueling three months worth of work. I had meant to start this in November, but I was caught up with composing the last bits of Sonata One, so I didn't get started until December. I've made just a ton of progress, so I'm quite happy about that, but this process has been mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting... which is why I only do it once per year.

Additionally and concurrently I have been working out like a man possessed - and the additional physical strength has helped my playing as well - but I had a major crash event last night and this morning. I had worked up to 45 minutes to an hour on the Bowflex every day, and I have added six miles of walking with a bit of jogging at the end since the weather has improved, but I got twenty minutes into my workout last night, and simply could not continue. I had nothing left.

This morning, I completed the final piece with the metronome and was planning to finish last night's workout, but I had a severe sinking spell and literally had to take a nap! Well, I've learned to listen to my body over the years, so I'm just going to relax with a beer or two this afternoon and spend tomorrow getting caught up on some chores I've neglected (Like washing my filthy truck).

Got a call for a very high-zoot wedding gig near the end of the month just a few minutes ago, so that was a good pick-me-up. The place I'm playing is a super-secret and wildly remote ranch where, of all people, Mick Jagger likes to unwind. I like low-pressure big-buck gigs. Last time I played there I almost got tipped more than I charged!

Jim has had a few delays getting some of the components he needs to finish up work on the Nylon Fly, so I'm a bit bummed about that, but I have been very good about not bugging him because I really, really want this guitar to be perfect. In fact, I've never contacted him once: He's initiated all of our email exchanges. If you ever have custom guitar work done, note this. You never want to get impatient and rush the luthier. It boils down to the ancient question, "Do you want a fast job, or a good job?"

Anyhoo... here's my set now:

I] Irreducible Sonatina:

01] ***(120-50 @ 2/4) I: Sonatina in A Minor
02] ***(110-50 @ 6/8) II: Menuetto in B Minor
03] ***(90-45 @ 6/8) III: Alegretto in C Major
04] †*(NM YET) IV: Trajectorial Variations in A Minor

II] A Minor Suite:

05] ***(100-50 @ 4/4) Figuration Prelude No. 1 in A minor
06] ***(160-75 @ 2/4) E-Axis Study No. 2 in A minor
07] ***(80-35 @ 3/4) Sarabande in A minor, 3rd Lute Suite - J.S. Bach
08] †*(NM YET) Irreducible Fugue No. 1
09] (Gavotte II in A minor, 3rd Lute Suite - J.S. Bach)
10] †*(NM YET) Irreducible Fugue No. 2
11] ***(80-35 @ 6/8) Tears in the Rain - Joe Satriani
12] (Sonata Zero IV: Fugue)
13] †***(160-100 @ 4/4) Classical Gas - Mason Williams
14] (Sonata One II: Sonata)

III] C Major Suite:

15] ***(100-50 @ 4/4) Figuration Prelude No. 2 in C major
16] ***(160-75 @ 2/4) E-Axis Study No. 3 in C major
17] ***(120-55 @ 4/4) Bourree II in C major, 4th Cello Suite - J.S. Bach
18] ***(140-70 @ 2/4-3/4) G-Axis Study No. 2 in C minor
19] ***(140-70 @ 4/4) Ode to Joy - L. van Beethoven
20] ***(140-70 @ 2/4-6/8) G-Axis Study No. 5 in C major
21] (Mysterious Barricades - Francois Couperin)
22] (Lineal Study in C major)
23] ***(180-90 @ 6/4) Guardame Las Vacas - Luys de Narvaez
24] †*(NM YET) Desert Song - Eric Johnson

IV] E Minor Suite:

25] ***(100-50 @ 4/4) Figuration Prelude No. 3 in E minor
26] ***(160-80 @ 2/4) E-Axis Study No. 6 in E minor
27] †******(140-85 @ 4/4) Bourree in E minor, 1st Lute Suite - J.S. Bach
28] ***(140-70 @ 2/4) B-Axis Study No. 2 in E minor
29] (Gymnopedie No. 1 - Eric Satie)
30] ***(140-70 @ 2/4) G-Axis Study No. 4 in E minor
31] †*(NM YET) Spanish Fly - Eddie Van Halen
32] (Sonata One I: Tocatta)

V] G Major Suite:

33] ***(120-60 @ 4/4) Figuration Prelude No. 4 in G major
34] ***(140-70 @ 2/4) B-Axis Study No. 3 in G major
35] *(140-70 @ 3/4) Minuet in G major, Anna Magdalena No. 4 - Christian Petzold/Attr. J.S. Bach
36] ***(140-70 @ 2/4-3/4) G-Axis Study No. 6 in G minor
37] (Jesu, Mein Freude - J.S. Bach)
38] ***(140-70 @ 2/4-3/4) G-Axis Study No. 1 in G major
39] †(NM YET) Lineal Study in G Major ||||\ ||||\ ||||\
40] †*(NM YET) A Day at the Beach - Joe Satriani
41] (Sonata One III: Scherzo)

VI] B Minor Suite:

42] ***(120-60 @ 4/4) Figuration Prelude No. 5 in B minor
43] ***(140-70 @ 2/4) B-Axis Study No. 6 in B minor
44] †*(NM YET) Minuet in B minor, Anna Magdalena No. 15 - Christian Petzold/Attr. J.S. Bach
45] †***(90-60 @ 6/8) Sonata Zero III: Scherzo

VII] D Major Suite (Drop D Tuning):

46] ***(100-50 @ 9/8) Figuration Prelude No. 6 in D major
47] ***(180-90 @ 4/4) Bourree II in D minor, 3rd Cello Suite - J.S. Bach
48] *(120-60 @ 4/4) Figuration Prelude No. 23 in D minor
49] (Bourree - Jethro Tull)
50] †***(100-65 @ 4/4) Eu So Quero Um Xodo - Dominguinhos

VIII] F-sharp Minor Suite:

51] ***(140-70 @ 10/8) Figuration Prelude No. 7 in F-sharp minor
52] †*(NM YET) Irreducible Fugue No. 3
53] †*(NM YET) Yankee Doodle Dixie - Chet Atkins
54] (Mood for a Day - Steve Howe)

IX] A Major Suite:

55] ***(100-50 @ 6/8) Figuration Prelude No. 8 in A major
56] ***(160-80 @ 2/4) E-Axis Study No. 5 in A major
57] ***(150-70 @ 2/4) Etude VI - Leo Brouwer
58] †*(NM YET) Irreducible Fugue No. 4
59] (Lineal Study in A major)
60] ***(90-45 @ 4/4) Stairway to Heaven - Jimmy Page

X] C-sharp Minor Suite:

61] ***(120-55 @ 4/4) Figuration Prelude No. 9 in C-sharp minor
62] ***(160-80 @ 2/4) E-Axis Study No. 4 in C-sharp minor
63] *(120-60) Heavy Nylon

XI] E Major Suite:

64] ***(100-50 @ 12/8) Figuration Prelude No. 10 in E major
65] ***(160-80 @ 2/4) E-Axis Study No. 1 in E major
66] ***(110-55 @ 6/8) Caprice - Rodolphe Kreutzer
67] ***(140-70 @ 2/4) B-Axis Study No. 5 in E major
68] ***(120-60 @ 4/4) Fighter Pilots

XII] G-sharp Minor Suite:

69] ***(80-40 @ 4/4) Figuration Prelude No. 11 in G-sharp minor
70] †**(80-40 @ 2/4) G-Axis Study No. 3 in E-flat major
71] †**(140-80 @ 2/4) B-Axis Study No. 4 in G-sharp minor

XIII] B Major Suite:

72] ***(180-90 @ 5/8) Figuration Prelude No. 12 in B major
73] ***(140-70 @ 2/4) B-Axis Study No. 1 in B major
74] (Menuetto in B major)

All of the pieces with asterisks are pieces I've successfully gotten down to half speed. Three means I've done that three times with them (Over the past three years), and one means this was the first successful attempt.

A cross before a piece means I have not successfully been able to get it down to half speed, and successive asterisks mark the number of attempts.

If you look at 39] you'll see 15 hash marks after it. That was a new piece I just finished memorizing. The first time I hit those, I play them 15 times through without the metronome and add the hash marks. The second time - again without the metronome - I'll play it 15 times again, and remove the hash marks: The third time I start with the metronome work.

This makes the process very organic, as each piece is on it's own little conveyor belt toward being added to the set.

I'm going to go back through the pieces just successfully completed and those not until I fail to successfully add any new pieces to the completed list (And have three asterisks by all the completed ones), but first I seriously need a break from this.

Next item is to do the transcription of the Satie piece, which I'll start on after my Friday gig is behind me. Right now, I need another beer.



That's a spectacularly beautiful girl, IMO.

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J.S. Bach's Personal Copy of The Bible

A classical music Google group I subscribe to sent this out a couple of days ago.



It's the title page of J.S. Bach's personal copy of The Holy Bible: Abraham Colov: The Holy Bible, vol. 1 (1681).

It is now at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, which I did not know (Shame on me, as I'm an LCMS Lutheran, and that's our number one seminary).

Jim's not quite done with the Nylon Fly yet, which is fine, as I still have six more pieces to go through in my metronome slow-play routine.



Nice timing on that shot.

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Readers, Meet Johann Sebastian Bach

Did you know that there is a copper replica of J.S. Bach's skull extant? I had never heard of this in my bachelors, masters, or doctoral studies, but there is, and it was used to make the most accurate depiction of Bach to date.



According to the article, Bach only ever sat for one portrait, which I also did not know. I love science and history.

Jim is still working on my Parker Nylon Fly, but I'm hopeful that it will be here by Friday. I'm about to burst with anticipation!

Also stumbled across this, which someone must have made specifically for this blog.



LOL!

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500 Years of Female Portraiture in Western Art

This is an amazing YouTube video of the history of female portraiture in Western Art. Each portrait morphs from one into the next, and the music is the Sarabande from the Bach Cello Suite in G, BWV 1007, played by Yo Yo Ma. Simply fabulous.



This one is by the same video artist, and does the same treatment with female movie stars. Here the music is the Prelude from the same Bach Cello suite, from the same CD by Yo Yo Ma. I just love this stuff.



I'm still in the midst of my annual metronome slow-play/forte play practice regemen, so posting will continue to be infrequent. I've managed to succeed with the program on two pieces I've previously failed with, so that's a good portent. I've discovered that pieces with a lot of rhythmic variety are much more difficult to do than the perpetual motion/motoric type works - a "duh moment" - and the one I knocked off yesterday was the famous Minuet in G from the Anna Magdalena Notebook of 1725 (Attributed to Bach, but actually written by Christian Petzold). That piece fits perfectly on the guitar with no transposition, which is quite rare. Anyway, I've been playing it for a couple of years, but it took me this long - five attempts - before I could get it down to half speed. The Bach Bourree in E Minor still eludes me, but I'm getting close. Since I have to go through the "problem pieces" at least three times, I may yet get it on one of the next two passes.

Jim Kozel is working on my Parker Nylon Fly as I write this, and I ought to have it back in a week or so. I'm just dying with anticipation. It will be so excellent to have an RMC pickup system in it. This guitar will have cost me over $4,000.00 before all is said and done, but it will be worth it. The next post will probably be when I get it back, probably within the next week or two.



Now, that is a redhead! My favorite variety, too: Even her eyebrows are red (And I'm sure her eyelashes would be too, if not for the makeup). The most awesome redhead I ever personally met looked a lot like her. Alas...

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Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day to me is simply the end of my least favorite part of the year, which starts with Halloween. The psychological beginning of spring, March first, is right around the corner, and warmer weather is on the way: I can't stand cold weather, which is why I live so far south.

The Parker Nylon Fly has been shipped to Jim, and he should get it tomorrow, so I ought to have it back by the end of the first week in March. I'm psyched.

I've finished my metronome slow-play/forte play practice routine with the pieces I have the routine down solidly with, so now I'm into the newer and more difficult "problem pieces" and that's going fantastically well. My manager and I plan to get me established in San Antonio this year - my home town - and I ought to have my set to a whole new level for that by the end of March (The "problem pieces" take a lot more time to go through than the old reliable pieces).

I have my workouts up to thirty to forty-five minutes once or twice a day now, and I'm in better shape than I have been for about four years, and that feels great. I'll be able to get back to my jogging in March also - I'm a fair weather runner - and so by April I ought to be a lean, mean, performing machine.

Looking forward to a productive 2008!



Marina would make a nice Valentine.

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She's Off to See the Wizard

I have finally finalized arrangements to send my custom cedar Parker Nylon Fly to musician and luthier Jim Kozel to have an RMC Pickups system installed.

After emailing back and forth with Jim and Richard McClish - the brainiac behind RMC - most of the winter to figure out the best approach for this guitar, we've decided to go with the ultra-compact Polydrive I preamp and the super-responsive and warm Tall Acoustic Gold saddles.

This is a very exciting project for me, because I'll now have an RMC system in the Parker just as I have in my two Godin Multiac Grand Concert SA guitars.

Not only will I now have the 13-pin output for synth access, but I'll have it in a super-light electric nylon string guitar with a 24 fret neck and the best playing feel of any electric nylon string I've ever encountered, and I've played almost every one available over the past twenty years. Of course, I'll also have the regular 1/4" output jack for my traditional rigs, and that unbeatable RMC sound.

Unfortunately, the stock pickup system in the Parker leaves much to be desired: So much so, that I was not able to get an acceptable sound out of it at all. Like all piezo-based pickup systems, it suffered from a lot of "quack" in the sound, and just an unacceptable amount of boomy handling noise. The RMC system is the only one in the world that totally eliminates both of these problems.



What I'm really looking forward to is the ability to stand up while I perform for the first time since my rock and roll and jazz days: I can stand and perform with the Godins for sets of thirty minutes or less, but they are just too heavy to play a two-hour gig with standing up.

Like almost all former rock and jazz guys, I guess, I really enjoy standing up to perform: Standing allows me to move around and get into it!



"Cute": I can't define it, but I know it when I see it. I think this girl would have the market on cute cornered in whatever room she happened to be in.

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YouTube Discovery: David Underwood and Jackie King

YouTube is amazing. There's no telling what's going to turn up there. Here are two of my former teachers from my late teens and early twenties: David Underwood on the left, and Jackie King on the right. David still teaches classical guitar at Trinity University in San Antonio, I believe, and - last I heard - Jackie was living and performing in the San Francisco Bay area. Jackie was also in The Willie Nelson Family for several years, and those jazzy Willie Nelson albums are a direct result of Jackie's influence. Jackie is the best straight-ahead jazz improviser on the guitar I've ever heard or heard of.

David is playing a Bach piece, and Jackie is improvising to it (No, your eves aren't playing tricks on you: Jackie plays left-handed). I remember them doing stuff like this as a joke years ago, but I had no idea anyone ever videotaped it. Last time I saw either of these guys was back in the late 80's, and I'm guessing that this video dates from then.



*****



The title of this photo shoot is Alpine Goddess. I live in Alpine, and I can tell you that girl is not from around here. I'd know if she was!

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