Music
Music is probably the one subject in the past year that I give two shits about.
So I'm spending a good chunk of my free time last few weeks (months) puzzling out western music theory. It's a fascinating system, I wish I had been interested in this stuff years ago. Well, better late than never. Basically I've been reading a "Complete Idiot's Guide" book on the subject, and delving deeper into selected topics by browsing Wikipedia. It's an odd combination of hard logic and mathematics with softer aesthetics. I'm close to a point where I can say "I know the basics of western music theory." But it's a long road between knowing about a subject and being proficient at practicing it.
I went to a piano lesson this morning, first one in over 2 months. I learned Joplin's "Solace" on my own during that time, and apparently not well! I got bitch-slapped for using too much pedal, as Joplin himself didn't use pedal much. I have to re-do all my idiotic left-hand fingerings so that I can play it legato without pedal. I think I got the right hand pretty good though. LH is the simple part, so hopefully it won't be a difficult adjustment.
I like my new teacher a lot. I liked my previous teacher, too, but I think I'm branching off in directions that she doesn't go. I don't want (need?) help learning pieces using a classical approach. I want help understanding the structure of music with the intention of (credibly) improvising on a tune, or even creating my own compositions (far in the future). This guy is very approachable, he knows a lot, and his explanations are salient.
So I'm spending a good chunk of my free time last few weeks (months) puzzling out western music theory. It's a fascinating system, I wish I had been interested in this stuff years ago. Well, better late than never. Basically I've been reading a "Complete Idiot's Guide" book on the subject, and delving deeper into selected topics by browsing Wikipedia. It's an odd combination of hard logic and mathematics with softer aesthetics. I'm close to a point where I can say "I know the basics of western music theory." But it's a long road between knowing about a subject and being proficient at practicing it.
I went to a piano lesson this morning, first one in over 2 months. I learned Joplin's "Solace" on my own during that time, and apparently not well! I got bitch-slapped for using too much pedal, as Joplin himself didn't use pedal much. I have to re-do all my idiotic left-hand fingerings so that I can play it legato without pedal. I think I got the right hand pretty good though. LH is the simple part, so hopefully it won't be a difficult adjustment.
I like my new teacher a lot. I liked my previous teacher, too, but I think I'm branching off in directions that she doesn't go. I don't want (need?) help learning pieces using a classical approach. I want help understanding the structure of music with the intention of (credibly) improvising on a tune, or even creating my own compositions (far in the future). This guy is very approachable, he knows a lot, and his explanations are salient.