updates on my preparation for grad recital...(continued from here)
For an ensemble (band), I have chosen four not-so-simple-as-I-thought-it-would-be...Third Wind composed by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mas, Wildlife by Russell Ferrante, Rhapsody in Blue by our all famous George Gershwin and lastly, Mr. Melody, as sung by Natalie Cole and composed by Charles Jackson and Marvin Jerome Yancy....
Let's start with Wildlife, shall we??
....this is one complicated poly-rhythmic piece...as we had to juggle between a 7/8 time signature and a 12/8 time signature, both going on at the same time...it turned out to be quite simple, really...we were just suppose to take the sixteen notes that goes on throughout the 7/8 time...as a metronome...and count 12 sixteen notes from there...and WALLA...we have ourselves a poly-rhythmic pattern...the only problem is, how do we get the stupid sequence out of our head...and start listening out for what is "between-the-lines"....
But that wasn't the first problem I had to encounter...but I wouldn't want to spend 15 minutes elaborating on that...I have even shared this before in my previous post...though I must confess that after all that ordeal, I didn't come out very much techno-smart than I have before...
It turned out that the sequence that I have invested so many hours on...didn't really work for me(us)...not that it fell apart or anything...its just that the we never could end together with the sequence at the change of sections, you know what I mean?...somehow, somewhere...we, the human species sped up...and we leave little Woodchuck (I gave my sequence a name) behind...we didn't do it on purpose...but on the other hand, we couldn't afford the time of breaking down the whole song, and working out in sections once more...my graduation recital was in 2 weeks...and it is clear, time wasn't on our side...
So I decided that we go more primitive than we plan to...by asking another human species play Woodchuck's part...and we had to fire Woodchuck on the spot...he might be depressed...he might not...well, I will handle that later...may even use 'him' the next time...when we have the time to really sit down and nail the song down...
As for the choir, I've mentioned before...my original plan wasn't very much ambitious...just get a couple of my college-mates to sing the African words, suck in a couple of hand percussions...and we are good to go...but Mr. Arif's idea...was ingenious...he suggested that I go look out for an student from Africa to see if he/she could help me out...and that I did!!...He has not given me a reply, by the way...which reminds me, I need to do some follow up...
Third Wind...wasn't so difficult as I have expected...I discovered that when people say "You must listen to the song a couple of thousand times"...they were not joking...the last time I played it...I think I have listened to this song a couple of hundred times...and yet I failed...I couldn't pick up the 5 against 4 pattern easily...I am mis-counting ALL THE TIME...it led to quite a tension within my band, let me tell you...
But now, I have heard the song, till my ears peeled...and I find that...I can play all the tricky parts...of course, I make slips here and there...I'm still a slight tad nervous...
The song is almost done...we are just waiting to play with our lead guitarist...which was suppose to be a classmate of mine...but weeks back, he told me that he wouldn't be able to commit to practicing this piece...as he, too had his own graduation to prepare...he is graduating 3 days earlier than I...
No worries, thought...my now ex-lead guitarist is a responsible guy...and he managed to find me a replacement...frankly speaking, at first thought...I was slightly disappointed...and hesitant...but I now realized that all my worries was actually a waste of time...the current guitarist is a good one...managed to pick up the piece pronto...no problem...now, I just have got to find a good time where he and the rest of my band are free...so we can meet TOGETHER and practice...we have been practicing separately so far...
Rhapsody In Blue is A-okay...its about the only piece that we are REALLY down and good to go...I'm taking Chucho Valdes' arrangement more or less...a mix of mambo feel...and a dash of swing...ending with a solo flute and drums over a montuno...worked out nice...
Mr. Melody is okay too...I just need to work out several voicings in my chords that are found to be clashing with other of my band mates'...but besides that...we should be done...oh ya, we are adding in a guitarist to give it that funk-ish feel...it is after all a samba-funk-disco-poprock song...*grin*...
Well, that is all I can remember...now that I'm writing out the progress...I'm starting to feel better about this whole graduation performance thingy...thank God...
For an ensemble (band), I have chosen four not-so-simple-as-I-thought-it-would-be...Third Wind composed by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mas, Wildlife by Russell Ferrante, Rhapsody in Blue by our all famous George Gershwin and lastly, Mr. Melody, as sung by Natalie Cole and composed by Charles Jackson and Marvin Jerome Yancy....
Let's start with Wildlife, shall we??
....this is one complicated poly-rhythmic piece...as we had to juggle between a 7/8 time signature and a 12/8 time signature, both going on at the same time...it turned out to be quite simple, really...we were just suppose to take the sixteen notes that goes on throughout the 7/8 time...as a metronome...and count 12 sixteen notes from there...and WALLA...we have ourselves a poly-rhythmic pattern...the only problem is, how do we get the stupid sequence out of our head...and start listening out for what is "between-the-lines"....
But that wasn't the first problem I had to encounter...but I wouldn't want to spend 15 minutes elaborating on that...I have even shared this before in my previous post...though I must confess that after all that ordeal, I didn't come out very much techno-smart than I have before...
It turned out that the sequence that I have invested so many hours on...didn't really work for me(us)...not that it fell apart or anything...its just that the we never could end together with the sequence at the change of sections, you know what I mean?...somehow, somewhere...we, the human species sped up...and we leave little Woodchuck (I gave my sequence a name) behind...we didn't do it on purpose...but on the other hand, we couldn't afford the time of breaking down the whole song, and working out in sections once more...my graduation recital was in 2 weeks...and it is clear, time wasn't on our side...
So I decided that we go more primitive than we plan to...by asking another human species play Woodchuck's part...and we had to fire Woodchuck on the spot...he might be depressed...he might not...well, I will handle that later...may even use 'him' the next time...when we have the time to really sit down and nail the song down...
As for the choir, I've mentioned before...my original plan wasn't very much ambitious...just get a couple of my college-mates to sing the African words, suck in a couple of hand percussions...and we are good to go...but Mr. Arif's idea...was ingenious...he suggested that I go look out for an student from Africa to see if he/she could help me out...and that I did!!...He has not given me a reply, by the way...which reminds me, I need to do some follow up...
Third Wind...wasn't so difficult as I have expected...I discovered that when people say "You must listen to the song a couple of thousand times"...they were not joking...the last time I played it...I think I have listened to this song a couple of hundred times...and yet I failed...I couldn't pick up the 5 against 4 pattern easily...I am mis-counting ALL THE TIME...it led to quite a tension within my band, let me tell you...
But now, I have heard the song, till my ears peeled...and I find that...I can play all the tricky parts...of course, I make slips here and there...I'm still a slight tad nervous...
The song is almost done...we are just waiting to play with our lead guitarist...which was suppose to be a classmate of mine...but weeks back, he told me that he wouldn't be able to commit to practicing this piece...as he, too had his own graduation to prepare...he is graduating 3 days earlier than I...
No worries, thought...my now ex-lead guitarist is a responsible guy...and he managed to find me a replacement...frankly speaking, at first thought...I was slightly disappointed...and hesitant...but I now realized that all my worries was actually a waste of time...the current guitarist is a good one...managed to pick up the piece pronto...no problem...now, I just have got to find a good time where he and the rest of my band are free...so we can meet TOGETHER and practice...we have been practicing separately so far...
Rhapsody In Blue is A-okay...its about the only piece that we are REALLY down and good to go...I'm taking Chucho Valdes' arrangement more or less...a mix of mambo feel...and a dash of swing...ending with a solo flute and drums over a montuno...worked out nice...
Mr. Melody is okay too...I just need to work out several voicings in my chords that are found to be clashing with other of my band mates'...but besides that...we should be done...oh ya, we are adding in a guitarist to give it that funk-ish feel...it is after all a samba-funk-disco-poprock song...*grin*...
Well, that is all I can remember...now that I'm writing out the progress...I'm starting to feel better about this whole graduation performance thingy...thank God...
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