4. Toccata/ Caipira
One of the craziest and wierdest songs, I have to admit :) no doubt!
I thought this song was difficult (note that it took 5 banks!) but actually you play the song for 3 times only, and the rest are fill-ins (some say bullshit).
Actually, I found some key items in this song. It is those that portray the beauty of this song. They are:
1. After touch
2. Accents
3. pitch bend (there's only 2 long-pitch bends and the others are just simple ones)
4. The combination of the above.
Things to watch out:
1. Bass clefs and treble clefs
- I always got caught in this..they kept switching on both hands from time to time, especially the fill-ins and the last part. Just highlight them if you cannot read them fast enough.
2. Enharmonics
-Most of the wierd notes are actually nothing more than enharmonics (in the first bar it is written as sharps (#) another bar in flats (sorry no symbol). Study them carefully.
3. Starting the sequence
-I have to admit, this takes practice. When we are accelerating from the percussions, we usually dont get the tempo right...and have to re-adjust. Sadly...
the tempo must be memorized... with practice.
~~More tips coming up soon~~
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Yoshihiro Andoh - Mindscape - How to play
3. September:
This song is very energetic. Always make sure you dont play like a stick (no showmanship).
The song starts with a 4bars rest. Staying quiet is a blunder. Here is what you should do:
At the start of the song (it should be 3 seconds from the MDR display), raise your hands up high and clap beatly. If you are performing, look at your audience. If they are at your right, turn your head right, if they are at your left, turn your head left, and if they are at both sides or even at the front, look at all sides. this is to make sure you get them clapping as well! (or else you are considered failed and had just embarrased yourself).
That, isn't enough. Right leg should be on the expression pedal tapping (people will notice this too). Make sure you are stylish and shake a little here and there. Do not tap too loud it will become irritating to the audience.
You got less than 4 bars to get the audience clapping. (there is a video on youtube how to do this). Make sure you don't miss your notes when you are suppose to play them!
For those who had andoh's special registration (a fill-in before the first bar), you don't have to count 3 seconds or look on your MDR.
Playing this song doesn't need great skills of expression. Most of the time, your expression pedal is on top, so you can tap, tap, and tap. (In fact, most of the time my play will be like that)
The melody of this song is mostly saxophone. Control your touch. if you want to press, please press and dont let go. When playing the saxophone, do not make any acchiacatura (I dont think that's the right spelling) to replace pitch bends.
You can miss some pitch bends and still get away with it, but it will not be that nice (comparing to playing all the pitch bends accordingly). Remember to keep your style and showmanship, no Stickmans on this song.
The rest of the song is relatively easy.
This is the only song where you can evaluate your performance.
At the end of your play, you must expect people to whistle and woo huha huha all kinds of (positive) sounds and response from your audience (no matter what age you are).
If you just get a clap, you haven't master this song yet.
~~More tips coming up soon~~
This song is very energetic. Always make sure you dont play like a stick (no showmanship).
The song starts with a 4bars rest. Staying quiet is a blunder. Here is what you should do:
At the start of the song (it should be 3 seconds from the MDR display), raise your hands up high and clap beatly. If you are performing, look at your audience. If they are at your right, turn your head right, if they are at your left, turn your head left, and if they are at both sides or even at the front, look at all sides. this is to make sure you get them clapping as well! (or else you are considered failed and had just embarrased yourself).
That, isn't enough. Right leg should be on the expression pedal tapping (people will notice this too). Make sure you are stylish and shake a little here and there. Do not tap too loud it will become irritating to the audience.
You got less than 4 bars to get the audience clapping. (there is a video on youtube how to do this). Make sure you don't miss your notes when you are suppose to play them!
For those who had andoh's special registration (a fill-in before the first bar), you don't have to count 3 seconds or look on your MDR.
Playing this song doesn't need great skills of expression. Most of the time, your expression pedal is on top, so you can tap, tap, and tap. (In fact, most of the time my play will be like that)
The melody of this song is mostly saxophone. Control your touch. if you want to press, please press and dont let go. When playing the saxophone, do not make any acchiacatura (I dont think that's the right spelling) to replace pitch bends.
You can miss some pitch bends and still get away with it, but it will not be that nice (comparing to playing all the pitch bends accordingly). Remember to keep your style and showmanship, no Stickmans on this song.
The rest of the song is relatively easy.
This is the only song where you can evaluate your performance.
At the end of your play, you must expect people to whistle and woo huha huha all kinds of (positive) sounds and response from your audience (no matter what age you are).
If you just get a clap, you haven't master this song yet.
~~More tips coming up soon~~
Yoshihiro Andoh - Mindscape - How to play
2. Another Century
OK, I know this song is 'banned' from exams because of its XG, but it is a very good song to be played in a concert.
To play this song well, you must be very, I mean, VERY expressive. Control your expression pedal every phrase (go louder at the start of the phrase, go softer in the end of the phrase).
2nd thing to watch in this song is TIMING.
If the score writes duplets, play duplets.
If the score writes crochet and quaver, play crochet and quaver.
If the score writes 3 crochets, play 3 crochets.
DO NOT EVER PLAY THEM WRONGLY! I notice that it will not sound nice.
This song is actually easy, except for two (2) critical parts, which is:
1) The intro (the running notes)
2) The running notes in the middle of the song.
Some tips for (1), how to make sure that your notes are on time, not too fast and not too slow:
1. Start playing at beat 1.3
at 2.1 (start of bar2) you should be playing Bflat.
at 3.1 (start of bar3) you should be playing Aflat.
at 4.1 (start of bar4) you should be playing the higher Bflat.
Then you should be OK...
of course at the start, you might need the guidance from the display, but with practice, try not to do that. Count your beat without looking at the display.
If you spoil the intro, you spoil the whole song.
Now to (2)
OK the hard part starts from the running notes all the way to the rebuild up (the notes go up, then go down, and then go up again).
According to the book, you can omit the lower part of the double notes, but it will not sound good in a performance, so play the double notes as shown.
-Do not stress or harden your hand when playing. relax your hand and dont jump too high.
Remember, you dont play legato.
-When the left hand and bass comes in (memory 3), play your running notes as usual, and express your left hand (that is your melody) and DONT HIT THE BASS!
-When the running notes are descending, do not make a single mistake on your running notes. Make sure you got all notes correct. Doesn't mean your play gets softer you can make a mistake and get away with it.
During the start of your re-ascending, make sure the XG is louder than your strings. after a few bars, you must be louder than the XG. And again, dont hit too hard.
~~More tips coming soon~~
OK, I know this song is 'banned' from exams because of its XG, but it is a very good song to be played in a concert.
To play this song well, you must be very, I mean, VERY expressive. Control your expression pedal every phrase (go louder at the start of the phrase, go softer in the end of the phrase).
2nd thing to watch in this song is TIMING.
If the score writes duplets, play duplets.
If the score writes crochet and quaver, play crochet and quaver.
If the score writes 3 crochets, play 3 crochets.
DO NOT EVER PLAY THEM WRONGLY! I notice that it will not sound nice.
This song is actually easy, except for two (2) critical parts, which is:
1) The intro (the running notes)
2) The running notes in the middle of the song.
Some tips for (1), how to make sure that your notes are on time, not too fast and not too slow:
1. Start playing at beat 1.3
at 2.1 (start of bar2) you should be playing Bflat.
at 3.1 (start of bar3) you should be playing Aflat.
at 4.1 (start of bar4) you should be playing the higher Bflat.
Then you should be OK...
of course at the start, you might need the guidance from the display, but with practice, try not to do that. Count your beat without looking at the display.
If you spoil the intro, you spoil the whole song.
Now to (2)
OK the hard part starts from the running notes all the way to the rebuild up (the notes go up, then go down, and then go up again).
According to the book, you can omit the lower part of the double notes, but it will not sound good in a performance, so play the double notes as shown.
-Do not stress or harden your hand when playing. relax your hand and dont jump too high.
Remember, you dont play legato.
-When the left hand and bass comes in (memory 3), play your running notes as usual, and express your left hand (that is your melody) and DONT HIT THE BASS!
-When the running notes are descending, do not make a single mistake on your running notes. Make sure you got all notes correct. Doesn't mean your play gets softer you can make a mistake and get away with it.
During the start of your re-ascending, make sure the XG is louder than your strings. after a few bars, you must be louder than the XG. And again, dont hit too hard.
~~More tips coming soon~~
Friday, April 24, 2009
Yoshihiro Andoh - Mindscape - How to play
Below are some tips on playing certain songs from the books Mindscape and Mindscape 2:
1. Sincerely
This song requires a great measure of elegance touch (not feminine touch) to play this song well.
EXPRESSION is the most important thing when playing this song. Control your expression according to the phrases. Go slightly louder when starting the phrase and slightly softer when ending a phrase.
Second, do not whack the electone with your fingers or ur leg (hitting the bass too hard) ! This is a serious error in this song and will destroy the elegance in the song.
This song is made up of guitar and strings sound. Most of the time the melody will be played by the guitar. Now playing a guitar sound means you cannot play neither legato or staccato. it is a mix of a little legato and detach. Just play 2-3 notes legato (usually the semitones, example A G# A) and detach. Remember that we are playing the electone, so do not press the keys down. Nothing much will happen, except for a waste of energy.
Another bad habit is to vibrate your finger when playing minims, for example. Believe me that this is not good (although Andoh himself did that!)
Now to the strings. In this song, Strings played up the accompaniment and the counter melody. Each counter melody MUST be shown expressively (with great dynamics). Make sure the strings dont go too loud until it disrupts the melody.
~~More tips coming up next time~~
1. Sincerely
This song requires a great measure of elegance touch (not feminine touch) to play this song well.
EXPRESSION is the most important thing when playing this song. Control your expression according to the phrases. Go slightly louder when starting the phrase and slightly softer when ending a phrase.
Second, do not whack the electone with your fingers or ur leg (hitting the bass too hard) ! This is a serious error in this song and will destroy the elegance in the song.
This song is made up of guitar and strings sound. Most of the time the melody will be played by the guitar. Now playing a guitar sound means you cannot play neither legato or staccato. it is a mix of a little legato and detach. Just play 2-3 notes legato (usually the semitones, example A G# A) and detach. Remember that we are playing the electone, so do not press the keys down. Nothing much will happen, except for a waste of energy.
Another bad habit is to vibrate your finger when playing minims, for example. Believe me that this is not good (although Andoh himself did that!)
Now to the strings. In this song, Strings played up the accompaniment and the counter melody. Each counter melody MUST be shown expressively (with great dynamics). Make sure the strings dont go too loud until it disrupts the melody.
~~More tips coming up next time~~
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