Bill Hilton and Jamcast

I want to give some quick praise to a site authored (or co-authored) by a fellow named Bill Hilton. He has a very impressive You Tube video collection of piano mentoring. I hope he doesn't mind the mentoring tag because its where I go to get a shot of "hey, this is something you can do, relax!".  I must say he is pretty diligent about keeping fresh content moving on to the site as well uploading frequently - the video above was uploaded this week. Oddly enough, Bill is silent in this one, using annotations.

I haven't watched nearly all of the videos there, but what I've seen Bill puts good thought into his effort. He has a concept to get across, and demonstrates from a basic idea, and then moves to more pianistic ideas, giving explanations that are clean, uncluttered, and that make you think its something you can do and use. And, Bill offers a nice laugh here and there so as to keep your attention fresh and receptive.

Bill also has a book for sale, which I haven't bought yet, sorry Bill. I have a lot of other stuff to work through, but I hope to do so at some point. He will make a sales pitch near the end of some of the videos. Nothing pushy, and hey, the video was free.

Also - look at Jamcast - his blog. Not updated as frequently as his You Tube site.

I think Bill is over in Wales. Coincidentally, my favorite author currently is Jasper Fforde and is also from Wales.

Good stuff, Bill and thanks from Austin TX.

Piano and Summer Vacation

The Sad Piano awaits.

Summer has arrived and with it a vacation or so, which does not lend itself to keeping up with piano goals. Spent about two weeks away from home due in part to a death in the family and then a week off to travel. Meanwhile back at work, responsibilities there backed up so upon returning I have been pretty busy trying to move things along. That has combined with my daughter's summer volleyball league and various other activities to diminish a lot of piano time.

I have had a few nights of just 5 to 10 minutes of something, a time or two with nearly an hour, but nothing on a consistent basis. That can be discouraging. I have acquired a keyboard tho that should enable me to play, very quietly or over headphones, without disturbing everyone in the house.

My philosophy to piano is not surprisingly much like my approach to golf. I look for successes to rally around, that provide something to focus on and try to build on. On occasion something will sound musical, and surprising, and I try to replicate that success.

I am also working on memorizing Joplin's "Palm Leaf Rag". I selected it because it has 3 sections instead of 4, so voila 25% less to cram in. Its coming along, slowly. And by the way, a very nice composition by Joplin with some quirky neat sounding passages.

Onward. Listening to my Vince Guaraldi station on Pandora. Like golf, I at least think I learn something from listening and watching the greats, whether it translates into practice, we'll see.

Piano Woes

Last week was not a good week for advancing my cause in piano playing. I know this is a building process, one brick at a time a city the size of Rome, but I would like to get some good momentum before coasting.

Two days with nothing, then one night with about 20 to 30 minutes stumbling about, three days off, then another night of 30 minutes or so of bumbling. No sense of progress.

As far as getting instruction, I found a book at our library that focuses on exactly what I am interested in. Maybe. How To Play From A Fake Book by Blake Neely (keyboard edition). So far it is the Dr. Suess of chords. Tunes include Yankee Doodle, Bear Over The Mountain, Yellow Rose Of Texas, Battle Hymn Of The Republic, etc.  But these are no gimme's. Come Back To Sorrento was no picnic. The focus is chords. Covered are majors, minors, inversions, 7ths, alterations such as diminished and augmented chords, 6ths, maj 7ths. The left hand is not given too much to do. Block chords mostly, an alternating bass sometimes, a walking bass line between chords. I will work all the way thru it, or as much as possible before I have to turn it back into the library. Altho it doesn't look like it gets checked out much, and I can probably get it any time needed.

I have found some videos by a fellow named Bill Hilton that appear to be good. I will watch a few before describing them.

But for now, the only way to learn to read music is to read a lot of it, often, on a consistent basis, and use various stuff. Keep moving and don't fall backwards.

Notes To Self

Even with total dedication to daily practice and playing to improve my piano, not much is going to happen unless some sort of instruction is involved. Much like my younger brother learning Spanish, I don't want to spend a bunch of money, or any if I don't have to, so lessons are out for now. Where do I get the info, teaching, or feedback I need to learn?

I have started watching and listening to other pianists play trying to see if I can figure out some bit of technique. For example our church has a jazz pianist playing each Sunday that I've come to know. At a recent retirement party for one of the church staff he played (in combo with a saxophonist) for about an hour. I found a chair behind and to his left to observe and learn. First off his was a remarkable feat of piano playing since during most of it a dozen or more children were playing nearby and batting balloons all around him. But he carried on unaffected and marvelously.

So what did I learn? I saw lots of left handed work that was at times simple, at times complicated, chromatic runs, fingers sliding, steady fluid tempo, and great improvisation. Through it all, melody is the most important element. In short a professional using the tool of his trade.


If this were golf, I have a few thousand practice shots to hit at the practice range.

Learning to play from "Fake Books"

One of my two big piano playing goals is to be able to play from a Fake Book. This is music with simply the melody, usually on a treble clef, chords above - the pianist has to provide his own accompanyment. There's really no other way to learn how to do this other than sitting down and doing it. I have started with a collection of Beatles songs in a paperback. I know the melodies, and they are written in the key that the song is performed in. So these are not boiled down, in the key of C, big note arrangements.

Not so easy either. I enjoyed tinkering with For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite, and there are some rather tricky chords in it. Still, I can only manage blocking the chords in the left hand now.

Sightreading the melody is not such a piece of cake either, and finding the proper finger on each note is not happening with any great ease. This needs a lot of work. I forget what fingers are on what notes, look down to find out, then look back up and can't find where on the page I am playing from.

Nothing smooth, but, a few moments musical! Its like cracking a big drive on the golf course or sinking a long putt, something that makes sense, and the whole reason for doing this exercise seems worthwhile.

Piano Redux, Again

Looming in a room next to our kitchen is my upright piano. I bought it shortly after my 33rd birthday, nearly 19 years ago. I still have the urge to learn to play it. Unfortunately, other things tend to take up my time, and the piano sits largely unused. So now once again, for some reason I can't explain, I find that I want to improve my playing.

There are two simple goals I have set out for myself this time. 1) learn/memorize some short pieces that I like, maybe some I have played before and need to rework, plus new stuff; and 2) learn to play songs from "lead sheets". Its this second goal that I am most interested in.

I am going to plan, analyze, or otherwise think about my methods, successes, and failures here to keep me motivated. I want to stay with it, make progress, and improve. Even tho I am 51, soon to be 52 years of age, this is a skill I have long wanted to attain, and think I can do.

Reading? When? Where?

Not a lot myself. I try but fail. People often talk about books they are reading, or books they've read. When does this reading occur? And where?

For me its usually late at night, before sleeping, and my Pavlovian response is sleep usually within about 5 minutes of finding the page I left off on, remembering what's going on, and then zzzzz .... This doesn't lend itself to actually finishing books or much involvement in the story.

So the answer must be not lying down to read, and reading earlier in the evening or day. But that's when other stuff is going on.

And I've got stuff I want to get to.

Isn't it ironic

How convenient. With nationalized healthcare just around the corner a new study comes out advising that women begin mammogram testing much later in life, and less frequent testing.

http://us.mobile.reuters.com/m/FullArticle/p.rdt/CHLT/nhealthNews_uUSTRE5AF5OS20091116

Undoubtedly this study will be used to ration healthcare. I suspect a rash of similar studies to support cutting corners and treatments. While some may actually have merit it will be difficult to tell - simply because I don't trust the government with healthcare decisions. Leave those choices to doctors and their patients.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod Touch. -

Nothing to see here

Facebook has sapped all my strength, and I barely use it. Blogging is hard work. I have nothing in the bag anymore. What is lefty that hasn't been said?

Occams Razor or What I Learned From The Simpsons

... or subtitled What I Learned While Watching the Simpsons.


Occam's Razor: from Wikipedia

To straightforwardly summarize the principle as it is most commonly understood, “The simplest explanation for a phenomenon is most likely the correct explanation."

Until I saw this episode of the Simpsons, I had no idea of what Occam's Razor is.

A New Push To Play God From Washington

Beautiful article by Thomas Sowell ...

A New Push To Play God From Washington

Shared via AddThis

I have also begun reading Mark Levin's "Liberty and Tyranny". Need to make quick work of it tho, since its from the library and there's another HOLD on it.

Obviously Presbyterians

And they thought my idea of an Uncle Sam theme (groomsmen in red, white, and blue tuxes, and groom in US suit) for my wedding was over top. I don't think this would've played well 26 years ago in a Baptist church in Sulphur LA.

Don't Call Them Dummies

Ventriloquists take offense at the word "dummies."

The performers brought their dummies along for the trip too."[They're] wooden Americans. They don't call them dummies," Ferrese said.

Probably from Native American Pine trees.

That had to sting

Ouch! Anthony Kim's drive on 18 gets a bad bounce. I saw this live and it made me laugh then as it does now.

Tea Party July 3, 2009 Austin, TX

Another Tea Party here in Austin this morning and I managed to get out and attend again. This time out among the oaks in Zilker Park. The shade provided some relief from the heat, but not much. Still quite a few Austinites showed for the event. I went with my friend Philo who posts his pictures here, and here.

Another friendly crowd - pleasant, enthusiastic, and cordial. Several speakers, most with genuine passion about the political dilemmas we find ourselves in today. Joe The Plumber was the keynote speaker.

As a Conservative, I think I feel like the Generals who play the Harlem Globetrotters night after night, and get beat routinely. We play sound ball, by the rules, and compete fairly. All for naught as the 'trotters have the razzle dazzle, get all the calls, go behind the official's backs, make lots of noise, have the press is behind them, and don't forget the bucket of confetti thrown on the crowd - a good show, but nothing of real substance.

Shelbyville

In Shelbyville, they fight with Cheetos. Maybe its because they married their cousins?? Perhaps they should throw Turnipos at each other.

Froot Loops

I watched my son Tory fill a stainless steel quart size mixing bowl with Froot Loops, pour in about a pint of milk just to float those things around, and then wolf them down - all at 10:30PM last night. Why? B/C he's hungry. And he wonders how he can't sleep at night.

Defensive Driving

There's 6 hours of my life I won't get back. A major part of last Saturday was spent in a stupor watching VHS tapes, and listening to a memorized presentation of defensive driving info. I kept thinking of Homer Simpson laughing, "Its funny because its not me."

Two memorable impressions from the day:

I won't feel the urge to eat at a buffet style restaurant any time soon - maybe a Souper Salad, but not a Golden Corral type. The class was in a separate room in a buffet eatery. Its not the food that failed, altho the food wasn't memorable either. Unfortunately it was the other people eating there. How to say this?? Most of the other folks were over what you would call recommended weight. And by a wide margin. I myself could lose 15 pounds or so and I could use some major conditioning, but I looked positively skinny in comparison. My appetite vanished before eating (except for a piece of apple pie) and when I did eat, it was not much. I really have sympathy for people in an obese condition - however it appears resignation and apathy has set it in for them.

I sat in the back row next to the wall on the left side of the room. To my right was a taxi driver from Austin who didn't speak English very well, it appeared a mid-eastern language was probably his native language. This was fortuitous since I didn't have to talk to anyone as a result! At the end of the class everyone has to take a test and get at least 70% of the answers correct. All day the instructor pointed out exactly what was on the test. Right before the test was handed out, the instructor read aloud every question and the multiple choice answers and then the correct answer. Every question. The tests were then handed out. I blasted through mine and sat around for a few minutes before we graded the test. We were asked to exchange with the person next to us so I exchanged with the taxi driver. At a glance I could tell he'd only answered about 5 questions of the 20. I waved to the instructor to wait - my guy's test had a "few" unanswered questions. He waved me off and told me to grade my own paper (I made a 100!) and to give the taxi driver his paper back. As we are checking answers the taxi driver is answering the unanswered questions. He managed to pass with an 80. Somehow he missed 4 while the answers are being given.

Class over and I walk out into the parking lot to be picked up by my wife to go home. The taxi driver offers me a free ride home in his cab. Think, think, think. Ah, no thanks.



Homer in Defensive Driving - if it were only this funny.

Unusual Chess Game

From Susan Polgar's blog, Chess Daily News and Information comes this link to an unusual chess game.

When Grackles Attack

They came by close enough for me to notice the noise of flapping wings the first time. I heard a bunch of grackles making a racket up on some nearby powerlines. The second pass I saw them coming and ducked out of the way. There were about 6 grackles sitting on the powerlines looking at me and squawking. I stopped walking and stared up at them, when about 4 of the 6 launched and dove at me a third time. About halfway, I started flailing my arms at them in frantic waves which caused the birds to pull up and fly off before reaching me. I quickly jogged away before another attack. All this on my lunch time walk of about two miles. Unfortunately there were no telephone booths for me to jump into for relative safety.

This reminds me of an Eastern Kingbird that nested out behind the 18th green of Mallard Cove Golf Course (my hometown course) back in the day. The bird would fly at golfers who had happened to get beneath its tree. We watched from the clubhouse as group after group came in and did battle with the Kingbird. Comedy.

Stanley Cup on TV

The finals for the Stanley Cup is on, and has been on TV the past two nights by NBC. The first two games were in Detroit as the Red Wings are playing the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Detroit is one of the USA cities hit hardest by the recession. Motor City - home of most American car makers. Yet - the automaker sponsoring the Cup TV coverage is HONDA. I guess the bailout, and now bankruptcy for GM doesn't allow for product promotion. And the Honda cars look good too - except those eco-friendly cars, yuck.

As I watched the crowd in Detroit I couldn't help thinking that greater than 1 of 10 of those fans is out of work, except that tickets prices are so high that I doubt anyone there doesn't have a job. At least they aren't watching the Detroit NFL Lions (0 - 16 ) last season.

BTW The Red Wings look awesome. Its impossible not to notice how they control the puck, control the opposition physically, and control shots that reach their goalie Osgood so that he can make sound saves.

Song of the Week

I heard Ray Davies perform a rousing solo acoustic version of "Sunny Afternoon" over internet radio early this week and the tune has lodged itself in my brain. The song takes on an "Atlas Shrugged" attitude (like I have read that monster) - lazing on a sunny afternoon.

And how did Davies know ....

" Save Me! Save Me! Save me from this squeeeeeeze,
Big Bad Obama is trying to break me .... "

and ...

Help me, help me, help me sail away
Or give me two good reasons why I oughta stay
'Cause I love to live so pleasantly
Live this life of luxury
Lazin' on a sunny afternoon
In the summertime
In the summertime
In the summertime

Two corpulent gin-soaked trollops

Mark Steyn blasts a visual analysis of the financial state of New York and California.

Not to be too gloomy, but the country feels like it's seizing up. It's as if California and New York have burst their bodices like two corpulent gin-soaked trollops and rolled over the fruited plain to rub bellies at the Mississippi. If you're underneath, it's not going to be fun.

Ouch. That's a visual I could do without.

Handwritten letters fading

Written a letter lately? Me neither. I wasn't much of a letter writer in the past. Fewer and fewer are opting to communicate with pen and paper apparently. Writing a letter is hard work. Emails are easy and fast. Letters have a much greater probability of lasting a long time, emails not so much and even less for text messages.

I admire the Permanence of letters. Due to some remodeling around the house, I had to move some stuff out of closets, and found an old letter written to my wife and I from my spouse's grandmother. Her hand was far from smooth, but was legible. The letter did not contain news of daily life around her house but applauded our recent marriage and offered her advice to us for life. Its likely the only thing we have from her.

On an episode of TV show MASH, Hawkeye is writing a long letter to his father. There were a lot of letters written and received in that series. There is a huge thick book of letters written by CS Lewis - but somebody valued and kept all those letters, and then rounded them up. As the above article cites, Napoleon's letters to Josephine are still around and still pretty steamy. Much is made of John Adams' letters to Abigail, and hers to him. There is great value in these items.

Letters are meant to communicate very important thoughts and feelings. There is a lasting connection between sender and the receiver. Here is a blog post by someone celebrating the receipt of a handwritten letter, altho he somehow can't return the favor and write back, but instead settles for a phone call - he admits he is no longer in the habit and considers himself a victim of email ease. Greeting card companies now exist to relieve the tension of writing or saying just the right thing I suppose.

Go create some hand written memories - somewhere, either as letters or grocery lists. It will give someone warm memories when they remodel the house.

PS Another lamenting the loss of the habit of writing. (from the year 2000, so this erosion has be ongoing for some time.)

Flee, fly, and The Flu

The Houston Chronicle put up a map regarding the Swine Flu. Following the Dept Of Homeland Security's recommendations, I am going to wash my hands.