Fully developing the feel of a song?
Fully developing the feel of a song?
Hello All!
I’ve been working on Sakura for a long time, years. My wife and others say that it sounds good but I still have a problem with it, the feel of it never is quite right to me. Maybe it’s because the song is so well known, so iconic my playing of it just does not measure up in my mind.
I’m not asking for specific instruction or advice on Sakura but more your thoughts on how to fully develop the nuance and feel of a song?
I’ve been working on Sakura for a long time, years. My wife and others say that it sounds good but I still have a problem with it, the feel of it never is quite right to me. Maybe it’s because the song is so well known, so iconic my playing of it just does not measure up in my mind.
I’m not asking for specific instruction or advice on Sakura but more your thoughts on how to fully develop the nuance and feel of a song?
If you indulge me in bringing the "Zen" angle to it... I would say that as long as you are keeping any "point of reference" belonging to the past and the "outside", you are "trying". Funny but "trying to be" never ends up matching "being". To get the full feel of a "song" the first job is to eliminate technical limitations by daily practice, the second is to "show up" "in the moment". Play it as if it were the first time... always! If you manage that, you are honoring the moment and the song... never mind what others say...
Another important element to remember is that you can apply this rule to each note! In Shakuhachi the "piece", or "map", is less important than each note in it, so don't miss the tree for the forest...
You can apply that rule to marriage too!
Another important element to remember is that you can apply this rule to each note! In Shakuhachi the "piece", or "map", is less important than each note in it, so don't miss the tree for the forest...
You can apply that rule to marriage too!
"J. Danza""J. Danza"If you indulge me in bringing the "Zen" angle to it... I would say that as long as you are keeping any "point of reference" belonging to the past and the "outside", you are "trying". Funny but "trying to be" never ends up matching "being". To get the full feel of a "song" the first job is to eliminate technical limitations by daily practice, the second is to "show up" "in the moment". Play it as if it were the first time... always! If you manage that, you are honoring the moment and the song... never mind what others say...
Another important element to remember is that you can apply this rule to each note! In Shakuhachi the "piece", or "map", is less important than each note in it, so don't miss the tree for the forest...
You can apply that rule to marriage too!
Thanks for these tips!
I like this Zen approach.
Totally agree with that ! I don't know if that's a "zen" approach, but my opinion is that it's also true for western classical music.
I'm glad to hear that, JF... It was certainly not true of my classical training, where form was much more important than essence.
I did have an amazing guitar teacher, though. When a student played a piece absolutely perfect (form wise) in class, the teacher looked at him in disgust and said: "If you are not making mistakes at this point, you are not taking any risks". I never forgot that!
I did have an amazing guitar teacher, though. When a student played a piece absolutely perfect (form wise) in class, the teacher looked at him in disgust and said: "If you are not making mistakes at this point, you are not taking any risks". I never forgot that!
Being afraid of mistakes is a good way to make music sterile, particularly in classical music. One of my flute teachers taught it to me several years before I began shakuhachi.
If you can sing the melody of a song and then strive for that feeling in your playing it is less mechanical than just playing what you think are the right notes.
"chuck56""chuck56"
I’m not asking for specific instruction or advice on Sakura but more your thoughts on how to fully develop the nuance and feel of a song?
Hi Chuck, Once one becomes a musician, she/he uses notes like non musicians use words. Each word has many meanings and are only understood in context. So, as you are finding your musical voice, you are also now discovering that your word's need to have truer meaning.
Please permit me to use the analogy of theater acting. Once you get off book and memorize your lines, your words will show how much you truly understand what you are saying. That's when the monologue comes to life. Every actor has her own voice, her own sensibility of the world. In order to own a monologue, you must mean what you say. In a nutshell, to get to the nuance of a song, you must play it according to how you understand it.
Just my 2 centz
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