The spaz at the end of the row.....
May. 13th, 2008 09:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gurdymonkeyIn addition to the two drills we've been working on, we started working on "Matsuri." Meaning "festival," "Matsuri," is to taiko what "Heart and Soul" is to piano. Don't believe me? I found a number of versions of it on Youtube, including this one - and yes, most of the ensemble is playing garbage cans topped with strapping tape. (*Note - this version is somewhat different from the one we are being taught - I'm not seeing any over-the-head stick clicks.)
For weeks we've been playing drums that stood on the floor, drumheads parallel to the ground. This week, they were on stands. Tilted. This means we have to completely change where we stand and how we move our arms in relation to the drum. The annoying double bounce has returned to my left hand because now I have to figure out the right angle to strike from. Again.
We worked on the first four lines. That's all.
1. DON(r) DON(l) DON (r) ka(r) ra(l) ka(r) ra(l).
2. DON(r) DON(l) click (left/right) DON(r) DON(l) ka(r) ra(l) ka(r) ra(l).
3. Click (left/right) DON(r) ka(r) DON(l) DON (r) ka(r) ra(l) ka(r) ra(l).
4. DON (r) DON (l) ka(r) ra (l) DON(l) DON (r) ka(r) ra(l) ka(r) ra(l).
Line three was kicking my ass - because it involved a left, right, right, left, right sequence: click drumsticks overhead (left on right), drop right to drum head, sweep it to clack side of drum, hit drum left hand, hit drum right hand. Frustrating - I could hear what the sequence of beats was, I just couldn't seem to get the hang of it. Then Shannon came over and told me that after the clack, immediately bring my right hand all the way up and back (i.e., so far out of the way I could not possibly try to hit with the right). I actually got it twice before we wrapped for the night. Hopefully, it won't take me quite as long to re-learn it next week.
That's the problem with only playing once a week - the learning curve is much steeper.
For weeks we've been playing drums that stood on the floor, drumheads parallel to the ground. This week, they were on stands. Tilted. This means we have to completely change where we stand and how we move our arms in relation to the drum. The annoying double bounce has returned to my left hand because now I have to figure out the right angle to strike from. Again.
We worked on the first four lines. That's all.
1. DON(r) DON(l) DON (r) ka(r) ra(l) ka(r) ra(l).
2. DON(r) DON(l) click (left/right) DON(r) DON(l) ka(r) ra(l) ka(r) ra(l).
3. Click (left/right) DON(r) ka(r) DON(l) DON (r) ka(r) ra(l) ka(r) ra(l).
4. DON (r) DON (l) ka(r) ra (l) DON(l) DON (r) ka(r) ra(l) ka(r) ra(l).
Line three was kicking my ass - because it involved a left, right, right, left, right sequence: click drumsticks overhead (left on right), drop right to drum head, sweep it to clack side of drum, hit drum left hand, hit drum right hand. Frustrating - I could hear what the sequence of beats was, I just couldn't seem to get the hang of it. Then Shannon came over and told me that after the clack, immediately bring my right hand all the way up and back (i.e., so far out of the way I could not possibly try to hit with the right). I actually got it twice before we wrapped for the night. Hopefully, it won't take me quite as long to re-learn it next week.
That's the problem with only playing once a week - the learning curve is much steeper.
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no subject
Date: 2008-05-14 05:54 am (UTC)That's the style that's been the hardest to master for me, in terms of striking as consistently and strongly with the left hand as the right. (I also got a wrist cyst from over-rotating my left hand to put too much palm facing the drum - won't do THAT again!)
I find Josuke (medium drum on down stand), Odaiko (large drum on up stand) and Shime (small tied drum) to be easier, due to symmetrical angle for both arms...
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Date: 2008-05-14 01:40 pm (UTC)