For some reason, only four other students showed up for class tonight. We warmed up with renshu and the three line drill, both of which are in my hands pretty solidly now and I don't have to think about 'em very much. "Matsuri Daiko" is feeling pretty good. Jolie was having some trouble with the last line, so we got to practice that a bit, which is good, because it's tricky and
I'm still getting the hang of it. It's DON don don don don don, DON don don don don don, DON don don don don don, DON-ka, and it's almost ALL right hand while the left hand circles up over your head and comes down on the drumhead on the fifth don. R R R R L R. The trick is to get the left hand swinging on the first don and let the stick be a stick because if you get it around fast enough and let gravity take over, your left hand will be where it needs to be at the right time. (And if that description makes ANY sense to anyone other than
karisu_sama and
didjiman I will be very surprised.) That said, when Sean or Shannon do it, it looks incredibly showy.
More work on the chorus of "Jishin." Most of it is starting to gel, but the last sequence is syncopated and does not start on the downbeat and I know I don't have it in my ears yet, much less my hands.
(Hmmm, Estrella War is eight months away. If I feel like I have learned enough by year end, 5 gallon plastic buckets and wooden dowels are anachronistic, but cheap - and weather proof. Paint bucket taiko at Rising Sun? Maybe....)
Found a message on the machine when I got in from
gcmadtown81 with his bus laying over in Minneapolis. He sounds excited.....