Predictable Music
Music is a passion for me. A lifelong, livelong passion. I sit down in front of an instrument and I can express myself in words that need no translating -- the emotions and thoughts just come tumbling out. Sometimes angry, sometimes happy. Sometimes sad, sometimes lustful. They just drop out of me like water falling over a waterfall. It's not something I want to do -- it's a rule of nature.
I've had the opportunity to practice piano on a real piano for the first time since I was in college. I've been driving over, sitting down, kicking the shoes off and running scales. Up and down. In thirds. One hand doing tupplets (the right hand or else the left hand would overrun the right hand and there would be fighting which we just can't have).
Then I break out a piece of music that used to play way back when. It's surprising how much and how little I remember. I don't think I'll ever memorize the Brahms from college -- but I remember note for note the Khatchaturian and Debussy from High School.
I was going through music (starting to pack it up) the other night. I came across a pieces by Chopin. His Military March (as it's known). I remember learning the piece of music so incredibly fast -- in about a week I had it memorized.
That made me start thinking -- what makes it easy to memorize where the Brahms is just beyond my memory capability? It's not the complexity of the music -- or is it? The Chopin is predictable. Much like 90% of today's pop music. I can whistle along with anything they play at the gym and rarely get the chord progression wrong. It just .. well .. is predictable.
Now don't get me wrong. Predictable is good. It's what sells -- because it's what people CAN hum along with and sing along with. And THAT is important. Compare Ave. Q's soundtrack to Wicked's soundtrack. Ave. Q has people leaving the theatre singing "Everyone's a little bit racist sometimes....." or "The internet is for porn... the internet is for porn..." It's not JUST the lyrics. It's the themes. They're predictable. Fun, yes! But predictable. Wicked, on the other hand, has just a handful of songs that stick around with you. Less predictable.
I go in and out of moods where I want predictable music. Sometimes I am perfectly fine with that. Sometimes I want something that challenges me and makes me ponder where the music is taking me next. That is one of my attractions to 20th century classical composers. Some of the 12 tone works and some of the early Russian compositions from the last century are just amazing. Sure -- most people just knock them off as noise -- random chords here and there. But there is a pattern in there. You just have to search to find it. Put yourself in their shoes for a little while -- understand what the scene must have been like for them growing up. The music is an outlet for them and a window for us into their lives. But it's so complex. So much was going on -- it's reflected in the music.
But I digress.
I sat down to practice piano and happened to remember to bring the Chopin piece along with me. I played through it once just trying to read the notes and not listening to the piece and letting the notes tell me where the next chord was going to be. It was TERRIBLE! I pondered how much I had unlearned from all those years ago in high school. I thought I was doomed to having to relearn this piece from scratch. I put it aside and worked on the Mendelssohn Variations. Ahhh -- music I didn't know yet. I can sight read with the best of 'em (well maybe not -- but I can still make my way through music quite decently).
I went over again yesterday to play on a real piano. I warmed up (as always) with scales. I looked at the pieces of music in front of me and played through the rondo by Mendelssohn and then on to the Cathedral by Debussy. Then it was a quick foray into jazz with a piece by Brubeck and finally I pulled out the Chopin.
I stared at it and it blankly looked back at me. I read it note for note for about two pages. Then ... somewhere in the middle of the third page ... something clicked. My eyes still read the notes. But my ears turned on and I listened to the music my hands were creating. Sure -- I didn't have it memorized anymore. And I definitely still needed the music. But one chord lead to the next which lead to a third chord which lead to a fourth and so on. It was just as I remembered it. So very predictable. So very hum-able. So very "get stuck in your head"able. I've been humming it all day long now and I know that the next time I sit down, while I might still need music to know the exact specific notes each hand plays for each chord ... well, I'll be able to just play the music for what it is. A proud, show-off, super fun piece to play.
Dah dah dummm dah dah da da da da DAH DAH dummmmmmmm da di di di di dah dum.......
Music and climbing. It's what keeps me sane.
Posted by BBBach at
11:12 PM
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Buying Stuff
I did my monthly "buy stuff for the trip" yesterday. Last month it was some climbing gear and books. This month it's gear/clothing from Marmot, Patagonia, and Bison -- and some stuff for the iPod. I got:
Posted by BBBach at
11:42 AM
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