Minor Endings
Major = Happy, Minor = Sad.
This has served for generations as a first step to aural identification of the two basic chord types.
Major = Reliable, Minor = Slippery Customer. How’s that, then?
The makeup of a major scale, once learned, remains learned. The minor scale, once conquered, simply grows another head and reappears in disguise. Brought about by historical change and (multi)cultural influence,* Continue reading Connect 7
Imaginary Numbers
I was never much good at maths and so would believe anything to be true if it felt vaguely correct. This led to an unusual situation where, by means of a stepping stone, so incorrect* as to be unreal, a conceptual stream was crossed.
I must have dreamt Continue reading Connect 6
Circular Practice
The interface between the practice of forms and combat in tai chi is known as pushing hands – a repetitive two-person exercise. The idea is to build up sensitivity to the shifting weight of the opponent and to use this against them – pretty much as in judo and aikido.
In real life, when the push/strike comes, you parry this to one side and then smite the opponent with
…sorry, couldn’t resist that title.
The Periodic Table
For right handed guitarists, that hand is relatively straightforward. The left hand is the complex one due to the multiplicity of techniques required. Within the first few lessons, pupils will have come across the following techniques:
There are many more to follow * and Continue reading Connect 4
Gravity
There is a very strong link between the pressure of left hand* notes on the guitar and gravity. The earth’s gravity is a natural phenomenon and gravity on the guitar a fabricated one – but necessary. If we mismanage natural gravity we stumble. If we mismanage gravity on the guitar, Continue reading Connect 3
Axis of Accuracy
A left hand position change on the guitar involves a horizontal shift – hopefully moving along the string*. Crossing strings involves a vertical move of one left hand finger. Often the two coincide – sometimes over quite a large distance.
To avoid dizzying uncertainty Continue reading Connect 2
The Field of Play
Thinking about the element of connectedness at the heart of extreme learning has encouraged me to reflect upon the multidisciplinary approach which can be helpful in instrumental teaching. Essential might be a better word as, when dealing with an abstract language such as music, connections to more Continue reading Connect 1
It’s funny how things can turn on a sixpence (2.5p to anyone under forty – or 0.04 Euros for people even younger than that). Recently I listed, in a comment, those people I thought might chance upon my blog. I confessed that I hadn’t really mentioned it to pupils. The option of additional pages has changed everything and Continue reading Nothing to report
“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Ernest Hemingway (1899 – 1961)
My PT at Musselburgh Grammar School, Bob Paterson, is a champion of the enthusiastic greeting. Salutations never begin with “Have you done…” or “Could you give…” but rather “Did you see…” or “have you heard..” Yesterday, he drew my attention to a fantastic resource on the website of Learning & Teaching Scotland. Continue reading Listening
“Clocks slay time… time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only when the clock stops does time come to life.” William Faulkner (1897 – 1962)
I awoke yesterday to the news that children in our country are being poisoned by junk culture. This referred to a letter sent to the Telegraph by Baroness Susan Greenfield (Director of the Royal Institute and Professor of Pharmacology), author Michael Morpurgo and 109 others. Junk food, a test-driven curriculum and a general lack of time feature among the problems described. Depression and concentration problems are two of the symptoms. Rather than simply complaining, the purpose of the letter is to spark interest in a national debate on childcare in the 21st century. Continue reading Honey, I Depressed The Kids