Minecraft Vid 32

Percussive Guitar Test 1

EBow Test 3

EBow Test 2

Minecraft Video 31

EBow Test One

EBow is here....

I got the Ebow.  Been working with it.  An interesting, somewhat creepy sound.  But for the wrist it's fantastic!  NO pain at all.  So I'll learn to use it and make some interesting music.  Soaring, sustained, long tones of vibrations.  Rough at times.  Will combine it with some amp effects.  The VG strato is first for the video... to be made soon!

keyboard/guitar detente

so, the guitar for blues, and the keyboard for the Beatles.  Done.  guitar for single note blues lead stuff.  Keyboard for Beatles songs.  Solves the problem of using the guitar in a satisfying way that works with my limitations. No need to be a solo chord/melody guitar player.  Blues backing tracks are the key.  Then I just play lead.  and the keyboard for full chord/melody songs.  hooray.

Xmas Eve Blues

Riffs in D dorian

keyboard riffs

switching to keyboards

just tired of being careful about my wrist.  So off the guitars go into their cases for a little vacation.  They keyboards will keep me busy for a while.

keyboard riffs

Inspired by the guqin

music production

so, I think I've got something here.  I got the VG strato with the whammy bar.  I use the amp as an effects machine, and pipe it directly to the computer using Photo Booth to record.  In this way I can use effects and overdrive that normally drive my ear nuts -- but with no problem.  The effects show up only on the video -- all I hear is the guitar, unamplified.  Right now I'm working wight he major pentatonic scale and playing riffs inspired by traditional Chinese folk music.  Also inspired by the guqin, the scholars' instrument.  So my improvs definitely sound ancient Chinese, but with modern effects like flange and overdrive.

Add some Metal to the Riffs

inspired by Chinese traditional music

today's riff

latest quick vid

the 2 5 1 thing

still working on the details of it.  I'm also thinking of ditching the "jazz" label and just playing whatever the heck i want to.  I'm not gonna be a jazzer, in the traditional sense.  And with single note playing there's no background of chords to  harmonize with, so I"m more free to play with scales, modes, whatever.  Whatever sounds good, and is kinda jazzy, is about what I want to do.  So Beatles riffing is more accurate.  jazzy riffing.

Beatles Jazz

so, I can take a Beatles tune and improvise with a II V I based on it.  Beatles jazz.  The melodies are straightforward -- I've got the sheet music.  and then apply the II V I improve with the modes.  let's see how it sounds!

2 5 1 Riffing

so I"m getting used to the three modes for 2 5 1 improvising.  I have charts for the 2 (dorian) and 5 (mixolydian) and I already know the 1 (ionian).  My idea is to start with a melody -- right now I'm working with Over the Rainbow, and to improvise on it in a series of 2 5 1 changes.  

the "I got it" moment with jazz guitar

so this morning I had my Duh! moment.  the I Get It moment.  So nice when it happens.  It's simple, really.  The 7 modes are major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished.  Just like the pattern for the diatonic scale chords.  So for any chord in a song, you can play the scale for it.  So, for the I chord, play Ionian.  For the V chord, Mixolydian.  For the II chord, Dorian.  Ah, not so complicated!  Well, there may be some more complications, but this is the basic pattern of the idea.  This makes the idea of jazz improvising so much clearer now.  What I need to do is make some notes for the scales for each type of chord, and use these to guide my improvs on a II V I, for example.  I don't even have to memorize -- I can have the notes in front of me.  Gonna try it out during Xmas break.  Happy jazz playing!

strat pawn shop 72 for jazz

OK, so my ear is ringing a little more than usual.  So what's to blame this time?  Not sure, but I think it's my stratocaster and its single coils.  So I'm switching to my other strato, the pawn shop 72 model with hum buckers:

The neck hum bucker sounds really nice for jazz.  Also switched to my solid state amp, the fender G-dec junior, instead of my tube amp, the Bugera 15 watt.  So let's see how this combo works.  Onwards, strato-jazz!

still pain free

so, I can play a moderate amount every day, single note jazz lines, and my wrist is fine.  Sort of a breakthrough.  I feel I can get back to making some progress.  Am working on etude #1 in my Mel Bay "teach yourself jazz guitar book."  32 bars.  I got the old VG start out and am using it.  got tired of the Epi Dot.  I have the start set with the normal pickups.  the battery life with the Roland system is so short it just isn't worth it.  Don't know if it's the problem of the batteries, the batter recharger, or the guitar.  Anyhoo, onward with jazz!  strat jazz…..

no wrist pain today

and it feels good!  I played some guitar, a little mine craft, and did you usual tablet browsing.  No pain!  Not gonna overdo it, of course!  Still take it easy.  But I could play 32 bars of a jazz etude without feeling pain or numbness.  that's progress!

single note jazz lines

dang it, jazz, leave me alone!  I keep trying to leave and you keep pulling me back in!  OK, now that my wrist is better I'm able to play each day -- limited time.  So, I pulled out my Charlie Christian sheet music book today.  I even got the tube amp and brought it downstairs.  I even got my Gibson 339 out of the closet!  Set up my music stand and started following the notes.  So skip the theory for now and just play some transcribed single note lines.  Skip the fancy chords for another time.  It's another way to enjoy jazz guitar.  Also I've been learning single note melodies to some Beatles songs.  That's fun, too, and doesn't stress out my wrist.

messin' with mozart 01

a test of a new iPad app for youtube videos.  small segment of mozart piano concerto 3, first movement -- one of the most well known ones.  here's a link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA7o059WxMM

here's an embedded vid:

still with the Epiphone Dot, lightly playing

Still playing the Dot lightly.  Wrist aches a bit.  Yesterday I didn't play at all, except for a little strumming and picking -- maybe two minutes.  Today I will keep it under five minutes total.  Wrist doesn't hurt today.

melody 02 with drum

here's a link if the embed code doesn't work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGmNAYIa7Hk

Melody 01 -- improvisation

can you see the embedded video?

Epiphone

Playing the Epiphone 335 Dot now.  With single note melodies it has a good deep sound, sort of glassy and piano-like.  It doesn't bug my ears with one note at a time.  So it's the current go-to guitar for casual playing.  If I do any recording I'll use the Gibson.  Working in Beatles songs now.

Got Out the Gibson

so, I played a little single note melody on the Gibson last night -- no problem!  So I shined it up, tuned it, and now it's in the case, downstairs in my closet.  Today I played a little -- not too much.  NO problem.  So just gonna take it slow and easy, just simple melodies.  Wrist feels good -- no pain or stiffness.  Maybe I can just baby it back to where I can play simple simple melodies.  that's all I want now.  Just a little playing without pain.  We'll see.

amplitude?

so I use my Fender G-DEC junior speaker for my keyboard output.  Lately I've noticed some effect on my ears -- that o' ringing sound.  I"ve tried various settings.  The standard yamaha piano setting isn't good for me.  Harspichord is better.  Some organ sounds are not good, and some are better.  Lately I've noticed more ringing inducement on various settings.  I'm using the Fender amp because the speakers on the keyboard were bugging my ears.  So now what?  I've got the volume on pretty low already.  Is it the gain?  The amplitude?  Hard to pin down.  The frequency?  Too many low tones?

One nice thing about an electric guitar -- when unplugged it's pretty quiet!  Still can't play yet.  Wrist needs more time to heal.

sight reading Mozart piano sonatas

so, this sight reading is not for performance-level playing.  It's sight reading practice.  Mostly right hand, with some of the left hand.  Taking it slowly.  It's fun!

yesterday

OK, so I'm starting my sight reading exercise with the beatles classic yesterday.  i got through the melody -- so the sight reading works!  no more tabs!  too bad, but i can't play much in a day.  a few minutes and then i stop before my wrist acts up.  better than nothing.  i'm playing my surf green start -- the nylon acoustic is too loud for my damaged hearing!

reading sheet music for guitar

so I'm gonna try and learn - starting from what I learned from my guitar teacher, to read sheet music for guitar.  Depending on tabs is too confining.  I'd like to play the melody line from Bryd's piano music on the guitar.  I got out the old exercises and I'm working on them now.  I can play a little guitar at a time -- but not too much!  I'm using the old classical 3/4 guitar, and also the epiphone dot.  And still playing Bryd on the keyboard.

William Byrd, 1591

so i picked up my copy of Byrd's My Ladye Nevels Grownde, the first piece from his collection My Ladye Nevels Booke.  I've worked on it before, so I'm giving it another try.  this time I'm figuring out the chords in the left hand.  Lots of fifths, which I guess is a renaissance musical style.  fifths are neither major nor minor, so they have an interesting neutral sound.  They are also the "power chords" of rock music.  the piece has fifths, and chords like D and D minor.  The sheet music has no key signature, so it's in C by default.  All the flats and sharps are in the notation.  Also it has some other notation in the notes that I don't know -- renaissance indications.  Some of them refer to "outside" notes that at the time were a little suspect.  I need to read more about this.  It's fun to sight read -- I"m not too particular about accuracy, as long as it sounds good.  I have the keyboard on a harpsichord setting.  The fifths give it that renaissance sound.  this piece is too long, 8 pages, but I only play a page at a time usually.  Someday I'll make it through the whole thing, I suppose.

what to play?

not sure what to play.  feel scattered and unfocused.  I sit down to play, and nothing sticks.  Probably time to give it a break, and just wait.

jazz piano

well, if I can't play guitar, then it's the piano.  I have a book of 40 jazz standards for piano, voice, and guitar, so I'll start using it to learn some basic songs for jazz.  Improvisation will come later.  I'm going to try a more modern sound than classical pieces.  Something I can improv with.

Tomorrow Never Knows

so i started playing today.  parts of the 3rd sonata, Mozart.  A little of Fur Elise, Beethoven.  Also got out my Hanon (?) exercises.  haven't started them yet.  It's nice to have a room upstairs just for the piano.  My wrists still need rest, but I don't get additional pain.  I cancelled a bunch of guitar-related email lists -- got to go Cold Turkey.  Stopped listing guitar blogs on my page here.  the final part are my YouTube subscriptions.  That will take more time.

Listening to Mozart piano concerto 19 on youtube, on the ipad.  and in the car, my Mozart CDs.  Got to immerse myself.

piano....

yeah, that's on the horizon.  Piano.  It doesn't hurt my hand.  I like reading sheet music.  I can go back to Mozart's piano sonatas, and play bits and pieces of them.  I have the keyboard set up in the spare room upstairs.  I should also get a basic book on music theory.  Another way to enjoy music is through study and reading.

Goodbye, Again, to the Music

Once again I've overdone it.  The wrist feels numb.  So out with the guitars.  They are all in their cases.  The amp is upstairs.  Pandora is switched from Wes Montgomery to Franz Liszt.  No more guitars.  No more Minecraft.  Just silence, and writing.

playing a little guitar

well, it seems I can play a little guitar.  Wrist feels better.  Pain and numbness are gone.  But I only play a little.  When I feel some wrist stress I have to stop.  I've experimented with various right hand work, and I think that A) ragtime is out.  Too much stress with thumbed bass.  B) Fingerstyle jazz chords seems to be out too.  Tried some today and felt a little stress.  C)  Using a pick and playing single notes leads might be the least stressful.  So, blues with backing tracks, using a pick.

I pulled out my VG stratocaster and have been playing it.  I put the Pawn Shop 72 Strat away.  I was using the Roland pickup set to 12 string hum bucker to get a nice lush sound.  However, the batteries run out so fast it's somewhat annoying.  Today I pulled out the batteries and used the regular pickups.  By accident I had the amp (Fender G-DEC junior) set on chorus (must have bumped the knob -- it's usually set on reverb) and I had the pickup selector on middle pickup alone.  Wow, does it sound nice!  Lush and rich.  Even better then the neck pickup along.

So, a nice new sound to play with!

Oddly Optimistic

The wrist is doing well -- feeling stronger.  No more pain.  Just gonna let it strengthen up.  No more Minecraft now -- that addiction is gone!  Cutting back on iPad usage, and using the stylus at all times. Even using a stylus for the touchpads on the Macbook laptops.  Less wrist stress is the key.  Then, at some time, I'll work on the blues pieces.  No rush.

Blue is the color

During this time of Silence I"m planning for the next step, once my wrist is healed.  Got to keep it simple.  Solo guitar will have to be mostly single note with a backing track.  Some chords and double stops, too.  But the backing track method will allow me to do a lot less and still make some music.  So, it's back to the blues.  the Blues.  I keep running away, and I keep coming back.  Next week, maybe?  We'll see.  Still feel twinges when typing or using the ipad.  Need more rest.

The Sound of Silence

so the wrist went a little bonkers after I played some jazz chords (Hey There) with walking bassline.  Feels better now but it hurt for a while.  Somehow working the thumb too much is still not good.  So that leaves.... nothing.  Silence.  I should put my guitars away for a while.  Also, I haven't played Minecraft in days.  I think that is over.  So....nothing.  Writing.

OK, Jazz, You Win!

so, I'm back to my book of Jazz standards.  Back with "Hey There."  Adding some walking bass to the chords.  Keeping it simple and slow to accommodate the wrist.  A little walking bass, some nice chords, slow and simple:  that's it.

The Wrist of the Story

so as usual my wrist is giving me problems.  Most likely because ragtime guitar demands a lot from the right hand, with syncopated thumb baseline and three fingers doing the melody.  All seems to be too much for the wrist.  So I'm taking a few days off from guitar, which is not easy!  Then, when I return, it will have to be another genre.  Maybe back to slow jazz.  Maybe some Beatles pieces, slow chords with some bass notes.  Something that's not so intensive for the right hand.

today's word count

start: 10,158
end: 10, 487

329 words today.

thumbpick and ragtime guitar

Today I've added a thumb pick to my playing, and it really brings the bass line out.  I'm going back to the old ragtime songs in the Kenny Sultan book and re-learning them with a better alternating bass line than in the past.  Sounds much better.  So far I'm reworking the Kenny Sultan versions of Blind Blakes, "That'll Never Happen No More" and "Blakes Breakdown," Sultan's version of Blind Boy Fuller's "Keep On Truckin' Mama" and Rev. Gary Davis' "Buck Dance."  Mind you these are Kenny Sultan versions, not the originals.  They are much simpler.  And then I change them for myself.  Soon I'll add the Blind Boy Fuller classic "Wabash Rag," Sultan version.  Good stuff!

10,000 Words!

10,158 words to be precise.  I will print out this section and start a new file for the next ten thousand words.  It feels good to get to this point.  80,000 words is the goal.

Today's Word Count

Back to writing!
start:  8909
end:  9585
total:  676

Ragtime Guitar

Working on ragtime guitar again.  Putting jazz aside for now.  I've got my wrist up to where I can do some fingerpicking without pain.  Just gotta take it easy.  Not too much each day.  Getting better with different picking patterns.  Recharged the batteries in the VG strat and got it set on 12 string acoustic mode.  Sounds great!  I'm working more on picking patterns in ragtime chord changes, and less with melody.  Getting the picking patterns down first with the chord changes -- then I'll add the melody notes.

working with Kenny Sultan's book, Blues Guitar Legends, which has a fair amount of ragtime pieces in it, along with country blues stuff.

I collect final blog entries.....

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Time to Say Goodbye...Officially

Well...I am sure that for the 5 people who actually read this blog, this post will come as no surprise.  I am officially calling it quits - at least on this blog.  I will be keeping up our family's private blog going - I have high hopes of actually blogging there again sometime in the near future.  You would think that now that Jewel and Alfredo are both in school I would feel like I have more time to blog, but really, I just feel like I need to spend more time doing other things.  I have really enjoyed creating this blog, it served an important purpose at a difficult time in my life.  I am thankful for those who have come back here to read, leave comments and generally lend encouragement.

For now...Adios.

Posted by Leslie at 8:42 AM 3 comments: 

THIS ISN'T ME!  I'LL NEVER  QUIT!  NEEEEEEEVEEERRRRRRR!

someone else quits a blog

10.17.2010

[ADMIN POST] 10.17.10 JYJ "The Beginning" Album Download

Hey there my lovely readers, this is your admin returning to you after the longest hiatus ever...
I'm so sorry I didn't update all this time. 
I hope you guys found ways to keep updated. ^__^

I'm not sure how much longer it'll be before I return to regular updates for everyone like before but I've got too much on my hands right now.

I will give you a gift as an apology though.

For those who do not yet have these songs from the new JYJ album, follow the link below to download them. =D

http://www.mediafire.com/?da95vo4zsov8h

REMIXES ARE INCLUDED IN THIS LINK NOW. 
For now, i'm truly sorry my readers, I hope you forgive me for this sin.

See you guys~! I love you all.

Always Keep the Faith.

credits: cassiopeialuv

another last blog entry

TUESDAY, 6 JULY 2010

A sneaky wee 6 week scan !!!!

I had a check up today regading my OHSS and the decided to give me a cheeky wee scan.......Im having TWINS !!!! We cant believe it, we are absolutely ecstatic.
We couldnt see too much on the screen as it wasnt the proper monitor, it was an older one used to scan ovaries. But there were 2sacs and we could see little blobs and the odd little flicker which she said was the start of a little heartbeat, she was sure. We are dead on 6 weeks and have to go back in 2 weeks for another scan. We are so excited and so so pleased !!
TWINS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
xx xx xx

someone's last blog entry

I wonder what she is doing now.......
(she didn't link to the new thing)

Ben

reading this morning....

cool cat is cool...

tv news at 5 pm....

Back to School....

Tomorrow is my first meeting of the new semester.  Another on Wednesday, then Professional Development day on Thursday and two e-portfolio sessions.  On Monday classes start.  Summer is over -- I'm ready for the fall!

I Got Rhythm....Slowly

Key of Bb.  Here's the wiki details:

"I Got Rhythm" is a song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and published in 1930, which became a jazz standard. Its chord progression, known as the "rhythm changes", is the foundation for many other popular jazz tunes such as Charlie Parker's and Dizzy Gillespie's Bebop standard "Anthropology (Thrivin' From a Riff)".

Just playing the chords now, slowly.  It sounds totally different from the peppy song we all know.  It's weird how these chords work with the melody.  My version sounds totally different, just strumming chords and fingerpicking.

Same with the previous song.  Played the chords and came up with my own arrangement.  Ignored the melody.

"Hey There"

current song I'm working on.  Key of E flat.  

from Wiki:

"Hey There" is a show tune from the musical play The Pajama Game, written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. It was published in 1954. It was introduced by John Raitt in the original production. It was subsequently recorded by a number of artists. The recording by Rosemary Clooney reached #1 on Billboard's chart in 1954. Another version was also recorded about the same time by Sammy Davis, Jr., reaching #16 on Billboard's retail chart. The song (counting all recorded versions) also reached #1 on the Cash Box chart in 1954.
In the context of the show, Sid sings it to a recording device, telling himself that he's foolish to continue his advances to Babe. He plays the tape back, and after responding to his own comments, sings a duet with himself.
A popular edit of the single is in Only Fools and Horses, in the episode "Tea for Three", when Uncle Albert (played by Buster Merryfield) sings the song (replacing "Hey There" with "Ada", the name of his wife) in the talent contest at their local pub, the Nags Head. He later tells Rodney that he won the talent contest, much to his horror.

follow the chords, not the genre

so now I"m thinking to let my study of chords guide me in my guitar study, more so than any particular genre or label.  Jazz is great, but I don't think of myself as a jazz guitarist.  i like the chords I've studied, and will continue to work with them.  What I play will depend on what interests me at the time.  It might be jazzy, or more in the blues genre, or more rock.  I'm eclectic, and not good at sticking to one genre.

Another Great Barney Kessel Video -- "Here's that Rainy Day"

Wrist is better

Wrist is better.  Have stopped minecrafting.  Stopped guitar for now, but will start up again soon.  Rest for the wrist!

music plans on hold

Wrist acting up again.  Numb feeling, with some pain.  Must cut down on guitar, or stop again, for a while.  Forget any jazz plans.  I've stopped old style tablet use and use a stylus all the time, and that has helped a lot.  I suppose too much Minecrafting is stressing the wrist.  Cut to cut down on that.  Also, I've been playing some ragtime and fingerstyle blues again, and that may be stressing the wrist too much. 

Just got  to take it easy.  Maybe just some nice jazz chords, slowly.  Nothing fancy.  I'd like to get a Real book, or at least look at one. 

July 4

Happy birthday, America!

solo jazz guitar, walking bass, Joe Pass

So I'm setting my sights on Joe Pass style walking bass solo jazz guitar.  It seems the best form for solo jazz guitar, and the basics aren't too hard to grasp.  I have three pieces to work on.  One is the basic II V I changes with chromatic bass lines around the tonic.  Another is with chords from Autumn Leaves.  A third is a piece from the Mel Bay book "Teach Yourself Jazz Guitar."  All of them are using chromatic bass lines around the tonic of each chord.  It's a good basic way to start.  I'm looking at some instructional videos on YouTube, reading the Jazz Guitar Online site, and improvising.  Later I'll look for a book on the technique.  This feels like the way I can approach jazz guitar.  The theory will come later, while I work on some pieces.   

walking bass lesson - jazz guitar

Philo of Alexandria

Here's a link to Philo on Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philo

An interesting thinker who tried to combine Judaism and Greek philosophy at the time of Jesus.  He was a Jew living in Alexandria.  His writings have the concept of the Logos as the word of God.

Autumn Leaves -- Barney Kessel

a great video...

Today's Jazz Guitar Video

great lesson -- check it out!

I need better posts

Just noticed that another blog, which shall remain nameless (you know who you are!) has a link to my blog on its page.  THAT OTHER BLOG is like way cooler than mine and is read by people who might, by accident, read my blog.  What would they see?  Minecraft videos.  Mindless chatter.  Etc.  Guess I gotta kick it up a few notches.  Gotta post something a little more intelligent.  Anyhoo, here's something I read yesterday that might do the trick.....

http://mentalfloss.com/article/51150/12-old-words-survived-getting-fossilized-idioms

title:

12 Old Words that Survived by Getting Fossilized in Idioms

Read the full text here: http://mentalfloss.com/article/51150/12-old-words-survived-getting-fossilized-idioms#ixzz2WcDQXazA
--brought to you by mental_floss! 

It's a good read!

More Episodes or Not?

Going to take a break on the minecraft episodes.  Got to take care of the wrist.  Maybe I'll switch to another screen recording with soundtrack.  Some weird foreign video broadcast.

episode 30: Lost

I get lost in a cave system and use extreme measures to escape.....

episode 29: switchin' caves

so i go back to another cave system.....

episode 28: More More More

can't get enough of that good minecraftin' stuff...

episode 27: double creeper blastathon!

yeah, creepers get blasty on me!

episode 26: Skellies get it!

all rock -- no talk.  skellies get it!

episode 25: all music, no narration

all music; no narration.  this is only a test.....

today's word count

word count start: 8352
word count end: 8879

527 words

episode 24: Post Woofers III Era

more adventuring without Woofers.  I promise, no more Woofers!

Episode 23: Woofers III -- last episode for him

Yeah, Woofers III doesn't make it to the end.  He was a good dog.

today's word count

word count start: 8352
word count end: 8505

153 words

Episode 22: Woofers III

Woofers III joins me in my explorations of new cave systems near my hidey hole.  go Woofers!

episode 21: more of the same

more of the same.  action packed and exploding with tension!

episode 20: Creeper Break In

so a creeper breaks in and blows up the front of my house.  what a mess!  watch as I clean up and re-organize!

episode 19: post Woofers era

life without Woofers....

episode 18: thems fightin words!

my poor dog Woofers gets it from a creeper.  His replacement, Woofers, also gets it. NO more pets!OK, more fighting and biting.  Might be taking a break.  Lost 2 woofers so quickly.

episode 17: Woofers gets it

More Explorin and More Fightin.... co-starring Woofers, my trusty pet.....

Episode 16: Nothing But Action!

this episode is action packed and ready to go! 

episode 15 -- to live and die in a cave

working in a coal mine, going down down, working in a coal mine, whoops, I'm gonna slip down....

episode 14

I deal with more monsters.  I dig a little, I find a little.

Episode 13: more work in the caverns

today's word count

word count start: 7723
word count end: 8352

629 words!

Today I'm starting some outlining work.  So far I've been writing each scene in full.  Now I want to outline the scenes all the way to to the end, and then go back and write them out in full.

episode 12: Skellies and Creepers, Oh My

I deal with a few skellies and creepers.  Man, that cave is filled with skellies!  Gotta come up with a way to deal with them.

take that, skellies! -- episode 11

OK, I take care of those dang skellies.  I get some food to eat -- sorry Mr. Cow and Mr. Pig.  and I prepare to plunder the caverns of Minecraft!

episode 10: I die and respawn

OK, finally some monsters.  Too bad they kill me!  But that won't stop Steve!  He just re-spawns and attacks!  no skeleton is gonna steal my armor and kill me -- and get away with it!  Epic battles abound.  In episode 11 I will resolve the issue.  Stay tuned!

today's word count

word count start: 7446
word count end:7723

episode 9: new home beside the cave

I put together a new home beside the cave system I will explore.  fun stuff.

episode 8: stuff happens

I prepare to move to a new cave system, after some explorations.

episode 7: in search of....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE32Xrm9rDo

robminevid 07.  I look for caves and find nothing very good.

armor all: episode 6

adventure time number 6.  Steve makes some much needed armor, almost a complete suit.

playin' the guitar again

yup, I can play for short periods, daily.  that's good enough for me.  This time I brought out the Epiphone Dot 335.  Haven't given it much attention for years.  It's a good blues guitar, just like Marty said.  I'm going with the cheap guitar blues aesthetic -- and it works.  Gonna play that guitar for all it's worth, and leave nothing behind.  Gonna work it.  OK, let's go!

episode 5

episode 5: steve explores a cave system and finds iron!

blogger not letting me upload the video, so here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_4Jk2kCuBM

OK, blogger let me have it.  Enjoy~!

today's word count

word count begin: 6939
word count end: 7446

507 words!

Mac Function Key Disaster -- Episode 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NrGT6ATfwo

my vid.  blogger won't take the youtube link thingy as usual.  well, it matches the video.  I lose track of the function keys at the end and mess up the vid.  it's about  7 minutes long.  Steve makes a nearby hidey hole and pre-positions stuff for his inevitable death and re-spawning.  I mess up when I can't remember the function keys for the map coordinates.  check it out!

OK, here is the video, after an edit of the blog entry.  enjoy!

episode 3: Coal is King

Steve finds lots of delicious, juicy coal.  and a few cave systems.  Yummy!

writing 15 may 2013

word count start: 6273
end word count: 6939

steve finds meat and makes a door

steve slaughters cows, harvests their meat and leather,  and cooks the meat.  He cuts more wood.  He makes a door.  He makes more charcoal.  and so on.  ten minutes of high drama.....

part 1 of the minecraft saga

part 1 of the strange and powerful saga of a man named Steve, trapped on planet Minecraft, and his struggle to survive....

minecraft test video

narrated minecraft video test.

skip the guitar

no, really can't play guitar much.  Right wrist acts up: numb, tense.  bye bye guitar.  it's piano only.  sad face!

playing a little guitar again, too

yeah, i've played about 15 or 20 minutes of some fingerstyle blues on the start.  just a little feeling in the wrist.  so i guess i gotta take it easy and it'll be ok.

today's writing

word count start: 6096
word count end: 6273

writing again!

Put in a few hundred words this morning on the novel.  Semester is almost over, so I can get back to writing.  feels good!  Lots of ideas!

allis chalmers 1957

working on the rondo

working on the rondo of the 3rd sonata by Mozart.  Not finished with the second movement -- it's got some tricky parts in the left hand.  But moving ahead to get into the third movement, the rondo.  Not gonna be able to play it fast enough, but that's ok.  the goal is to be able to play the entire sonata.  getting there!

mostly mozart....

back to the focus on mozart.  just gonna flip through my piano sonatas 1-10 book and find pages that i can do.  playing a complete sonata is not a requirement.  just a movement or section of a movement that's doable.  plus mess with some beatles songs, too.

recorder sonata by handle

i'm working on a recorder sonata by Handel, with two parts.  It plays like a piano work with single notes, no chords.  Sounds nice.  I use the recorder voice on the Yamaha.  Gonna look up more works by Handel.

major pentatonic folk tunes

been messing with major pentatonic folk tunes improvisation on the yamaha keyboard.  Using the flute tone.  fun!

monday....

cat woke me up at 5:30 am.  stupid cat.  monday is off to a tired start.  gray and rainy outside.  ugh.  will be in mid 60s.  must plan new research paper topic, and do online grading.  stupid cat.

spring started today

we planted strawberries and flowers in containers in the back yard.  We set up a badminton net and played.  We did other yard work and enjoyed the 60 degree sunny day.  Finally, spring is here.  First day to get a chair and sit outside.  The cat stayed out all day, and is still out at 6:30 pm.  We cleaned up the chicken wire fencing and put them away behind the plastic shed at the back of the garage.  A great Sunday.

didn't get one

looked at the music shop, but they had nothing interesting.  I know of one on Amazon that I can order sometime.  Not playing much lately anyway.  Some sort of a break, or just a little tired.  End of the semester and all that.  Last 5 weeks is busy.

beginner's jazz piano book

gonna look for a beginner's jazz piano book at the local music store.  I'll let you know what I get.  Thinking that jazz will be the subject for my fall piano class.

last five weeks of the semester

thinking of my piano lessons in the fall at the college.  Mozart or jazz?  Now I'm thinking more of jazz.  Then I can improvise and do more than just play a piece correctly.  Mozart is magical and all, but quite of a lot of his piano works are just too darn difficult!  I don't have the speed anymore.  Jazz piano is much more flexible music form, and allows for some personal creative improv.  I want to get a book on some standard jazz tunes soon, and work on them before the fall class.

Mozart!

Yes, I'm back to focusing on Mozart -- the piano sonata and a solo piano version (by Hummel) of the 25th piano concerto.  Also looking at some of the minuets he composed as a child.  Main dish will be Mozart, with side dishes of Beethoven, Bryd, Chopin, Satie, and others.

William Byrd

Last night i read about William Byrd, the English renaissance composer.  I found his sheet music online, and downloaded his "My Ladye Nevells Booke" and I'm working on the first piece, My Ladye Nevells Grownde.  It has some notation I don't know, in renaissance style I suppose.  Much easier than the Mozart -- but I"m still playing the andante of the sonata.  Bryd sounds great with harpsichord or clavichord on the Yamaha.  And, I'm thinking of taking piano lessons in the fall -- to study Bryd's works, I think.

Mozart Piano Sonata

I can play the first and second movements.  They need work, of course, but I can play all the way through them.  Will start working on the rondo soon.  This is exciting! 

Mozart piano sonata k. 545

I will learn to play the entire sonata.  I can play the first movement, and most of the second.   I will learn the third.  It's is my current musical goal.

Writer's Club meeting today

The faculty writer's club met today at the cafeteria.  Me, Laura, Steve, and new member Tim.  We set goals for the next month.  I will write a 1000 words of my book.  Laura will create the table of contents for her book of essays.  Steve will write another book review.  Tim will work on his children's story.  The other half of the book club will meet next Monday at 9 am -- but not me.  Laura will compile the notes from our meeting and the other half's meeting.  We'll meet again at the end of March, before spring break.

no writing lately...

too busy on Fridays to write.  Snow to shovel.  Appointments.  Conference this week.  Etc., etc.  Hope to write again someday!

On the piano front, I'm working on some Beatles tunes.... Hey Jude and Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite.  Bach can take a break for a while.

Bach on the piano again

Went and got my old sheet music from my teen years.  Took Shirmer's First Lessons in Bach and went downstairs and started working, again, after all these years, on the first piece (it's book 2), a polonaise.  Been doing that a few days and I've almost got it again.  I'm gonna re-learn the other pieces I learned so long ago.  Today i started working on Invention 1, two part.  Can't play guitar, so it's back to the piano, and Bach.  The Yamaha keyboard is great -- I play in harpsichord mode.  Better than a real piano.  Bye bye, guitar and blues and jazz.  Hello again, piano and Bach.

Jan. 18 writing report

yesterday I wrote 1,000 words.  the Friday Writer strikes again!

Change to the Friday Writer

OK, I've change my strategy.  Writing every day is an impossible goal.  I will write as much as possible on Fridays, when kids are in school and I'm at home.  We'll see how that works.

Jan. 9 no writing

no writing today.

Jan. 8 no writingq

no writing today.

Jan. 7 no writing

no writing today

Jan. 6 writing report

no writing today.

Jan. 5 writing report

no writing today.  Plan on starting Monday.

Jan. 4 writing report

no writing today.

Jan. 3 writing report

no writing today.

Jan. 2 writing report

no writing on Jan. 2

Mixing Blues and Ragtime

So, what I'm gonna do on the guitar front is to mix blues and ragtime.  So, the ragtime is the basis of the song, and I'll find places to solo with the major pentatonic scale -- to replace the vocals.  Thus, my rags can go longer and not be so repetitive, and my blues improv knowledge can be used.  Plus, it's something a little different.  Lately I've been favoring the VG strat.  Strats are great!

And, no writing!

All is Quiet on New Year's Day

no writing today.  happy new year's day!