Lately, I have tuned pianos that have been negleted for years. On the one hand, it is a win win for me. No matter what I do, I leave the piano in better shape than when I found it. On the other hand, it is sad that we don't take better care of our instruments. This month, I tuned pianos that had not been tuned in years - moved, broken, forgotten. Some were as much as 1/4 step flat. Pianos were designed to be in tune at A=-440. The tunings that I enjoy are the ones that I have tuned within the last year. They are close to pitch A=440 and I can really focus on other aspects that make for a better functioning and sounding instrument. Just remember, it is recommended that pianos be tuned at least once per year. Depending on the use, the piano may need two times per year. I find that the pianos at the high school need to be tuned 4 times per year. Is not taking care of pianos a sign of our deposible culture? I dont' know. Pianos are an incrediblly complex and fasicinating instrument. Let me help you take care of them!
David Eagleman says in Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain that "a professional athlete's goal is not to think." They want to be so practiced that when in the "heat of a game," they react automatically. Listen up musicians -- when in the heat of performance, you want to be so well rehearsed that you don't even think .... you sing with ease and a naturalness. The skills of breathing, tone production, diction are all rehearsed to automaticity. Too often Eagleman says, our own awareness gets in the way. He talks about being so practiced with a skill that our body executes it and "only afterwards does our mind catch up." How many times must you practice a skill set to get to this point?
This may crack your tacos! Pianos were not always tuned the way they are today. Meaning, if a composer lived pre-20th century, they heard and even envisioned their compositions sounding differently. The tuning of a piano begins by tuning one octave in the center of the piano. This is called the temperament. Then the tuner spreads that temperament throughout the entire piano. There are different kinds of temperaments. Check out the historical chart to the right where you can see the the history of temperaments from Meantone, to Well and it's variations, to what we tune pianos to today, the Equal temperament.
Enid Katahn says right at the beginning of her “Performer’s Perspective” in her Beethoven CD booklet: Most pianists learn how not to listen. Forced by circumstance to play on a wide range of instruments in varying sizes and stages of disrepair, pianists, if they really listened, might cease playing altogether. Accustomed as I was, therefore, to listening inwardly for emotional inspiration, I was amazed at the excitement generated by a well-tempered tuning. I could actually hear the contrast between the serenity of the more pure, calm chords and the wavering, pulsating activity of the more tempered ones. Do we need to tune our pianos differently to play Bach, Mozart, or Beethoven? We could and it might be "ear" opening. Be aware that there are options in tuning. There are temperament options that maintain a comfortable closeness to our current equal temperament tuning and add some "historical" spice producing a fuller tonal palette. Practice Perfect: 42 Rules for Getting Better at Getting Better by Doug Lemov, Erica Woolway, Katie Yezzi and Dan Heath (Sep 19, 2012)
I have heard it said that "hard work beats talent every time." In fact I have told my choirs many time at the beginning of the year that I would take a hard working group over a super talented group and that by the end of the year the hard working group would out sing the talented one. I have learned that this is only partly true. If the group with the good work ethic practices wrong,the result will not be good, just a lot of wrong. As John Wooden said, "Never mistake activity for achievement. " So, being busy is not enough. My rehearsal may "look" busy, like we are working, but may not be productive. More on this later.
What is the "10,000 hour rule"? In a 1993, K. Anders Ericsson wrote "The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance" Anders researched the ingredients found in an expert performer. Are expert performers born that way? Are expert performers gifted? How many times I've heard comments from folks like , "that kid is just a natural." We tend to think the great performers are prodigies. To these questions, Anders says NO. Instead, a common pattern in elite performers was found. What was the pattern? How do you become an elite performer? What is the common thread in the great pianist, violinist, pro basketball players, etc.? They completed 10,000 hours of practice before reaching the "elite" level. And it was common that this super performers completed 10,000 hours of practice by age 20. On average the journey was over a span of just 10 years. Do the math? That is three hours of practice per day!!!! Too many people reach a level where their performance is "good enough" and then stop working on getting better, we hit the "OK Plateau" (From the book "Practice Perfect." This term makes me laugh -- I live to close to the "OK Corral."). I am interested in improving my rehearsals and student's individual practice. For the next few weeks I will be sharing what I learn from the book "Perfect Practice." I invite you to learn with me how to make your practice better. I stumbled on to a good source of information for performers. This blog is written by Dr. Noa Kageyama, a performance psychologist and Juilliard alumnus & faculty member. Dr. Noa Kageyama teaches musicians how to play [perform] their best under pressure.
You can sign up for free email updates plus his free document titled "Practice hacking Guide. Check Dr. Kageyama out at The Bullet Proof Musician. Check out these topics:
I purchased a CD of music on line from a company called "CD Baby." Just had to share the confirmation email. Too funny.
Greetings, Johnny, from CD Baby's Digital Gnomes! As chance would have it, the download you purchased is one of our clan's very favorite selections. In fact, all the Digital Gnome parents and Gnome children, and even some of the older 'Analog' Gnomes, came out to watch, as your download was prepared. Bit rates were carefully calibrated, wavelengths measured, and electrons polished with the hems of our tiny Gnome smocks. (Poor Pixil Gnome was so excited he had to reboot.) Once prepared, your digital download was launched into the interweb at speeds well beyond imagining--shooting through cables, tumbling through tubes, bouncing off satellites, and landing safely on the banks of your personal computer. (Should you have any trouble claiming your download, please consult our FAQ section HERE.) Rest assured, your good sense and taste is not lost on the CD Baby Digital Gnomes! Johnny, you will be an inspiration to our clan from now until infinity! Sincerely, Sir Zero BitSnap, CD Baby's Digital Gnome Emissary |