Performing live both has it's advantages and disadvantages, as live you can fully portray the emotion behind the song and can communicate with the audience on another level. The downside however is that as it's live, any mistakes have to be covered up, as you don't get a second chance. It is the 'unique personal identity with which they infuse their productions’ (Burgess, 2013) which helps make a piece sound different and unique and also makes the artist connect at a deeper connection with the audience, which I feel like I tried to get across with the lyrics in my song.
When I performed my piece, I feel like there were some things that I did well. First of all, the way I sang the lyrics was something that was improvised as I never practiced actually singing the lyrics to the melody the same way all the time. I feel like this way of singing helps to create and mimic the natural flow of a story when written in a book - as people can read and interpret the words in their own way.
I also feel like the way that I changed and played around with the dynamics worked in my favour as I used a soft and quiet tone at the beginning of the song with lyrics such as "Little girl, crying out for somebody to help her now". When it got towards the final chorus where I sing about being there and hoping that the girl stays strong, my voice was stronger and louder than before, reflecting the feelings in the song to the dynamics.
Another thing that I enjoyed when writing the song and performing it, was how I toyed with the actual structure of the song. The only part where the lyrics were the same was in the verse, with the first and last line being the same, as opposed to the chorus in the song always being the same. When i performed this, I tried to clearly sing these same lines to get across the point that the verses portray the emotions of the figurative girl, and how the circle never ends. The chorus however represent the feeling of another voice, one of reason and safety that wants the girl to be safe, and that's the reason as to why I changed the lyrics of the chorus.
Getting the audience to participate was another thing which I thought worked well. It's something as a performer that I think is important to create a connection with the audience and make them feel involved in the song itself. Getting them to 'Ooooh' - which is what I did - helped to also create harmonies which is impossible when solo without the use of a backing track or loop pedal. Therefore, it helped to build and create a crescendo to act as the end of the story, ending on C chord harmony which is nice to listen to.
There are a few things which I feel I could have done better for next time however. I feel like I wasn't warmed up enough and as a result, my vocals at the beginning of the song weren't as strong as I wanted them to be. Doing something as simple as a vocal warm up would've benefited me and meant that I would've have been more pleased with my singing.
One thing that did go wrong was the fact that I believed the guitar to be out of tune when I first started which put me off with my timings meaning the piece didn't flow as well. In hindsight, I should have checked first before playing the piece however I think that I must have knocked that guitar slightly, putting one string out of tune. This affected me up to the first chorus and it was only then that I was able to get back into the actual timings of the song, however it was still something that was on my mind the whole time, something that is described as "Self One" (Green & Gallwey, 1987), which is the negative thoughts in the head that constantly remind you of the mistakes.
‘In a state of flow, there is no room for irrelevant thoughts’ (Kircher, 2011) which is something that I will keep in mind for next time when performing. If I were to do the song again, I would work on the audience participation bit as I feel like that could have been extended and improved a bit more. Something that would work would be having more people on each part, then it would help to create the uplifting feeling of being happy and safe and reinforce the idea that it's a happy ending.
Although there were things that went wrong within the performance, I still feel like I kept control and when it did go wrong, I tried to improvise and cover up, something that artists of any form struggle with. With every performance, I feel like I become a stronger performer and am always learning and exploring new ways of improving each time.
Thursday, 7 January 2016
Monday, 28 December 2015
Harmonies
In music, if you look at the melody line and see it as a horizontal line (from start to end), then the harmonies can be seen as going vertically, adding the the piece of the music as opposed to lengthening it (Jamini, 2005, p.147).
If you listen to any song, you'll be able to hear harmonies (whether it from a solo artist where they sing on top of their lines when recording or even in more common choirs and acapella groups where the sound is intensified by the union of voices all singing slightly different notes).
In popular music, chords are known by their "root" notes then any another characteristics (such as sharps and flats).
When creating a harmony, the easiest way to do it is by using a chord as the foundation (for example "C major").
C major is made up up of its root note (C), the 'third' note above (E), then the 'fifth' above the root (G), creating a C major triad. Creating a harmony based on C major is as easy as someone playing/singing each note on top of the chord. You can also 'stack' on what you already have, with the "seventh" note above the root (which in this case would be B), which creates almost dissonance.
When performing live, it's hard to create a harmonies when you're on your own unless you have a backing track or a loop pedal however for me, it's not something that I'm going to be doing.
I was inspired however when I was listening to a live performance that Ed Sheeran did where he got the audience to participate and sing along with him
He tells the audience to sing along to the bit in the chorus and explains before he starts the song, what they're singing.
Although he doesn't necessarily do anything harmony wise with the audience, it helped me to figure out a way I could create a harmony in a solo performance when not using a backtrack/pedal.
Using people in the audience would not only help to make the piece sound more pleasing to the hear, but also a performer, it's important to connect with the audience through stage presence and body language.
I've been looking at how to incorporate it as part of my piece and as I'm doing a narrative style song, it makes it tricky at what I am able to do, as it has to simple enough for people to pick up on the spot. Also, it makes it musically challenging as I have to be able to correct things if people don't sing the right notes halfway through so I'd have to adapt on the spot (however I find that improvisation comes naturally to me)
If you listen to any song, you'll be able to hear harmonies (whether it from a solo artist where they sing on top of their lines when recording or even in more common choirs and acapella groups where the sound is intensified by the union of voices all singing slightly different notes).
In popular music, chords are known by their "root" notes then any another characteristics (such as sharps and flats).
When creating a harmony, the easiest way to do it is by using a chord as the foundation (for example "C major").
C major is made up up of its root note (C), the 'third' note above (E), then the 'fifth' above the root (G), creating a C major triad. Creating a harmony based on C major is as easy as someone playing/singing each note on top of the chord. You can also 'stack' on what you already have, with the "seventh" note above the root (which in this case would be B), which creates almost dissonance.
When performing live, it's hard to create a harmonies when you're on your own unless you have a backing track or a loop pedal however for me, it's not something that I'm going to be doing.
I was inspired however when I was listening to a live performance that Ed Sheeran did where he got the audience to participate and sing along with him
He tells the audience to sing along to the bit in the chorus and explains before he starts the song, what they're singing.
Although he doesn't necessarily do anything harmony wise with the audience, it helped me to figure out a way I could create a harmony in a solo performance when not using a backtrack/pedal.
Using people in the audience would not only help to make the piece sound more pleasing to the hear, but also a performer, it's important to connect with the audience through stage presence and body language.
I've been looking at how to incorporate it as part of my piece and as I'm doing a narrative style song, it makes it tricky at what I am able to do, as it has to simple enough for people to pick up on the spot. Also, it makes it musically challenging as I have to be able to correct things if people don't sing the right notes halfway through so I'd have to adapt on the spot (however I find that improvisation comes naturally to me)
(Pro Tools does come in handy sometimes)
Tuesday, 1 December 2015
Finger Picking Skills
One of my aims with guitar is to improve my finger picking skills, something I have struggled with until recently, where I pushed and challenged myself to learn new pieces that didn't have any strumming in it at all.
I have achieved a lot in a short amount of time by constantly practicing and am getting better with being able to sight read tab as well as play more and more complex pieces, however I still feel like I can challenge myself further.
The style of fingerpicking that I'm most familiar with, is known as "Travis picking", first coined by Merle Travis, a country and western musician. His son described his new style as unique hearing "rhythm parts, melodies and chords all wrapped up in one" (Gold, 2006). Adapted for the steel strings of an acoustic guitar, the method is the simplest, especially for beginners who are just starting out. "Pattern picking is the use of 'preset right-hand patterns[s] while fingerpicking, with the left hand fingering standard chords." (Traum, 1974) As the finger picking pattern never changes, as well as the chord shapes, it makes it simple and helps create create a fuller and richer sounding piece, potentially changing a song on the guitar with rock undertones to something more like a ballad.
To make things a bit more interesting, when reading tab, it is common for some notes to be on the off beat (as in one and two and three) which is known as syncopation. Syncopation adds to the existing melody and can be used in various ways to add a spin on the existing sound. You can combine the picking style with techniques such as hammer-ons and pull-offs to make the sound more dynamic and interesting to listen to, something I've started to do. One example is when I recorded an acoustic version of The 1975's Sex last year - adding hammer-ons and pull-offs when finger picking the C chord. This helped to make the piece more unique and gave it more of a melodic sound, something I wouldn't of considered beforehand.
The way that I taught myself to finger pick isn't what is considered the "standard way", as I got into the habit of primarily using my thumb to picks the strings. It's a bad habit as the thumb should only pluck strings E, A & D. In an attempt to break my out of it, I looked up guitar tabs to try and practice the way that accomplished finger pickers such as Mark Knopfler finger pick.
Hallelujah was originally sung by Leonard Cohen in 1984 however it was made famous by the version done by Jeff Buckley, released posthumously in 2007 as a single. Buckley used "his voice to careen between glory and sadness, beauty and pain... It's one of the great songs" (Tyrangiel, 2004). Buckley's version of the song does have a more complicated intro however when I practiced it, I focused on the main melody, concentrating more on the placement of my right hand fingers.
While listening to the song, it's clear to see how Buckley's version of it is "one of the most beautiful pieces of recorded music" (Q, 2007). The crescendo of the verse complimented by the haunting sounds of the guitar help create a tranquil sound. That, coupled with the almost ghostly-like singing of 'Hallelujah' also help to creative a narrative, painting a picture in the head of what is being said (another reason why I chose this song, as it's something I hope to produce as a songwriter).
When practicing the song, I didn't really concentrate on my voice (and the only reason I sung along was to start to practice using the guitar to help the vocals and lead into the lyrics). When it came to the actual learning of the piece, it was easier said than done. Although I used the Travis picking style, as the song had Gs, Cs Ems and Ds in it, the actual finger plucking part was something that I had to really practice, especially considering I could only use my thumb for three strings.
If I were to do this again (even after my many failed attempts beforehand), I would focus on the quality of the song as there were some notes that I missed out or weren't played because I was slightly muting the strings (at the 'It goes like this...' part). Also doing the whole song as opposed to the first verse and the chorus would be good for me as it would push my guitar playing skills, especially when it comes to different techniques. Adding a hammer-on or pull-offs to put a spin on it would help make the version of the song more personal to me as opposed to just copying Buckley's version.
I have achieved a lot in a short amount of time by constantly practicing and am getting better with being able to sight read tab as well as play more and more complex pieces, however I still feel like I can challenge myself further.
The style of fingerpicking that I'm most familiar with, is known as "Travis picking", first coined by Merle Travis, a country and western musician. His son described his new style as unique hearing "rhythm parts, melodies and chords all wrapped up in one" (Gold, 2006). Adapted for the steel strings of an acoustic guitar, the method is the simplest, especially for beginners who are just starting out. "Pattern picking is the use of 'preset right-hand patterns[s] while fingerpicking, with the left hand fingering standard chords." (Traum, 1974) As the finger picking pattern never changes, as well as the chord shapes, it makes it simple and helps create create a fuller and richer sounding piece, potentially changing a song on the guitar with rock undertones to something more like a ballad.
To make things a bit more interesting, when reading tab, it is common for some notes to be on the off beat (as in one and two and three) which is known as syncopation. Syncopation adds to the existing melody and can be used in various ways to add a spin on the existing sound. You can combine the picking style with techniques such as hammer-ons and pull-offs to make the sound more dynamic and interesting to listen to, something I've started to do. One example is when I recorded an acoustic version of The 1975's Sex last year - adding hammer-ons and pull-offs when finger picking the C chord. This helped to make the piece more unique and gave it more of a melodic sound, something I wouldn't of considered beforehand.
The way that I taught myself to finger pick isn't what is considered the "standard way", as I got into the habit of primarily using my thumb to picks the strings. It's a bad habit as the thumb should only pluck strings E, A & D. In an attempt to break my out of it, I looked up guitar tabs to try and practice the way that accomplished finger pickers such as Mark Knopfler finger pick.
Hallelujah was originally sung by Leonard Cohen in 1984 however it was made famous by the version done by Jeff Buckley, released posthumously in 2007 as a single. Buckley used "his voice to careen between glory and sadness, beauty and pain... It's one of the great songs" (Tyrangiel, 2004). Buckley's version of the song does have a more complicated intro however when I practiced it, I focused on the main melody, concentrating more on the placement of my right hand fingers.
While listening to the song, it's clear to see how Buckley's version of it is "one of the most beautiful pieces of recorded music" (Q, 2007). The crescendo of the verse complimented by the haunting sounds of the guitar help create a tranquil sound. That, coupled with the almost ghostly-like singing of 'Hallelujah' also help to creative a narrative, painting a picture in the head of what is being said (another reason why I chose this song, as it's something I hope to produce as a songwriter).
When practicing the song, I didn't really concentrate on my voice (and the only reason I sung along was to start to practice using the guitar to help the vocals and lead into the lyrics). When it came to the actual learning of the piece, it was easier said than done. Although I used the Travis picking style, as the song had Gs, Cs Ems and Ds in it, the actual finger plucking part was something that I had to really practice, especially considering I could only use my thumb for three strings.
The most complicated part was trying to get the piece to flow, especially the transition from 'you don't really care for music, do you? to 'It goes like this, the fourth the fifth'. I tried to slow the piece down by the end of the first part then lead into the second part at a faster tempo to help with the crescendo of the dynamics as well as creating a varied sound, putting and emphasis on the actual storytelling part of it (as singing at one level is boring - as is reading in the same tone). I also tried to emphasis the placement of 'Hallelujah' along with the two notes I plucked on the guitar, helping to synch up both voice and guitar, creating a sound which is easy on the ears.
If I were to do this again (even after my many failed attempts beforehand), I would focus on the quality of the song as there were some notes that I missed out or weren't played because I was slightly muting the strings (at the 'It goes like this...' part). Also doing the whole song as opposed to the first verse and the chorus would be good for me as it would push my guitar playing skills, especially when it comes to different techniques. Adding a hammer-on or pull-offs to put a spin on it would help make the version of the song more personal to me as opposed to just copying Buckley's version.
Tuesday, 24 November 2015
Narrative Songwriting
All songs have a message behind them, even if it is not evident at first however telling a story through a song is a different matter. Described as having a "bittersweet palette of major and minor chords" with a melody of "high emotion recollected in tranquillity" (Brown, 2010), Don McLeans' Vincent tells the story about the famous painted Vincent Van Gogh and pays tribute to his many works of art as well as his mental illness.
One of the more prominent things about this performance of his song here is the use of the place notes on the guitar to lead into each verse. When McLean is singing, his plucking is soft and gradual, to make his voice stand out more. When it's just the guitar on its own, the playing style is louder and is almost free, with his pull offs and hammer ons placed at different points every time. In a way, it helps to create the flow of reading a book and acts as punctuation.
Along with the carefully placed notes which compliments McLean's soothing vocals, the story of the song is told for the listener. Opening with the lyrics "Starry, starry night" is a reference to Van Goghs' painting of the same name and even after that, other paintings are referenced with Van Goghs' Sunflowers painting with the line "Flaming flowers that brightly blaze" which not only help to create the image of the sunflowers against the yellow background, but also help to produce the image of a sun burning in the sky, to contrast with the starry night time.
It's easy enough to write a simple 4/4, four chord pop song, as evidenced by half of the songs in the charts. For me however, to further push myself, writing a story as a song would help me branch further out into the fields of songwriting.
Although I am good at having a message in a song and getting across emotions through song, one thing that would help would be to use the structure of a story (with a beginning, middle and end) and apply it to a song. One way I could help to do this would be to have a changing chorus as opposed to a repeated on. Not only would this make it different to a conventional ABA structured song, but it would also challenge my writing skills.
For my individual assessment, I'd like to further explore the relationship between music and storytelling as well as continuing to improve my finger picking technique. In the video, McLean uses his thumb on the three strings (E, A & D) which I still struggle to do even though it is considered the 'proper way' to do it - with the thumb resting on the fourth string, index on the third, middle on the second and ring on the first, known as the "home position" (Eckels, 2006). The more I practice it that way however, the better I will become, especially with certain styles such as blues and jazz that need the extra dexterity in order to create the "funky" rhythms.
One of the more prominent things about this performance of his song here is the use of the place notes on the guitar to lead into each verse. When McLean is singing, his plucking is soft and gradual, to make his voice stand out more. When it's just the guitar on its own, the playing style is louder and is almost free, with his pull offs and hammer ons placed at different points every time. In a way, it helps to create the flow of reading a book and acts as punctuation.
Along with the carefully placed notes which compliments McLean's soothing vocals, the story of the song is told for the listener. Opening with the lyrics "Starry, starry night" is a reference to Van Goghs' painting of the same name and even after that, other paintings are referenced with Van Goghs' Sunflowers painting with the line "Flaming flowers that brightly blaze" which not only help to create the image of the sunflowers against the yellow background, but also help to produce the image of a sun burning in the sky, to contrast with the starry night time.
It's easy enough to write a simple 4/4, four chord pop song, as evidenced by half of the songs in the charts. For me however, to further push myself, writing a story as a song would help me branch further out into the fields of songwriting.
Although I am good at having a message in a song and getting across emotions through song, one thing that would help would be to use the structure of a story (with a beginning, middle and end) and apply it to a song. One way I could help to do this would be to have a changing chorus as opposed to a repeated on. Not only would this make it different to a conventional ABA structured song, but it would also challenge my writing skills.
For my individual assessment, I'd like to further explore the relationship between music and storytelling as well as continuing to improve my finger picking technique. In the video, McLean uses his thumb on the three strings (E, A & D) which I still struggle to do even though it is considered the 'proper way' to do it - with the thumb resting on the fourth string, index on the third, middle on the second and ring on the first, known as the "home position" (Eckels, 2006). The more I practice it that way however, the better I will become, especially with certain styles such as blues and jazz that need the extra dexterity in order to create the "funky" rhythms.
Thursday, 19 November 2015
Chance Music
Chance music (or aleatoric music) plays with the idea or being spontaneous and leaving the music up to chance (from as simple as rolling the dice to determine the next chord). This opens up the composition of music and allow the artist some freedom from their usual work.
In some ways, it is similar to improvisation in the fact that there has to be some musical knowledge to be able to competently perform.
"If one traces the history of Western art music and the development of its notional system, it is revealed that composers have tried to control more and more aspects of their compositions as precisely as possible" (Joe & Song, 2002, p. 264). Chance music when written down is something that would seem alien to someone who has been classically trained, as there is no right or wrong when it comes to interpretation of it.
This piece of chance music here includes many instruments as in a conventional orchestra ranging from wind instruments such as clarinet and oboe to piano and harp to stringed violins and the percussive timpani. The notation for each instrument is conventional however. The only recognisable feature is the treble clef and stave with the notes that follow placed in seemingly a random way. Furthermore, the whole piece is split into five sections, with one spanning most of the page while four only a quarter of that.
This way of notation not seen in the Western world of music allows for interpretation and means that no two performances of the same piece will be the same. There's something exciting about that fact as art encourages freedom of expression.
One piece of chance music that has been performed is titled "Stripsody" by Cathy Berberian, an American mezzo-soprano. Showing wide vocal range and accomplishing a characterisation that had not really been heard of by a women before was overshadowed in the "male dominated world of contemporary composition, [having] a decisive impact on the critical reception of her compositional debut with Stripsody in 1966" (Meehan, 2011, p. 8). By only using words and comical annotations, Berberian interprets the piece and makes it her own right from the beginning with a yell that would rival Tarzans'. Barbarians' contribution to the contemporary scene help to shape and educate people about aleatoric music in the western hemisphere and the fact that that music doesn't have to perfect and sound the same every time. Stripsody represents "a radically new paradigm and a totally different musical conception" (Garbuglia, 2011, pp. 44-58)
Working on chance music for me was a unique concept as I had not really done anything like that before however I was willing to give it a shot. Although it is not my usual style of composing, I found it interesting in the fact that I can see it helping me when I have writers block when writing a song and can't figure out the next chord to use.
Adding on to the concept of rolling the dice to determine the music, using an 11 digit phone number and a twelve sided dice (to represent a chromatic scale, where there are twelve pitches, each a semitone above of below another - as opposed to a harmonic). Assigning each note to a number: 1 = C, 2 = C#, 3 = D, (and so on) and using the number's of the phone to determine how long each note would last: 0 = rest, 1 = 1 beat etc, an unusual melody was created with the right hand. To make the piece sound more like a composition, I improvised when it came to the left hand and played a variety of chords. In a way, it can be a starting point for a composition however for me, as much as I like the chance aspect of it, it isn't really what I enjoy.
In some ways, it is similar to improvisation in the fact that there has to be some musical knowledge to be able to competently perform.
"If one traces the history of Western art music and the development of its notional system, it is revealed that composers have tried to control more and more aspects of their compositions as precisely as possible" (Joe & Song, 2002, p. 264). Chance music when written down is something that would seem alien to someone who has been classically trained, as there is no right or wrong when it comes to interpretation of it.
This piece of chance music here includes many instruments as in a conventional orchestra ranging from wind instruments such as clarinet and oboe to piano and harp to stringed violins and the percussive timpani. The notation for each instrument is conventional however. The only recognisable feature is the treble clef and stave with the notes that follow placed in seemingly a random way. Furthermore, the whole piece is split into five sections, with one spanning most of the page while four only a quarter of that.
This way of notation not seen in the Western world of music allows for interpretation and means that no two performances of the same piece will be the same. There's something exciting about that fact as art encourages freedom of expression.
One piece of chance music that has been performed is titled "Stripsody" by Cathy Berberian, an American mezzo-soprano. Showing wide vocal range and accomplishing a characterisation that had not really been heard of by a women before was overshadowed in the "male dominated world of contemporary composition, [having] a decisive impact on the critical reception of her compositional debut with Stripsody in 1966" (Meehan, 2011, p. 8). By only using words and comical annotations, Berberian interprets the piece and makes it her own right from the beginning with a yell that would rival Tarzans'. Barbarians' contribution to the contemporary scene help to shape and educate people about aleatoric music in the western hemisphere and the fact that that music doesn't have to perfect and sound the same every time. Stripsody represents "a radically new paradigm and a totally different musical conception" (Garbuglia, 2011, pp. 44-58)
Working on chance music for me was a unique concept as I had not really done anything like that before however I was willing to give it a shot. Although it is not my usual style of composing, I found it interesting in the fact that I can see it helping me when I have writers block when writing a song and can't figure out the next chord to use.
Adding on to the concept of rolling the dice to determine the music, using an 11 digit phone number and a twelve sided dice (to represent a chromatic scale, where there are twelve pitches, each a semitone above of below another - as opposed to a harmonic). Assigning each note to a number: 1 = C, 2 = C#, 3 = D, (and so on) and using the number's of the phone to determine how long each note would last: 0 = rest, 1 = 1 beat etc, an unusual melody was created with the right hand. To make the piece sound more like a composition, I improvised when it came to the left hand and played a variety of chords. In a way, it can be a starting point for a composition however for me, as much as I like the chance aspect of it, it isn't really what I enjoy.
Thursday, 5 November 2015
Improving My Voice
As well as focusing on my guitar playing (as my primary instrument), I have also taken it upon myself to improve my participation in en masse singing.
Joining the university choir has strengthened my voice, harmonies and breathing. Studies have shown that a lack of physical activities that utilise the lungs can "impair the development of the entire organism, including the respiratory system" (Ryszard, 2015, p.42). Although choir may not be seen as a physical activity, it does involve many of components that other strenuous exercises do such as running or football, therefore it is something that should be considered important in the development of growth, especially if children aren't as gifted playing sports. It provides an opportunity to develop as a person, interacting with others, creating the same social skills that can be gained from playing team sports. The use of the diaphragm to regulate breathing and create a bigger space to utilise is something that is important when singing (especially for opera, musical theatre and en masse singing). Fully being able to fill the space and use the diaphragm (which as a muscle, will strengthen as any others do) will help support the voice especially when belting out loud or long notes, creating a richer and stronger sound.
One of the benefits that I have experienced from taken part in the choir is that in others areas of my singing (such as musical theatre where I am currently doing Chicago), I have found it easier to transition from the lower notes - where the sound comes from the chest area - to the higher notes without going into falsetto - known as the head voice. As a tenor, I am always trying to improve my range and give better support, especially the higher end of the range so I don't end up damaging my vocal chords
Another benefit that I have noticed is that because as a choir, you act as one voice, with nobody standing out as an individual, you have to really listen to each other. "Chorus and orchestra can sometimes give a strong impression that cannot be achieved by solo play" (Tokuda & Kuwahra, 2012). It has strengthened my knowledge in how I work our harmonies when not sure (listening to the piano chords helps) as well also improving my sight reading (which does get a bit confusing when you spend a lot of time trying to sight read tab for guitar as well).
Although I may not create a piece for a big choir, it has helped me to further develop my knowledge of the different types of music available and also has gain confidence as just a singer (without an instrument) and fully using my voice which is something that I want to look at (especially how I can create harmonies in my song and make a richer sound).
Joining the university choir has strengthened my voice, harmonies and breathing. Studies have shown that a lack of physical activities that utilise the lungs can "impair the development of the entire organism, including the respiratory system" (Ryszard, 2015, p.42). Although choir may not be seen as a physical activity, it does involve many of components that other strenuous exercises do such as running or football, therefore it is something that should be considered important in the development of growth, especially if children aren't as gifted playing sports. It provides an opportunity to develop as a person, interacting with others, creating the same social skills that can be gained from playing team sports. The use of the diaphragm to regulate breathing and create a bigger space to utilise is something that is important when singing (especially for opera, musical theatre and en masse singing). Fully being able to fill the space and use the diaphragm (which as a muscle, will strengthen as any others do) will help support the voice especially when belting out loud or long notes, creating a richer and stronger sound.
One of the benefits that I have experienced from taken part in the choir is that in others areas of my singing (such as musical theatre where I am currently doing Chicago), I have found it easier to transition from the lower notes - where the sound comes from the chest area - to the higher notes without going into falsetto - known as the head voice. As a tenor, I am always trying to improve my range and give better support, especially the higher end of the range so I don't end up damaging my vocal chords
Another benefit that I have noticed is that because as a choir, you act as one voice, with nobody standing out as an individual, you have to really listen to each other. "Chorus and orchestra can sometimes give a strong impression that cannot be achieved by solo play" (Tokuda & Kuwahra, 2012). It has strengthened my knowledge in how I work our harmonies when not sure (listening to the piano chords helps) as well also improving my sight reading (which does get a bit confusing when you spend a lot of time trying to sight read tab for guitar as well).
Although I may not create a piece for a big choir, it has helped me to further develop my knowledge of the different types of music available and also has gain confidence as just a singer (without an instrument) and fully using my voice which is something that I want to look at (especially how I can create harmonies in my song and make a richer sound).
Tuesday, 3 November 2015
Ben Howard
When first starting out playing guitar, I didn't really listen to that much music apart from what was in the charts.
It was only from learning on my own and teaching myself how to play that I started to listen to a greater variety of sounds and artists.
One of the first artists that had a great impact on how I play and write songs today is Ben Howard while watching his performance at the Brits awards in 2013. Inspired by listening to "classic records by the likes of Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan" (Independent, 2013), Howards' blend of folk and rock playing on the guitar has given me something to aspire to play like - all it takes is practice
His performance of 'Only Love' mesmerised me as it was only his voice, guitar, cello and one person backing with harmonies. I remember saying to myself that one day, I'd like to become half as good on guitar, and it spurred me onto really practicing and fine tuning my playing style.
His performance in the video is simplistic and fits the theme of the song, with the soft tones of the guitar complimenting the harmonies sung. Furthermore, the lighting highlights the intimacy of the performers, making the huge stage seem tiny, reducing the grand scale of the Brits entirely and proving thats it not all about the backup dancers and pyrotechnics that make a great performance.
One of the more unusual things that Howard does apart from use alternative tuning in his songs - 'Keep Your Head Up' (EADGAD) and 'Old Pine' (CGCGGC) - is that he plays with the guitar lying flat on his knees, using percussively also which was inspired by one contemporary folk singer, John Smith
This contemporary way of playing the guitar is not for the beginners and even at the level I am now, I still don't think I'd be able to achieve it (especially as I'm trying to still teach myself how to finger pick). It does create a nice sound using the guitar as a makeshift drum and helps to give it a natural rhythm to compliment the simplistic hit of the strings.
To help practice my finger picking skills (although I didn't do it with the guitar against my knees), I tried to learn the main riffs of Howards' 'The Wolves' as quick as I could to help improve the dexterity in my fingers and also to improve my finger picking skills in terms of not having to look at the individual strings, to concentrate more on feeling where I need to be instead, which would improve my style in a live performance.
There are a few mistakes (this was not the first take so my fingers were beginning to hurt), however the more I practice it, the better I'll become and pretty soon, I won't even have to look or even think about what I'm doing.
It was only from learning on my own and teaching myself how to play that I started to listen to a greater variety of sounds and artists.
One of the first artists that had a great impact on how I play and write songs today is Ben Howard while watching his performance at the Brits awards in 2013. Inspired by listening to "classic records by the likes of Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan" (Independent, 2013), Howards' blend of folk and rock playing on the guitar has given me something to aspire to play like - all it takes is practice
His performance of 'Only Love' mesmerised me as it was only his voice, guitar, cello and one person backing with harmonies. I remember saying to myself that one day, I'd like to become half as good on guitar, and it spurred me onto really practicing and fine tuning my playing style.
His performance in the video is simplistic and fits the theme of the song, with the soft tones of the guitar complimenting the harmonies sung. Furthermore, the lighting highlights the intimacy of the performers, making the huge stage seem tiny, reducing the grand scale of the Brits entirely and proving thats it not all about the backup dancers and pyrotechnics that make a great performance.
One of the more unusual things that Howard does apart from use alternative tuning in his songs - 'Keep Your Head Up' (EADGAD) and 'Old Pine' (CGCGGC) - is that he plays with the guitar lying flat on his knees, using percussively also which was inspired by one contemporary folk singer, John Smith
This contemporary way of playing the guitar is not for the beginners and even at the level I am now, I still don't think I'd be able to achieve it (especially as I'm trying to still teach myself how to finger pick). It does create a nice sound using the guitar as a makeshift drum and helps to give it a natural rhythm to compliment the simplistic hit of the strings.
To help practice my finger picking skills (although I didn't do it with the guitar against my knees), I tried to learn the main riffs of Howards' 'The Wolves' as quick as I could to help improve the dexterity in my fingers and also to improve my finger picking skills in terms of not having to look at the individual strings, to concentrate more on feeling where I need to be instead, which would improve my style in a live performance.
There are a few mistakes (this was not the first take so my fingers were beginning to hurt), however the more I practice it, the better I'll become and pretty soon, I won't even have to look or even think about what I'm doing.
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