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It’s not too late

One of my favorite Christmas carols is one that I don’t think I ever sang.  I still don’t sing it.  I don’t know the words.  But it’s still my favorite.

Why?  Don’t know.  It’s just another one of those tunes that wakes me up in the middle of the night, running through my head.

I learned this tune (I know, i just said I never sang it – but I do know the tune!) listening to Christmas records as a kid.  We had an album with it.  It was sung by a Boys’ Choir (could have been Vienna, St. Martin’s, Ersatz, not sure).  I imagine that I remember the cover but I think it have concocted an amalgamation of the covers of the ones I remember best.  I don’t remember ever hearing it on the radio or in the Christmas specials on TV.  But it has not left me.

I also never remembered the name of it. I never got any of the words (no liner notes – the ONLY way I ever get lyrics right!).  And so, into my adulthood, it remained this tune that ran through my head, unaccompanied by a desire to play it, to seek it out (after all, it comes up unbidden!).  Until, one day a dear friend started to tell the story of a defining moment in his life.  I won’t tell his story here (he tells it brilliantly and it is his story) but it centered on the Christmas carol, Once in Royal David’s City.  I hadn’t ever heard that one, so I asked him and he graced me by singing it (in his lovely voice).

And then I knew…it was that tune I love that I didn’t know the name of!

And that sparked a (new) desire to actually play this tune that has been on intermittent repeat (to be fair, it didn’t play in my head for years there in the middle). It is from a hymn tune originally entitled Irby written by the English composer Henry Gauntlett (1805 – 1876).  He was an interesting guy – he was a champion for Beethoven, Bach.  And apparently a brilliant organist – Mendelssohn selected him to play a premiere. Of course, I think he’s fab – he invented a new kind of organ because the ones available weren’t serving the music well enough! (OBTW, if you’re interested, the lyrics were written by Irish poet Cecil Frances Alexander, herself wonderfully accomplished as well.)

So, after all that, I really enjoy playing this carol (still don’t know the words!). But since I enjoy it so much, I wanted to share it with you!  It’s a fairly simple tune so for a little work, you could have it ready for Christmas if you like.  It’s not one everyone plays, so it’ll be a nice addition to your set.  I, of course, have written an arrangement and I’d be delighted if you play it.  But remember two important things.  First, the melody is the thing (so play at your level).  Second, be you!  This is how I might play it but feel free to start here and do you!  You’ll find it here.

I hope you enjoy it – let me know how it goes in the comments!

Taking the Lead

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Taking the lead

Here we go!  It’s December and that brings, well, you know.  We have a lot going on (why yes, even more than usual!). All that can get in the way of your practicing which might make you fell less than sturdy when it’s time to share all your holiday tunes.   

After all, everything you play (typically) is a tune everyone who’s listening already knows.  And, since it’s material we only get to play if for about a month (well, this year it was more like more than two months starting before Halloween), it’s easy to get less learning and practice in.  That might leave you feeling not quite prepared.  Feeling comfortable could end up being a luxury. 

Of course, that wobbliness can leave you feeling vulnerable – if you make a mistake – everyone will know – because they are so familiar with the tunes.  That can feel like a lot of pressure on you. But what if we turn that on its head?

Because when everyone knows the music, you are sort of free.  Stop looking at me (metaphorically) like I’m crazy!  When everyone knows the music – it makes everything you play even more of a connection to those you’re playing for – how cool is that?! 

You might feel like you must play perfectly, but…yawn.   That everyone knows the music is exactly what makes this repertoire so much fun!  So what if you add some “flourishes” or “jazz improvisations”?  Here’s a great opportunity – you may find you have a knack for generating your own arrangements (on the fly).    If you’re afraid (or just still telling yourself that you can’t do it) maybe start a gentle transition.  Find the tunes you already play in a lead sheet form.  Then you have the backup of knowing what should get played there – but you get to decide how it should sound. And if you’re not struggling to get a prewritten arrangement read through, you might also have time to insert some ornaments or variations (on purpose!).

I’m not suggesting you do this on the fly – but there’s still time to make the shift to a lead sheet so you can get used to reading that form and practice making it up as you go along (so it will be easier).  Keep notes on what you’re doing, what you like and what you don’t, as well as keeping all the kind comments you get – that way, next year, you’ll have a leg up!

Where are you playing for the holidays?  Do you have a favorite tune that you might move to a lead sheet on?  What is it?  Let me know in the comments!

What are you going to play?

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It’s March.  And if you play traditional music, you know what that means…. St. Patrick’s Day is coming and we’re about to become very popular (briefly).

What a blessing – a holiday seemingly tailor made for us!

What a curse – stuck playing tunes that can feel almost as trite as Christmas can.

So, what are you going to do about it?  Well, you have to start by figuring out what you’re going to play.  It’s fairly safe to stick to the tradition but that still leaves a lot of tunes to choose from.

What to play?  How about this:

Start with tunes you actually know!  It’s really hard to get a tune learned and ready to go in a short time (after all St. Patrick’s Day is a week away!) – especially if you’re playing solo or are tasked with carrying the melody in a group.  Jot down all the Irish (or near Irish) tunes you know.  Some may not actually be Irish, but if you hear it a session or in the pub, it’ll do.

Then list them AND include what type of tune they are and what they go with or if they stand alone.  The Derry Air is a standalone, The Rights of Man maybe needs some company.

How long are you to play?  That will help you figure out how many tunes are needed.  For a 30-minute set you will be sitting pretty to have ten or so (don’t just wing it – time it!), for an hour, maybe 20 – 25 (again, don’t wing it but also be ready to have to go a little longer).  If you’re a background gig, you’ll need more than if you’re a performance because performing includes more vocal interaction with the audience.

Go back to your list and count up not only how many you have but how many of each type.  If you’re playing a dinner background you can get away with more songs and airs but if you’re performing on stage, you need to keep your audience engaged and interested so more fast stuff.  By more fast stuff I don’t mean an unending torrent of one type of tune – mix up jigs and reels and hornpipes and marches if you have them. (If you don’t have that kind of diversity, now you know what to be practicing to build out your rep!).

Once you can see where your holes are you can endeavor to fill them (although, note above, with one week to go, you will probably fill those holes next time).  And even if you’re not playing for St. Patrick’s Day, you’ll have a good representation of what you do and don’t know and what you should add as you continue to learn.

Think about your audience.  It is said that on St. Patrick’s Day everyone is Irish.  If your audience is from the national Irish Historical Society, they may have a greater familiarity with the music.  But if everyone is Irish that day, they may have only a passing familiarity with traditional Irish music (many fall into the categories of “I love Celtic music” or “it all sounds the same to me”) in which case, you can draw from other parts of your repertoire to make your set list.

Practice like crazy (of course).  Work on your technique and your idiom.  Be sure it looks good and sounds right!

Finally, when it’s time to play, relax and enjoy.  After all this is fun music and that’s why people love it.  They’ll enjoy it even more if it seems that you are enjoying playing it!

Are you playing for St. Patrick’s Day this year?  What are you going be play? Let me know if in the comments!

Cards against remembering

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I recently had the extreme good fortune to get to hang out with friends with the sole intention of playing tunes – lots and lots of tunes.   It was great!

It was horrible.

Like every social music interaction we know, we shared by taking turns starting a tune and then we all join in and have a blast!  And then it happens.  I know my turn is coming.  It’s exciting. I’ll get to suggest a tune that I know and love and can’t wait to play with my friends.And just like that, in our wonderful, marvelous, delectable tune sharing, I’m wracking my brain fussing over what tune I should suggest when it’s my turn.  And it’s a tussle…because I can’t remember any tunes that I know!!!

ARGH!

When you have a vast, amorphous collection of tunes in your head (or even if it isn’t that vast), it’s easy to forget what you do know.   It’s the same when you’re practicing and you get to that part of your practice time when you’ve finished the work and now get to play for fun. It strikes again, that remember-y thing and you can’t think of anything you know.  You know you have a library – just not what’s in it. 

How are you ever going to remember what tunes you know?  How will you know the contents of your library?  And frankly, how do you know if you have the Library of Congress in your head or if it’s more like a neighborhood Little Library?

You need a card catalog!

Each time you learn a new tune, start an index card and write all the useful and relevant information – the title of the tune (you could also include what you call it if you don’t think of it by it’s actual title – like if the title is in Gaelic or Irish), the key you play it in, the type of tune it is, maybe what you like to pair it with.  You might even get fancy and include the first couple of measures (trust me, it can help!).  Make a card for every tune you have learned.  Watch your catalog fill up!  And don’t forget that you can “pre-make” cards for the tunes you want to learn but haven’t gotten to yet.

Like any card catalog, you’ll be better able to use if it it’s organized.  The organization approach is up to you – organize it how you think about tunes.  You can do it alphabetical by title.  Or by tune type or by country of origin.  Or by where you learned it? Whatever, as long as you can find it when you need to.

You might be a Thoroughly Modern Millie and have already turned up your nose at my index cards.  No matter.  Make a spreadsheet.  Keep a paper list.  Generate your own code from Legos. I don’t care how, so long as you can use it!  The point is to keep what you know close to hand so you can use it – all of it. 

When you know what you know, you can be more clear on what you haven’t learned yet.  And you can be more deliberate about what you practice.  All of which might make it easier to remember anything you can play the next time you get to play for fun with friends!

How do you keep track of what you already can play?  Do you have a system to keep track? Let me know in the comments!

Ides of September….

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The Ides of September are here.  Temperatures are beginning to dip, the sun is setting sooner.  Yep, autumn is in the air.

What could be better than apple picking (or picking apples at the market, if you don’t live in apple region), pumpkin carving, or selecting the right layer that will keep you warm in the morning but help you not sweat in the afternoon.  All the good things.

Of course, that’s right now.  But right ‘round the corner are the holidays.  And then, no matter your level of play, people are going to ask you to play. The question isn’t whether they’ll ask, the question is –

WILL YOU BE READY?

The upside of the holidays is that the music doesn’t change much, so each year you can refresh tunes you have played in previous years and add a couple of new ones to broaden your repertoire. 

The downside (especially if you are less experienced or don’t often perform) is that people know all those tunes, so you might feel more stressed about making a mistake while playing.

That stress doesn’t make it easier to get through the season.  What will help is to give yourself time to get ready and to have a plan so you make the most of your practice time.

Are you sitting there secure that this won’t apply to you?  Consider this – playing for your family and/or your friends makes a lovely caring gift that they are sure to enjoy and cherish, so keep reading!

Here are a few ideas to help you prepare:

  • Take stock. Make a list of the tunes you want to play.  Try to make the list broad – some carols, some popular tunes.  Include those tunes that are essential to you for the holidays – those ones that give you a warm fuzzy feeling that it’s really here.  Then include the chestnuts and crowd pleasers and you’ll have a good list going.  Keep in mind that there are a lot of holidays in a few calendar weeks, so include music for those if you may have the opportunity to share.
  • Once you’ve listed those tunes, separate them into the ones you have played before and the ones you would like to learn for this year.  Don’t go crazy with adding new tunes – the point is to be successful, not to be made insane!
  • Make a Schedule. “The Holidays” seem to start earlier each year.  Early November is the new mid-December.  If you’re not gigging per se, you may have a couple of months to prepare, but if you aim to be ready by Halloween, you will have wiggle room if something doesn’t come easily.  You will definitely want to be comfortable by Thanksgiving.
  • Make a practice plan. Now that you have your list of tunes and a schedule, figure out when you’re going to practice what.  Mix up old and new tunes so you’re gaining breadth while also polishing the rusty things.  Be realistic about how many tunes you can learn and how long it will take to polish up tunes you already know.  Using your schedule and your list, plan time to polish and time to learn.  I like to write it on a calendar so i am very aware of how far along I am in preparing and how much time is remaining.  Also be ready to modify – if things are going poorly, reevaluate your list.  If things are going swimmingly, what else should you add?
  • Keep the other stuff going too. While everyone enjoys holiday music, we also also get saturated at some point.  So it’s a good idea to include a couple of non-holiday tunes as well.  This will also help keep your regular repertoire in your mind and hands – because you’ll need them as soon as the holidays are over!

We are watching September slide by, the Ides of September are going past us.  But with just a little bit of organization and focus, you will be able to be comfortably prepared for the entire holiday season with less stress.  And you’ll probably enjoy it more too! 

Have you been asked to play yet? What are you planning to play this holiday season?  Have you started yet?  Let me know (I might want to learn it!).

Ways to do it wrong!

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I’ve told you that I am immensely lazy, and I hope you are beginning to believe it!  Take the holidays, for instance.  My favorite time of year – pretty much the same music year after year.  Once you learn it, you are good…f-o-r-e-v-e-r! (cue maniacal laughter).

Holiday music – easy-peasy.  Or is it?  Same thing with your regular repertoire, of course, but it’s at the holidays it becomes really clear.  There are still loads of things you can do wrong – here are just 10:

  1. Don’t start practicing until right before you have to deliver.  After all, you’ve played it all before, so it won’t take too much time.  By assuring you don’t have enough time to practice everything you will be left feeling less confident – and who doesn’t like to perform feeling less than ready?  It also assures you don’t actually know the music cold – especially important because everyone you play for will definitely know the tunes, so you really have to deliver.
  2. Don’t add any new tunes.  One sure way to keep it dry is to play the same stuff year after year after year after…  That way all the tunes can be stale and as boring to you as you can get them.  And that won’t show when you play – really.
  3. Don’t keep up your “non-holiday” repertoire.  By the time the holidays are actually occurring, the people you’re playing for definitely won’t have been hearing holiday music since Halloween and they won’t be sick of the stuff.  And you won’t want to keep their interest by including a few non-holiday tunes, just to keep it fresh for them.
  4. Play everything like you always have. One of the best things about leaving practicing until the last minute is that you also won’t have time to insert some new ideas and you really won’t be able to work on new arrangements…and that way everything can be boring!
  5. Pick one holiday and stick with it.  After all, it’s not like people from varied traditions don’t all have holidays at the winter solstice time.  If you are in a widely diverse community or if you know you are likely to need music from different traditions – you wouldn’t want to be ready to serve everyone.
  6. Spend all your practice time on tunes. After all, what else is there to practice?  Working on exercises and technique builders certainly won’t help you play or learn new music.
  7. Don’t think ahead to next year.  It will be so much better to come out of the holiday season flat footed.  After all the hubbub of the season, you will not experience a motivational low or just the doldrums of the dead of winter, so failing to think ahead will definitely keep you from getting off to a good start in 2021.
  8. Definitely play all one type of tune.  There are so few options at the holidays that you will definitely want to only play Christmas carols.  Or the old tried-and-true Christmas songs.  That way you and everyone you play for can be railroaded into boredom.
  9. It’s just your family, it doesn’t have to be musical.  After all, they’ll have heard you practicing day after day –they won’t really need anything special from you.  So definitely just bang out the notes but don’t waste time on making it musical, just for them.
  10. Don’t forget that gifts are all about stuff – so no one (family, friends) would want a gift you’re your gift…or would they?

I know there are many other ways to do it wrong – at the holidays or any time through the year.  Let me know in the comments what I forgot…and what I got wrong!

What to play?

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How about a free arrangement of a classic?

We are always casting about for new things to play.  I am forever looking for tunes to add to my repertoire that meet my criteria:

  • I like the tune (after all, I have to learn it and then will hopefully play it forever, over and over again – liking it is very helpful)
  • It fits on the harp (because if I’m going to keep it, I have to be able to play it!)
  • It’s “catchy” (the tune structure lends itself to being easily parsed and remembered – because I need to learn it – typically quickly!)

Catchy is also helpful when people are listening – catchy means that they will recognize the tune more easily (and probably like it too).  And playing what people want to hear is one key to success. 

Classics are, by definition, well known and typically well liked.  And you’re probably going to be asked to play them.  So, having some under your belt will help you shine when you’re playing for anyone (want to bet your cat probably knows all the standards already too?).

So this week, the tune I’ll share with you is a classic traditional tune – well-known, well loved, and currently well used.  Everyone should have this one in their toolbox.  This arrangement is designed to be playable by advanced beginners.  The tune itself is short and so you’ll need to develop some of your own ideas too to make it last longer than a musical amuse bouche.  Use this arrangement as a launching board. 

The tune is hot right now since it is being used as the theme for the Outlander television series – the Skye Boat Song.  It is a song, so feel free to inflect it with all the emotion the lyrics suggest to you.  There is no joy to expansive, no pathos too pathetic – really work your musicality muscles.  And enjoy playing it!

This arrangement is free to subscribers.  Not a subscriber?  It’s easy, just sign up here and each week you’ll get a direct link to the blog, the occasional freebee and more. 

Let me know how you like the tune in the comments.  And if you’re really excited about it, send me a recording of what you’ve done – I’d love to hear from you!

 

 

 

 

Expand your musical reach – another stretch (or 7!)

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We have talked about stretching through making art and stretching our bodies.  There’s another place we need to stretch and that is in our music.  And it’s the perfect time to think about it – it will be the winter holidays and all the lovely opportunities to play will be coming.  I mention the holidays because they are the perfect foil for stretching our music.

The holidays are great from a repertoire perspective.  There is a relatively small set of tunes to work from and each year, those that have been on our set lists for a while seem to become easier to prepare and to play.  It’s also easier to knuckle under and practice – we know it’s coming; we know we’ll be playing; and we know the bulk of what we’ll bring to each performance.

That doesn’t exactly sound like stretching.

And that’s why it’s so great!  There are loads of holiday tunes – so you probably don’t know them all.  But you know some and so each year you can add another one or two to fill in your set list.  But we have to fight the urge to be lazy and just play all the same stuff. 

I don’t know about you, but I really like hearing new (to me) stuff at the holidays.  From countries whose music I don’t know well, from new sources, and from the set of those songs that hardly anyone records but are just so good. 

So, the holidays are an opportunity to stretch ourselves – musically.

What does stretching musically mean? Trying new things!  It can be adding techniques we don’t usually use, playing music we don’t usually play, finding stuff we didn’t know existed and fitting it into our lives, arranging music we like (from other instruments) and playing it on the harp, or more.

How is stretching musically good for us?  Here are seven unsurprising ways (some of these might sound familiar since they are as with making art)

  1. Stretching is (still) the opposite of static!  Static is not moving or changing.  Static introduces b-o-r-i-n-g into your playing.  It also means that you’re not growing as a musician.  So, learn how to do some effect you think is cool…and actually use it in your playing!  Do the work of technique practice.  And after learning some new technique, actually add it to your playing!
  2. Stretching makes you more flexible.  By adding new music, new sources, new techniques, new practice approaches, just new stuff to your playing, you will begin to explore yourself more and bring that into your playing and performance.  And you will be free to do more than you thought you could when you were less flexible.
  3. Stretching helps defeat stress.  The more you stretch your music, the more comfortable you become with playing it – because you’ll become more accustomed to being stretched.  In your practice, in performance, in ensemble, in sessions – no matter where you’re playing you will be more relaxed, able to enjoy the process and product of making music.  That comfort is an indication of your reduced stress.
  4. Stretching helps overcome pain and discomfort.  You might decide to stretch your music when you feel the discomfort be becoming bored.  Of course, once you decide to stretch your music, you might feel self-conscious, uneducated, or ignorant.  The music activities that stretch you might make you feel uncomfortable in and of themselves.  But keeping at it – a little bit each day – will help you be more comfortable and soon, you’ll be interested in the flexibility of trying new music.  I’d suggest adding time for creativity in your practice each day so you will be able to stretch musically with less (perceived) “stiffness”.
  5. Stretching helps you focus.  You can be mindful when you are stretching your music.  Mindful of what it is about the music that attracts (or repels) you, what technique elements you need to work on, what your harp really shines with.  In addition, a broader repertoire may help you to feel more accomplished and allow you to comfortably book gigs previously out of reach.  Be sure to pay attention as you’re stretching your music to identify what to keep on doing.
  6. Stretching improves your range.  As you add music to your toolbox, and include the listening, reading, technique and effects the new music might require of you, you will become more able to do more things with greater musicality – and add new things more quickly.
  7. Stretching stretches you.  There’s nothing like playing something you never thought you’d be able to (or possibly even that you never thought about adding) to boost your confidence and encourage you to try even more new things!

Stretching – the gentle kind that broadens your abilities, and leaves you relaxed and enjoying making music, is just what you need.  With these seven stretches you might become a better musician!  What kind of music might you add to stretch yourself?  What else might you do to stretch yourself musically?  Tell me in the comments – I can’t wait to hear!

How do you know that you know what you know? The trap of the large repertoire

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There is a false freedom in having a large repertoire:

  • You feel more confident when every tune in your set is a well-honed workhorse.
  • You don’t have to work too hard to play a wedding, a funeral, a tea party, and a concert back to back because you have the rep in hand.
  • The looks you get from other musicians when you play a three-hour gig with just a set list (yes, it is juvenile and silly…but also honest (and lighter than carrying a music stand and a binder or ipad)).

But that same large repertoire is a trap!

  • Because you are “set” to play just about any set, the motivation to add tunes can be pretty low.
  • Because when you play the same stuff all the time, it will get stale, no matter how much you love it.
  • Because when you put a long time between learning new tunes, it begins to feel harder to learn the tune, to master it, to smooth it out, and to eventually perform it.
  • Because when you’re not growing…you’re dying!

So, you need to walk the line between settling into a large repertoire you can confidently and comfortably pull it out at a moment’s notice and living (maybe on the edge while learning new stuff that you may not have completely comfortable with it before you walk it out on stage!*)

If you’re going to escape this repertoire trap, you need to do a couple of things:

  1. You need to know what you already know. Write down that repertoire! You can make a list, or you can make a caldron: For each tune you know (and eventually those you are learning) write an index card. Include the title, composer (if appropriate), tune type, the key you play it in (or the number of sharps or flats to set), the source, and if you need it, copy the first couple of measures (and anything else that will help you remember the tune so you can play it). You can file the cards any way that helps you – alphabetical by title or by tune types (all jigs together, all reels together, etc.), or by use (all wedding prelude tunes together, all “party pieces” together, all tunes “in progress” together (helpful hints – don’t mix filing types (some by title, some by tune type); no matter what language the title is in, and no matter how many titles the tune might have, file the card under the title that you think of for the tune (for instance, although it is best titled “Crodh Laoigh nam Bodach”, I know it as “Old Man’s Young Calves” so I filed it under “O” not “C”). Once you have it going, you have a representation of your repertoire in one place and in a form that will help you make up set lists, practice, and know what you know.
  2. You need to know what you do not already know.  Make a list – of all the tunes you don’t know, but wish you did. You can wish you did because they get played in your session all the time, or because you really like the tune, or because someone has requested you play it, or because you need more hornpipes. The reason is immaterial – so long as you know what you’re going to work on next! This list will always be dauntingly large, will always grow, and will be constantly reshuffled. So, it might be a good idea for these to also be index cards (so you can seamlessly move them into the learned pile!).
  3. You need to move tunes from one group to the other.  Use these lists to organize your practice – you already know you don’t keep that much music in your head without refreshing it – but now you can actively structure your practice to include refreshers and just plain fresh (or maybe “under-ripe”?) – but this way you’re learning and building and keeping up with yourself.

What are your repertoire traps? How do you escape your repertoire traps? Let us know in the comments below.

* here you need to be completely honest with yourself – don’t put yourself into the situation of having to perform something that just is not ready! It is not kind to yourself, to the audience, or to the tune itself!