I'm still without a taiko group at the moment, so when I found a cheap plane ticket, I thought I'd jump over to Boston to practice with Odaiko New England. Anything for a chance to hit drums! Actually, I got to know 3 of the members of ONE during STI this year, Joy, Beth and Tanya. The leader of ONE, Mark H. Rooney actually lived and studied taiko in Wakayama with some of the same people I did. It was great to meet the rest of the group, too! So, besides good taiko in Boston, I also have good friends.
Practice last night was very fun. Mark actually set aside a small amount of practice for those of us who attended STI to re-visit some of what we learned and give a small demonstration. I think I could use some more practice pulling the song apart and applying the 1234 Drill (explained in the Extension to last week's drill). The great thing about timing drills is that they shouldn't ever get old--we can always get better at timing.
Shoji Kameda talked about understanding rhythms at STI and I'll post the video below as today's drill. Have you ever heard yourself say something like "I can only play it if I think of it in 3 even though it's played in 4"? I think moments like that are exciting because it means the chance to try to get your brain to understand a rhythm or pattern in a new way. This drill helps with just that.
Focus: Timing, Counting
A place for useful tips, drills, and information about taiko.
Showing posts with label On Ensemble. Show all posts
Showing posts with label On Ensemble. Show all posts
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Taiko Drill Part 46, Understanding Rhythms
Counting while playing taiko is not a strength of mine.
During Shippu Uchi Daiko's warm-up we often do a set of speedy paraddidles and each person solos over the pattern. Then it repeats and the solo passes to the next person. I love the challenge of a solo, but I can only seem to keep it together if I let my whole mind and body get lost in the rhythms, kind of like dancing. Unfortunately, if I don't count while I'm soloing, I inevitably overlap with the next person's solo or get stuck with an odd number of dead air beats because I didn't complete the specified number of measures.
I grew up playing the flute and singing and can read sheet music. But, I also grew up dancing which is where I was taught to understand rhythm by listening and feeling, in a less precise or technical way.
How one understands rhythm is affected heavily by the way the teacher chooses to or can explain it to them. What's the best way to understand rhythm? I say, ask lots of people how they understand it! The wider perspective you have, the deeper you can truly go with it. Reading sheet music made me a better taiko player, taiko made me a better tap dancer, and dancing helped me to understand sheet music in new ways.
So, here's today's drill from Summer Taiko Institute 2009 with On Ensemble!
Focus: Timing, Counting
The drill continues on to 2, and then 3 hits for every count. If you really want it, I can probably dig up the video somewhere--email me!
Extension:
The next step with this drill is to apply it to the songs you're practicing. Take the time to go through beat, by beat, and break down the rhythms so you can really understand when the hits should occur. Then, play it at 25% the normal speed to practice counting. Try this with your whole group and notice the difference in timing!
During Shippu Uchi Daiko's warm-up we often do a set of speedy paraddidles and each person solos over the pattern. Then it repeats and the solo passes to the next person. I love the challenge of a solo, but I can only seem to keep it together if I let my whole mind and body get lost in the rhythms, kind of like dancing. Unfortunately, if I don't count while I'm soloing, I inevitably overlap with the next person's solo or get stuck with an odd number of dead air beats because I didn't complete the specified number of measures.
I grew up playing the flute and singing and can read sheet music. But, I also grew up dancing which is where I was taught to understand rhythm by listening and feeling, in a less precise or technical way.
How one understands rhythm is affected heavily by the way the teacher chooses to or can explain it to them. What's the best way to understand rhythm? I say, ask lots of people how they understand it! The wider perspective you have, the deeper you can truly go with it. Reading sheet music made me a better taiko player, taiko made me a better tap dancer, and dancing helped me to understand sheet music in new ways.
So, here's today's drill from Summer Taiko Institute 2009 with On Ensemble!
Focus: Timing, Counting
The drill continues on to 2, and then 3 hits for every count. If you really want it, I can probably dig up the video somewhere--email me!
Extension:
The next step with this drill is to apply it to the songs you're practicing. Take the time to go through beat, by beat, and break down the rhythms so you can really understand when the hits should occur. Then, play it at 25% the normal speed to practice counting. Try this with your whole group and notice the difference in timing!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Kris' Practice Philosophy
Last week at the Summer Taiko Institute in LA, Kris shared with us some of his thoughts on practicing taiko. He was also nice enough to let me post the video here.
Be aware that he's using specific examples from the song they taught during the workshops, so for those of you who weren't there, when he talks about "zu ku", he's referring to two small sounds created by leaving the stick to vibrate at the head of the drum.
Also, when the airplane flies overhead (sorry!), he's talking about practicing with a mirror.
After you watch, if you'd like to read more about his thoughts, you can visit his essay called Thoughts on Practice.
On a side note, a group of people from all over will be doing Kris' 30 Days to Better Shime starting later this week. Contact Kris directly through the On Ensemble website to get on the email list for this free program!
Be aware that he's using specific examples from the song they taught during the workshops, so for those of you who weren't there, when he talks about "zu ku", he's referring to two small sounds created by leaving the stick to vibrate at the head of the drum.
Also, when the airplane flies overhead (sorry!), he's talking about practicing with a mirror.
After you watch, if you'd like to read more about his thoughts, you can visit his essay called Thoughts on Practice.
On a side note, a group of people from all over will be doing Kris' 30 Days to Better Shime starting later this week. Contact Kris directly through the On Ensemble website to get on the email list for this free program!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Make it Your Own, STI Day 3
Time has flown by so quickly! STI is over and we're moving, full-force, into a jam-packed NATC weekend. Hopefully I'll snag some time to keep writing!
Yesterday was the final day of the 2009 Summer Taiko Institute. I was sad to see it go... There's really something great about gathering with a group of people who've never played together before, learning with them, getting challenged by and with them, and bringing it all together with a performance. (okay, it was more like a "showing".)
The song we learned, like Omiyage, is meant to be shared with the taiko community--anyone can perform it. In Shoji's opinion Omiyage, which has been released under a free art license failed to take shape has he hoped, so yesterday morning he spoke to us about how he really wishes this new song to be used by the taiko community.
On Ensemble really embraces differences in people. There's no one way to play taiko--this was communicated loud and clear. But, in addition to that, it's also important to explore and discover what works for you. What is taiko? You must experiment and discover that for yourself. If you want to really say something when you're on the stage, you must take ownership of what you're playing.
Keeping this in mind, Shoji went on to explain that if you use this new song, he hopes you'll make it your own. Take it, pull it apart, put it back together, experiment, share it. Don't say this song is "by Shoji Kameda" because when you use it, it should be yours.
Take a look at one of our final rehearsals of the song below. Be sure to visit my YouTube page for more videos from the week! (I'll continue to post videos in the coming weeks.)
Yesterday was the final day of the 2009 Summer Taiko Institute. I was sad to see it go... There's really something great about gathering with a group of people who've never played together before, learning with them, getting challenged by and with them, and bringing it all together with a performance. (okay, it was more like a "showing".)
The song we learned, like Omiyage, is meant to be shared with the taiko community--anyone can perform it. In Shoji's opinion Omiyage, which has been released under a free art license failed to take shape has he hoped, so yesterday morning he spoke to us about how he really wishes this new song to be used by the taiko community.
On Ensemble really embraces differences in people. There's no one way to play taiko--this was communicated loud and clear. But, in addition to that, it's also important to explore and discover what works for you. What is taiko? You must experiment and discover that for yourself. If you want to really say something when you're on the stage, you must take ownership of what you're playing.
Keeping this in mind, Shoji went on to explain that if you use this new song, he hopes you'll make it your own. Take it, pull it apart, put it back together, experiment, share it. Don't say this song is "by Shoji Kameda" because when you use it, it should be yours.
Take a look at one of our final rehearsals of the song below. Be sure to visit my YouTube page for more videos from the week! (I'll continue to post videos in the coming weeks.)
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Ghost Notes, STI Day 2
STI is set up in a great way this year. Each of On Ensemble's members gives instruction on specific skills and technique, and then we learn parts of a brand new composition in smaller, break-out groups. Simply put, we are taught a skill and are then given a very immediate and practical way to apply it.
Yesterday, Kelvin Underwood talked about ghost notes as an essential way to keep timing. Ghost notes make up the steady beat the audience doesn't hear while you're playing, but you should always hear it in your head. There's one thing that Kelvin said that I really liked and I'll try my best to recapture here.
We each have our own individual pulse. These pulses do not keep steady time and often fluctuate--perhaps your heart beats faster for a few beats and then slows down. When a group of people play taiko, a steady, shared pulse is created. The goal, then, is to keep that shared pulse to carry you together, through a song.
Last night, a group gathered in the lobby of the Miyako hotel to practice the song we've been learning with a metronome. Using 1 wasn't quite loud enough, so we tried to start 2, simultanously. Suzee, a fellow STI participant, mentioned the idea that if you play metronomes together they will eventually sync on their own. We didn't experiment with this last night, but I think it's a great way to tie together what Kelvin taught us yesterday:
If you put taiko players in a room, and everyone is counting the same ghost beats and feeling it become their own inner pulse: Sync Happens.
Here's a little clip from our lobby practice!
Yesterday, Kelvin Underwood talked about ghost notes as an essential way to keep timing. Ghost notes make up the steady beat the audience doesn't hear while you're playing, but you should always hear it in your head. There's one thing that Kelvin said that I really liked and I'll try my best to recapture here.
We each have our own individual pulse. These pulses do not keep steady time and often fluctuate--perhaps your heart beats faster for a few beats and then slows down. When a group of people play taiko, a steady, shared pulse is created. The goal, then, is to keep that shared pulse to carry you together, through a song.
Last night, a group gathered in the lobby of the Miyako hotel to practice the song we've been learning with a metronome. Using 1 wasn't quite loud enough, so we tried to start 2, simultanously. Suzee, a fellow STI participant, mentioned the idea that if you play metronomes together they will eventually sync on their own. We didn't experiment with this last night, but I think it's a great way to tie together what Kelvin taught us yesterday:
If you put taiko players in a room, and everyone is counting the same ghost beats and feeling it become their own inner pulse: Sync Happens.
Here's a little clip from our lobby practice!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Narasu, Summer Taiko Institute (STI) Day 1
I'm here in LA for the Summer Taiko Institute with On Ensemble. We had a great first day and I took lots of video clips that I'd love to share with you, but will have to upload them later--keep an eye out for them. I'll post a Twitter when I actually get them up.
Yesterday was jam-packed with lots of instruction and I really can't recapture everything here. So, my thought is that I'll take one thing that stuck out in my mind for the day and share it with you.
Kris Bergstrom talked quite a bit about "narasu" as he explained On Ensemble's stance when playing the drum. "Narasu" is the verb in Japanese for "to ring" or "to chime". He suggested that, as we consider our role in standing before a taiko, we think "narasu" instead of "tataku" which means simply "to hit" or "to strike".
Kris and On Ensemble's stance really focuses on connecting with the drum, rather than connecting with your audience. They accomplish this by creating a gentle space between your body and the drum as well as between your arms and the drum, focusing more in the drum's direction with your eyes and your upper body, and setting your feet up more vertically (right foot further back than most).
However, like everything they shared, everything is flexible depending on circumstance: What kind of mood does your song have? Do you want to show a connection with the audience instead? How about connecting with your fellow members? Considering and discussing the relationship your own group has to taiko, to each other, and your audience when playing, and then experimenting how to do this is a great way to refine your group's own style.
It's important to keep in mind that there's no one way to play taiko. I think when someone has only one or a few resources, it's certainly tough to keep this in mind.
But, if the above seems to ring true for your taiko goals, get out there and ring your drum!
Yesterday was jam-packed with lots of instruction and I really can't recapture everything here. So, my thought is that I'll take one thing that stuck out in my mind for the day and share it with you.
Kris Bergstrom talked quite a bit about "narasu" as he explained On Ensemble's stance when playing the drum. "Narasu" is the verb in Japanese for "to ring" or "to chime". He suggested that, as we consider our role in standing before a taiko, we think "narasu" instead of "tataku" which means simply "to hit" or "to strike".
Kris and On Ensemble's stance really focuses on connecting with the drum, rather than connecting with your audience. They accomplish this by creating a gentle space between your body and the drum as well as between your arms and the drum, focusing more in the drum's direction with your eyes and your upper body, and setting your feet up more vertically (right foot further back than most).
However, like everything they shared, everything is flexible depending on circumstance: What kind of mood does your song have? Do you want to show a connection with the audience instead? How about connecting with your fellow members? Considering and discussing the relationship your own group has to taiko, to each other, and your audience when playing, and then experimenting how to do this is a great way to refine your group's own style.
It's important to keep in mind that there's no one way to play taiko. I think when someone has only one or a few resources, it's certainly tough to keep this in mind.
But, if the above seems to ring true for your taiko goals, get out there and ring your drum!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Taiko Drill Part 44, DON TSU KU (taiko set)
Hey there! One of these days I'm going to get all these posts organized, but it's a bit too busy right now. I'm leaving for Summer Taiko Institute in LA with On Ensemble in just 2 days and am looking forward to some new challenges to mind, body, and rhythm!
In the meantime, today's drill is quite simple. Hopefully you've gotten a sense of how to move smoothly back and forth between drums at a moderate pace. Here's another pattern to practice just that.
Focus: Form, Timing
Watch For:
1. Be sure to use a metronome to practice this drill. This helps tremendously with timing. Always work at a comfortable speed where you can keep the pace steady. Need a metronome? Check out my brief intro to my newest Dr. Beat.
2. Keep control from your core!
Today's pattern is 3 don tsuku, followed by do ko do ko. This basic pattern is looped. Aim for 15-20 minutes without stopping.
The initial "don" is played on your high-pitched drum, to your right. The following "tsu ku" and next 2 "don tsu kus" are on the lower-pitched drum, to your left. The initial "do ko" is played on the left drum, and the second is played on the right drum.
Check out the video for an example (I can't view the video at the moment, so I hope the above explanation is correct!):
I'll be playing next week by ear since I'll be in in LA all week for STI and NATC. I'm really looking forward to hitting a drum right now!
Anyone out there going to NATC??
In the meantime, today's drill is quite simple. Hopefully you've gotten a sense of how to move smoothly back and forth between drums at a moderate pace. Here's another pattern to practice just that.
Focus: Form, Timing
Watch For:
1. Be sure to use a metronome to practice this drill. This helps tremendously with timing. Always work at a comfortable speed where you can keep the pace steady. Need a metronome? Check out my brief intro to my newest Dr. Beat.
2. Keep control from your core!
Today's pattern is 3 don tsuku, followed by do ko do ko. This basic pattern is looped. Aim for 15-20 minutes without stopping.
The initial "don" is played on your high-pitched drum, to your right. The following "tsu ku" and next 2 "don tsu kus" are on the lower-pitched drum, to your left. The initial "do ko" is played on the left drum, and the second is played on the right drum.
Check out the video for an example (I can't view the video at the moment, so I hope the above explanation is correct!):
I'll be playing next week by ear since I'll be in in LA all week for STI and NATC. I'm really looking forward to hitting a drum right now!
Anyone out there going to NATC??
Friday, July 3, 2009
Kris' 30 Days to Better Shime, in print!
Kris Bergstrom's (On Ensemble) free online program, 30 Days to Better Shime, is available in print form. You can download the PDF here. All audio tracks are available for free download as well.
Or for $30 you get:
Or for $30 you get:
- 30 daily exercises for shime daiko
- a bubble calendar (pop a bubble after each day completed!)
- CD with audio tracks, including metronome tracks for practice
- Twice weekly email check-ins from Kris himself for 30 days of your choice
This program has great explanations and support. Kris doesn't just tell you how to do things, he asks you to create and challenge yourself as well. For example, he'll introduce a Rhythm Maker (p. 49) as a way to create a series of rhythms randomly. He also offers regular assessment tools throughout the program--you'll really notice your improvements!
Kris Bergstrom is a great taiko player, but also a very helpful person who wants to share and answer questions. If you download the program, please consider making a donation for all he did to put this together.
Note: This is not a beginning-level program. You should have at least some taiko experience.
Check out the OnEnsemble blog pages. They're a fun read and often updated:
30 Days to Better Shime will be available for purchase at NATC.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
NATC update and Taiko Jam!
In case you haven't checked the NATC website recently, registration opened on April 12. You can conveniently pay online this year, right through the website. This year's cost is $250, with discounts for youth (under 25) and JACCC members.
The list of workshops is available, though you must sign up with a log-in name and password in order to view them. Online registration is not yet available, but when it is activated you can only register for workshops if your payment has been verified. (So, if you've got your eye on a popular workshop, register now so you can be sure to get in!)
Taiko Jam 2009
Saturday, August 8, 8:00pm
Sunday, August 9, 3:00pm
The list of workshops is available, though you must sign up with a log-in name and password in order to view them. Online registration is not yet available, but when it is activated you can only register for workshops if your payment has been verified. (So, if you've got your eye on a popular workshop, register now so you can be sure to get in!)
Taiko Jam 2009
Saturday, August 8, 8:00pm
Sunday, August 9, 3:00pm
includes performances by:
With only 2 shows, tickets are sure to sell out fast at $32-$35! In fact, from my estimation, as of today the Saturday show is already a little less than 1/3 sold out and the Sunday show at just about 1/4.
Tickets for Taiko Jam are not included in NATC registration.
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