PHSD CAMP-DAY 4

After morning meeting we got together with our group and worked on some tunes. So far we have learned parts of the following tune types: Strathsbeys, Slow airs, jigs, reels and a hornpipe. We worked on a very complex hornpipe and I learned how to do embellishments called “Pele’s”. Jori says they are modern constructs named after the famous soccer player Pele. I am assuming they are so named because Pele could do magical moves with a soccer ball that no one else could master.

Our group is in chaos. We have decided to play Dark Island for our piece at the Ciel Deh (pronounced “cayley” meaning gathering), To add flair, we are planning to sing the first verse of the tune and the chorus. Then one of the better pipers will play the first verse. Then all of us will chime in on the second round and the chorus. The problem is that only about 4 out of the ten of us wants to practice. The others have various reasons whey they are either above practicing or too below our level to even make an attempt. Whatever the excuses, I think that they are letting their nerves talk them out of the attempt. I am sticking to my credo: “I intend to play badly until I don’t, so there”.

This evening I went to a very good workshop on proper study habits. Here are some of the things I learned: Before playing a tune for the first time, dissect it. Use a pencil and mark our each of the beats. Use colored markers to highlighted repeated measures that are identical, clap out the beats of the tune while singing it in your head. Only after you get to know your new tune should you attempt to play it. Also, work on the tough parts separately and get them very clean. Never just play a tune over and over. The most important thing is not to learn the tune wrong. If you simply play it over and over, you will simply imprint the tune with your mistakes included.