Musicality

In San Jose Taiko, one of our four guiding principles is Musical Technique. This principle covers how we learn what we play, the balance between the two hands, speed and tempo, listening and fitting into the ensemble, etc.

In taiko we tend to focus on good technique, good striking, fast hands, etc. This is the "technique". But I'm often left wanting more "musical".

Naturally, the drums are about rhythm. You hit the drum twice, you make a rhythm! But to make taiko "musical", we need to start considering what else we can do:

• Ma is often overlooked or minimized. It's the distance, the space between notes. Sure, by simply playing less notes, you effectively generate ma, but it's an art to actively use ma to accentuate passages of music. It's the difference between taking a breath in order to talk more and pausing for dramatic effect.

• Simply playing notes in tempo can still sound disorganized and random, especially in solos. I don't think it's going out on a limb to say most listeners like something to follow along with. You can have a solo that sounds like someone tipping a big bucket of golf balls on the drums, but...well, why not just use the bucket if it's going to sound that way when you play?
  

• Tones can add a huge element of texture to taiko, even if it's as simple as higher drums playing one pattern while lower drums play another. More sophisticated compositions can play with that idea, like having the low tones play the ji of the song while the higher tones carry the melody.

• Simple works! Sure, it's awesome to see and hear someone blast all-out and play intricate, fast patterns, but until you can do that yourself, don't feel you have to "settle" for boring and slow. I see audiences getting really excited for some of the simplest stuff that's done well.

• For less hectic, driving pieces, exploring the range of sounds a taiko can make can be a lot of fun. Changing the beater you hit with (smaller, bigger, lighter, mallets, etc.) opens up a new world of possibilities. Adding non-Japanese instruments (whether percussion or not) also is still pretty uncommon in NA taiko, but I hope to see that changing over time.

When it comes down to it, a lot of taiko that I hear is musically interesting. But it's not something that just happens - thought, planning, and/or skill are needed to make that work. We don't often think of the "output" of what we play outside of good strike vs.bad strike.

Put yourself in the audience and ask what you'd like to hear. I'd bet you'd appreciate textures, contours, and variety even if it's "only drums", no? :)

Question Everything: Clapping

So how do you clap your hands? It's a simple question, right?

• Which hand is on top, or which thumb is on the bottom? (Righties tend to have right on top/left bottom, and lefties the opposite.)
  
• Do you clap fingers-to-palm or palm-to-palm?
• Do you cup your "top" hand to make a more rounded noise or keep it flat for a sharper one?
• Do you keep your elbows in or let space underneath?
• Do you clap quickly or loudly?
• If keeping time with something, do you "bounce" off or keep them together for a moment?

I never thought about how I clapped until I took a body percussion workshop one day. It didn't change how I clapped, but helped me understand my body better. I was able to know the sounds I made and know how to modify them when I wanted.

Sometimes it only takes awareness of a small thing to have a big impact. Look at something you do without thinking - how you grip a steering wheel, how you use chopsticks, how you strike a drum, etc., and ask yourself, how am I doing this?

New Song Diary: History

Looking at my songwriting history, there are six pieces in my past. I think it's important to see where I've been to know where I'm going:

- The first song: Shinka

I co-wrote this piece with another member of the group, and it was okay for a first piece, but definitely needed polishing. We came up with the ji together, the pulse, but each threw our own ideas into the pot.

One issue we ran into was that two of the three main players in the piece were facing away from the audience. They were very static and hampered the energy that could have gone outwards. We did had a line of 3 shime off to the side that were the "horns" section, which I still think is a nifty idea.

- The second song: Mismatch

This was my "kitchen sink". I wanted to do so much and threw it all in there. There was portable okedo, odaiko, theme multiple themes, hocketed patterns, duets, trios...

There was some really good stuff in there, but it was muddled with all the other stuff. It also ran way too long for us, being that most songs in SJT run five minutes and mine was nearer to eight! Even though it came and went, it taught me what NOT to do when it comes to a composition, and I got to get out so much stuff that I had a clearer palette the next time.

- The first encore.

For encores, SJT tends to want everyone involved and a chance for each to bow (usually in rows or groups). It should be less work to learn than a regular song, as well.

I had two themes that I built this encore around: Soul Train and a music video from Daft Punk. lol. The latter was really minor and didn't turn out as I wanted, and the former had to be modified quite a bit, but there was a party feel and ultimately it was fun to play! That comes across to the audience, so it was a success overall.

- The third song: Rhythmus

Man, what a weird title. I'm rarely inspired on titles; it always feels weird to "define" a piece I've written by giving it one. Anyways, I had three main themes on this song: Visually, I wanted to convey the feeling of clockwork, and I arranged the drums to facilitate sharp movements between them. Musically, I had a pattern with a strong pulse.

This song almost worked. It had momentum but never quite came together, I think. If I had expanded on more of the visual elements, or somehow built the ending up to something more powerful, it could have been a keeper.

- The second encore.

I really had a plan with this one. I had a super-catchy ji and multiple circles of various groups of instruments, with each group getting a section to show off.

There were two big problems, however. The hand percussion section was neglected and that was my fault. I sort of left them to figure things out and it turned out to be mostly improv between the four of them and a half-ass ending that I wrote. The other problem was that I wrote a song and not an encore. It required more time than I had, and it was also my fault. If I had done it as a song, I think it would have worked much better.

- The fourth song: Commotion

This song wrote itself. Musically, most of the patterns had been in my head from music I listened to since my teenage years. It was a matter of just splicing and layering them on top of each other. The music also led to a more upbeat, energetic style of song, so that helped me design the movements. This time, I knew what I wanted and it was a matter of making it sound right. There's a video of it here.

It turned out to be too short at first, barely three minutes. I had to figure out how to extend it without simply doubling a section, so I expanded on the "commotion" theme and it also added a nice textural shift in the song without losing the soul of the piece. It also makes you sweat and smile when you play, which is a big plus in my book!

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So what did I learn?

• Workshopping ideas with other people is a big help. You don't waste everyone's time and you can identify and deal with potential problem areas early on.

• You need to be more than one step ahead of what you teach. In other words, you need to know more of the structure to come than just what you're teaching that night. It'll help you deal with unexpected questions and keep you focused.

• Even if you do have a structure in mind, know that unexpected potholes can and will appear. Stay flexible! Again, having a solid concept can really help here.

• Keep the kitchen sink in the kitchen. Think of the songs that stand out to you - do you remember the ones that go all over the place thematically? Odds are, it's the ones that did something special for you, either melodically, visually, or emotionally that stick with you.
  

• Finally, don't be afraid to fail. You might find yourself with a song that just doesn't work for you or your group. At worst, it's a learning experience. At best, you can regroup and take it in a different direction.

Drill: How to play taiko.

Step 1: Play taiko.

The end.

Seriously!






What? Still reading? I meant what I said!

You have to just do it. The more you practice it, the better you'll get at it. That goes for sparring, painting, dancing, everything. You can take workshops, you can ask the "experts", but it's all words. Action brings experience, and experience brings growth.

So, just do it. And keep doing it!

New Song Diary: Prologue

I want to write a new taiko song.

But I'm going to do something different.

I have approximately 1,260 song ideas in my head at any given time. Some days it's as low as 1,145, but you know how it is. Yes, I'm kidding. :P

I have a folder full of scores for my notation software and a document for visual ideas. I even have a song idea that I've work-shopped with the group 2-3 times, but I don't want to work on something I already have ideas for.

I want to come up with a piece from scratch, without knowing anything about it before I start. That's why I'm starting this new thread series, "New Song Diary" for three main reasons:

1. I meet people who tell me they have song ideas, but never know how to start making it happen. Maybe blogging my own process will help inspire or guide someone past their obstacles.
2. It will somewhat hold me accountable to actually write the damned thing, instead of just adding to my folder/list of ideas.
3. Could be fun!

I'll pop this topic up as things happen; next time I'll talk about how I'll choose what sort of song to create (festival vs. concert) and looking at what my strengths and weaknesses are.

I don't know how long this experiment will take, but I would love to hear feedback and field questions along the way should any of you be so inclined. :)

UK Tour, Day 6: Wrapping up...

Again, this happened yesterday, but who's keeping track, right?

We had a leisurely morning before heading off to perform two school shows about 45 minutes away. The first audience was a younger crowd, impeccably behaved almost to the point of eerie-ness. It wasn't a bad thing, just unusual for us! The second crowd, on the older side, was more like we're used to; noisy and a bit disruptive. Jonathan was apologetic but we assured him that it really was like the audiences we deal with back home. :)

From there, back to our host homes to freshen up before the tea party/BBQ/after-party. On the way, snacks were provided and it was sort of like a mobile picnic! I did a most of my packing when I got back, since who knew when we'd actually get home from the party. Granted, it was only a 5-minute walk away, but I had the time.

The party was a lot of fun. Performers, friends, and family were in attendance; about 60 people got to relax and enjoy the evening. There was plenty to drink, some great food (lots of meat for me), ping pong in the rain, and when the rain cleared up, a hilarious game of croquette. I say hilarious because we all sucked at it something terrible! Still, our lack of skill made it even more fun...

So here I am waiting for the coach to pick us up in 20 minutes; it's been a whirlwind of taiko and new friends and old since we landed 6 days ago. I hate to leave; we just scraped the surface of what's happening out here and there's so much more to share and learn from each other! I daresay this has been the best tour I've experienced in my 17 years of taiko.

From here, who knows what will happen. There's been talk of exchanging songs, having Kagemusha Taiko members visit SJT for our workshop weekends, getting them over for Taiko Conference, etc. It would be a shame for the North American taiko community to miss out on what's been going on here!

Thanks to everyone who made our trip so much fun, and a special thanks to Jonathan for making this all happen!

UK Tour, Day 5: Brilliant!

So technically, all of this happened yesterday, but I was up until 3am and I was only going to get six hours of sleep as it was, so writing this post had to wait!

The day started with a walk down to the river, to catch a little more taiko at the continuation of the 6th Annual UK Taiko Festival. We only got to catch two groups before we took off to the theater, unfortunately.

Once there, it was the usual load-and-tech-in, but we had about half the usual time and we were working with Kagemusha Taiko's equipment. The latter wasn't much of an issue, but getting everything done in time was. Around 4:00, we worked with the Kagemusha Taiko Group to do the encore with them on stage. We grabbed Oliver and Pippa Kirby (also in KTG) to get them up to speed on doing a bit of soloing with us in the beginning of that same encore. I'll give them both props for doing so well - playing with uchiwa daiko (fan drums) and bounding about the stage isn't easy to do with little preparation!

At 7:30, KTG performed a 30-minute set and we got to sit out in the audience to watch. It felt pretty special to see KTG really cut loose with their ensemble! They have their own definite style, energy, and sensibility when they play, and it really struck me to see what similarities to SJT came across without ever feeling like it being a "version" or "copy" of us. If anything, it felt more like we shared a common bond as performers.

When it was our turn, we steeled ourselves for a 70-minute show (a definite endurance-pusher) but immediately felt the crowd's excitement when we stepped on stage. There were the usual brain farts, but very little was noticeable to the audience. The energy from the crowd really helped push through being tired, but I was happy to not ever feel too drained; I was having too much fun! In Oedo Bayashi, our finale piece, I heard applause in the middle of my solo and I wish I could remember what I was doing...something about swinging one arm around and playing with the other, my back to the audience? Ah well, it was fun nonetheless.

The after-party was a real blast, held upstairs at a local pub. Aside from the great food, we got to talk to a lot of the KTG group (and extended "family" of same). Back home, we had a couple of the KTG players coming back to our host family and had another few hours to sit around and chat with everyone here; family, friends, performers, etc. It was worth staying up so late, although I know I'll be feeling the lack of sleep later on. :)

Today we'll be doing two school shows early in the afternoon and then off to tea at one of the other host families. I've heard there's a BBQ to be there as well; but I'm really looking forward to talking again with all the KTG people who can be there with us. I don't know when I'll be this way again, so I want to get in as much taiko-bonding as I can!