My goal this week was to learn more about general music theory.
Work Tasks
Date
Task Description
Time Spent
Was this a Best Practice?
4/24
I practiced playing the bass intro to “Red Barchetta”.
I spent the rest of the period reading Hooktheory I.
12 minutes
30 minutes
Practicing the tune was mostly for fun, so I suppose it was a good practice. Hooktheory I has more useful information about music theory, with examples used from specific songs, so I do feel I’m benefitting from reading it.
4/25
I practiced the same tune from yesterday.
I spent the rest of the time reading Hooktheory I; specifically, chapters about chord structure and progressions.
5 minutes
28 minutes
Yes. I learned about different chord combinations, stability and instability, and resolution in chord progressions.
4/26
I spent the period reading the “Modern Band Method” book on keyboards.
17 minutes
Kind of? I’m interested in playing keyboard, so reading this book felt helpful for understanding the basics; but since I’m not actively playing keys, I don’t feel that knowledge is being applied well.
4/27
I continued reading and finished Hooktheory I.
I spent the rest of the period continuing to read the “Modern Band Method” book on keyboards.
22 minutes
12 minutes
I think so. Hooktheory I taught me some useful things about the theory behind different chords and progressions, so I feel a bit less blind in that department of music theory.
4/28
I spent the period trying to come up with an original composition in Hookpad, following the pitch from that kid in Game Design.
By May 5, I will learn the pre-chorus of the song Seaskape by Toru Minegishi on bass, by following Seaskape (bass cover) and these TABS for my April SMART Goal. It’s a fast-paced song, so I’m hoping it will help me to play more efficiently, with smoother fretboard movements. I will work on this goal during the first 10 minutes of class, and at home with my own bass.
PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY
Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)
Geddy Lee is the bassist for the band Rush and one of my favorite bassists in general. He’s an incredibly talented musician, with a distinctive playing style that first inspired me to pick up the instrument, along with his ability to proficiently play rhythmic bass lines while juggling lead vocals and synthesizer work.
Training Source(s)
SMART Goal Schedule
From March 14th to 16th, I worked on playing the song with tab reference until I had it committed to memory. From then I worked on my technique, practicing quicker fret movements at a starting BPM of 50, and working my way up to faster speeds. On April 12th, I began practicing contextual interference, by playing without looking at the fretboard at a BPM of 86.
PRODUCTION
SMART Goal Starting Point Evidence
(4/11/23)
SMART Goal Ending Point Evidence
(5/11/23)
POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION
21st Century Skills
Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)
The original tabs I notated for this song proved to be pretty difficult for me to play due to my small hands. I had to change them around a bit to ease the strain and get the corresponding frets closer together. I also had to work to minimize the amount of excess noise during my playing, like using my non-plucking fingers to keep certain strings still.
Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)
I worked mostly by myself, so I didn’t do a lot of collaboration. Communicating was difficult, as I’ve always had difficulty asking for help, but this session I tried to push myself to do so more often. I think it’s helped me to do so in a lower-stakes environment like School of Rock.
Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)
While my Musescore reference for my song was in staff notation, I primarily referenced a tabs translation of it (“E4” for G#, “D2” for E, etc.) instead of playing from the sheet music. For whatever I end up playing next, I’d like to practice referencing staff notation more often.
Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)
Practicing for as long as I have has helped me to practice a sense of perseverance. I often grew frustrated when I made too many mistakes, or when I wasn’t playing fast enough, and many times I thought there was no hope for me to get it right. But since I kept at it and took my time, I could see how I progressed and became more proficient in playing.
Self-Evaluation of Final Version
While I’m happy with the speed I was able to play it, I feel that it’s a bit sloppy. I didn’t do a great job minimizing the excess sound, so you can hear the other strings being prodded. It’s a bit hard to avoid when playing as fast as I was, but I’m sure there are measures I could have taken. Besides that, I’m pretty satisfied with it; I didn’t think I’d be able to play it that fast by this point.
