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Okay. The new Dot Songbook #1 is now available in the web site store.
When you purchase the Songbook you’ll see a new ‘course’ on your home page. That will lead you to the songbook and some related material.
Have fun!
Greg – I’m glad you’re diving deep. I just wanted to remind others that might not have your experience that they can get there too if they’re patient.
Here are two things that may also help you – assuming that you already have ‘Misty’ well in hand (or whichever song you know the best):
1. Create some movement with your body. Tap your foot, sway back and forth, bob your head, anything to physically connect to the beat of the song.
2. Sing through the song (or hum, but read the lyrics as you do) without playing but also following #1 above. Play around with the melody as you do, finding a rendition that you like. Don’t worry about the written note values. As you internalize the lyrics go back to the piano and try to play that version.
It may help you to find a recorded version you like – with a vocalist – to sing along with. But always tap your foot or sway back and forth. The physical movement creates a sort of reference point that allows you to experiment with the melody without losing the underlying beat.
Keep in mind that many students are complete beginners. I’m not aware of other approaches to learning the piano that would dump you into a fully voiced version of ‘Misty’ right from the beginning. You’d be doing exercises and starting with very simple tunes.
David Sudnow created a much different approach for two main reasons: first, because he felt that once you learned a simple version you’d be less likely to go back and learn a more complicated one, and second (and more importantly), he knew that busy adults needed to be engaged in the music they were playing in order to have any chance of staying at it long enough to really convince themselves it was worth it.
None of which changes the fact that playing the piano is a very big skill. So, to begin with, part of the tradeoff is often a rather mechanical-sounding version of ‘Misty’, as Greg notes. If that’s where you are, don’t worry about it. Your goal is to create enough repetitions of ‘Misty’ so that you no longer have to think too much about ‘what’ you’re playing and can then think more about ‘how’ you’re playing it.
There will come a time – if you let it – when you’ll suddenly play more freely and more musically. It may disappear when you recognize it but be confident that you’ll get it back.
It all takes time. As I’ve often said, your two most important attributes in this endeavor are patience and perseverance. Both of which are enabled by a healthy dose of joy – why else would you want to play?
You both are on the ‘list’. I’ll email everyone who’s reserved prior to making the product visible on the web site.
I ran into a little delay while organizing everything on the site. Turns out that David created dot songs for “Over the Rainbow” and “Someone To Watch Over Me” but did not create recordings of those songs. Thus I’ll have to create them myself-although first I have to learn them as David notated them. Shouldn’t take too long but I’m out of town for a few days next week so most likely the launch will be after Labor Day.
Thanks for everyone’s support. We have pre-orders for half the original copyright run already.
Gregory – important topic. I’ve copied your post to a new topic in the “Sudnow Students” forum. I’ll have more to say there. Thanks.
Hi Joyce – thanks for taking the time to post in the public forum. If you’re asking whether or not you can interact with other students–or me–about specific songs or issues with the Method, the answer is ‘yes’.
Unless you’re a student (and logged in) you won’t see the other forums available on this site. I suppose I could make them all visible and restrict posting but there’s a certain civility that the Sudnow forums have always protected, part of which comes from knowing you’re ‘talking’ to other students.
If you have a different view (or a different question) please let me know.
Hi Carole – no offense taken, I appreciate the feedback.
The old forum is still available through the Sudnow.com/sudsarchive site.
I’ve attempted to import the old forums into the new site without much luck so far. I’m still trying to figure out what to do with. I needed to change the user database to do some other things with the new site and much of the technology was just out of date and not supported anymore.
The forum was always sort of hot and cold but I kept all of Suds’ comments and haven’t given up on trying to make it more readily available.
That being said, I’m still hopeful new students will strike up new conversations. But things change. We’ll see.
Any specific changes you’d like to see I’d certainly like to hear. Maybe you can be more specific (an example?) about what seems confusing to you?
Thanks
Thanks Don. The maintenance is certainly more than the old site (that’s the curse of WordPress) but so far so good. Just waiting for the day when some update breaks something else but I’m trying to maintain enough ‘good practices’ to minimize problems.
Right now I mainly trying to figure out how to deliver the first new dot songbook (which is almost done – pending what you described as the ‘fine tooth comb’) and grow the mailing list. Any publicity is appreciated – here, on the Facebook site, or on LinkedIn.
Hi Tony. It’s an interesting question – “reading” music versus memorizing sounds and shapes. When I see an Ab7, for example, I know (my hands know – another interesting inquiry) what collection of notes I want to play, and it changes depending on the melody note. When someone else sees a line of stacked dots, they also know what collection of notes to play.
I think what Suds did is say “If I simplify certain things and create some ‘rules’ I can remove a lot of what gets in the way of beginners learning to play songs.” Learning to read a score implies a lot more detail than learning to read chords.
The fact of the matter is that the more time you spend with lead sheets working out chords the more you learn to “read” that format, without that really being a conscious goal.
All of which matters little if what you’re learning is “Hot Crossed Buns”. On the other hand, a smart, jazzy rendition of ‘Misty’ right out of the gate may just keep an adult student engaged long enough to believe they can really do this. It’s not particularly difficult but it does take time, patience, and some focus.
Let us know how it goes. There are others here happy to give you encouragement and share stories.
Thanks Greg – don’t hesitate to post in the “Suggestions for Improvements” forum if you have ideas (no matter how large or how small) on how to make things even better.
Interesting interview in the NY Times (4/30/15) with Philip Glass, composer and author of the memoir “Words Without Music”. Here are a few tidbits from the interview:
Favorite books on music (both very funny)-
Oscar Levant’s “Memoirs of an Amnesiac”. You may remember Levant from “An American in Paris”. This is one I’m putting on my to-read list. Also “Harpo Speaks!”Favorite biography or memoirs by musicians –
“Evenings With the Orchestra” – Hector BerliozHi gang – good to ‘see’ you. Just to remind you, if you use the ‘edit profile’ link on your home page you can change how your name gets publicly displayed on the forums – first name only, first/last, nickname.
And if you set up a ‘gravatar’ associated with your registered email address that will automatically display too.
I updated the ‘Misty’ dot song, adding a page at the end that is just the lead sheet. Should be easier to print and read – you could use this as your first effort writing fractions on a lead sheet. You don’t have to figure out the voicings obviously but you could experiment with different ways to voice or harmonize.
I’m open to any marketing suggestions. I’ve also been poked at about a Facebook page for Sudnow. And there is a LinkedIn page (virtually dormant) Part of my reticence is that I’m struggling to find time to write what I’d like to write on the web site blog. Adding other points of contact makes me worry that I can’t support them all. The Sudnow Method is still basically a one-person show.
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