Mandolin Reflection #5

Am C G

------------------0--------------0-x-----------------------0-----------x-0-------------------3
----------0--------------0---------x----------3-----------------3-----x------------2---------
--------------2--------------2-----x----------------2--------------2--x----------------0----
-----5------------------------------x----0-----------------------------x---------0-------------



G

---------------3-----------------------3----------------3------------------0------------0
-----2-------------------2-------------------2---------------------0-----------0--------
----------0---------------------0------------------0--------------------2-----------2----
--------------------0--------------------------------------------5-------------------------



G Am C
----------------3------------3-------------------0--------------0--------------------0------------0
-------2------------2-------------------0-------------0--------------------3-------------3---------
-----------0------------0-------------------2--------------2--------------------2-------------2----
---0--------------------------------5-----------------------------------0----------------------------



Am G Am
---------------0---------------0------------------3-------------3-----------------0------------0
-------0-------------0--------------------2-----------2--------------------0----------0--------
-----------2--------------2-------------------0------------0-------------------2-----------2---
---5----------------------------------0---------------------------------5------------------------




C G Am
--------------0------------0------------------3-------------3------------------0
-------3------------3----------------2------------2------------------0---------
-----------2------------2-----------------0------------0-------------------2---
---0-----------------------------0-------------------------------5---------------


Repeat x 2, with harmony second time.


This is the tablature to a song that I composed on the mandolin (which has lyrics that I will not post). It has a fairly basic chord progression, essentially just Am, C, Am, G with some variation, but the plucking pattern is more complex. If you are at all familiar with reading tabs, you will understand; if not, what this says is basically to pluck the bottom string, pluck the third string from the bottom, pluck the second string from the bottom, pluck the last string. That pattern goes for each chord with a smooth transition. At the end of the first verse, the plucking turns into strumming in the same meter, which continues into the third verse; halfway through the third verse, the strumming slows and gets quieter, then turns into the plucking again. I don't know how to post recordings to my blog, but once I do I will. Composing this song was a lot of fun, and it's also brought me some new challenges. Right now I am working on a song built around two chords, but that uses plucking and variations on the chords. It's harder because I have to discover new things and new chords and new sound combinations, but it sounds beautiful so far.

Ballet Reflection # 9

I had missed ballet for the two weeks prior to this class due to a foot injury (tendonitis in my heel) so I was a bit rusty when I came back into class. I noticed that missing the two weeks had a slight impact on my performance: I wasn't as flexible at barre stretches, I got dizzy while doing the turns, etc. However, as the class went on I got back into the swing of things. We were doing a lot of jumping and running type moves. For example, some rather fancy footwork reminiscent of figure skating that involves a backwards shastee, a leap, and a turn in the air that lands in arabesque. I actually found that I did better on these more complex moves than I had when we first learned them the class before, so that was a relief. It was an exhausting class and I went home and slept like a log afterwards. I have discovered that I am quite good at fluid movements -- for example, the swan lake arms and the "ending" part, which involves swan lake arms, then tandue, put one leg behind you while raising one arm up in fifth position over your head and then bowing on one leg, all in one sweeping movement. This bodes well for my future ballet endeavors.