Oom-Pah

Oom-Pah is a music theory board game.  I don't normally play; I'm simply the score keeper and lecturer.  It's a cross between the card games Solitaire and Spit, but with a chance for me to give mini theory lessons to my family.  Mom knows what mixolydian means, not to brag.

GROUP WIN ROLLS, ROLLED ONLY AT BEGINNING OF GAME

Icosahedron (1-20) = number of total rounds to be played

Two Pentagonal Trapezohedrons (0-99) = number of mins total rounds must be completed

GAME ROLLS, RE-ROLLED EVERY 1-4 ROUNDS

Hexahedron (1-6) = number of active compose stacks allowed at once

Tetrahedron (1-4) = number of rounds before [hexa/tetra/octa/dodeca] re-rolls

COMPOSE STACK ROLLS, RE-ROLLED WITH GAME ROLLS

Octahedron (1-8) = to select a category

    1 = Intervals

    2 = Basic Chords

    3 = Chord Inversions

    4 = Chord Qualities

    5 = Altered & Extended Chords

    6 = Scales

    7 = Modes

    8 = Cadences

Dodecahedron (1-12) = to select a starting note/Oom-Pah card

    1 = C♯/D♭

    2 = D

    3 = D♯/E♭

    4 = E

    5 = F

    6 = F♯/G♭

    7 = G

    8 = G♯/A♭

    9 = A

    10 = B♭

    11 = B

    12 = C

THE SET UP IN A NUTSHELL

Each person gets a colored deck, which they shuffle.

Each person places the top 4 cards face up in front of them to head 4 separate piles.

These are the solitaire stacks, originally called "arrange columns."

These stacks descend chromatically instead of descending with alternating red and black cards.

Next, each person deals out 8 cards, face up, in a stack to the right of the solitaire stacks.

These are the oom-pah stacks, originally called "score stacks."

Once a player's oom-pah stack is depleted, the player may shout, "Oom-pah!"

Only a player manipulates their own solitaire and oom-pah stacks.

In the middle of the playing area are compose stacks.

Anybody may contribute to compose stacks.

Compose stacks always ascend with whatever the octahedron and dodecahedron dice dictate.

There can be between 1 and an unlimited number of compose stacks.

When compose stacks are completed, they are flipped over and new compose stacks may begin.

Play begins once:

    Each player has set up their solitaire stacks and oompah stacks,

    The number of compose stacks have been agreed upon, and

    Each player understands what is being built in the compose stacks.

PLAY & SCORING IN A NUTSHELL

Play is simultaneous between all players.

Each player holds what's left of their deck in their left hand.

To the left of their solitaire stacks, they begin their 3-card stacks, originally called "impro stacks."

It's created in solitaire style, with three cards from the deck flipped face up at a time.

Once the entire deck has been played, it ' turned over, and the top card is moved to the bottom.

3-card stack play may resume immediately.

Only the top cards of the 3-card and solitaire stacks are accessible.

These may be moved into other solitaire stacks or played in the compose stacks.

If a solitaire stack is cleared, any card may begin a new solitaire stack.

Once wild cards are played, they maintain the identity assigned.

Being the first to claim "Oom-pah" earns 10 points.

At this point in the game, play continues until at least one compose stack is completed.

(Though often, at least one compose stack has already been completed.)

Once both of these conditions are met, the round is over.

At the end of each round, each player earns 1 point for every card in a compose stack.

Each player also loses 2 points for each card left in their oom-pah stacks.

Card decks are resorted and reshuffled between rounds.

The game is over when one player scores a total of 88 points.

THEORY I: INTERVALS

P1/P8

m2/m9

M2/M9

m3/m10

M3/M10

P4/P11

Tritones/+4ths/+11ths/°5ths/°12ths

P5/P12

m6/m13

M6/M13

m7/m14

M7/M14

Musings

Amongst my own friends, the topic of 12ths or 14ths has never come up.  Come on.  Who thinks in those?  The odd compound intervals are used in extended chords, but let's be real: 12ths and 14ths are 5ths and 7ths.  In general, I guess I know intervals well enough that I don't have to worry about this category.  I'm not the best at reading ledger lines, but I have a few "landmarks" that make calculations pretty fast.  The notion of the number of half steps per interval is similar; here are my landmarks.

    m3 - 3

    P5 - 7

    M6 - 9

    P8 - 12

That's all I know by heart, and it's enough.

THEORY II: BASIC CHORDS

Major Triad

Minor Triad

Diminished Triad

Augmented Triad

Dominant 7th

Major 7th

Minor 7th

Fully Diminished 7th

Half Diminished 7th

Augmented 7th

Minor Major 7th

Musings

These are fine too, because I only have to know up to 4 pitches at a time.  Playing the piano makes you learn them.  In terms of thirds, they're:

    Mm mM mm MM

    Mmm MmM mMm mmm mmM MMm mMM

No big deal.

THEORY III: CHORD INVERSIONS

(53) Triad root position

6(3) Triad first inversion

64 Triad second inversion

7(53) 7th chord root position

65(3) 7th chord first inversion

(6)43 7th chord second inversion

(6)42 7th chord third inversion

Musings

Again, you have to learn these for school.  I've never played figured bass, which is admittedly a bit embarrassing, but there are 3 pieces of information necessary for each calculation: the root, the pitches, and the bass note.

The slow way to calculate each is to find the chord and count the actual inversions to find the bass note.  This way, a third inversion chord takes longer to figure out than a second inversion, which takes longer still than a first inversion.  (I imagine root position chords to be fastest even for figured bass readers.)  I realize that I've somehow internalized the bass notes for triad inversions (6 and 64), but for seventh chords, I have not!  So what I really need to know are these bass notes:

    65 - 3rd

    43 - 5th

    42 - 7th

Or even better:

    65 - 6 triad, add in 7th

    43 - 64 triad, add in 7th

    42 - root, add in 7th a whole step or M9 lower!

I can do that.

THEORY IV: CHORD QUALITIES

I Tonic

ii Supertonic

iii Mediant

IV Subdominant

V Dominant

vi Submediant

vii° Leading Tone

i Tonic

ii° Supertonic

III, III+ Mediant

iv Subdominant

v Dominant

VI, vi° Submediant

VII Subtonic

Musings

I just know these.  Moving on.

THEORY V: ALTERED & EXTENDED CHORDS

Sus - add 4th, sometimes drop the 3rd

    (voicing the 3rd above the 4th is less dissonant than the 4th above the 3rd)

Major 6th - add M6th

Major 6/9 - add M6th and M9th

Dominant 7th sus

Dominant 7th ♭5

Dominant 7th ♯9

Dominant 9th♭5

Major 9th
Major 9th ♯11

Minor 9th

Minor 11th

Dominant 13th ♯9

Major 13th
Major 13th ♯11

Musings

Ugh, I am NOT good at this.  These are jazz chords and I don't read them.  The trick I use right now to speed up my processing is having instant access to what the dominant 13th is.

There are three ways I like to do this.

First, thinking horizontally, the pitches are that of the mixolydian scale.

Second, I combine two 7th chords to get the thirds stacked quickly.  First I build a dominant 7th chord, and then I build a major 7th chord using the original 7th as my root.  So for example, A13 is (A C♯ E G) plus (G B D F♯).  Both of those calculations are very fast because I'm never thinking beyond 7th chords, which is within my realm.

My third method combines both lines of thinking.  First I build a dominant 7th chord, and then I superimpose a supertonic (minor) triad onto that collection of pitches.  The result is a scale, but still mentally organized in thirds.  This way, A13 is (A C♯ E G) plus (B D F♯), all in the same octave.

From here, I still have to do whatever the chord symbol tells me to do.  So in the case of a Amaj9♯11, the first step is to drop the 13th (A C♯ E G B D).   The second step is to raise the 7th for the "maj" (A C♯ E G♯ B D).  Finally, I have to sharp the 11th (A C♯ E G♯ B D♯).  It's not as bad as it sounds; having an instant 13th template to alter is a lot faster than stacking thirds from scratch in the first place.

THEORY VI & VII: SCALES & MODES

Pentatonic Scales

    Major Pentatonic

    Minor Pentatonic

    Egyptian/Suspended

Musings

There's a lot to unpack in the scales, so I had better do this section by section.  I should mention that anything in blue font isn't actually from Oom-Pah, which makes it extra credit.

Pentatonic scales are either hemitonic (containing at least one half step) or anhemitonic (not).  I'll only cover the most popular ones, which happen to be anhemitonic.

The main pentatonic scale is made from 5 consecutive pitches from the circle of fifths.  That's also the relationship of the 5 black keys, which are scale degrees 1 2 3 5 6 in F♯ major (or any major scale).

From this pentatonic scale, as with any scale, we can pick different starting pitches and generate different modes.  When the last note (D♯) is selected, the resulting mode is the minor pentatonic scale.  These are also the natural minor scale degrees 1 3 4 5 7.  The scale degrees trick is pretty efficient, but I also find it helpful to remember that the five notes of the minor pentastonic scale create a palindrome of sorts, the intervals being m3 M2 M2 m3.

The second mode of the major pentatonic scale is called the Egyptian or Suspended scale, which is like a minor pentatonic scale with a lowered second pitch, or natural minor scale degrees 1 2 4 5 7.  It's also a sus dominant 9th chord.

The remaining two modes have blues names, and favoring hexatonic blues scales, I do not wish to acknowledge them.

Hexatonic Scales

    Whole Tone

    Prometheus

    Major Blues

    Minor Blues

    Major Hexatonic

    Minor Hexatonic

    Augmented

    Tritone

Musings

For the whole tone scale, it's helpful to think of the black notes as divided into two groups: 2 black keys and 3 black keys.  Any whole tone scale will include one of these groups and all the white notes surrounding the other group.  That makes it faster.

The Prometheus scale is based on the "mystic chord": C F♯ B♭ E A D.  When stacked as a scale, it ends up as whole tone with a raised fifth scale degree: C D E F♯ A(♮) B♭.

The major and minor blues scales are just the major and minor pentatonic scales, but with an added "blue" note.  In the black key example of F♯ above, an A♮is the blue one!  It's easiest for me to start with a pentatonic scale and just add in the blue note - the chromatic note between the upper of the two consecutive M2's.

The major hexatonic scale is a major scale with no 7th scale degree.  That seems easy enough to remember.  Its second mode is the minor hexatonic scale.  So a major hexatonic scale can be built from triads I and ii, and a minor hexatonic scale can be built from triads i and ♭VII.  Both have a folk-like sound.  Oh, there are more modes, but I've reached my limit for the moment.

The augmented scale alternates between minor thirds and half steps, but it amounts to an augmented triad with a leading tone under each pitch: C E♭ E♮ G♮ G♯ B.

Much in the way I defined the major and minor hexatonic scales as two triads, the tritone scale is two major triads with roots a tritone apart.  C E G G♭ B♭ D♭.  When stacked in order, they alternate between one triad and the next like this C D♭ E G♭ G B♭.  Fun fact: the tritone scale is enharmonically equivalent to the "Petrushka chord": C C♯ E F♯ G A♯.

Heptatonic Scales

    Major/ Ionian (mode)

    Dorian (mode)

    Phrygian (mode)

    Lydian (mode)

    Mixolydian (mode)

    Aeolian (mode)

    Locrian (mode)

    Melodic Minor/ Minor-Major (mode)

    Phrygian-Dorian [Phrygian ♯6] (mode) 

    Lydian Augmented [Lydian ♯5] (mode)

    Lydian Dominant [Lydian ♭7] (mode)

    Mixolydian♭6 (mode)

    Locrian ♯2 (mode)

    Locrain ♭4/ Altered/ Diminished Whole-Tone (mode)

    Natural Minor

    Harmonic Minor

Musings

As is usual, I know three minor scales and a major scale for each pitch quite well.  The major scale modes are fairly familiar but not immediate; I'll start with those.

    Dorian - natural minor ♯6

    Phrygian - natural minor ♭2

    Lydian - major ♯4

    Mixolydian - major ♭7

    Locrian - natural minor ♭2 ♭5

But I realized something else.  Envisioning the circle of fifths, it becomes clear that you can track clock hand movements to 12:00, which is C major.  Lydian (F, 11:00) needs 1♯ added to its key signature to get to 12:00.  So if you add 1♯ to any scale, you get that scale in Lydian.  Ex.  E♭ with 2♭s instead of 3 is E♭ Lydian, or B with 6♯s is B Lydian.  Naturally, that trick works with any of the modes.  So for Locrian (B, 5:00), you must add 5 ♭s to any major key signature.  C major with 5 ♭s is C Locrian.  A major with 2 ♭s is A Locrian.  I like this trick, and I wouldn't have discovered it if I weren't writing this post.

Regarding the melodic minor modes, I've hardly ever thought about any of them.  I can't use my clock trick because only the natural minor scale conforms to the circle of fifths.  It's interesting that simply lowering the third from the major scale to get to the melodic minor scale breeds such a wealth of unfamiliarity!  The Locrian ♭4, also known as the altered or diminished whole tone, is the only one with three alterations from a scale I know well, so it requires my attention first.

Octatonic Scales

    Octatonic/Diminished

    Bebop Dominant

    Bebop Dorian

    Bebop Major

    Bebop Melodic Minor

Musings

If I didn't know what I was talking about with the heptatonic scales, things just got a lot worse.  Luckily, everything in this section is very easily defined.  The octatonic/diminished scale is a series of alternating half steps and whole steps, and it's okay to start with either.  It works out that there are only 3 distinct sets of pitches for them.  Any octatonic scale is made of all the notes except a fully diminished chord.  I've never in my life tried to play one.  Maybe today is the day.

    Bebop Dominant - Mixolydian, add M7.

    Bebop Dorian - Dorian, add M3.

    Bebop Major - Major, add ♯5.

    Bebop Melodic Minor - Melodic Minor, add ♯5.

None of that is hard to memorize, but I should probably start with trying to play an octatonic scale.  What will my fingerings be?  How annoying - to be this old and to think about playing a brand new scale.

Chromatic Scale

Musings

Oh thank goodness.  We learn this one as mere babes.

THEORY VIII: CADENCES

V I Perfect Authentic, major

V i Perfect Authentic, harmonic minor

IV I Plagal, major

iv i Plagal, minor

I V Half (sometimes called Imperfect), major

ii V Half (sometimes called Imperfect), major

iv V Half (sometimes called Imperfect), harmonic minor

V vi Deceptive (sometimes called Interrupted), major

v VI Deceptive (sometimes called Interrupted), minor

I IV Plagal Half Cadence, major

iv₆ V, Phrygian Half Cadence, minor

♯iv₆ V, Lydian Cadence, minor

IVadd6 I₆ Moravian Cadence, major

Musings

I know most of this, but sometimes I worry about remembering the requirements for perfect authentic cadences.  There are only 3: dominant to tonic progression; both chords in root position; ending highest note is the tonic.  Otherwise, the V I is an imperfect authentic cadence.

The fact that half cadences are sometimes called imperfect cadences is awful indeed.

The Plagal half cadence is rare.

The Phrygian half cadence has a most misleading name - someone believed that the bass movement from a iv₆ to a V, being a half step, was reminiscent of the ii I (with a picardy third) Phrygian cadence and named it so.  I do not care for this naming.

Lydian cadence and Moravian cadences are new to me, and I must learn them posthaste!

THEORY (0): COMMON CHORD PROGRESSIONS

I IV V, major

ii V I, major

I vi7 ii7 V7, major/ I VI7 ii7 V7/ iii7 vi7 ii7 V7, major/ III7 VI7 II7 V7, major

I V vi IV, major

vi ii V vii° I, major

I ii iii IV, major

i iv v, natural minor

i VI III VII, natural minor

VI VII i, natural minor

i ii° V, harmonic minor

Musings

I should probably pay a little attention to this, but surely, there are other progressions of importance.  And are these really the most common?  It's such a hard thing to quantify, and I don't think this category even belongs in the board game.  They should have cut it and included an 8-sided die for the categories (they divide scales and modes into two separate piles of cards) as well as a 12-sided die for the pitches.  Good thing it's pretty easy to leave this stack of cards in the box and I just dropped a Jackson on some very pretty dragon dice.  The End.

The Beginning Ballet Accompanist: Off & Running

10 PIECES OF ADVICE I WOULD GIVE MY ROOKIE SELF

1. Starter kit: 2 slow 3's, 2 bigger waltzes, 2 marches, 2 fast 2's, 2 tangos, 5 flexible pieces.
    flexible pieces are fun to play in a variety of tempi and have a slow harmonic rhythm.
2. Practice intros, random tempos, and random cadences.
3. Building from your starter kit takes time, and it's okay to repeat yourself.
4. Try to collect a variety of styles, but only ones that you like.

5. Find a consistent way of marking scores in 8 counts that's easy to read.
6. Improvise for very short exercises (like a 16 count jump) without any music on purpose.

7. If a helpful piece has several sections, consider breaking it into 2 pieces.

8. I promise, the teachers really want you to keep the beat and play clear cadences.
    so play for the teachers first and expand horizons for yourself second.

9. Give yourself homework and come into class a little more prepared every time.

10. You're winning as long as you don't give up, so be patient with yourself.

10 THINGS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH PIANO PLAYING

1. Know the Silicon Labs Garage is 166 Colorado St.

2. Put your parking pass and garage card away before you drive home.

3. Take a photo of the studio layouts to reference until you know where everything is.

4. Take a screenshot of your schedule each day so it's easy to double check.

5. Make a note of people's names.

6. Leave an hour before class starts so traffic and the parking garage drama don't matter.

7. Find a regular parking space and a regular walking route.

8. Make a habit of taking the stairs so you never have to think about it.

9. Have work clothes set aside so getting ready is easy.

10. Have a work bag for your ipad, phone, wallet, hoodie, water, hair ties, & snacks. 

10 THINGS TO KNOW WHEN LOOKING FOR SCORES

1. IMSLP.org has a lot of free music, but most of it is too long and hard to be helpful.

2. Free-scores.com has more intermediate stuff, but it's a little more annoying to deal with.

3. Keep an ear out for pieces you like that naturally conform to 32's.

    most of these are aaba's, so when you hear one, count it out.

    make a note of the ones you want to use, and look up the scores for them later.

4. Prioritize pieces that require very little arrangement and no page turns.

5. Embrace fakebooks even if they're scary; it's okay to choose simple lead sheets.

6. Dance exam books contain some helpful pieces.

7. Elementary (level 3 & 4) classical pieces like minuets and gavottes sometimes work.

8. Fiddle music is very nice for jumpstarting a petit allegro collection.

9. Easier rags are lots of fun and have nicely punctuated cadences in the right places.

10. The choruses of tunes from the late 1800s into the early 1900s are my gold.

    and here's my goldmine: https://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/

10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT BALLET

1. Dancer exercises are usually 32's, sometimes with a balance.
    when they are not 32's, they are most often 16's, two 32's, or three 32's; rarely 4 or more.
    when groups are going one after another, exercises can truly end at any moment.
2. Plies are usually slow 3's, and slow things in general are often in 3.

3. Tondus are usually 2's.
4. Grand battements are usually marches.
5. Fondus are usually tangos, and if not, then slow 3's.
6. Petit allegros are usually fast 2's.
7. Grand allegros are usually big waltzes; fast 3's.

8. Adage means slow or very slow.

9. Coda means ending, which also means big and lively; fast 2's.
10. Stretch time is unmeasured, so have some things NOT in 32 dancer beats to play with.

10 THINGS I LEARNED THIS MONTH FROM PLAYING

1. Just make a lot of mistakes and move on; don't dwell.
2. When reading lead sheets, inversions can be flexible; walking bass lines are nice.

3. If a teacher seems to be counting way too fast, reimagine the subdivisions.
4. Simplify (sometimes a LOT) when you can't read your music fast enough.
5. Try to make a new melody when you have extra time.
6. When you lose nearly all control, just play chords - even very simplified chords.
7. When you're responsive and nice to teachers, everything else is forgiven.
8. Know what key you're in, or keep an ear out for a convenient place to cadence.

9. Look up at the class as much as you can.

10. It's okay not to think at all when you don't have to be thinking.

Diary of the Beginning Ballet Accompanist

WEEK 1: 2 days

Wed 28 Jun 23
Ouch.

1 class, 45 minutes, stressful.

George helped me figure out the parking garage situation.

From Rob:

    practice looking up at dancers for directions.

    when in doubt, keep playing.

    practice resolving any phrase any time.

    not too loud - always be sure you can hear the teacher.

From me:

    cut all scores that don't conform to 32 or 64 easily.

    incorporate the easiest 32/64 lead sheets you can find.

    get more tangos marked up.

    find a bigger variety of pieces in 2 around 60 bpm.

    focus on clear phrasing.

    categorize: 2 and 3, fast or slow, staccato or legato, big or small.

    to superimpose a tango or polonaise rhythm, find something with a slow harmonic rhythm.

    sometimes the accents should be on upbeats and sometimes not.

    don't freak out and rush.

Fri 30 Jun 23

3 classes, 195 mins, each worse than the previous.  Awful.

Considering quitting already.  But I can't.

From me:

    more lead sheets.

    maybe even just chord progressions.

    more fast stuff, coda stuff.

    listen carefully for 3 subdivisions!

    emotionally exhausting; it's hard to fail at something for so long.

    use a backpack, get some no-nonsense hair clips, and bring a hoodie.

WEEK 2: 4 days

Mon 03 Jul 23

2 classes, 120 mins.  Not great, but less traumatic.  Rob visited!

At times, had something close to a resting heart rate.

From Rob:

    don't do that metronome step; just make a selection.

    look up when you finish phrases, like checking a rear view mirror.

    when dancers are holding a balance, can keep playing or holding a chord.

    try to relax and enjoy playing.

    dancers can feel what we're doing, and synergy can make class magical.

    introduce yourself to the instructors.

From me:

    even more lead sheets.

    if you have an "ab" that's 32, instead of trying an "aaba" for 64, just do "abab."

    your ear hears the b after the a, so it will lead you astray.

    or if you can't deal, just cut it entirely.

    cut more stuff that requires page turns; page turns are just awful.

    cut anything that doesn't inspire movement very well.

    mark up scores in a cleaner way.

    try to be more involved with the class in general.

    memorize teacher names and try to be friendly.

New score marking rules:

    phrases in dark blue.

    32's in red.

    repeats in yellow.

    key changes in pink.

    starting key and form typed in indigo.

    form in score uses boxes, but only when repeats are necessary.

    all da capos have FIN in black with yellow.

    all page turns require a turn back link.

    any special score notes in black.

Wed 05 Jul 23

4 classes, 210 + 120 mins.

I was cool enough to actually smile at people for the first time.

Got my first few compliments - first one was for my boots, but I'll take it.

From me:

    sometimes the teachers count in 16ths and want the "and a" beats!

    so... make a new category for those.

    get more waltzes around 56-60.

    definitely get more Levy stuff!

    also get some more classical stuff - maybe a few arias.

    double check the relative tempos of your rep.

    not really using the airturn - leave it at home.

    doing okay with simple lead sheets, but lots of rep in C major :(

    5 hours and 45 minutes is too long to be sitting at the piano bench.

Thurs 06 Jul 23

2 classes, 105 + 60 mins.

First day to drive and handle the parking garage on autopilot.

Even have a regular parking spot at G9; healthy habits are drinking water and taking the stairs.

First day hanging out in the faculty lounge on break.

I'm even making friends, a little.

From me:

    while I still make errors constantly, I am now used to constantly making errors.

    still lots to catch up on (waltzes, classical, Levy), but I've started.

    am I ever going to scan any of the dance book rep?

    switch to the black backpack - this is your new ballet bag.

    2-3 hours is a good amount.

Fri 07 Jul 23

1 class, 60 mins.

Okay, 1 class was harder than I thought it would be.

I had to keep asking questions (but maybe it's a compliment that they were assuming I'd know).

Still play too long maybe half the time, but at least I don't end early anymore.

I try to vary things when I take repeats, but I'm not very creative and it sounds the same.

Stepping outside of the chord, even within the given key, feels brave right now.

Getting better and improvising during the balancé.

From me:

    ALWAYS include rhythmic "ands" in the intro, even if going very very fast!

    so much to scan, so much to play, so much to organize.

    it's hard to keep track of what to do and in what order, but there's lots of work to do.

    trying to not let this take over my life - just get a little work done each day.

    play from lead sheets a little at home: not for rep, just for practice.

WEEK 3: 5 days

Mon 10 Jul 23

1 class, 105 mins.

Only 5 kids today - really low pressure and easier than usual!

Was a little more relaxed between playing.

It always sounds like the other pianists have a fuller and more fluent sound.

That's okay - just do what you can do; nobody can expect more than that.

From me:

    start trying to end at the right time (instead of playing too long) a little more.

    keep adding rep, and keep an eye out for faster pieces.

    also start getting rid of rep you've scanned and don't want to use.

    you're starting to avoid your lead sheets, don't.

    don't be hard on yourself for playing in C; so many of them actually come that way!

Tues 11 Jul 23

2 classes, 105 + 90 mins.

Being there for over 4 hours is pretty tiring, even if some of it is break.

Not too excited about having more big days this week.

Was rather skeptical and reserved in playing today, which is not great.

In other news, I've started going through Rob's books, so that's a win.

Thought "basic ballet" might be a little easier and therefore more fun, but it wasn't really.

Met a new teacher and played in Kodosky for the first time.

From me:

    did play from simple lead sheets today but it wasn't challenging.

    definitely gravitating towards favorites and sounding like a broken record.

    stop waiting so long for the "and" - I think instructors want you to just start more.

Wed 12 Jul 23

3 classes, 165 + 45 mins.

Played for 3 new teachers in a new space.

Positively awful, just failed and failed and failed today.

Ended too short on several occasions; not sure why I had a better handle on that last week.

Played for levels 7 & 8 for the first time, and I do NOT belong there.

At least I was friendly (and apologetic).

Mama said there'll be days like this, there'll be days like this Mama said.

From me:

    just play too long all the time; this was unacceptable.

    make more folders so you don't have to scroll so much.

    you're not getting better at improvising; not sure what to do about that.

    trying to play off the chords with no melody sounded pretty bad today :(

    the action in Armstrong/Connelly is a bit stiffer.

Thurs 13 Jul 23  (Rob is back!)

2 classes, 150 mins.

I needed a day like this; I wasn't amazing, but things were just fine.

The lower level classes allow more time to make selections, and I need that.

I actually caught some weird timings successfully.

A few people might have even liked being around me today.

From me:

    check relative tempi again and delete selections you aren't using.

    read and scan more book selections.

    bring some books back for Rob tomorrow.

Fri 14 Jul 23

3 classes, 195 mins.

Well, that went a little better than expected!

It felt more like yesterday, even though I thought it would be harder.

After my first day, I was thinking that some day, a 45 minute class would feel short.

Lo and behold, my 45 minute class felt short!

From me:

    when trying to maintain a tempo, work in something technical to keep from rushing.

    as you get more comfortable accompanying, start listening more to your sound.

    keep working on Rob's books!!

WEEK 4: 3 days (my request; bake due on Friday)

Mon 17 Jul 23

3 classes, 210 + 60 mins.

Still doing okay, even after 4+ hours of playing.

Officially recovered from the trauma of last Wednesday.

Starting to have moments of connection with the class.

Enrolled my kids for the school year!

From me:

    still not always ending at the right time, but it's happening more often.

    had a slightly better sound but chose a lot of easy music.

Tue 18 Jul 23

3 classes, 150 + 90 mins.

I LEFT MY IPAD AT HOME.

I knew this day would come, but I didn't think it would be so soon.

The quality of music wasn't great.

Surprisingly, however, the day was a little less stressful than usual!

No thumbing through scores.

From me:

    I was proud of myself for varying keys quite a bit.

    I found out that my default progression is:

        I  I  X  X  I  I  X  X  I  I  IV  IV  I64  V  I  I

        where X is something else, like vi, iii, ii, bII, bVI, II, or bVII.

    I also did a lot of aeolian iv v i i progressions and morphed that into VI VII i i as well.

    Other groups of 4 repeated chords can work; Joshua Piper uses pop songs like:

        IVM7 iii7 ii7 IM7 (Loving You)

        I vi iii IV (Where Is My Mind?)

        V ii7 IV I (Bittersweet Symphony)

    I found that using i i V V, V V i i in a march was effective.

Wed 19 Jul 23

3 classes, 195 mins.

Last day of this diary!

I'm glad I forgot my ipad yesterday!  ...and also glad I did not forget it today.

A teacher hated a piece I chose, which is a real compliment!

    Teacher was comfortable telling me.

    Teacher assumed I'd be able to bounce back!

    Being treated as a professional is even better than "nice job."

Another teacher expressed disappointment that I couldn't come in later this week.

4 hours feels normal instead of long because today felt short!

I even feel a little weird about not coming in tomorrow.

I'm starting to feel settled, and more like I belong here.

The best part is that it feels great to be playing more piano ❤❤❤

Notes for the Beginning Ballet Accompanist

I start playing for ballet classes next week and I have no idea what I'm doing.

Here are my notes.

Chapter I: Make a Square of 32

The most important thing to understand is the way dancers count.

When the subdivision is 2, they count "1 and 2 and..." up through 8.

    But actually, their counts are usually quarters, so an 8-count is 16 beats or 4 bars of 4/4.

    These 8-count phrases are in period structure; another 8-count follows.

    This structure is doubled for a 4 phrases of 8.

When the subdivision is 3, they count "1-and-a-2-and-a..." up through 8.

    (Sometimes they count "1 and 2 and" where "ands" are 3rd beats.)

    These are also usually quarters, so an 8-count is 24 beats, or 8 bars of 3/4.

    Like before, 8 becomes 16, which becomes 32.

Pieces that don't conform to this structure must be altered to conform to this structure.

(Sometimes this is doubled for 64, but the template is always some power of 2.)

Either way, the intro is typically half a phrase, or 4 counts "5 6 7 8."

    Intros should set the tempo and be very predictable.

    They tend to be straightforward cadences that usually end with dominant or tonic.

    Some examples:

        I I I I

        I V I I

        I V I V

        I ii I V

        I vi I V

        I ii V V

        I64 V I V

Less frequently, the dancers will think in a "6-count."

    In this case, the intro is only ONE 6-count (2 m of 3).

    These tend to be 4 6-counts total, which is like 8 3-counts.

    Often this calls for a polonaise or bolero.

    Other 6-count dances are the sarabande (2 m of 3/4) and the triple jig (2 m of 9/8).

Compound times 6/8 and 12/8 can be used for exercises in 2s and 3s depending on the tempo.

Ending cadences should be very clear and coincide with the ending of the exercise.

Sometimes space between groups or an extra balance will add counts to an exercise.

These time changes must be improvised.

Chapter II: Dances for the Ballet Pianist

American Ballet Theatre Dictionary

Royal Academy of Dance Rhythms for Ballet Pianists Full Page

Royal Academy of Dance Rhythm Examples PDF

Slow to medium overview

    Adagio

    March

    Mazurka/Polka Mazurka/Minuet

    Waltz

    Polonaise/Bolero/Triple Jig

    Tango

Medium to fast overview

    Jig/Quadrille/Rag/Choro/Contredanse/Hornpipe/Reel/Polka

    Mazurka

    Czardas/Galop/Can-Can/Coda/Schnellpolka

    Tarantella

Ballroom Mazurka (German)

    In 3

    Slower and less marked than Polish mazurka

    Dotted rhythms throughout the bar

Barcarolle/Sicilienne

    In 2

    6/8, 3/4, or 2/4

    Slow boat rocking rhythms

Baroque Hornpipe

    In 3

    "1eand a 2 e and 3 and"

    Handel, Purcell

    Can be used in place of a lighter polonaise

Bolero

    In 6

    Like a polonaise but faster and lighter.

Can-can

    In 2

    Straight eighths

    Fast, energetic

Choro

    In 2

    See polka and tango

Czardas

    In 2

    "1 and2 and"

    Fast, energetic

Galop

    This term means three different things:

        Dance step which is accompanied by a lilting jig-like pattern

        Dance from the 19th century in 2/4 "1 e and 2 and"

        Concert piece also called the Polka Schnell or Schnellpolka

            Related to the French can-can and Hungarian friska

            All of these form the basis of the balletic coda

Hornpipe

    In 2

    Dotted rhythms

Jig

    Single jig - long short lilting pattern

    Double jig - slower than single jig, continuous eighths

    Triple jig/slip jig - 9/8, counted in 6 (2 bars)

        Can be used in place of a lighter polonaise

Mazurka (Polish)

    In 3

    "1eand a 2 3"

    Allegretto, light and gliding, stamping feet

    Kujawiaks are slow dignified mazurkas

    Obereks are quick and wild mazurkas

Polka

    In 2

    Oom pah oom pah accompaniment, jumpy

    Developed into the Brazilian choro and theAmerican rag

Polka Mazurka (German)

    In 3

    Dotted rhythms, accents every beat of the bar

Polonaise

    In 6

    "1 and a 2 and 3 and 4 and (a) 5 and 6 and."

Rag

    In 2

    Syncopated sixteenths

Reel

    In 2

    "1 and a 2 e and a"

Schottische (pronounced "shoteesh") & Shuffle

    In 2

    Moderately fast

    Continuous dotted rhythm

Tango & Habañera

    In 2

    Accompaniment is "1eand a 2 and"

    Habañera melody is "1 a la 2 and"

    Brazilian tango & choro melody is "1 eand a 2 and"

Tarantella

    In 6/8

    Faster than double jig

    Begins with and half-bar anacrusis

    Lilting or constant eighth motion

Waltz

    In 3, but sort of in 1; not considered "truly triple"

    English or Boston waltzes are slow

    Viennese waltzes are played with a big downbeat and an early 2nd beat

    Early German waltzes are truly triple with running eighths

    Chassé waltz "3 1 3 1"

    Balancé waltz "3 12 3 12 3"    

Quadrille & Contredanse

    2/4 or 6/8

Chapter III: Ballet Terms

Teachers are called ballet masters or ballet mistresses.

All ballet classes have two parts: first at the barre and then away from the barre.

Exercises on the barre tend to be slower and lighter than those away from the barre.

Towards the end are big 3's and jumpy things.

Classes usually run 60 or 90 minutes.

Adage

    Typically in 3, smooth

    Flowing left hand or quarters with different inversions on beats 2 and 3

Allongé - elongated

Arabesque

    Position of a leg extended behind with arms held harmoniously

Assemblé - feet assembled or joined together

Ballon - bounce

Chassé - chased; one foot chases the other out of its position

Changement - changing of the feet

Coda

    Fast and in 2

    Very big

    Oom pah oom pah left hand

    Can-can, czardas, galop/schnellpolka, tarantella

Dégagé - to disengage

    Move through tondu, brush leg off the floor

Développé - open, unfold, developing movement

    Working leg is drawn up the knee of supporting leg then extended to an open position

Diagonals

    Traveling in a diagonal direction

Échappé - escaping

    Opening of both feet from a closed to an open position

Fondu, Fondue - sinking down

    Often calls for a tango

Frappé - to strike

    Sharp, marked style

    Quick

Grand Allegro

    Last big combination in class

    Often in 3

    Big and forceful, but not too heavy

    Big chords, octaves

Grand Battement 

    Often in 2

    Cut time, marchy

    Dotted rhythms and triplets

Jeté - throwing step, jump

    Staccato, light, energetic, spritely, airy

    Can have a syncopated right hand

    Small jumps often 2/4 or 6/8

Pas de bourrée - running

    Transitional steps

Pas de chat - step of the cat

Pas de deux - dance for two

Passé - pass

    To pass through retiré

Petit Allegro

    Fiddle music

    Jigs, reels, polkas, & hornpipes

    Quadrilles

Petit Battement

    Battement tendus, dégagés, frappés, tendus relevés

Pirouette - whirl, spin

Piqué - pricked, pricking

    Staccato, light

    Not too slow

Plié - bent, bending

    Often in 3

    Gentle, slow, smooth, controlled

    Not too waltzy; maybe quarter half pattern or straight eighths

Port de bras - carriage of the arms

    Often in 3, gentle

Relevé - raised, on toes

Retiré - withdrawn

    Position of pointed toe near supporting knee

Rond de jambe - circular movement of the leg

    Often in 3, gentle

Sauté - jump, jumping

Soutenu - sustained in turning

Stop time

    Lots of space, staccato downbeats

    Keep melody followable through spaces

Tendu - stretched

    Often in 2

    More marked than Plié

    Slightly marchy but not heavy

    Some left hand stride or alberti bass

    Not too abrupt or fast

Waltz steps

    Always in 3

    Waltz with oom pah pahs

Chapter IV: Advice

You'll mess up; try not to take it personally and keep doing your best.

Dance instructors can and will change things at the very last second, sometimes by accident.

Be a flexible collaborator and try to be helpful rather than right.

Mark up your music to follow 8-count phrases more easily.

If you know that a piece conforms to the 32 counts, it may be quite malleable.

Try to vary the tempo, meter, style, and mood.

Don't play too many minor pieces in a row.

Build a collection of marches, waltzes, tangos, polonaises, and mazurkas.

Build a collection of quadrilles.

Fiddle music has jigs, hornpipes, polkas, and reels; these are harder for pianists to improvise.

Improvise in the relative or parallel keys to the original changes.

High right hand octaves on the dominant can signal that it's time to change sides.

Instead of repeating an A section, consider moving onto the B section if the counts work out.

Have some harmonic progressions to fall back on.

    Try VI VII i (aeolian)

    Try I I I I I I V V, V V V V V V I I (ionian).

    Follow the descending circle of fifths

Left hand dictates rhythm, harmonies, baseline, energy, character, so practice left hand alone.

When improvising a melody, try to create a question and an answer; can be easy and simple.

It's important to be clear and musical, and it's not important to be fancy.

Watch the exercise carefully and try to inspire the dancers.

Love the music you play.