It sounds like I've lost my place!

 

Peter mentioned a hero of mine, Dizzy Gillespie, in a recent post. Robert said, on his own blog, "All those old jazz dudes sound the same to me."

That made me think.

Gosh, if you can't recognise the sound of Dizzy Gillespie, what's going on with your ears? I know an awful lot of people who don't like jazz. "It sounds like they're playing the wrong notes!" "He sounds like he's lost his place!" Yes, I've heard it all.

People who say these things say it knowing they are right and there is really little point arguing with them. Certainly don't mention, or try to explain, the Lydian mode! Or the Locrian#2 mode!

That made me think about religion. There is really no way that you can show someone that their religious beliefs are a load of nonsense. People often grow up in this way of thinking. The other people in their church all believe the same stuff. Without this set of beliefs they would be lost. Their whole life is built around a set of things. Often a really crazy set of stuff.

It's a complete waste of time arguing about religion.

One of the true gods.

I have got to try to get my violin practice happening again today. I did 15 minutes yesterday. Shame on me! Though, as you probably know, I haven't been well.

Hey, but it's time to lower the bucket and get some practice happening. I'll probably run over A Night In Tunisia, a famous old Dizzy Gillespie tune. Any Classical music fans passing by the house will probably think it's one of Hayden's cello concertos with some wrong notes thrown in.

Wrong notes?

Did you know that, in our Western Music system, there are only 12 different notes? If you take away the 7 notes that make up the safe major scale, there are only 5 notes left. That doesn't leave too many notes for getting very wrong!

This is a rocket. The science that
makes the rocket work really has 
nothing to do with how our 12 music
notes are put together.

In my humble opinion, the best thing a musician can do is to learn to play by ear. Think of a tune you've heard, say 'Colours' by Donovan, and play it. Don't worry about mistakes. In time you'll play like a singer sings. 

Yellow is the colour of my true love's hair
In the morning when we rise,
In the morning when we rise,
That's the time, that's the time I love the best.

Well, that's it from me.

Have a good Saturday.

Ciao tutti.